Free The Hammer Horror Omnibus by John Burke Page B

“Paul—meet me tomorrow. Tomorrow morning.” She quickly estimated the time she would need, to be able to see him and to be on duty at her usual time. “Meet me at seven o’clock in the morning,” she said, “at the Castle Borski.”
    Before he could reply she had to hang up. Ratoff was a few yards away, carefully not watching her, and just as carefully appearing not to listen. She was sure he had not been there a moment ago and sure that he could not have overheard her tense, quiet last words. But his mere presence was infuriating. In the morning she would have to take every precaution to shake him off if he had any suspicions of her.
    It proved to be a pale, still morning. As she slipped away from the Institution buildings she looked back several times, but there was no sign of anyone stirring. Carla felt jubilant. The air was fresh, birds were singing in the trees along the stream, and as she climbed the slope from Vandorf the Institution and the village itself looked smaller and smaller, less and less significant.
    Then the birdsong grew feebler. By the time she reached the forest there was silence, broken only by her own footsteps and the occasional snap of a dry twig. The castle loomed ahead. In the morning light it could have been imposing, if not beautiful; but it was haunted by invisible shadows, echoing with sounds inaudible to the human ear.
    Carla climbed without flagging, crossed the courtyard, and entered the great hall. It was not until she was inside that she asked herself why she had chosen such a meeting-place. Of course she was less likely to be followed here: even Ratoff would be scared of this place. But there had been more to it than that. In this unhallowed, desolate jumble of turrets, statues, and cobwebs she felt strangely safe. At one and the same moment she felt fear and security.
    Slowly she climbed the staircase. Between two statues stood a stone chair with the dimensions of a throne. It was spattered with flinty fragments. Carla brushed them aside and sat down facing the balcony rail, waiting.
    All was going to be well. Paul was coming and they would make plans and go away. Whatever deep-seated motive it was that had kept her in Vandorf so long, it was going to be dislodged from her mind.
    There was a scraping sound from the hall below. A few pieces of stone were kicked across the floor.
    Carla rose and went to the edge of the balcony.
    Paul looked up at her, and she caught a tremor of apprehension in his face before he recognized her. Then he came hurrying up the stairs.
    “Why did you ask me to meet you here?”
    “Because nobody else would dare to come.”
    “And you knew that nothing would keep me away?”
    She ran to him and into his arms as he reached the head of the staircase.
    “Paul . . .”
    “Have you changed your mind?” he said.
    “Yes.” She burrowed her head beseechingly into his shoulder. “Paul, I’ll come away with you.”
    His arms tightened about her. “You will?”
    “I don’t feel chained to Vandorf any more. I’m not afraid any longer. I’ll go with you, Paul. Now. Can we leave now—today?”
    What she was asking was that he should link her arm with his and hurry her down the stairs, out into the world, sweeping aside Namaroff and the difficulty of getting their luggage to the distant railway station and all the other petty problems. But even as she spoke she sensed his reservations. Something had happened.
    He said: “Yes, we’ll leave. But not immediately.”
    “Why not?”
    “I . . . I have one or two things to settle before I go.”
    “But you were the one who wanted me to turn my back on everything here. You were the one who—”
    “Carla, we’ll go away together. I promise you that. But remember that my father died here. I came to solve a mystery, and I believe I’m getting closer.”
    “Two days ago—”
    “Two days ago,” said Paul, “Professor Meister wasn’t here. Now he’s helping me.”
    “To do what?” she