Я не буду твоей куклой

Глава 16

With superhuman speed, Dracula snatched a military knife from an attacker. His claw-like hands gripped the weapon tightly as he parried and retreated, using superhuman strength, skill, and speed to fight his enemy.

In this brief yet seemingly eternal encounter, Dracula had two opportunities to kill an opponent—first Jack Seaworth, then Quincy Morley—but both opportunities were instantly lost because of Mina's scream.

Then, Hausin discarded his ordinary weapons, brandished the cross, and approached Dracula. The old professor bravely challenged the enemy, saying, "Your war against God is over. You must pay the price for your sins."

His enemy tossed down his saber with disdain. A hissing, yet clearly audible, sound emanated from his deformed throat: "You ignorant fool! You think you can destroy me with that cross? I served it centuries before you were born."

The vampire raised a terrifying, sharp index finger, pointing it at Mina. His glowing red eyes challenged each man in turn. "She, your beloved, is now my flesh, my blood, my kind, my bride! I warn you, I will fight for her. My army will fight for her, my men will obey my commands—"

"Leave her to God!" the old professor commanded. "Your army has been wiped out; we have seen your beasts and are not afraid of them. Now you must pay the price for your crimes."

Dracula hissed again, stomped his foot, and the cross instantly turned into flames. Hausin quickly dropped it, simultaneously raising the holy water bottle in his other hand and splashing it at the vampire. The holy water, upon touching Dracula's demonic skin, smoked and burned like strong acid. Dracula screamed and recoiled. Even as he retreated, he straightened his back, yearning to see Mina one last time.

As the men charged at him again with their weapons, he materialized before their eyes as a swarm of rats as tall as a man. The rats squeaked inhumanly, disintegrated into a furry mass, and scattered in all directions, running across the dark carpet and disappearing from the room in an instant through every possible exit.

Silence fell. The enemy was gone, escaped from the hunters. The men's weapons hung uselessly in their hands. They looked at each other in fear of their final defeat.

Mina remained seated on the sheets, trying to cover herself with the blood-stained bedding.

“Unclean,” she sobbed desperately, finally on the verge of collapse. “Unclean.”

Chapter Seventeen

By sunrise, Mina's hysteria had ceased, much to the relief of the men who had stood ready to fight to the death for her. The traces of last night's horror had been effectively erased within minutes. A group of servants, accustomed to sudden deaths at any moment, quickly changed the sheets and blankets. Mina had even slept for a while, and by dawn seemed to have slowly recovered—at least the brief effects of her horrific experience had somewhat worn off. Doctors Jack and Howsin, engaged in their ongoing professional discussion, both agreed.

Mina and the men accompanying her had not yet discussed the potential long-term consequences of her intimate contact with the vampire. All the men assumed that the intimacy they witnessed was entirely due to Dracula's unilateral coercion; and the unfortunate woman offered no objection to this idea.

The shock of this experience was no less than that of his wife; in Jack's view, the extent of Huck's recovery was even more difficult to assess than his wife's. For the past few hours since discovering his wife in the vampire's arms, Huck had maintained a calm and self-controlled demeanor. No one knew if he had slept a wink. He spoke not to anyone—including his wife—and his gaze was distant and withdrawn; his nostrils twitched occasionally, but his lips remained tightly pressed together.

The young lawyer suddenly looked less young. Within hours, wrinkles appeared on Huck's face, and his cheeks sagged; Jack preferred to swear that even his hair had turned gray at the roots. He offered no explanation or comment to anyone about his actions, but silently replaced his cane with a large scimitar—a weapon used by East Indian hunters when hunting large prey. He now carried the knife everywhere he went, and would occasionally swing it to test the blade.

To date, the Huck family continues to occupy the guest rooms upstairs in the mental hospital. There are enough rooms upstairs to accommodate other people, and for convenience and for the sake of unity, Sir Goethemin (whom his friends still call Arthur Hungbird), Howing, and Quincy Morley have all moved in or plan to move in on the same day.

Except for Hack, everyone else managed to sleep for a few shots. Because of the urgency of the situation, no one could afford to sleep any longer.

Howing took on the task of organizing the expedition and went to Dracula's other properties in London.

The professor believed that one of the mansions was of particular strategic importance.

