The Mystery of the 99 Steps by Carolyn Keene

Author:Carolyn Keene [Keene, Carolyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Penguin USA, Inc.
Published: 2011-11-14T18:47:03+00:00

CHAPTER XII

The Red King Warning

As the door of the palace closed, Bess shrieked and Nancy gasped. George was a prisoner! Whose? And why?

“M9 has kidnapped her!” cried Bess. “What’ll we do?”

Nancy was already dashing up the steps. She crossed the terrace and tried the door. It was locked!

“Oh, I must get in!” Nancy thought desperately. She turned to Bess, who had followed her. “You stay here and watch. I’ll run to the main entrance and see what I can find out.”

She sped off and tried that door. It, too, was locked!

Desperate, Nancy banged on the door panels as hard as she could. In a few minutes a guard came out.

“The palace is closed for the day, mademoiselle,” he said, annoyed.

“But listen!” Nancy pleaded. “A friend of mine was forced inside by somebody near the top of the L’Orangerie steps.”

The guard looked at Nancy skeptically. She knew he was wondering if she had suddenly gone mad.

“This is serious,” she said. “I’m not fooling. Please! My friend is in danger!”

Suddenly the guard seemed to sense that perhaps Nancy was telling the truth. He admitted her, and together the two raced up a staircase and to the door in question. No one was in sight.

The guard gave Nancy a look of disgust. “I do not like people who play jokes,” he said brusquely. “Now you had better leave. And quickly!”

Nancy was at her wit’s end. How could she convince this man? Then her eyes lighted on a pale-blue button from George’s blouse. She picked it up from the floor.

“Here’s proof,” she said to the guard, and explained where the button had come from.

“Then where is she?” he asked, now worried himself.

“We’ll have to find out,” Nancy replied.

She led the way, practically running from room to room. There was no sign of either George or her abductor.

“Maybe the fellow sneaked down one of the stairways and went out,” the guard suggested.

As the two stood debating where to search next, they suddenly saw a man in uniform dash from one of the rooms and head for the main stairway.

The guard with Nancy muttered, “Very odd. I am supposed to be the only one left on duty.”

Nancy cried out, “That man may be a fake! Come on!”

They dashed after the uniformed figure, but by the time they reached the top of the staircase he was out of sight. A door below slammed.

Out of breath, the guard said worriedly, “The fellow has probably escaped. I hope he did not steal anything.”

Nancy had a different idea—that the fugitive had grabbed George with the crook end of the cane. “He must have left my friend behind. We’ll have to keep searching!”

Nancy and the guard pressed on. Presently they reached Louis XIV’s bedroom and stood still in amazement.

George Fayne lay on the ornate bed asleep!

At least Nancy hoped that George was asleep. Fearfully she went toward her friend. Just as she reached the bed, George opened her eyes. She looked around wildly, murmuring, “Where am I?”

“Oh, thank goodness you’re all right!” Nancy cried out.

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