Legacy of Evil (A Jonathan Harker Mystery) Page 8

  Before I could move the low door to the chamber was flung open with a crash – to reveal Prince Andrei Bretin! He was grasping the wooden handle of a heavy axe. Now I understood the key to the whole mystery. Prince Bretin – though not a vampire himself – must have acquired some of the powers of the dead Count and used them to control Dracula’s former acolytes. The odds against us now escaping from the castle seemed insurmountable.

  What happened next seemed inexplicable. Prince Bretin raised his deadly weapon – and rushed towards Dimov, swinging the axe down viciously towards the Notary’s head and shoulders. At that second Dimov appeared to emerge from his trance and glanced upwards. The descending blade seemed to turn in the air – I cannot describe the phenomenon with any greater clarity, except to say it was as if a giant hand in a massive gauntlet had reached out and intercepted it. But despite this miraculous reprieve Dimov did not escape completely unscathed. A corner of the axe nicked his throat, causing no worse a wound than might be inflicted by a careless barber but releasing a thin trickle of bright red blood.

  The sudden appearance of Prince Bretin caused the three vampires to pause and look upon the unexpected scene. As Bretin’s blow was deflected I hurled myself across the room and grappled with Mina’s assailant. Her dark haired companion still fought with the Professor, but Sophie turned in the other direction. Her sapphire eyes shone with a spectral blue as she saw the Notary’s bleeding neck, and flung herself upon it. Dimov shrieked and fell to his knees. The teeth of his grisly attacker were buried in his throat, and although he feebly struggled, it was clear that his life blood was being rapidly drained.

  Once more Prince Bretin raised his long-handled axe above the gruesome couple at his feet. Sophie’s eyes were closed in ecstasy as she sucked and gorged, seeming unaware of the threat. The blade descended, rapid and deadly – and Dimov’s body fell away from his head, cleanly severed at the neck.

  Sophie jumped to her feet, releasing the Notary’s head which dropped to the floor and rolled away. She stared at Bretin with a look of fear, her blazing eyes dimmed to a cloudy blue. Across the room I saw Mina strike her attacker with her fist. Amazingly the creature staggered back, hurt by my wife’s blow. Then Bretin swung his axe once more, and this time Sophie’s head leapt from her shoulders. Clearly I had misjudged the Prince: he was here to help us, not to assist in our destruction.

  I will shield my readers from the horrible details of what then transpired in the mausoleum. It was apparent to Mina, Van Helsing and I that the two remaining vampires had somehow been shorn of their abnormal powers, and could therefore be destroyed. The former Lady Jadwiga and Lady Anna retreated before us in fear, but we could show them no mercy. Before many minutes had elapsed their heads had been severed from their bodies. Then with Van Helsing’s mallet and wooden stakes we made doubly sure that there would be no subsequent resurrection either of Dimov or his three companions.

  Chapter 12

  There seemed little point in searching for the sanctuary that the three vampires had earlier retreated to in daylight, since they would never now return to it. As there were some hours left before dawn the four of us – Prince Bretin, Van Helsing, Mina and I – decided that we would wait outside the castle walls until daybreak before starting our return journey. The horses that we had tethered on the previous afternoon had fortunately suffered no ill effects from their unplanned sojourn. Van Helsing led them and the Prince’s mount to a nearby stone trough full of rainwater, and fed each a portion of oats from a bag we had stowed in our panniers.

  By mutual agreement we forbore any explanations until we had similarly refreshed ourselves with the bread, cheese and wine we had brought with us from the Kraznevin Inn. After we had shared this austere meal I spoke to Prince Bretin.

  ‘I do not pretend to fully understand the scene that we have all witnessed,’ I said. ‘But what is certain is that we owe you a great debt. Would you be willing to relate your part in these disturbing events? Then if my friends are agreeable’ – I looked at Mina and the Professor, who both nodded – ‘we in our turn will tell you what we know.’

