Valerie and Her Week of Wonders by Vítězslav Nezval & David Short (translator)

Author:Vítězslav Nezval & David Short (translator)
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: Fantasy, Horror
ISBN: 9788086264691
Publisher: Twisted Spoon Press
Published: 1945-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter XXI

A FIND

Having failed to find any opening through which she might escape from the loft, Valerie was seized with anxiety. The metal-covered door was locked, and she did not dare to shout out. She also noticed her earrings were missing. Although she had opened all the little windows to the night sky, the half-light was still so very poor that she had to move about with caution, like a blind man. After long groping she spotted at the end of the loft a crack in which a light glittered. Yet before she reached it the light had gone out.

“I wonder what it is,” she thought, not abandoning hope of being freed.

Having reached the spot where she had been hailed by the brief signal of light, and having felt the wall, she found to her amazement that there was a doorway set into it, but boarded over with some smooth wood.

She was undoubtedly standing close to the attic room, and the smooth wood was evidently part of the back of the huge wardrobe that took up a whole third of the wall of the room where Orlík had taken up residence that morning. The wood was cracked, and the moment before someone must have opened the wardrobe. Regrettably it was now closed and Valerie could not know what was happening on the other side. And yet the awareness that she was surely close to Orlík bolstered her spirits. “I’ll wait here, come what may,” she said to herself.

Indeed, before long she heard footsteps. Someone was pacing the room. Then there was a knock at the door.

“Come in,” said a man’s voice.

The door squeaked and someone entered.

“I’ve come to ask you for a few matches. The maids have gone to bed.”

“Here you are, I am glad to be able to share them with you,” said Orlík.

“You seem out of sorts,” said Elsa.

“I have no reason to be particularly happy.”

“Is your sister not back yet?” asked the female voice.

“No, she’s not back yet.”

“Has she not gone in pursuit of her grandmother?”

“I doubt it.”

“Well, don’t be so grumpy.”

“I’m extremely tired.”

“Are those a man’s words?”

“You seem fresh.”

“I really don’t feel the least bit like sleeping.”

“It’s stuffy in here.”

“You’re scowling like a storm.”

“Tell me the truth: Where is Valerie?”

“How should I know?”

“You know!”

“You suspect me?”

“And what’s this?”

There was a cry.

“What does this mean?”

“You’ve stolen Valerie’s earrings.”

“She gave them to me as a present.”

“May I have a look at them?”

“On one condition.”

“Well?”

“I love you.”

“I don’t love you.”

“I’ll give you the earrings on one condition.”

“They mean nothing to me. They are worthless now. I wanted to convince you. The contents of their jewel have been removed and are very well hidden. See for yourself.”

“Leave, sir.”

“I am no guest of yours. Why should I leave ...”

“Leave!”

“I will not.”

“You’ll regret it. I, my dear, have little to lose. You – almost everything.”

“I’m not afraid of your threats.”

“Then I wish you a good night. Wake up well refreshed.”

Valerie heard the door click shut. Before she dared risk knocking on the wardrobe, she thought she heard a key rattle in the door to the loft.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.