“Of all the possibilities,” the professor said to his companion in Jack’s office, pointing to a hastily drawn temporary map on the wall, “the key to the current situation lies in that house in Picardy. The Count should have the sales contract, the keys, and other things. He should also have writing papers, clothing, checkbooks. He must have many things hidden somewhere, why not put them in this central, quiet place where he can come and go at any time without anyone noticing?”

“Then let’s set off right now!” Hack shouted. “We’re wasting precious time.”

The professor didn't move. "How are we supposed to get into Picardy's house?"

"Any method is acceptable! If necessary, break down the door!"

"What will your police say if they're there?"

Jack's idea was more practical; he suggested waiting until the store opened during the day to find a reliable locksmith.

Hark brandished his newly acquired greatsword and urged, "Then let's act now for God's sake, because we've already lost too much time. The Count might reach Picardy sooner than we think."

“No way!” Haoxin said, raising one hand.

"Why?"

"Have you forgotten?" he said with a smile. "He had a big meal last night, so he must have stayed up very late."

Mina, who had entered the room to hear everyone's plan, tried her best to maintain a brave and calm demeanor; however, she couldn't help but feel the pain, covered her face with her hands, and shivered.

Jack, who observed all of this, did not believe that Howsin had intentionally wanted to remind her of that horrific experience. He was simply so engrossed in his plan that he had forgotten about her involvement and had not even noticed her.

When the professor realized what he had said, he was horrified by his thoughtless slip of the tongue and tried to comfort her.

"Oh, Miss Mina! My dear Miss Mina, alas! I respect you the most, yet I uttered such a forgetful remark. It's all because of my foolish old mouth and this dull brain of mine, but you will forget what I said, won't you?"

She grasped his hand, gazing at him through her tears, and said in a hoarse voice, "No, I won't forget, because it's better for me to remember. Now, you must hurry." Having gathered her remaining strength, Mina had clearly regained control of herself and the situation—at least for now. "Breakfast is ready. We all need to eat to maintain our strength."

Around 10 o'clock, Jack, Quincy, Arthur, Hack, and Howing all appeared in central London.

On the train into town, Arthur said to his companions, “Quincy and I are going to find a locksmith.” He looked at Huck and added, “You’d better not come with us, lest you have any trouble; in the current situation, there’s no harm in us breaking into an empty house. But you’re a lawyer, and I’m afraid the law society might say you should know better.”

Hack, who was wearing a cloak to conceal the scimitar at his waist, protested that he wanted to share all the dangers and difficulties.

Arthur shook his head. "Besides, too many people will attract attention. Because of my title, neither the locksmith nor the police will have any questions. You'd better go to Green Park with Professor Jack and keep an eye on the mansion."

"Great idea!" said Howsing. And so it was arranged.

At the corner of Arlington Street and Picardy, Howsing, Huck, and Jack disembarked from the carriage and went into Green Park. The day was overcast, but dry and warm.

Harker pointed out to his companions the house they were now hoping to visit: number 347 Picardy. The house, uninhabited, stood out starkly among its well-maintained, populated neighbors. The three of them sat down on a long bench overlooking the house and lit cigars.

Every minute seemed to slip away with incredibly heavy steps.

Finally, they saw a four-wheeled carriage pull up in front of the house. Arthur and Quincy alighted as if relaxed, followed by a fully armed worker carrying a basket of lock-picking tools. Quincy paid the fare, the driver bowed his hat in greeting, and drove off. Meanwhile, Arthur was already instructing the locksmith on what to do.

The locksmith leisurely took off his coat, hung it on a long nail on the entrance railing, and said a few words to a policeman who had just strolled in. The policeman nodded in understanding, and the locksmith knelt down, placing his tool bag beside him. He searched the bag and pulled out several tools.

Then he stood up, looked into the keyhole, blew into it, and then turned to say a few words to his two employers.

Arthur smiled slightly. The man then held up a large bunch of keys, selected one, and began to search the lock. After fumbling for a moment, he changed to the first key, then the third. Suddenly, the door opened with a gentle push, and he and the other two entered the house.

The three men watching from the park remained seated. Huck puffed furiously on his cigar, while Howsin's had long since gone out. They waited patiently as the locksmith slightly opened the door, squeezed it between his knees, and tried inserting a key into the lock. Finally, he handed the key to Arthur, who paid him with his wallet. The locksmith adjusted his hat, picked up his tools, put on his coat, and left. Apart from the three men in the park, no one noticed their trespassing.

