It was the lightning streak that saved Robert’s life. The instant that Li Po started to squeeze the trigger, the sudden flash of light outside thewindow distracted him for a moment. Robert moved, and the bullet hit him in his right shoulder instead of his chest.As Li raised the gun to fire again, Robert gave a side-thrust kick, knocking the gun out of Li’s hand. Li spun forward and punched Robert hard in hiswounded shoulder. The pain was excruciating. Robert’s jacket was covered with blood. He lashed out with a forward elbow smash. Li grunted withpain. He riposted with a deadly shut chop to the neck, and Robert evaded it. The two men circled each other, both of them breathing hard, lookingfor an opening. They fought silently in a deadly ritual older than time, and each knew that only one of them would come out of this alive. Robert wasweakening. The pain in his shoulder was increasing, and he could see his blood dripping to the floor.Time was on Li Po’s side. I’ve got to end th
Day Twenty-ThreeParis, FranceHe telephoned Admiral Whittaker from the doctor’s office.“Admiral. Robert.”“Robert! What’s going on? They told me …”“Never mind that now. I need your help, Admiral. Have you ever heard of the name Janus?”Admiral Whittaker said slowly, “Janus? No. I never heard of him.”Robert said, “I’ve found out he’s heading some kind of secret organization that’s killing innocent people, and now he’s trying to kill me. We have tostop him.”“How can I help?”“I need to get to the President. Can you arrange a meeting?”There was a moment of silence. “I’m certain I can.”“There’s more. General Hilliard is involved.”“What? How …?”“And there are others. Most of the intelligence agencies in Europe are in it, too. I can’t explain anymore now. I want you to call Hilliard. Tell him I’vefound an eleventh witness.”“I don’t understand. An eleventh witness to what?”“I’m sorry, Admiral, but I can’t tell you. Hilliard will know. I want him to meet me in Switzerland.”“Swit
In the mothership, floating high above the earth, there was a great joy. All the lights on the panels were flashing green.We have found her!We must hurry.The huge ship started to hurl itself toward the planet far below.For a single instant, time was frozen, and then it shattered into a thousand pieces. Robert watched, stunned, as Susan stepped out of thehelicopter. She stood there for a second and then started toward Robert, but Monte Banks who was right behind her grabbed her and held herback.“Run, Robert! Run! They’re going to kill you!”Robert took a step toward her, and at that moment, General Milliard and Colonel Frank Johnson stepped out of the helicopter.General Milliard said, “I’m here, Commander. I’ve kept my part of the bargain.” He walked over to Robert and the woman in white. “I assume this isthe eleventh witness. The missing alien. I’m sure we’ll find her very interesting. So it’s finally finished.”“Not yet. You said you would bring Janus.”“Oh, yes. Janus insis
3 May. Bistritz.--Left Munich at 8:35 P.M., on 1st May, arriving at Vienna early next morning; should have arrived at 6:46, but train was an hour late. Buda-Pesth seems a wonderful place, from the glimpse which I got of it from the train and the little I could walk through the streets. I feared to go very far from the station, as we had arrived late and would start as near the correct time as possible.The impression I had was that we were leaving the West and entering the East; the most western of splendid bridges over the Danube, which is here of noble width and depth, took us among the traditions of Turkish rule.We left in pretty good time, and came after nightfall to Klausenburgh. Here I stopped for the night at the Hotel Royale. I had for dinner, or rather supper, a chicken done up some way with red pepper, which was very good but thirsty. (Mem. get recipe for Mina.) I asked the waiter, and he said it was called "paprika hendl," and that, as it was a national dish, I should be a
4 May--I found that my landlord had got a letter from the Count, directing him to secure the best place on the coach for me; but on making inquiries as to details he seemed somewhat reticent, and pretended that he could not understand my German.This could not be true, because up to then he had understood it perfectly; at least, he answered my questions exactly as if he did.He and his wife, the old lady who had received me, looked at each other in a frightened sort of way. He mumbled out that the money had been sent in a letter, and that was all he knew. When I asked him if he knew Count Dracula, and could tell me anything of his castle, both he and his wife crossed themselves, and, saying that they knew nothing at all, simply refused to speak further. It was so near the time of starting that I had no time to ask anyone else, for it was all very mysterious and not by any means comforting.Just before I was leaving, the old lady came up to my room and said in a hysterical way: "Must y
5 May. The Castle.--The gray of the morning has passed, and the sun is high over the distant horizon, which seems jagged, whether with trees or hills I know not, for it is so far off that big things and little are mixed.I am not sleepy, and, as I am not to be called till I awake, naturally I write till sleep comes.There are many odd things to put down, and, lest who reads them may fancy that I dined too well before I left Bistritz, let me put down my dinner exactly.I dined on what they called "robber steak"--bits of bacon, onion, and beef, seasoned with red pepper, and strung on sticks, and roasted over the fire, in simple style of the London cat's meat!The wine was Golden Mediasch, which produces a queer sting on the tongue, which is, however, not disagreeable.I had only a couple of glasses of this, and nothing else.When I got on the coach, the driver had not taken his seat, and I saw him talking to the landlady.They were evidently talking of me, for every now and then they lo
5 May. The Castle.--The gray of the morning has passed, and the sun is high over the distant horizon, which seems jagged, whether with trees or hills I know not, for it is so far off that big things and little are mixed.I am not sleepy, and, as I am not to be called till I awake, naturally I write till sleep comes.There are many odd things to put down, and, lest who reads them may fancy that I dined too well before I left Bistritz, let me put down my dinner exactly.I dined on what they called "robber steak"--bits of bacon, onion, and beef, seasoned with red pepper, and strung on sticks, and roasted over the fire, in simple style of the London cat's meat!The wine was Golden Mediasch, which produces a queer sting on the tongue, which is, however, not disagreeable.I had only a couple of glasses of this, and nothing else.When I got on the coach, the driver had not taken his seat, and I saw him talking to the landlady.They were evidently talking of me, for every now and then they lo
5 May.--I must have been asleep, for certainly if I had been fully awake I must have noticed the approach of such a remarkable place. In the gloom the courtyard looked of considerable size, and as several dark ways led from it under great round arches, it perhaps seemed bigger than it really is. I have not yet been able to see it by daylight.When the caleche stopped, the driver jumped down and held out his hand to assist me to alight. Again I could not but notice his prodigious strength. His hand actually seemed like a steel vice that could have crushed mine if he had chosen. Then he took my traps, and placed them on the ground beside me as I stood close to a great door, old and studded with large iron nails, and set in a projecting doorway of massive stone. I could see even in the dim light that the stone was massively carved, but that the carving had been much worn by time and weather. As I stood, the driver jumped again into his seat and shook the reins. The horses started forward