Below them lay the dammed river.
“Jump!” called out John.
There were shouts behind them; a shot was fired and a bullet whistled past Karl. He looked back and saw Hagen storming toward them through the garden with his sword raised, more men behind him. John yanked Karl forward with a pull of his hand and then let go. Karl stumbled and saw John below him, elegantly diving into the water. Then he lost his footing and fell like a stone.
As he saw the black depths race toward him, Karl realized with horror that he’d never learned how to swim.
A few moments or an eternity later, Karl opened his eyes. He coughed and spat water, but he appeared to be alive. He saw John leaning over him, wiping his lips. Karl tasted salty saliva on his own lips and felt a pang of sweet wistfulness mix in with the mortal fear he had just experienced.
“Did you—?” he gasped.
“Kiss you awake like an enchanted prince? Indeed I did.” John gave him a wink, his red hair hanging from his face like seaweed and his wet clothes clinging to his body. “But it didn’t work—you’re still the same slimy frog. But at least you’re alive.”
Shaking all over, Karl sat up. They were on the other side of the moat, not far from the spot where the derelict watchman’s house stood and where Johann and Greta awaited their return. Karl looked across the black waters that stretched for several hundred feet toward the west. Some mill wheels turned slowly in the lazy current.
“’Twas a good deal of work, dragging you back up and all the way across the moat,” said John. “But at least we should have some peace from our pursuers.” He blinked as he squinted at the far shore. “I can’t see anyone over there anymore. Perhaps they believe we’ve drowned.”
“We . . . we must get back to the doctor,” said Karl, still struggling to speak. Trembling, he scrambled to his feet. “Hagen is going to comb the entire area for us.” He staggered up the slope and soon tripped on a tree root, landing on his knees.
“Slowly, slowly,” said John. “The doctor isn’t helped if you break your neck on the way to him.”
Together they climbed up the overgrown bank that ended in a reforested patch of woods near the castle. It wasn’t long before they reached the old warden’s hut. Johann and Greta sat side by side on a wall and stared at the two wet figures as if they were swamp sprites.
“What the devil?” uttered Johann.
“No time for long explanations,” gasped Karl. “Hagen is in town, which means Lahnstein is most likely, too. And maybe there are French soldiers, or Habsburg ones, or God knows—we can’t be certain.”
Greta groaned. “The whole world is after Father. When will it end?”
“Then there is no other way left.” Johann stood up. “I will go to the castle right away.”
“Now?” asked Karl, horrified.
“There is no point in hiding any longer. Tonio knows that I’m coming. As strange as it may sound—I’ll be safest inside the castle. At least from Lahnstein, Hagen, and anyone else who might be pursuing me.” Johann gave the others a long and determined look. “I am going alone. Our journey together ends here.”
“And you simply leave us behind?” Greta stepped back. She crossed her arms on her chest and glared at her father. “After everything we’ve done for you? You honestly haven’t changed at all, still only thinking of yourself.”
“Greta, your father is right,” said John. “If he really believes that he is cursed and that he must face up to this Tonio or whoever, then he must do so by himself. There’s nothing we can do to help.”
“I disagree,” retorted Karl, still shivering. “The devil might live inside that castle, but so do some bad people. And I intend to protect the doctor from those bad people. Come what may.” His teeth were chattering because of his wet clothes. He’d lost the pistol when he fell into the water, but thankfully his expensive eye glasses were safely stored in his luggage.
“You want to protect me?” Johann looked at him with pity. “How are you going to do that when you still believe that science has any place in this?”
“I stood by your side in the underground passages of Nuremberg. I followed you to Metz and then to France, and I’m not going to stop following you now.” Karl squared his shoulders. “You might not believe it, but I’ve always remained your friend, in good times as well as bad. Maybe I am your only friend. Even if we don’t always see eye to eye.” He wiped away a tear and hoped that the others thought it was water. “Don’t they say there’s no harm in the occasional disagreement between friends? Well, I disagree with you now. I don’t believe that the devil lives inside that castle. But I will follow you anyway.”
No one spoke for a while, and then in a gentle voice Johann said, “Karl, believe me, I truly appreciate your offer. All those years we’ve spent together. But . . .” His expression changed, and he looked somewhat wistful. “But why not? I could indeed use a bit of help, even if it’s just so I don’t have to face the devil all by myself. Karl may come with me, but Greta stays here. That is my final word.”
“And what if you die in there?” asked Greta.
“Then you won’t be able to stop it from happening. You know the lines in my hand, Greta. Sooner or later, the road ends for every one of us. Maybe today, maybe tomorrow, or many years from now. But I
