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Later, in my room, I feel dull and tired I am four thousand years old, I do not norue Staring in a es into that of a person frorow to the size of the fla water on my face, I feel soo away There is an unpleasant taste in my mouth that the water cannot wash away

Then it strikes ed

Landulf, perhaps with his wife&039;s knowledge, had so put in y But it is unlikely that the drug was adht&039;s sleep in a castle rued me it is because he wantsawful towave, and I auard But could ic?

For all I know, his drug was poison and I am already doomed

I force myself to voain Within seconds th Moving to the door, I find it locked by a device as sophisticated as the one I found on the cage that held the young woer than anything I have ever encountered Fortunately the door, although thick oak, is only wood Leaning hard on it, and taking deep breaths to clear , I am able to break it open without rab her and pull her inside

"What are you doing here?" I demand

She is frightened I have a strong grip on her neck

"I was co,outside les her head "No, my lady, I am here to serve you"

"You are here to spy on asps "No Please? You are hurting ins to lose color "You feel how strong I ath of a dozen men Telloutside et the word out "Yes"

"You had been told I was drugged?"

"Yes"

"Who told you?"

"Lady Cia"

"You aiting by the door forto do with h will left to struggle

"No!" she gasps

I digblood "You answer me or I&039;ll rip your head off!"

She rip and frown "What sacrifice? Where?"

She struggles for air "It is below--in the hidden chaer at her "You will take h a back way I want to see this sacrifice but I do not want to be seen Do you understand?"

She coughs weakly "I don&039;t want to die"

I ah a dark passageway uncon?nected to the hallways and rooms of the public castle We hardly leavea stone with a series of special pressures The entrance closes behind us, and I wonder if I would have the strength to reopen it The effect of the drug continues to plague hts flash and trail at the corners of my vision My heart pounds in rip my spine The power of the poison stuns me Ordinarily, my system is immune to any kind of abusive substance

We reach steep stairs and start down The walls continue to press in on us The stairs are seerip the back of Marie&039;s neck with the other "If you cry out at any time," I say, "that cry will be the last sound you hear in this world"

"I won&039;t betray you," she whispers

"I can see you are very loyal"

We continue to go down for the next twenty in to believe Landulf has fashioned his castle over a natural cave It is ridiculous to think he could have carved away so much stone with hue?way, and I have to wonder if it is older than I i stones appear ancient I remember Dante&039;s remark, that this spot used to shelter the Oracle of Venus

Eventually I detect a red glow ahead At the sa out my torch, I stop Marie and question her

"Lord Landulf performs sacrifices down there?" I ask

"Yes"

"What kind?"

"All kinds"

I shake her "Does he kill humans? Torture them?"

"Yes Yes"

"Why?"

She weeps "I don&039;t knohy"