03-01-04-曾达的囚徒 [14]
，他同意了。我们就决定了行动计划。
第二天深夜，萨普特、弗里茨和我，还有另外六个人，骑马向曾达城堡进发。萨普特带着一根长绳，我拿着一根又短又粗的棍子和一把长刀。
夜色很黑，空气潮湿。我们绕开城市前进，没有撞上什么人。我们来到护城河的附近，在树丛里停了下来，那六个人和我们的马藏在里面。然后萨普特把绳子系在水边的树上，我脱下靴子，用牙咬着棍子，轻轻地顺着绳子下到河里，我要去看一下那根排水管。
那天很暖和，水也不冷。我缓慢而小心地绕着黑暗的城墙游着。城堡的新楼里有灯光，我不时能听见人们的叫声和笑声。“这一定是年轻的鲁帕特和他的同伙们。”我想。突然，一个黑影子出现在我的面前，是那根排水管！它的底部非常宽，伸进护城河里。然后我见到一样东西，我的心脏都几乎停止了跳动。是一只船，而且船里有个人！他的枪就靠在身边。幸运的是，他睡着了。我尽量轻轻地靠近他，他还在睡。我能怎么办呢？我得救出国王。我抽出刀，刺进了他的心脏。在城堡的另一边，那些人还在唱歌。
我的时间很紧，随时可能有人会来，我看了看排水管穿过城墙进入监狱的地方，在那个地方的底端有一丝光亮透了出来。我听见了戴查德的声音。然后我听见了国王的回答。就在这时灯光灭了。在黑暗中我听到了国王的哭声。我没叫他。我必须安全地离开，而且得带上那个死去的哨兵。
我爬进小船，开始往朋友们所在的地方划，没人能听见，因为风很大。但从我的背后，我听见一声叫唤，有人正在叫那个哨兵。我到了河边，萨普特和弗里茨正在等我。我很快地把绳子绕在那个哨兵的身上，他们把他拖了上去。然后我也顺着绳子爬了上去。
“把我们的人叫来，”我悄声说。“要快！”
可就在此时，从城堡正面过来了三个骑马的人，很幸运他们没有看见我们，但他们听见了我们的六个朋友骑马从树林里出来，于是叫喊着扑向他们。
数秒钟后我们听见了枪声，我冲去帮助我们的人，萨普特和弗里茨紧跟着。
“杀死他们！”一个声音叫着，是亨佐的鲁帕特。
“太迟了，他们把我俩都抓住了，”另一个声音叫道：“快逃吧，鲁帕特！”
我跑着，手里拿着棍子。突然，透过黑暗我看见一匹马向我这边冲来，我跳到了马头前，看见了我头顶上方那个人的脸。
“总算见面了！”我叫道：“亨佐的鲁帕特！”
他手里只有剑，我的人从一边向他靠近，萨普特和弗里茨从另一边向他靠近。
鲁帕特笑了。“原来是那位演员！”他叫道。他用剑打掉我的棍子，然后掉转马头，冲进了护城河。我们的子弹在他耳边飞舞，我们的人向水中射击，但天太黑了，没有月亮，他逃脱了。
我们杀死了那六个人中的两个——劳恩格兰姆和克拉夫斯坦，但我很生气，我们有三个勇敢的朋友死了，我们把他们的尸体带回去，心情很沉痛。
我讨厌鲁帕特管我叫“演员”。
当然，迈克尔和我不会让人们知道我们是对头，因此白天在曾达城里是安全的。有一天，城堡外的那一夜之后没多久，当我和弗蕾维亚公主骑着马在城里穿行时，看见一群人穿着黑衣服走进教堂。鲁帕特也和他们在一起。他看见我们，掉转马头冲我们走来。
“这是我的朋友劳恩格兰姆的葬礼。”他回答我们的问题说。
“你的朋友死了我很难过。”我对他说。
“我也很难过。”弗蕾维亚说，她那美丽的蓝眼睛变得悲哀了。
鲁帕特看着她，微笑了。然后他骑马离开了。虽然他对弗蕾维亚微笑使我生气，我还是追了上去。
“那天晚上你很勇敢。”我说，“而且你正年轻，帮助我救出国王——我也会帮助你的。”
但是鲁帕特不感兴趣。“不，”他回答。“不过如果他俩都死了——国王和公爵——你就能当上国王，娶你的公主，而我就可以有很多钱，而且得到我想要的女人。”
“安·德·莫班？”我满不在乎地问，试图装着不感兴趣的样子。
“对。”鲁帕特回答。“我恨公爵，她爱的是他，不是我！”他气冲冲地又回到葬礼的人群中去了。
奇怪的是，当我们回家时，一张安冬纳特本人写来的纸条正等着我们。
“我曾经帮助过你，现在帮帮我。把我从这个可怕的地方救出去！从这些杀人凶手中间救出去！”
我为她感到难过，但是我又能怎么样呢？
■ 11 A dangerous plan
One day Johann came to tell us that the King was now very sick，and that Antoinette de Mauban and a doctor were looking after him．But the Duke never left Rupert of Hentzau alone with Antoinette．I understood why，after what Rupert had told me．There were often angry voices in the castle these days，Johann told us．
Two of the Six were now dead，but there were always two men watching the King．The other two slept in a room above and would hear them if they called．Detchard and Bersonin watched by night；Rupert of Hentzau and De Gautet by day．The Duke's rooms were on the first floor，in the new buildings of the castle，and An-toinette's room was on the same floor．But at night the Duke locked the door of her room，and pulled up the drawbridge．He kept the key himself．Johann slept near the front door of the new castle with five other men-but they had no guns．
We could not wait any longer．'Listen！'I said to Johann．'I'll make you rich if you do what I say．'Johann agreed．
