Kthaahthikha

XVIII - 0500

All of my attempts to communicated with Clothilde proved fruiteless. I could see no signs on her person of what had killed her, but the very idea of it horrified me. I could only remember her as she fawned over Maldino, attempted along with all the others to get as close to him as she might, and I wondered if this might be a part of his terible influence - could he killed them at will, pass them across from life to death and back again. On that strange night high in the moutains, it seemed to me that anything was possible.

I left the apartments and reclaimed the coach, bidding it return me to the Palace of the Seven Stars with all due haste. The coach made its way through the streets at frightful sppeds, leaving me quite amazed by the haste that it managed to conjour. Soon enough I reached the boulevarde leading down through the palace gates. Now the number of carriages entering had slowed almost to a trickle, whereas those departing maintained a steady stream. It was growing nearer to dawn, I supposed, and the revellers were finally going home.

The carriage drew to a halt at the bottom of the stairs, and I made my way past the footman and up through the sumptuously-dressed peoples making their ways down the stairs. They veered away from me as I approached - for I had barely paused to throw-on my old clothes before rushing out the door, and whilst htey had been cleaned as I attended the party, they were still mere rags when compared to the costumes to which these people were accustomed.

I entered the palace, and looked about the floor. maldino was standing in a corner, a coterie about him as he talked, obviously trying to wind-up the party as some over-ardent admirers surrounded them. I made my way across the floor towards him, and he could not help but notice me as I did so.

'I do not recognise you,' he said, 'are you, perhaps, the newcomer?'

I went to throw a damning accustation at him - an accustation truly pitiful in the effect it might hope to have - and as my mouth opened Clothilde turned and smiled in a cordial manner.

'Ah, you've come back,' she said. 'Have you yet been introduced to Maldoni?'

I stumbled upon my words and halted short of what I been about to say, hastily-reordering words in the hopes of avoiding sounding like the howling lunatic that I felt myself.

'I saw your corpse,' I said to Clothilde, ' as a serving-girl, at your home.'

'And what is this, Mademoiselle Delacroix,' said Maldoni with a smile, 'entertaining strange men, what would your mother say?'

'One might only wonder,' she replied, beaming. 'Now as for you, Charles, that was simply my corspe - not I. I'm afraid that you haven't had it all explain to you yet.'

'I prefer that the burden rest on my shoulders alone,' said Maldoni, 'and so I encourage people not to tell newcomers a great deal, but rather to leave it to myself. Unfortunately, this sometimes leads to misunderstandings if do not speak with them in time - much as now, for example.'

'I am very confused,' I said. Maldoni smiled.

'I am not surprised,' he said. 'There an awful lot of confusing details about this entire affair.'

I have failed to note that through all this he spoke in French with a faint accent. It seemed, so the say, the lingua franca of the place.

'Come,' he said, 'and we shall discuss things further in my chambers. If you will follow me, then hopefully everything can be settled.' he looked at the clock on the wall and frowned. 'Unfortunately, there is not a great deal that can be done until this evening. If perhaps you would rather rest, and we can discuss the affair then.'

I agreed, although I did not see why it should have to wait, not feel it lkely that I should easily fall asleep. I was shown to a large chamber with a comfortable ed at its centre. The matress feather-stuffed and raped with an eider-down. As I lay there, a servant brought me a cup of genuine drink, and I swallowed it down gratefully. I was soon asleep, swallowed up in darkness.

I did not dream of anything, so far as I remember. Whilst I have always been lucky in being gifted with very curious dreams, I can rarely hold them very long, and I regret this deeply, for I was certain on this night that I had a most curious dream indeed.

I'm bored, I'm tired, andI have six more hour of this to go. Sigh.