'l'h(' prisomr;
cl thc King
We needed tracl wcarhcl', but it was a fine, clear night. At
midnigh t Sapt, Fr itz, and rhcir men left and rncle quietly through
the woocls towards thc castle. [Fcvcrything wentwell, theywould
get there at a quar[cr to rwo Hnd wlit For. Johann to opcN the fr ont
door. IfJohann cliclnotopen chccl«)or, lritzw«)uldcome round to
rhc other sigle oFthe c1Stlc t0 finci iT1e. If I was not ther C, then I was
deaci-and the King, too! Sapt and his 111on would go back to
Ta rlenhcrm 1]ousc and retur 11 wi th thc Mar shal and illore men to
ger into rhe castle,
So, half ail hom· larcl-, I, too, leFt 'Tarlcnhcim. I rook a
shorter way than Snpl anel when I r cached the moat, I hiel my
ho]-se in thc trees, rlecl my rope rouncl a strong tree anel let
myself clown inro thc water. Slowly, [began to swim along
un eler th e castle walls.. Iust after a quar ter to onc, I caille ro the
pipe anel waited quietly in its shadow. I. ight was coming fram
Duke Michael's wimlow opposite mc across thc moat, and I
coulcl see into thc r oo111. The 11ext window along, which
Joh ann 21d laici w21s Antoinette's r oom, was dark
Ther c wns 1 sucldcn crnsll, anel then a woman's screams
rang through thc night.
'I-lelp me, Michael! fupe]- [of Hentzaul'
Those were thc w(-rus that I hacl written for Antoinette! But
these wer e screallls of real fear an cl soon I hearcl shouts and the
souncl of fighting fl· o171 Antoinette's room. Then Rupelt
appeal-cel at thc wimlow. I-lis back was towarcls ille, b Lit he
was fighting. 'Tha t.'s for yoLI,. Johann,' I hcarcl him cry. Then,
'COlle on, M tchncl!'
room open and then the angry voice of Duke Michael.
'What are you doing here?'he cried.
'Nuaiting for you, sir,' Rupert replied quickly. 'I couldn't
leave the lady alone.
° NUell, now you can go to bed. Arc Detchar d anel IScrsonin
watching the pr]soner?'
'Yes, sir.'
A few minutes later, Ruper t crosse« l thc drawbr idgc anel ir
was pullecl up. The light in Dulce Michael's oo111 went our,
b Lit a light came on, an« l stayed on, in Antoincrtc's r oom. In
the silent darkness, I waired.
For aboLit ten minutes everything was quiet, bur sudcienly I
heard a noise on my side of the iT1oat. A clarlc shape appeal-eci
in the gateway to the bridge, then turned anel began[o clim b
down some hidden steps in the wall. It was Rupert of 1-lentzau
again-with a sword! Silently, he went down into the water
anel swaill acr oss rhc illont. Then hc climbed out, ami 1 hear cl
him unlock thc cloor. It wus clear that ltupe]-t oF I-lentrau haci
his own sccRET plms for thatlight.
It was not ycr time For.}ohann to open the front cloor for 11)
fr iends, and I still haci ro wH it. I clit71becl up to the gateway ol
the br iclge anti hiel in a clarlc comer. Now no one coulcl enter o1
leave the olet czlstle without fighting me, I wondered what
Rupclt was cloing 11ow. and a few seconds later I found out.
room open and then the angry voice of Duke Michael.
'What are you doing here?'he cried.
'Nuaiting for you, sir,' Rupert replied quickly. 'I couldn't
leave the lady alone.
° NUell, now you can go to bed. Arc Detchar d anel IScrsonin
watching the pr]soner?'
'Yes, sir.'
A few minutes later, Ruper t crosse« l thc drawbr idgc anel ir
was pullecl up. The light in Dulce Michael's oo111 went our,
b Lit a light came on, an« l stayed on, in Antoincrtc's r oom. In
the silent darkness, I waired.
For aboLit ten minutes everything was quiet, bur sudcienly I
heard a noise on my side of the iT1oat. A clarlc shape appeal-eci
in the gateway to the bridge, then turned anel began[o clim b
down some hidden steps in the wall. It was Rupert of 1-lentzau
again-with a sword! Silently, he went down into the water
Ther c wns 1 sucldcn crnsll, anel then a woman's screams
rang through thc night.
'I-lelp me, Michael! fupe]- [of Hentzaul'
Those were thc w(-rus that I hacl written for Antoinette! But
these wer e screallls of real fear an cl soon I hearcl shouts and the
souncl of fighting fl· o171 Antoinette's room. Then Rupelt
appeal-cel at thc wimlow. I-lis back was towarcls ille, b Lit he
was fighting. 'Tha t.'s for yoLI,. Johann,' I hcarcl him cry. Then,
'COlle on, M tchncl!'
So. Johann wns in ther e too, Fighting at thc Duke's sicle!
How coulcl he open thc ci(Jor for Sapt now?
More oF rhc Duke's o11 haci run to the room and the noise
oF thc fighting gr cw louder. Sudclcnly, Itupert gave H wild
laugh, anel with his sworcl in his hnncl, jumped h· om the
window into the moat below.