'You must take this note to Madame de Mauban．' I said，'and tomorrow，at two o'clock in the morning， you must open the front door of the new castle．Tell the others that you need air，or something- and then escape．'
Johann was clearly afraid，but he seemed to understand．I explained my plan to Sapt and Fritz．
'When Johann opens the front door，'I said，'Sapt and his men will run into the castle and hold the men who are sleeping there．At the same time Antoinette will scream loudly again and again．She'll cry“Help！Help me，Michael！”And she'll shout Rupert of Hentzau's name．Duke Michael will hear and he'll run out of his room- straight into the hands of Sapt！Sapt will get the key from the Duke and let down the draw-bridge．Rupert and De Gautet will hear the noise and hurry to cross the drawbridge．I'll hide by the bridge in the moat，and when they try to cross，I'll kill them．Then we'll hurry to the room where the King is，and kill Detchard and Bersonin before they have time to kill the King．'
The others listened in silence．It was a very dangerous plan，and I did not really think it would work-but we had to try！
That evening I went to visit Flavia．She seemed very thoughtful，and as I was leaving，she placed a ring on my finger．I was wearing the King's ring，but I took off my Rassendyll family ring and gave it to her．'Wear this for me always，'I said．
She kissed the ring
第二天深夜，萨普特、弗里茨和我，还有另外六个人，骑马向曾达城堡进发。萨普特带着一根长绳，我拿着一根又短又粗的棍子和一把长刀。
夜色很黑，空气潮湿。我们绕开城市前进，没有撞上什么人。我们来到护城河的附近，在树丛里停了下来，那六个人和我们的马藏在里面。然后萨普特把绳子系在水边的树上，我脱下靴子，用牙咬着棍子，轻轻地顺着绳子下到河里，我要去看一下那根排水管。
那天很暖和，水也不冷。我缓慢而小心地绕着黑暗的城墙游着。城堡的新楼里有灯光，我不时能听见人们的叫声和笑声。“这一定是年轻的鲁帕特和他的同伙们。”我想。突然，一个黑影子出现在我的面前，是那根排水管！它的底部非常宽，伸进护城河里。然后我见到一样东西，我的心脏都几乎停止了跳动。是一只船，而且船里有个人！他的枪就靠在身边。幸运的是，他睡着了。我尽量轻轻地靠近他，他还在睡。我能怎么办呢？我得救出国王。我抽出刀，刺进了他的心脏。在城堡的另一边，那些人还在唱歌。
我的时间很紧，随时可能有人会来，我看了看排水管穿过城墙进入监狱的地方，在那个地方的底端有一丝光亮透了出来。我听见了戴查德的声音。然后我听见了国王的回答。就在这时灯光灭了。在黑暗中我听到了国王的哭声。我没叫他。我必须安全地离开，而且得带上那个死去的哨兵。
我爬进小船，开始往朋友们所在的地方划，没人能听见，因为风很大。但从我的背后，我听见一声叫唤，有人正在叫那个哨兵。我到了河边，萨普特和弗里茨正在等我。我很快地把绳子绕在那个哨兵的身上，他们把他拖了上去。然后我也顺着绳子爬了上去。
“把我们的人叫来，”我悄声说。“要快！”
可就在此时，从城堡正面过来了三个骑马的人，很幸运他们没有看见我们，但他们听见了我们的六个朋友骑马从树林里出来，于是叫喊着扑向他们。
数秒钟后我们听见了枪声，我冲去帮助我们的人，萨普特和弗里茨紧跟着。
“杀死他们！”一个声音叫着，是亨佐的鲁帕特。
“太迟了，他们把我俩都抓住了，”另一个声音叫道：“快逃吧，鲁帕特！”
我跑着，手里拿着棍子。突然，透过黑暗我看见一匹马向我这边冲来，我跳到了马头前，看见了我头顶上方那个人的脸。
“总算见面了！”我叫道：“亨佐的鲁帕特！”
他手里只有剑，我的人从一边向他靠近，萨普特和弗里茨从另一边向他靠近。
鲁帕特笑了。“原来是那位演员！”他叫道。他用剑打掉我的棍子，然后掉转马头，冲进了护城河。我们的子弹在他耳边飞舞，我们的人向水中射击，但天太黑了，没有月亮，他逃脱了。
我们杀死了那六个人中的两个——劳恩格兰姆和克拉夫斯坦，但我很生气，我们有三个勇敢的朋友死了，我们把他们的尸体带回去，心情很沉痛。
我讨厌鲁帕特管我叫“演员”。
当然，迈克尔和我不会让人们知道我们是对头，因此白天在曾达城里是安全的。有一天，城堡外的那一夜之后没多久，当我和弗蕾维亚公主骑着马在城里穿行时，看见一群人穿着黑衣服走进教堂。鲁帕特也和他们在一起。他看见我们，掉转马头冲我们走来。
“这是我的朋友劳恩格兰姆的葬礼。”他回答我们的问题说。
“你的朋友死了我很难过。”我对他说。
“我也很难过。”弗蕾维亚说，她那美丽的蓝眼睛变得悲哀了。
鲁帕特看着她，微笑了。然后他骑马离开了。虽然他对弗蕾维亚微笑使我生气，我还是追了上去。