  The Prince drained his wine glass. ‘Of course. Let me first apologise, for I have been less than honest with Mr Harker, and with his client, Lord Tavistock. In mitigation I propose to honour my agreement to sell the Davila Estate, if the noble lord still wishes to purchase it.

  ‘My story starts in the spring of last year, in April 1897. For some months I had heard gossip that some of the wealthier population of the Davila Estate were being blackmailed or threatened in order to extort large sums of money. Naturally as landowner I was concerned, and spoke to the police in Urmuz. Their subsequent investigation could find no evidence to support the rumours. I wish to God that I had gone straight to the Commissioner in Klausenburg, but by the time I found out the truth it was too late.

  ‘Then early in the July of that year I received an unannounced visit from Notary Cezar Dimov. I knew the Notary slightly, as I transacted some business with his office, but as we were no more than acquaintances I was surprised to see him on my doorstep. He asked to talk to me in confidence and so I took him to my study, with strict instructions that we were not to be disturbed.

  ‘He spoke without pause for some fifteen minutes, having politely requested that I should not interrupt him. My reaction to his words was at first one of amusement and disbelief; then horror; and finally anger. The man quite brazenly admitted that it was he who was responsible for terrorising and threatening my tenants, in order to accumulate, as he obliquely put it, “a sufficient store of money to establish a career in a distant land of opportunity.” He next said that he required a contribution from me! Now, I keep in my desk draw an antique Slovak dagger that I employ as a paperknife and string-cutter. I took this out and brandished it, asking him how he proposed to prevent me plunging it into his heart in response to his impertinent demands. I come from a blood line which has had to face many threats over the years, and has sometimes had to meet force with force.’

  ‘And how did the Notary respond?’ my wife asked.

  ‘If you had not just witnessed what occurred in the mausoleum I would not expect you to believe me. The truth is this. The dagger in my hand turned back upon myself, for all the world as if held by a powerful and invisible hand. The point moved to touch my throat – then the strange force lifted, and I was able to place the weapon on the table. I knew then that the Notary was somehow in possession of abnormal powers that could be used against those who opposed him.

  ‘I then tried one more ploy. I told him – not entirely sure if I believed my own words – that a Prince of my lineage could not submit to blackmail. If he could kill me, so be it, but he would not receive the smallest coin in payment.

  ‘You may guess his response. The vile man – if man he was – told me that if I did not agree to do as he asked, he would take his revenge on my daughter. He must have known how precious Elena is to me. He added that I should not waste my time trying to protect her, since it would not be he in person who would destroy her, but the evil and supernatural creatures he now controlled: the former acolytes of Count Dracula. He gave me further evidence – which I will not detain us by repeating here – of how these beings had already enabled him to enforce his will amongst the people of the Davila Estate.

  ‘What could I do? I agreed to pay him what he asked – I am a wealthy man, and spend little – on condition that he would cease any further attempts to extort money from my tenants.

  ‘I should have known better than to trust him. By late August it was apparent that that his threats to the local people were continuing despite our agreement. I therefore visited him in his office in Urmuz, saying that if he persisted I would leave the country with Elena and expose his activities.

  ‘That same evening Elena saw a strange woman lurking in the monastery garden. When my daughter spoke to me the following morning and described the creature she had seen, I knew that it could be none other than one of the three undead young women
. Knowing the dreadful threat that they posed I went immediately to Dimov and pleaded with him to call off his evil emissaries. He agreed, on one condition. It was that I should sell the Davila Estate. I was to retain a quarter of the sale price – still a large sum of money – and give the remainder to him in secret. What could I do but agree? I decided that after the sale Elena and I would leave Transylvania for ever.

  ‘Then just over two weeks ago came an episode which made me realise that Elena was in as much danger as before. Dimov visited me at Vlados Monastery in order to finalise some of the details of the sale of the estate. Very reluctantly I had agreed to let him stay at our house overnight, as it was likely that we would need to work until after dark. We had almost completed our business when Dimov seemed suddenly distracted, standing up and staring – seemingly at nothing – as if in a trance. Seconds later a terrible shrieking came from the direction of Elena’s bedroom, which by good fortune is close to my study. We rushed to her room. There standing next to my daughter’s bed was a malevolent woman, undoubtedly no mortal being, shrieking at the top of her voice. I distinctly heard the Notary cry out sternly “Lady Jadwiga…” but before he could finish his sentence the creature had slipped between us with unnatural speed, and vanished down the corridor and stairs. I held Elena in my arms as she fainted.

