The Secret of Sarek Part 60

CHAPTER XVII

"CRUEL PRINCE, OBEYING DESTINY"

Don Luis once more addressed himself to Vorski:

"We're agreed, aren't we, Kamerad? All that I'm saying exactly expresses the truth?"

Vorski had closed his eyes, his head was drooping, and the veins on his temple were immoderately swollen. To prevent any interference by Stephane, Don Luis exclaimed:

"You will speak, my fine fellow! Ah, the pain is beginning to grow serious, is it? The brain is giving way? . . . Remember, just one whistle, a bar or two of _Tipperary_ and I interrupt my speech . . . .

You won't? You're not ripe yet? So much the worse for you! . . . And you, Stephane, have no fear for Francois. I answer for everything. But no pity for this monster, please! No, no and again no! Don't forget that he prepared and contrived everything of his own free will! Don't forget . . . But I'm getting angry. What's the use?"

Don Luis unfolded the page of the note-book on which Vorski had written down the prophecy and, holding it under his eyes, continued:

"What remains to be said is not so important, once the general explanation is accepted. Nevertheless, we must go into detail to some slight extent, show the mechanism of the affair imagined and built up by Vorski and lastly come to the part played by our attractive ancient Druid . . . . So we are now in the month of June. This is the season fixed for the execution of the thirty victims. It was evidently appointed by Brother Thomas because the rhythm of his verse called for a month in one syllable, just as the year fourteen and three was selected because three rhymes with be and tree and just as Brother Thomas decided upon the number of thirty victims because thirty is the number of the Sarek reefs and coffins. But Vorski takes it as a definite command.

Thirty victims are needed in June '17. They will be provided. They will be provided on condition that the twenty-nine inhabitants of Sarek--we shall see presently that Vorski has his thirtieth victim handy--consent to stay on the island and await their destruction. Well, Vorski suddenly hears of the departure of Honorine and Maguennoc. Honorine will come back in time. But how about Maguennoc? Vorski does not hesitate: he sends Elfride and Conrad on his tracks, with instructions to kill him and to wait. He hesitates the less because he believes, from certain words which he has overheard, that Maguennoc has taken with him the precious stone, the miraculous gem which must not be touched but which must be left in its leaden sheath (this is the actual phrase used by Maguennoc)!

"Elfride and Conrad therefore set out. One morning, at an inn, Elfride mixes poison with the coffee which Maguennoc is drinking (the prophecy has stated that there will be poison). Maguennoc continues his journey.

But in an hour or two he is seized with intolerable pain and dies, almost immediately, on the bank by the road-side. Elfride and Conrad come up and go through his pockets. They find nothing, no gem, no precious stone. Vorski's hopes have not been realized. All the same, the corpse is there. What are they to do with it? For the time being, they fling it into a half-demolished hut, which Vorski and his accomplices had visited some months before. Here Veronique d'Hergemont discovers the body . . . and an hour later fails to find it there. Elfride and Conrad, keeping watch close at hand, have taken it away and hidden it, still for the time being, in the cellars of a little empty country-house.

"There's one victim accounted for. We may observe, in pa.s.sing, that Maguennoc's predictions relating to the order in which the thirty victims are to be executed--beginning with himself--have no basis. The prophecy doesn't mention such a thing. In any case, Vorski goes to work at random. At Sarek he carries off Francois and Stephane Maroux and then, both as a measure of precaution and in order to cross the island without attracting attention and to enter the Priory more easily, he dresses himself in Stephane's clothes, while Raynold puts on Francois'.

The job before them is an easy one. The only people in the house are an old man, M. d'Hergemont, and a woman, Marie Le Goff. As soon as these are got rid of, the rooms and Maguennoc's in particular will be searched. Vorski, as yet unaware of the result of Elfride's expedition, would not be surprised if Maguennoc had left the miraculous jewel at the Priory.

"The first to fall is the cook, Marie Le Goff, whom Vorski takes by the throat and stabs with a knife. But it so happens that the ruffian's face gets covered with blood; and, seized with one of those fits of cowardice to which he is subject, he runs away, after loosing Raynold upon M. d'Hergemont.