“那天晚上你很勇敢。”我说，“而且你正年轻，帮助我救出国王——我也会帮助你的。”
但是鲁帕特不感兴趣。“不，”他回答。“不过如果他俩都死了——国王和公爵——你就能当上国王，娶你的公主，而我就可以有很多钱，而且得到我想要的女人。”
“安·德·莫班？”我满不在乎地问，试图装着不感兴趣的样子。
“对。”鲁帕特回答。“我恨公爵，她爱的是他，不是我！”他气冲冲地又回到葬礼的人群中去了。
奇怪的是，当我们回家时，一张安冬纳特本人写来的纸条正等着我们。
“我曾经帮助过你，现在帮帮我。把我从这个可怕的地方救出去！从这些杀人凶手中间救出去！”
我为她感到难过，但是我又能怎么样呢？
■ 11 A dangerous plan
One day Johann came to tell us that the King was now very sick，and that Antoinette de Mauban and a doctor were looking after him．But the Duke never left Rupert of Hentzau alone with Antoinette．I understood why，after what Rupert had told me．There were often angry voices in the castle these days，Johann told us．
Two of the Six were now dead，but there were always two men watching the King．The other two slept in a room above and would hear them if they called．Detchard and Bersonin watched by night；Rupert of Hentzau and De Gautet by day．The Duke's rooms were on the first floor，in the new buildings of the castle，and An-toinette's room was on the same floor．But at night the Duke locked the door of her room，and pulled up the drawbridge．He kept the key himself．Johann slept near the front door of the new castle with five other men-but they had no guns．
We could not wait any longer．'Listen！'I said to Johann．'I'll make you rich if you do what I say．'Johann agreed．
'You must take this note to Madame de Mauban．' I said，'and tomorrow，at two o'clock in the morning， you must open the front door of the new castle．Tell the others that you need air，or something- and then escape．'
Johann was clearly afraid，but he seemed to understand．I explained my plan to Sapt and Fritz．
'When Johann opens the front door，'I said，'Sapt and his men will run into the castle and hold the men who are sleeping there．At the same time Antoinette will scream loudly again and again．She'll cry“Help！Help me，Michael！”And she'll shout Rupert of Hentzau's name．Duke Michael will hear and he'll run out of his room- straight into the hands of Sapt！Sapt will get the key from the Duke and let down the draw-bridge．Rupert and De Gautet will hear the noise and hurry to cross the drawbridge．I'll hide by the bridge in the moat，and when they try to cross，I'll kill them．Then we'll hurry to the room where the King is，and kill Detchard and Bersonin before they have time to kill the King．'
The others listened in silence．It was a very dangerous plan，and I did not really think it would work-but we had to try！
That evening I went to visit Flavia．She seemed very thoughtful，and as I was leaving，she placed a ring on my finger．I was wearing the King's ring，but I took off my Rassendyll family ring and gave it to her．'Wear this for me always，'I said．
She kissed the ring