  ‘As soon as she was safely back in her bed I demanded to know why Dimov had broken his promise to me. His answer chilled my blood. He told me that whilst he could exert some control over the three creatures that the late Count Dracula had created, his powers over them were not absolute. In other words, I asked him, the former Lady Jadwiga had of her own volition chosen to attack my daughter? He agreed, laughing at my discomfiture in a manic, unhinged fashion. He was I now think close to madness. Knowing that the vampires might act against Dimov’s wishes, I took what precautions I could to ensure Elena’s safety until such time as we could leave Transylvania for ever.’

  Mina stood up, looking at the sky which was gradually turning from black to grey.

  ‘That explains the attack on Dimov that we recently witnessed,’ she said. ‘The blonde-haired creature must have been overcome with desire when she saw the Notary’s blood, and he lacked the power to prevent her.’

  I nodded. ‘Yes – fortunately for us. Tell me Prince Bretin, how did you come to arrive at the mausoleum in such a timely fashion?’

  ‘Yesterday morning I visited Urmuz on estate business, and while I was there I heard about the serious accident suffered by Nicolaus Polgar. I therefore rode to the Polgars’ farm. Nicolaus, I am pleased to say, seems to be making a complete recovery. When I arrived there Maria Polgar was out, and Lajos had been drinking heavily since breakfast. With the indiscretion of the intoxicated he repeated to me what Notary Dimov had told him some weeks before: that when the Davila Estate was sold, Dimov would get every penny. “Your noble landlord and his Princess with be destitute” he’d said.

  ‘When I heard that I became desperate. What sort of life could I offer my daughter if we were paupers? I decided there and then that I must risk everything in order to destroy Dimov. If I failed, Elena and I could hardly be worse off than we already were. But first I would make sure that you – Mr and Mrs Harker – knew the truth.

  ‘I returned to Urmuz, and received permission from the landlord to visit your room. I entered it with the intention of writing you a note, in case I failed to return from my confrontation with Dimov. It was then that I saw Mrs Harker’s letter to the Notary, left on her dressing table. I must confess I opened it. As soon as I read that the three of you had gone to Dracula’s Castle I determined to follow you.

  ‘Before leaving I cast about for a weapon. I knew that Peter Seypos possessed an old muzzle-loading fowling piece, but such a firearm is not only unreliable, it allows of only one discharge before reloading. I was also unsure whether Dimov’s unnatural powers were reflected in his physical robustness, which might prove resistant to an ounce of birdshot. So instead I visited the wood store and took the largest axe that I could find. Luckily I am well acquainted with the high pass from Urmuz to the castle – the Brezlau Way – and with a lantern strapped to my saddle I made good progress. The rest of course you know.’

  Without further delay Mina and I told the Prince everything which we had discovered since arriving in Transylvania. After thanking us he made one request: that we visit him that evening and tell our story to Elena, face to face. He believed that if she heard it from Van Helsing, Mina and me she could not fail to be reassured. We were happy to agree, and as it was now past dawn we prepared to return to Urmuz.

  ‘There is one question still to be answered,’ Mina said as we rode off. ‘What kind of power did Dimov have, and where did it come from?’

  Van Helsing answered. ‘An excellent question, my dear. And until it is answered I do not believe that the people of the Davila Estate will be truly safe. However, there is a gentleman in Transylvania who I feel can enlighten us on that matter. If one or both of you would like to accompany me, I feel that it is time we paid another visit to Father Alecu Filimon.’

  Chapter 13

  Mina once more decided that it would be wiser for Van Helsing and me to visit Father Filimon without her, and so after lunch the Professor and I walked to the small house that the retired cleric occupied next to the Easter Orthodox Church.

