Page 2 (1/2)
2
Seekers
Savirsin, Roust 1983; the Gaststube of an inn perched on the steep mountainside at the eastern extreh ht into the pines
Three young Aether at a chipped, ages-blackened, heavily-grained circular wooden table in one corner of the barrooarette; their drinks were local beers, not especially strong but stinging to the palate and very refreshing
At the bar itself a pair of gnarled mountain men, hunters complete with rifles so ancient they uffawed and slapped backs and bragged of their prowess - and not only as hunters of beasts - for over an hour before one of theered back fro through the door out into the sht His rifle lay on the bar where he’d left it; the bartender, not a little gingerly, took it up and put it carefully away out of sight, then continued to wash and dry the day’s used glasses
The departed hunter’s drinking companion - and partner in crihter; he slapped the bar explosively, finished off the other’s plum brandy and threw back his own, then looked around for more sport And of course he spied the A casual conversation In fact, and until now, their conversation had centred on him, but he didn’t know that
He ordered another drink - and whatever they were drinking for them at the table; one for the bar the order the barman took his rifle, too, and placed it safely with the other
’Gogosu,’ the old hunter growled, thuosu And you? Touristi, are you?’ He spoke Romanian, the dialect of the area, which leaned a little towards Hungarian All three, they smiled back at him, two of them somearily But the third translated, and quickly answered:
Tourists, yes Froosu, and talk to us’
Taken by surprise, the hunter said: ’Eh? Eh? You have the tongue? You’re a guide for these two, eh? Profitable, is it?’
The younger hed ’God, no! I’m with them -I’m one of theosu declared, taking a seat ’What? Why, J never before heard such a thing! Foreigners speaking the tongue? You’re pulling osu was peasant Roh He had a broeather-beaten face, grey bull-horn , long sideburns curling in towards his upper lip, and penetrating grey eyes under bristling, even greyer brows He wore a patched leather jacket with a high collar that buttoned up to the neck over a white shirt whose sleeves fitted snug at the wrist His fur caciula cap was held fast under the right epaulet of his jacket; a half-filled bandolier passed under the left epaulet, crossed his chest diagonally, fed itself up under his right arm and across his back A wide leather belt supported a sheath and hunter’s knife, several pouches, and his coarsely-woven trousers which he wore tucked into his cliskin calf-boots A s and wiry All in all, he was a picturesque speci about you,’ their interpreter told hiosu looked from one face to the next all the way round ’About ure of curiosity, ami?’
’Of admiration,’ the wily Aood at it - or so we’d guess You’d know this country, these mountains, well?’
’There isn’t a osu declared But he ily, too, and now his eyes narrowed a little ’You’re looking for a guide, eh?’
’We could be, we could be,’ the other slowly nodded ’But there are guides and there are guides You ask souides to show you a ruined castle on a mountain and they promise you the earth! The very castle of Dracula, they say! And then they take you to a pile of rocks that looks like soosu, that’s e’re interested in For photographs, for pictures for mood and atmosphere’
The barht back ’Eh? Eh? You’re going topictures? The old va breasts? God, yes, I’ve seen ’eoj where there’s a picture-house Not the girls, nosod-all wobbly tits round here, I can tell you! Withered paps at best in this neck of the woods, my lads! But I’ve seen the pictures And that’s what you’re looking for, eh? Ruins
Oddly, and despite the brandy he’d consumed, the old boy seemed to have sobered a little His eyes focussed more readily, became more fixed in their orbits as he studied the Americans each in his turn First there was their interpreter He was a queer one for sure, with his knowledge of the tongue and what all He was tall, this one, a six-footer with inches to spare, long in the leg, lean in the hip and broad at the shoulders And now that Gogosu looked closer, he could see that he wasn’t just American Not all American, anyway
’What’s your na rip on itbut it was snatched back at once and down out of sight under the table
’George,’ the owner of the refused hand quickly replied, reclaie Vulpe’
’Vulpe?’ the hunter laughed out loud and slapped the table,their drinks dance ’Oh, I’ve known a few Vulpes in o with a naht, you and I you he, don’t you?’
