The Second Rider by Alex Beer

Author:Alex Beer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Europa Editions UK
Published: 2018-07-31T16:00:00+00:00

24.

One thousand five hundred rooms, and still nothing more than a summer residence for the Kaiser,” said Emmerich when they arrived in front of Schönbrunn palace. “If that’s not decadent, don’t ask me what is.”

The magnificent baroque structure, the façade of which had lent its name to a color—Schönbrunn yellow—rose as proudly into the sky as if the monarchy were still in full flower.

“Those days are gone.” Winter didn’t want to hear any of Emmerich’s pessimism. “The children’s society even got their own wing of it to house war orphans.”

“Get out of here, they got eighty-four rooms. Eighty-four out of a thousand five hundred! The rest were snatched by top politicians, government-friendly companies, and the army. Sure, it’s called a republic now, not a monarchy, but I don’t think it makes much difference to the simple Volk.”

“Give things a chance.” Winter, hopeful as always, put a piece of chocolate in his mouth and turned into the gravel path that ran diagonally through the park surrounding the palace and into the menagerie, as the zoo was called. Low, well-manicured hedges and tall chestnut trees lined the path on both sides and gave the impression that time had stood still. “It’s nice here,” Winter decided. “Just like it used to be. As if the war never happened.”

Before Emmerich could answer they passed a pond where a swarm of small fish were fighting over a few mosquito larvae. He gazed at the frenzy.

“The palace ponds are being used as fish farms now. Heard about it recently. These look like trench fish.”

“Leave the fish alone!” A woman with scraggly white hair emerged from a hedge and held a fist in the air.

“Don’t worry, we’re not going to steal anything.” Emmerich started to go but the old lady stepped in front of him and stuck out her hand.

“Spare some change.”

“Sorry, but I don’t have so much as a heller.” He tried to slip past her but she wouldn’t let him.

“And there went out another horse that was red,” she recited from the Book of Revelation. “And power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.”

“There’s nothing I can do about that at this point.” Emmerich peered at Winter, who was watching this exchange from a safe distance.

“Spare some change,” she repeated. “Please . . . ”

Winter reached into his pockets and turned them inside out to show that he really had no money.

“The First Horseman brought conquest, the Second war, the Third famine, and if you don’t give me something, the Fourth will soon come.”

“For me alone?” Emmerich laughed.

“Indeed. Fear, decline, and . . . ” She paused dramatically.

“And?”

“ . . . death.” She touched Emmerich’s stomach with the tips of her fingers. “You will die.” The look on her face was so convincing that his laughter fell away. “Or someone close to you will lose his life.”

A shiver went through Emmerich’s limbs. This old lady was crazy.

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