Lost City by Clive Cussler & Paul Kemprecos

Lost City by Clive Cussler & Paul Kemprecos

Author:Clive Cussler & Paul Kemprecos [Cussler, Clive & Kemprecos, Paul]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Action & Adventure, Suspense, Thrillers
ISBN: 9780425204191
Publisher: Berkley
Published: 2004-01-01T19:00:00+00:00


"Follow me if you dare," Emil said with a smirking leer on his face,

and then he ducked under the jamb.

Laughing giddily, the guests paused, then with wine goblets in hand

they filed after Emil like the children of Hamlin following the Pied

Piper. Austin put his hand on Skye's arm and kept her from going with

the others.

"Make believe you're drunk," Austin said.

"I wish I were drunk," Skye said. "Merde. Here comes the dragon

lady."

Madame Fauchard glided over and said, "The Red Death must take its

leave, Monsieur Austin. Sorry we couldn't get to know each other

better."

"I am, too. That was an interesting toast Sir Cavendish gave," he

said, slurring his words.

"Great families are often the subject of malicious gossip." She turned

to Skye. "The masquerade is at an end. I believe you have a relic

that belongs to my family."

"What are you talking about?"

: "Don't toy with me. I know you have the helmet."

"Then it was you

who sent that awful man."

"Sebastian? No, he is my son's lapdog. If it's any consolation to

you, he will be eliminated as a result of his failures. Never mind, we

will persuade you to tell us where our property is. As for you,

Monsieur Austin, I must bid you farewell."

"Until we meet again," Austin said, swaying slightly. She gazed at him

with a look approaching sadness. "Yes. Until we meet again."

Escorted by an entourage of servants, Madame Fauchard headed for the

exit. Marcel had been standing nearby. Now he came over and curled

his lip in his movie gangster's smile. "Monsieur Emil would be

heartbroken if you missed the entertainment he has prepared for you."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Austin said, deliberately slurring

his words.

Marcel lit another torch and gestured toward the door. Austin and Skye

caught up with the tail end of the raucous crowd. Marcel took up the

rear to make sure they didn't stray.

The procession descended a short stone staircase to a passageway about

six feet wide. As the guests plunged deeper into the bowels of the

chateau, the laughter began to ebb. The merriment died completely

along with conversation, when the guests entered a section of tunnel

lined with eye-level stone shelves that overflowed with human bones.

Emil stopped in front of a shelf, picked out a skull at random and held

it above his head, where it grinned down at the guests as if amused by

their clever costumes.

"Welcome to the catacombs of Chateau Fauchard," Emil proclaimed with

the cheerfulness of a Disney World tour guide. "Meet one of my

ancestors. Pardon if he is a bit reserved. He doesn't get many

visitors."

He tossed the skull back into a recess, where it started a small

avalanche of femurs, ribs and clavicles. Then he forged ahead,

exhorting the guests to hurry or they would miss the show. The tunnel

entered a series of large, barred rooms that Emil explained were the

dungeons and torture chambers. Braziers had been set up in each room

so their flickering light was filtered through stained-glass screens of

different colors.

The strange colored light illuminated the wax faces of figures that

looked so lifelike no one would have been surprised if they had moved.

In one chamber, a great ape was stuffing a woman up a chimney.



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