The other’s dark eyes darkened more yet and seeed grin for grin with the grey eyes of their inquisitor ’Well, you’re a sharp one, Emil,’ their owner finally said ’Sharp-eyed, too! Yes, I was Romanian once There’s a story to it, but it’s not narled old hunter returned to studying hi Vulpe a slow once-over And the young ed and sat back in his chair
’Well, I was born here, under the mountains,’ he said, his voice as soft as his deceptively soft mouth He sosu thought, in a man only twenty-six or -seven years old ’Born here,’ Vulpe repeated, ’yesbut it’s only a dim and distant memory now My folks were travellers, which accounts for ht? And osu nodded ’And froold ring And froh forehead and wolfish jahich aren’t uncoh, to a man who can see So what happened?’
’Happened?’ Again Vulpe’s shrug ’My parents moved to the cities, settled down, became "workers" instead of the drones they’d always been’
’Drones? You believe that?’
’No, but the authorities did They gave theht next to the new railway The mortar was rotten and shaky fro off the walls; someone’s toilet in the flat above leaked on usbut it was good enough for workshy drones, they said And until I was eleven that’s where I’d play, next to the tracks Then one night a train was derailed It ploughed right into our block, took away a wall, brought the whole place crashing down I was lucky enough to live through it but ht I’d be better off dead, too, because my spine had been crushed and I was a cripple But someone heard about e of doctors and patients, between American and Romanian rehabilitation clinics - and because I was an orphan I was given priority Not bad for a drone, eh? SoI went to the USA And they fixed me up What’s more, they adopted me, too Two of them did, anyway And because I was only a boy and there was no one left back here,’ (yet again, his shrug) ’why, I was allowed to stay!’
’Ah!’ said Gogosu ’And so now you’re an Ae for Gypsies to leave the open road Soo their oays - disputes and what have you in the camps, usually over a woman or a horse - but rarely to settle in towns What was it with your folks? Did they cross the Gypsy king or so?’
’I don’t knoas only a boy,’ Vulpe answered ’I think perhaps they feared for , apparently, a runt At any rate, they left the night I was born, and covered their tracks, and never went back’
’A runt?’ Gogosu raised an eyebrow, looked Vulpe up and down yet again ’Well, you’d not know it now But they covered their tracks, you say? That’s it, then Say no more There’d been trouble in the caive you odds your father and mother were secret lovers, and she was pro so he stole her away Oh, it happens’
’That’s a very romantic notion,’ Vulpe said ’And who knows? - you could be right’
’My God, we’re ignorant!’ Gogosu suddenly exploded, beckoning to the barue of ours, and your two friends bewildered and left out entirely Now let et you all another drink and then we’ll have some introductions I want to knohy you’re here, and what I can do to help, and how much you’ll pay me to take you to some real ruins!’
’The drinks are on us,’ said Vulpe ’And no arguosu? Non or you’ll have us all under the table before we’ve even got things sorted out! As for introductions, that’s easy:’
He clasped the shoulder of the Aly one is Seth Ar, from Texas They build the state Why, your entire Romania would fit into Texas alone three tiosu was suitably i and looked hi and raw-boned, with honest blue eyes in an open face, sparse straw-coloured hair, ar over a wide, expressive mouth and a heavy, bristly chin Just a little short of seventy-eight inches, even seated Ar came up head and shoulders above the others
’Hah!’ said the hunter ’This Texas would have to be big to accommodate such as him!’
Vulpe translated, then nodded in the direction of the third roup ’And this one,’ he said, ’is Randy Laverne frohtn’t be so et just as cold!’
’Cold?’ said Gogosu ’Well, that shouldn’t bother this one I envy hiood meals it took to put it there - but it’s notto the rocks snug as a lichen, in places where gravity would get him for sure’
Vulpe translated and Laverne laughed good-naturedly He was the youngest and smallest (or at least the shortest) of the three Aht and constantly hungry His face was round and topped avy red hair; his green eyes friendly and full of fun; the corners of his eyes and hter lines But there was nothing soft about hiacy of his blackse Vulpe, ’so noe know each other Or rather, you know us But what about you, Emil? You’re a hunter, yes, but what else?’
’Nothing else!’ said Gogosu ’I don’t need to be anything else I’ve a small house and a s and sell meat to the butchers and skins to the tailors and boot makers; in the winter I take furs and kill a few foxes, and they hire-barely! And now hts as well as the eagles who nest in ’em’
’And the odd ruined castle? You can show us one of those, too?’
’Castles abound,’ said Gogosu ’But you told uides Well, so are there castles and castles And you’re right: anyone can show you a tuosu, can show you a castle!’