  The housekeeper answered the door and spoke anxiously to Van Helsing. He translated her words for me.

  ‘Father Filimon is feeling unwell today,’ he said. ‘She says we must be careful not to overtire him.’

  Despite this forewarning I was shocked to see how much worse the priest appeared compared to when we saw him the day before. Instead of his cassock he wore a thick, padded dressing gown, and fragile body seemed shrunken within its folds. He waved us into armchairs opposite him, and seemed to summon his strength before speaking.

  ‘News travels fast in our little village,’ the priest said. ‘The fact that you have returned alive from Dracula’s Castle means that you have probably discovered – or have guessed – everything.’

  I looked at Van Helsing. He had not told me the purpose behind his wish to see the priest once more, and I had chosen not to press him on the matter, as I had long learned that the Professor was inclined to be cautious about sharing his theories until they were proved correct. However, a glimmer of understanding was beginning to illuminate my consciousness.

  ‘Notary Cezar Dimov is dead,’ the Professor said to the priest. ‘His head has been severed from his shoulders, and for good measure a stake driven through his heart. The same has been done to the three young women, latterly the creatures of Count Dracula. We have been to Dracula’s Castle, and with the help of Prince Bretin all four of the beings have been destroyed forever. Tell me, Father, what do you know of Dimov? I believe that he was the young man who led you to the three corpses in Dracula’s Castle, after the death of the Count.’

  The priest smiled grimly. ‘So, Dimov is no more,’ he said. ‘Yes, Professor Van Helsing, it was he. By the time Dimov’s evil nature became apparent to me it was too late. The Notary’s powers had already grown so great that had I attempted to oppose him, it would have been fatal for me. Nevertheless, that is a poor excuse for any man, let alone one of my vocation. I will go to my grave ashamed of my silence.’

  Van Helsing lent forward and put his hand on the old man’s shoulder.

  ‘Come, Father Filimon – don’t be too hard upon yourself. In the pages of fiction all men are heroes: real life is somewhat different. What is done is done. Now, you can do us a great service by telling us about Cezar Dimov. Clearly he was no vampire – he moved freely in the daylight hours – and yet it seems he was much more than a mere mortal.’

  The priest took a glass of water from the low table next to him and sipped from it. Then with an effort he sat upright, pulling the folds of his dressing gown around his shrunken frame.

  ‘Professor – Mr Harker – I will tell you all I know.’

 
In anticipation of the priest’s statement I took out my pocket book and pen. The old man gave me permission to record his words, and as I am conversant with the shorthand system of Sir Isaac Pitman I employed it to produce the verbatim transcript which follows.

  *

  The statement of Father Filimon: as told to Jonathan Harker and Abraham Van Helsing, February 22nd 1898.

  In my defence I had no idea four years ago who – or rather what – Dimov was. I knew only that he was an orphan, and had just returned from Europe after having completed his legal studies at the universities of Budapest and London. Then just two years later, in January 1896, Cezar Dimov was appointed Notary of the Klausenburg Administrative District at the age of twenty six. Such an honour at so young an age is normally unheard of in Transylvania, and it was generally supposed that the mysterious benefactor who had funded the youth’s education had also influenced his appointment. As I shall shortly explain, this supposition was incorrect: the truth was far more sinister.

  Despite his youth Dimov by all accounts performed his legal duties well. Then the following year strange rumours began to circulate about him. At that time I was still the incumbent priest here in Urmuz, and of course a man in my position is privy to many secrets. My parishioners told me of their fear of the Notary, and of the strange powers that Dimov apparently possessed.

  What I had heard convinced me that to confront Dimov directly would be to invite ridicule or worse. I therefore made it my business to find out all I could about him. Before you leave me today, I have a number of documents which I will give to you for safe keeping. You and the Professor may keep these papers and study them at your leisure. You must decide what becomes of them, but look after them carefully: they were difficult and dangerous to obtain. They contain the certain proof of what I am about to tell you.