"The fight between the boy and the old man is a long one. It is continued through the house and, by a tragic chance, ends before Veronique d'Hergemont's eyes. M. d'Hergemont is killed. Honorine arrives at the same moment. She drops, making the fourth victim.

"Matters now begin to go quickly. Panic sets in during the night. The people of Sarek, frightened out of their wits, seeing that Maguennoc's predictions are being fulfilled and that the hour of the disaster which has so long threatened their island is about to strike, make up their minds to go. This is what Vorski and his son are waiting for. Taking up their position in the motor-boat which they have stolen, they rush after the runaways and the abominable hunt begins, the great disaster foretold by Brother Thomas:

"'There will be shipwrecks, terrors, grief and crimes.'

"Honorine, who witnesses the scene and whose brain is already greatly upset, goes mad and throws herself from the cliff.

"Thereupon we have a lull of a few days, during which Veronique d'Hergemont explores the Priory and the island without being disturbed.

As a matter of fact, after their successful hunt, leaving only Otto, who spends his time drinking in the cells, the father and son have gone off in the boat to fetch Elfride and Conrad and to bring back Maguennoc's body and fling it in the water within sight of Sarek, since Maguennoc of necessity has one of the thirty coffins earmarked for his reception.

"At that moment, that is when he returns to Sarek, Vorski's bag numbers twenty-four victims. Stephane and Francois are prisoners, guarded by Otto. The rest consists of four women reserved for crucifixion, including the three sisters Archignat, all locked up in their wash-house. It is their turn next. Veronique d'Hergemont tries to release them, but it is too late. Waylaid by the band, shot at by Raynold, who is an expert archer, the sisters Archignat are wounded by arrows (for arrows, see the prophecy) and fall into the enemy's hands.

That same evening they are strung up on the three oaks, after Vorski has first relieved them of the fifty thousand-franc notes which they carried concealed on their persons. Total: twenty-nine victims. Who will be the thirtieth? Who will be the fourth woman?"

Don Luis paused and continued:

"As to this, the prophecy speaks very plainly in two places, each of which complements the other:

"'Before his mother's eyes, Abel kills Cain.'

"And, a few lines lower down:

"'His wedded wife one night in June hath slain.'

"Vorski, from the moment when he became aware of this doc.u.ment, had interpreted the two lines in his own fashion. Being, in fact, unable at that time to dispose of Veronique, for whom he has vainly been hunting all over France, he temporizes with the decrees of destiny. The fourth woman to be tortured shall be a wife, but she shall be his first wife, Elfride. And this will not be absolutely contrary to the prophecy, which, if need be, can apply to the mother of Cain just as well as to the mother of Abel. And observe that the other prophecy, that which was communicated to him by word of mouth in the old days, also failed to specify the woman who was to die:

"'Vorski's wife shall perish on the cross.'

"Which wife? Elfride.

"So his dear, devoted accomplice is to perish. It's terrible for Vorski; it breaks his heart. But the G.o.d Moloch must be obeyed; and, considering that Vorski, to accomplish his task, decided to sacrifice his son Raynold, it would be inexcusable if he refused to sacrifice his wife Elfride. So all will be well.

"But, suddenly, a dramatic incident occurs. While pursuing the sisters Archignat, he sees and recognizes Veronique d'Hergemont!

"A man like Vorski could not fail to behold in this yet another favour vouchsafed by the powers above. The woman whom he has never forgotten is sent to him at the very moment when she is to take her place in the great adventure. She is given to him as a miraculous victim which he can destroy . . . or conquer. What a prospect! And how the heavens brighten with unexpected light! Vorski loses his head. He becomes more and more convinced that he is the Messiah, the chosen one, the apostle, missionary, the man who is 'obeying destiny.' He is linked up with the line of the high-priests, the guardians of the G.o.d-Stone. He is a Druid, an arch-druid; and, as such, on the night when Veronique d'Hergemont burns the bridge, on the sixth night after the moon, he goes and cuts the sacred mistletoe with a golden sickle!