The Aist of this and beca, in his Texas drawl, said: ’Hey, George, tell hi here Explain to him how close he hen he talked about Dracula and vampires and all’
’In America,’ Vulpe told the hunter, ’all over the world, in fact, Transylvania and the Carpatii Meridionali are faaunt isolation as for their ins in a cruel Vlad of olden times but don’t you know that every year the tourists flock in their droves to visit the great Drakul’s homeland and the castles where he’s said to have dwelled? Indeed, it’s big business And we believe it could be even bigger’
’Pah!’ said Gogosu ’Why, this whole country is steeped in olden lore and superstitious myths This impaler Vlad’s just a one of them’ He leaned closer, lowered his voice and his eyes went big and round ’I could take you to a castle old as the mountains themselves, a shattered keep so feared that even today it’s left entirely alone in a trackless place, like naked bones under the s!’ He sat back and nodded his satisfaction with their expressions ’There!’
After Vulpe had translated, Randy Laverne said, ’Wow!’ And more soberly: ’But do you think he’s for real?’
And the hunter knehat he’d said He stared straight and frowning into Laverne’s wide eyes and instructed Vulpe: ’You tell hiht in his backside And you can also tell hirey wolf keeps watch even today And that’s a fact, for I’ve tried to shoot hian to translate, but in the h ’Hey! Hey!’ he said ’Not so serious! And don’t take my threats toobut it’s true all the same Pay me for my time and trouble and come see for yourselves Well, what do you say?’
Vulpe held up a cautionary hand and Gogosu looked at it curiously in the e, that hand, when he’d grasped it And there’d been soangling Ar’s shoulder Also, Vulpe seehtexpatriate Ro the hunter’s attention ’Let’s first see if we’re talking about the right place’
’The right place?’ said Gogosu, puzzled ’And just how many such places do you think there are?’
’I meant,’ Vulpe explained, ’let’s see if maybe we’ve heard of this castle of yours’
’I doubt it You’ll not find it on any modern maps, and that’s for sure I reckon the authorities think that if they leave it alone - if they just ignore it for long enough -then maybe it’ll finally crumble away! No, no, you’ve not heard of this place, I’m sure’
’Well, let’s check it out anyway,’ said Vulpe ’You see, the deeds, territories and history of the original Dracula -I mean of the Wallachian prince from whom Dracula took his nalishman turned the fact into fiction, that’s all, and in so doing started a legend Then there was a famous Frenchman who also wrote about a castle in the Carpathians, and possibly started a legend or two of his own And finally an A is, this A to you - has since become very famous If we could find his castleit could be the Dracula story all over again! Tourists? Ah, but you’d see soosu! And who knows but that you’d be chief guide, eh?’
Gogosu chewed the centre of his moustache ’Huh!’ he finally snorted; but his eyes had grown very bright and not a little greedy He rubbed his nose, finally said: ’Very well, so what do you want to kno can we decide if the castle I know and the one you’re looking for is one and the saht be simpler than you think,’ said Vulpe ’For exa has this place of yours been a ruin?’
’Oh, it blew up before- and was at once astonished to see Vulpe give a great start! ’Eh?’
But already the A to his friends, and astonishment and wonder were ain to the hunter ’Blew up, you say? You mean exploded?’
’Or bo ’When a wall falls it falls, but some of these walls have been blasted outwards, hurled afar’
Vulpe was very excited now, but he tried not to show it ’And did it have a name, this castle? What of its owner before it fell? That could be very iosu screwed up his face in concentration He tapped his forehead, leaned back in his chair, finally shook his head ’My father’s father had old maps,’ he said ’The name of the place was on them That’s where I first saw it and when I first decided to go and see it But its naone now’
Vulpe translated
’Maps like this one?’ said Ar He produced a copy of an old Romanian map and spread it on the table It soaked up a little beer but otheras fine
’Like this one, aye,’ Gogosu nodded, ’but older, far older This is just a copy Here, let me see’ He smoothed the map out, stared at it in several places ’Not shown,’ he said ’My castle is not shown Just a blank space Well, that’s understandable enough Glooet it Legends? You don’t know the half of it!’ And a moment later: ’Ahhhr he jerked back in his seat and clutched at his forehead with both hands
’Jesusr cried Laverne ’Is he OK?’
’OK, yesOK!’ said Ehe It was Ferenczy!’
