Chapter Five
Alek stood facing the man who had captured him, waiting to hear the gruesome details of his impending death. He clasped tightly the bars of the cage, his palms sweaty even in the frigid air.
The rabbit behind him continued to make rustling noises, which Alek thought sounded as if it were moving away from him. He cautiously wiped his hands on his pants. At least he hoped it was.
A biting wind began to blow through the park, causing him to shiver involuntarily.
"Afraid, Your Highness?" the man taunted.
Alek glared. "Only a fool wouldn't be. Unless, of course, you're lying to me and the hare is actually harmless." He raised an eyebrow.
"And why would you think that?" The man scowled at him.
Alek was pleased. It was far simpler than he'd thought to keep the man talking. But then, anyone who had such an obviously excellent opinion of himself would enjoy the opportunity.
He continued. "Because, if the creature is so dangerous, how did you manage to bring it here? Surely it would have been rather conspicuous, if not dangerous?"
The man looked bored again. "Oh that. I simply drugged the hare and then had it carried to its present location. The rabbit was hidden in my briefcase. Really, it was hardly a challenge."
"And no one noticed?" Alek thought that was a bit strange. The society was always bustling with people. Surely someone would have seen the hare being removed.
The man shook his head. "No one noticed."
Alek could hear the rabbit's every movement over the straw in the cage bottom. It seemed as though it were coming closer. . . Alek wished Deryn would come. And really, how long did it take to reach Dr. Barlow's office?
The man smirked, looking behind him. "It appears your little friend has noticed the presence of an intruder, Aleksandar. Now, I was going to tell you all about the manner in which the hare's victim dies, was I not?"
Alek glowered at him and muttered, "Yes."
The man laughed. "Well, first of all, the hare's poison is precisely the same as that of the Boomslang snake. When it bites something - or someone," He glanced at Alek. "The venom enters the victim's bloodstream and prevents the body from clotting normally. It is called haemotoxic venom. As long as twenty-four hours may pass before the unfortunate subject slowly begins to bleed to death from the internal organs outward. I'm sure you shall find it most. . . enjoyable."
Alek shivered. "Indeed."
The man checked his pocket watch once more, then slipped it back inside his vest. "It appears, Your Highness, that I must leave now. A busy schedule, you know." He bowed mockingly. "Good-bye. It has been a pleasure," he said, and began to walk away.
Alek pressed against the bars, despair creeping into his voice. "You really are going through with this then?"
The man turned. "Of course."
He started a second time, but paused. "Oh, and I would try to avoid making any sudden movements, Aleksandar. You might annoy it." And with that, he doffed his hat and strolled cheerfully out of site, disappearing into the shadows.
Alek slumped forward, trying not to panic. Though the situation was hardly ideal, if he remained still until Deryn arrive, perhaps he would be all right. Or perhaps not. The rabbit moved a bit closer.
As he waited, Alek's thoughts wandered back to his childhood, when he had been about ten or so. Around the time he had first begun his fencing lessons with Volger. It seemed the man had always been there, teaching him, protecting him from harm. And truly, though Alek could not say that he had exactly enjoyed any of it, the man had done an exemplary job. How ridiculous that, after all his efforts, Alek should die from a rabbit bite.
If he had been merely hearing it, instead of experiencing it, Alek would have found the idea absurd. But as it was, he was terrified.
Suddenly, he heard a feminine voice and one of the shadows detached itself and began to glide toward him.
"A lovely evening, Mr. Hohenberg, is it not?"
"Miss Rogers!" Alek exclaimed. "What in blazes?"
"It seemed as if you might need a little help, so I though I'd stick around until that man had gone." She grinned at him as she pulled a jeweled hatpin from her cloche.
"Of course, I shall want to know all the details - it was rather hard to hear from over by those dratted birds." She gestured irritatedly behind her at a cage full of ravens, their feathers glistening eerily in the moonlight.
Alek sighed. "Of course. Just please let me out."
Adele inserted her hatpin into the lock, and with a few twists, it opened. Alek was free.
He stepped quickly through the door, and into the crisp night air. A plump moon hung like a silver medallion, and stars dotted the sky like points on a map. He breathed in several deep gulps of air and turned to the reporter.
"Thank you very much, Miss Rogers," Alek said with a bow. "It is fortunate that you happened to be here." He paused thoughtfully. "But it wasn't really luck, was it? You were following me."
"Her eyes glittered mischievously. "Perhaps. Though it is my job to snoop about, you know. And it just so happens that the former Prince Aleksandar of Hohenberg is one of the most intriguing stories I've ever covered. I told you I wouldn't let you slip away."
"Indeed." Alek straightened his shirt and brushed some dirt from his sleeve. "But surely there are other, far more interesting people to report about than some obscure, Austrian ex-royal?"
"Probably. But, as I said before, something in your story bothers me. And I intend to find out what that something is."
She held her pen poised over her paper. "Now, are you ready?"