"And the siege of the Priory begins. I will not linger over this.

Veronique d'Hergemont has told you the whole story, Stephane, and we know her sufferings, the part played by the delightful All's Well, the discovery of the underground pa.s.sage and the cells, the fight for Francois, the fight for you, Stephane, whom Vorski imprisoned in one of the torture-cells called 'death-chambers' in the prophecy. Here you are surprised with Madame d'Hergemont. The young monster, Raynold, hurls you into the sea. Francois and his mother escape. Unfortunately, Vorski and his band succeed in reaching the Priory. Francois is captured. His mother joins him. And then . . . and then the most tragic scenes ensue, scenes upon which I will not enlarge: the interview between Vorski and Veronique d'Hergemont, the duel between the two brothers, between Cain and Abel, before Veronique d'Hergemont's very eyes. For the prophecy insists upon it:

"'Before his mother's eyes, Abel kills Cain.'

"And the prophecy likewise demands that she shall suffer beyond expression and that Vorski shall be subtle in doing evil. 'A cruel prince,' he puts marks on the two combatants; and, when Abel is on the point of being defeated, he himself wounds Cain so that Cain may be killed.

"The monster is mad. He's mad and drunk. The climax is close at hand. He drinks and drinks; for Veronique d'Hergemont's martyrdom is to take place that evening:

"'By thousand deaths and lingering agony, His wedded wife one night of June hath slain.'

"The thousand deaths Veronique has already undergone; and the agony will be lingering. The hour comes. Supper, funeral procession, preparations, the setting up of the ladder, the binding of the victim and then . . .

and then the ancient Druid!"

Don Luis gave a hearty laugh as he uttered the last words:

"Here, upon my word, things begin to get amusing! From this moment onward, tragedy goes hand in hand with comedy, the gruesome with the burlesque. Oh, that ancient Druid, what a caution! To you, Stephane, and you, Patrice, who were behind the scenes, the story is devoid of interest. But to you, Vorski, what exciting revelations! . . . I say, Otto, just put the ladder against the trunk of the tree, so that your employer can rest his feet on the top rung. Is that easier for you, Vorski? Mark you, my little attention does not come from any ridiculous feeling of pity. Oh, dear, no! But I'm afraid that you might go phut; and besides I want you to be in a comfortable position to listen to the ancient Druid's confession."

He had another burst of laughter. There was no doubt about it: the ancient Druid was a great source of entertainment to Don Luis.

"The ancient Druid's arrival," he said, "introduces order and reason into the adventure. What was loose and vague becomes more compact.

Incoherent crime turns into logical punishment. We have no longer blind obedience to Brother Thomas' doggerel, but the submission to common sense, the rigorous method of a man who knows what he wants and who has no time to lose. Really, the ancient Druid deserves all our admiration.

"The ancient Druid, whom we may call either Don Luis Perenna or a.r.s.ene Lupin--you suspect that, don't you?--knew very little of the story when the periscope of his submarine, the _Crystal Stopper_, emerged in sight of the coast of Sarek at mid-day yesterday."

"Very little?" Stephane Maroux cried, in spite of himself.

"One might say, nothing," Don Luis declared.

"What! All those facts about Vorski's past, all those precise details about what he did at Sarek, about his plans and the part played by Elfride and the poisoning of Maguennoc?"

"I learnt all that here, yesterday," said Don Luis.

"But from whom? We never left one another?"

"Believe me when I say that the ancient Druid, when he landed yesterday on the coast of Sarek, knew nothing at all. But the ancient Druid lays claim to be at least as great a favourite of the G.o.ds as you are, Vorski. And in fact he at once had the luck to see, on a lonely little beach, our friend Stephane, who himself had had the luck to fall into a pretty deep pool of water and thus to escape the fate which you and your son had prepared for him. Rescue-work, conversation. In half an hour, the ancient Druid had the facts. Forthwith, investigations. He ended by reaching the cells, where he found in yours, Vorski, a white robe which he needed for his own use and a sc.r.a.p of paper with a copy of the prophecy written by yourself. Excellent. The ancient Druid knows the enemy's plans.