Vulpe’s bottom jaw, and those of his friends, fell open ’Jesus!’ said Laverne again, this time in a whisper
’The Castle Ferenczy?’ Arrabbed the hunter’s forearosu nodded ’That’s it And that’s the one, eh?’
Vulpe and the others fell back in their seats, gaped at each other; they acted bewildered, confused or simply astonished But at last Vulpe said, ’Yes, that’s the one And you’ll take us to it? Tomorrow?’
’Oh, be sure I will - ’ said Gogosu,’ - for a price!’ And he looked at Vulpe’s hands where he’d spread the down thebut this time made no attempt to hide his hands away Instead, he merely raised an eyebrow
’An accident?’ the old Romanian asked him ’If so, they patched you up rather cleverly’
’No,’ Vulpe answered, ’no accident I was born like this It’s just that ht me to hide them away, that’s all And so I do, except from my friends’
Because of theWhen it did it caht-thirty the three Aosu on the dusty road outside the inn, their packs at their feet, peaked caps on their heads with tinted visors to keep out the worst of the sun The old hunter had told theh they hadn’t been sure exactly what he’d meant
Randy Laverne had just drained a small bottle of beer and put it down to one side of the inn’s doorstep when they heard the rattle and clatter of a local bus These were so rare as to be near-fabulous; certainly the arrival of one such deot out his ca out of the pines and down the serpentine road towards the inn
The thing was a wonderful contraption: bald tyres, bonnet vibrating to a blur over the back-firing engine, s bleary and fly-specked The driver’s as especially bloody, from the eviscerations of a thousand suicided insects; and E doors at the front with a huge grin sta they should get aboard
The bus shuddered to a halt; the driver grinned, nodded and held up a roll of brown tickets; Gogosu stepped down and helped the three strap their packs to running-boards which went the full length of this ancient vehicle Then they were aboard, paid their fare, collapsed or were shaken into bone-jarring seats as the driver engaged a low gear to let the one-in-five doard slope do the work of his engine
George Vulpe was seated beside Gogosu ’OK,’ he said, when he’d recovered his breath, ’so where are we going?’
’First the payment,’ said the hunter
’Oldyou don’t much trust us!’
’Not so osu ’I weather easy But even so, I didn’t get this old without learning that it’s sometimes best to collect your pay before the fact! Trust has nothing to do with it I don’t want you falling off a es in your pocket, that’s all!’ And he burst into laughter at Vulpe’s expression But in anotherdown to Lipova where we’ll pick up a train to Sebis Then we’ll try to hitch a ride on a cart to Hal! Actually it’s a longcut You knohat that is? The opposite to a shortcut You see, the castle is only, oh, maybe fifty kilometres from here as the crow flies - but we’re not crows So instead of crossing the Zarundului we’re going round ’eiu is a good base ca all worried: it’s not that ht If an "old’uns should shoot up there like goats!’
’Couldn’t we have taken the train from Savirsin all the way?’ Vulpe wanted to know
’If there was one scheduled But there isn’t Don’t be so eager We’ll get there You did say you had six days left before you have to be in Bucuresti to catch your plane? So what’s the hurry? The way I reckon it we should be in Sebis before noon - if we make the connection in Lipova There et us there by, oh, two-thirty at the latest Or we hitch rideson trucks, carts, what have you So we could get in late, and have to put up there for the night Any ti on the mountain?’
’We wouldn’t fancy that, no’
’Hah!’ Gogosu snorted ’Fair-weather climbers! But in fact the weather is fair Too da tin of Hungarian sausages in brine - they come in cheap from across the border - a loaf of black bread, a cheap bottle of pluht under the stars in the lee of the crags, with a ca up off the pines, would do you three the world of good Your lungs would think they’d died and gone to lung heaven!’ He ood
’We’ll see,’ said Vulpe ’Meanwhile, we’ll pay you half now and the rest e see these ruins you’ve promised us’ He took out a bundle of leu and counted off the notes - probably osu would normally see in a month, but very little to him and his companions -then topped up the hunter’s cupped palms with a pile of copper banis, ’shrapnel’ or ’scrap osu counted it all very carefully and finally tucked it away, tried to keep a straight face but couldn’t hold it In the end he grinned broadly and smacked his lips
That’ll keep me in brandy for a while,’ he said And more hurriedly: ’A short while, you understand’