The Cask of Amontillado
The festival lantern burned brightly, drenching the people and stands in their colorful light. Crowds swarmed the plaza as I went stand to stand, people gathering to watch me, the master of wine, evaluate the rare wines that people claimed to offer their customers. Many of which were fake, and in such situations I obtained money to add to my family's wealth. Night fell and as the stars and moon rose I grew weary of my games, deciding it would be best should I return home. I was greeted many times by many familiar faces, each of them offering me their loyalty, their kindness...weather it was out of respect for my person or fear of my power, I may never know.
I made my way home, tripping over my own two feet, humming happily to myself, singing to the joyful music of the fair behind me. My hat jingling with every step, the large Jester's shoes made it hard to walk and my mask hard to see, however I continued home in the dark with only a lantern to guide my way. When through the crowd of people, a man appeared. He wore a black mask, garment and cape and almost seemed to mix in with the night around him.
"Fortunato!" he called with a smile. He seemed more familiar with me than I with him. I took a deep breath, working up the last of my strength to support a good attitude towards the man. Smiling and waving in return as he made his way to me. We shook hands, as it is only polite for gentlemen to do such upon encounter.
"Good day to you sir. My, you seem to be in a hurry." I observed as the man furiously shook my hand, bouncing on the balls of his feet when he withdrew, like a child, excited about a new toy or privilege. The man nodded, Montresor, as I soon learned he was called.
"My dear Fortunato, you are luckily met. How remarkably well you are looking today. But I have received a pipe of what passes for Amontillado, and I have my doubts." Montresor said.
"How?" I asked amazed, barely able to fathom the idea of the rarity. "Amontillado, A pipe? Impossible! And in the middle of the carnival!"
"I have my doubts," He replied; "and I was silly enough to pay the full Amontillado price without consulting you in the matter. You were not to be found, and I was fearful of losing a bargain."
"Amontillado!" I cried.
"I have my doubts."
"Amontillado!"
"And I must satisfy them."
"Amontillado!"
"As you are engaged, I am on my way to Luchresi. If anyone has a critical turn it is he. He will tell me -"
"Luchresi cannot tell Amontillado from Sherry." I stated, insulted that this man would trust Luchresi's judgment instead of mine.
"And yet some fools will have it that his taste is a match for your own."
"Come, let us go."
"Whither?"
"To your vaults."
"My friend, no; I will not impose upon your good nature. I perceive you have an engagement. Luchresi-"
"I have no engagement; -come." I demanded, beginning to walk away, determined to taste the so called Amontillado.
"My friend, no. It is not the engagement, but the severe cold with which I perceive you are afflicted. The vaults are insufferably damp. They are encrusted with nitre."
"Let us go, nevertheless. The cold is merely nothing. Amontillado! You have been imposed upon. And as for Luchresi, he cannot distinguish Sherry from Amontillado." Eager to test the rarity of a wine I seized the man's arm, pulling him across the plaza, my hat jingling with every step.
The Manor loomed into view, dark and empty, void of all servants, of all life. Perhaps they had snuck out; perhaps my friend had given them permission to attend the fair, either way it was irrelevant and I cared for nothing but the cask of amontillado.
Montresor handed me a torch as we headed into the catacombs, I stumbled after him, beginning to cough, and wheeze, finding it difficult to breathe in the dusty catacombs.
"The pipe?" I asked, growing weary of the catacombs. Wondering why we were not headed to the winery.
"It is farther on," The man in black answered. "But observe the white web work which gleams from these cavern walls."
I turned to look at him, watching him flicker in and out of existence with the dancing flames. A haze shrouded my mind, and suddenly whatever thought I had, was lost, to thought of desire.
The cask... I thought hurry, hurry, Amontillado.
"Nitre?" I asked
"Nitre," He confirmed. "How long have you had that cough?"
Before I could respond I fell into a coughing fit, wheezing, coughing and choking I struggled to answer for a few minutes.
"It is nothing," I said, at last.
"Come," He responded, with decision, "We will go back; your health is precious. You are rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy as once I was. You are a man to be missed. For me it is no matter. We will go back; you will be ill and I cannot be responsible. Besides, there is Luchesi-"
"Enough," I demanded with anger. "The cough is a mere nothing; it will not kill me. I shall not die of a cough."
"True - true," He replied, a slight smile tugging at his lips. "And, indeed, I had no intention of alarming you unnecessarily - but you should use all proper caution. A draught of this Medoc will defend us from the damps."
He reached to his side, pulling a long necked bottle of wine from the shelf. He opened it with a pop.
"Drink," He said, presenting the wine to me.
I took the bottle eagerly, all previous insults were forgiven. I drank vigorously. Swallowing almost the whole bottle. I nodded firmly at him, the bells on my cap jingling with each jagged movement.
"I drink," I told him said, "to the buried that repose around us."
"And I to your long life." he responded, once again struggling not to smile.
I took his arm and we proceeded down the cold, damp and dusty corridor.
"These vaults," I said, almost in awe. "Are extensive."
"The Montresors," He replied, "were a great numerous family." his voice was proud and I could tell his name meant a lot to him.
"I forget your arms." I said, glancing at him.
"A huge human foot d'or, in a field azure; the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel." he responded proudly. His head held high as he spoke.
"And the motto?" I asked respectfully.
"Nemo me impune lacessit." sparing a glance at me from the corner of his eye.
"Good!" I proclaimed. After all only the weak are pushed around. I thought with a bit of a smirk.
It grew late, but further we traveled, deeper and deeper into the catacombs of the Montresor's. We passed piles of bones, moved through webs and all the while the air grew denser, thicker, and the walls closer, the ceiling lower. As if the nitre was closing in on me. I coughed a while more and it was then he seized my arm, above the elbow and once again attempted to soil my honor and convince me to turn back.
The nitre!" He exclaimed "See it increases. It hangs like moss upon the vaults. We are now below the river's bed. The drops of moisture trickle among the bones. Come, we will go back ere it is too late. Your cough-"
"It is nothing" I said firmly. "Let us go on. But first, another draught of the Medoc." I said taking the bottle of flagon of De Grave he offered me. I drank it quickly, eagerly, and I threw back my head in joyous laughter, tossing the empty bottle up into the air, letting it shatter against the low ceiling, watching the shards rain down to the floor around us. He turned to me, a puzzled look on his face as I repeated the motion with an imaginary bottle, smiling and laughing as I did.
"You do not comprehend?" I asked.
"Not I," He replied.
"Then you are not of the brotherhood." I said flatly as if the answer were obvious.
"How?"
"You are not of the masons."
"Yes, yes," He argued "yes! Yes."
"You? Impossible! A mason?"
"A mason," he responded.
"A sign," I said with a definite nod, as if it were clear.
"It is this," He answered, producing a trowel from beneath the folds of his cloak.
"You jest," I exclaimed, withdrawing and stumbling back. "But let us proceed to the Amontillado." I pressed forward, with an eagerness to prove my love for wine.
"Be it so." he said, returning the trowel to its hiding place within his cloak. I leaned on him as we walked, my feet stumbling and dragging as we went and I relied on him to hold me up. And farther still we descended into the catacombs. The walls seemed closer and the ceiling lower, everything seeming claustrophobic as I observed the skulls that lined the walls and the bones that littered the floor. By this time the torches were low and their light was dim, unable to illuminate the area around us. That is when we reached the end, when we reached the Amontillado.
"Proceed," He commanded "herein is the Amontillado. As for Luchesi" -
"He is an ignoramus," I interrupted, refusing to talk more about the inferior wine taster. The Amontillado is mine and no one else's to test. I stepped forward, reaching for the bottle that was sure to greet me...but instead I found nothing but cold granite beneath my hands. I turned to Montresor confused. There was no Amontillado, instead there was only a small niche in the wall, and in it were empty chains.
He reached past me before I could respond, I felt the hard, cold chains wrap around my waist, heard the cruel unyielding sound of a key, locking in place, then and only then did he step away, taking the key with him.
"Pass your hand," He instructed his voice full of vanity and arrogance. "Over the wall; you cannot help feeling the nitre. Indeed it is VERY damp. Once more let me IMPLORE you to return. No? Then I must positively leave you. But I must first render you all the little attentions in my power."
"The Amontillado!" I exclaimed, the ugly truth becoming clear.
"True," He replied; "the Amontillado." I gaped at him in shock as he rummaged through the bones at his feet, revealing building stone and wet cement; once more he pulled the trowel out of his cloak, flashing a wicked grin as he lifted the stone to the entrance of my niche. I moaned and groaned as I struggled against the chains that dug into my skin, drawing blood. He looked at me in shock of my change in demeanor. Suddenly sober I struggled and yelled, crying out desperately for escape. For a moment everything was silent as I stopped and stared back at Montresor, my fierce eyes piercing his in the dim firelight. After a moment he continued working, adding layer upon layer of stone to my tomb. I struggled but to no avail as his building neared completion. He paused once, beginning again once I became too tired to struggle, building up to till the only whole was head high and he stared at me, defeated within the tomb he had built for me.
I screamed as loudly as I could, a dark fear and knowing that no one would hear me filled me but did not stop me. What stopped me was Montresor who yelled and screamed in mocking of me. The way one does a crying child. I heard his pocket watch strike midnight as he lifted the last stone into place in front of my defeated form. But before he could cement it into place, I let out a laugh, chuckling in amusement. He froze, startled, if not confused.
"A very good joke indeed - an excellent jest. We will have many a rich laugh about it at the palazzo," I laughed again. "Over our wine." I said sadly refusing to believe that this was really happening to me...ME the noble Fortunato can't die, not like this.
"The Amontillado." He said. I laughed again, accepting the joke,
"Yes, the Amontillado. But is it not getting late? Will not they be awaiting us at the palazzo, the Lady Fortunato and the rest? Let us be gone." I said with a chuckle.
"Yes...let us be gone." he repeated turning away.
"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, MONTRESOR!" I exclaimed seriously. Stomping against the restraints.
"Yes," he repeated. "For the love of God." his voice was eerily quiet, barely above a whisper, his voice unwavering. I coughed for a moment and all fell silent as I hung on the chains, struggling to breathe.
"Fortunato!" he called, but I could not find the strength to respond.
"Fortunato!" he repeated as my gaze went dark, the small niche was bathed in an orange flickering light as he dropped the torch to my feet, the fire catching on my clothes and burning my skin. My cap hit the ground, its bells jingling for a final time as I took my final breath, I didn't feel the fire, nor the burn. All went dark and all fell silent, and after that...there was nothing but eternal darkness.