As soon as the locksmith left, Huck, Jack, and Howsing crossed the street to knock on the door. Quincy immediately opened it for them. Quincy was also smoking a cigar; he explained, “This place really stinks.”

To guard against a surprise attack, the five of them worked together to explore the house. In the dining room, which was located right behind the hall, they found eight wooden crates filled with soil. They pried open the crates with the tools they had brought and cleaned the soil inside in the same way as before, so that the count could no longer use them as a refuge.

On the large dining table was a small pile of keys of various sizes—they immediately guessed that these keys must be able to open the doors of Dracula's other London mansions.

After Arthur and Quincy copied down several addresses in the East and South districts from Hack's records, they took the keys and set off to destroy all the wooden crates they could find there.

The other three remained, patiently awaiting their return—or the Earl's arrival. They paced back and forth in the uninhabited rooms, or sat restlessly in dusty chairs.

The wait seemed endless. Jack Schwart, who had been observing Huck, was once again alarmed by the man's transformation. Last night, Mina's groom was an open-minded and seemingly happy man with a strong, youthful face, brimming with vitality… Today, however, he was an exhausted, gaunt old man, his eyes sunken and burning, his face etched with sorrow, even his hair appearing completely white in a certain light. Yet, he was still remarkably energetic; in fact, Jack thought he was like a burning flame.

Around two o'clock, Arthur and Quincy returned to Picardy's house and reported their successful mission in the East and elsewhere. In short, forty-nine of Dracula's fifty coffins had been destroyed in the past.

What should we do now?

Quincy commented, “We can only wait here. However, if he doesn’t show up by five o’clock, we’ll have to leave. We can’t leave Mrs. Hack alone after sunset.”

Just as Hao Xin was about to speak about the need for a coordinated attack plan, he suddenly stopped and raised a hand as a warning.

Everyone could hear the soft sound of a key being inserted into the lock of the main door. Quincy quickly glanced around the room, devised an attack plan, and silently gestured for everyone to take up a post. Howing, Huck, and Jack were assigned to behind the door, while Arthur and Quincy waited at the window in case their enemies tried to escape through that route.

They waited in suspense, making the few seconds pass as slowly as a nightmare.

A moment later, slow, cautious footsteps echoed through the hall. The count had clearly anticipated something unexpected—or at least, he was worried.

He leaped into the restaurant in a flash; he overtook any of his enemies before they could raise a hand to stop him. The movement was as swift and inhuman as a panther, making them all even more alert.

The moment the count saw them, a ferocious and terrifying expression appeared on his face, revealing long, sharp teeth; but that evil smile immediately turned into a contemptuous and indifferent gaze like that of a lion.

Hark clearly wanted to test the effectiveness of his deadly weapon; for he had drawn his scimitar and swung it suddenly with great force. The blow was powerful, but the count, with a devilishly quick backflip, saved his life.

Driven by a protective impulse, Jack instinctively stepped forward, raised the cross and the holy bread, and with a powerful swing of his arm, saw the demon retreat.

In the next instant, before Huck's next swing could land, Dracula slipped under his arm, rushed across the room, and lunged at the window. Amidst the shattering, glittering falling glass, he leaped onto the cobblestone path below.

Huck and the others rushed to the window, only to see Dracula spring up from the ground unharmed, run across the yard, push open the stable door, and turn to speak to them.

“You want to stop me, you pale-faced bastards, you’re like lambs to the slaughter—you’ll regret it! My revenge has only just begun. I’ve endured centuries, time is on my side. Ha!” He gave a contemptuous snort and quickly pushed open the door, his enemies hearing him tighten the rusty latch.

Arthur and Quincy had already rushed into the courtyard, but Huck followed the Earl's example and jumped out of the window; however, by the time they pushed open the bolted Marouane gate, the Earl had already vanished.

Howin realized that tracking their enemy would be difficult, so he and Jack walked back to the hall. The professor spoke first: "We've just learned something important! Despite his boasting, he's afraid of us. He's afraid of time and of running out of supplies."

It was already afternoon, and sunset wasn't far off. When the professor said, "Let's go back to Miss Mina's—poor, dear Miss Mina. We don't need to despair; there's only one wooden box left. Once we find it, we'll be all set," the others, though heavy-hearted, had no choice but to agree.

Jack could tell that the professor was pretending to be relaxed so as not to upset Huck.

Upon returning to the mental hospital, Mina welcomed the group. Seeing their faces, her own paled. For a moment, as if in a secret prayer, she closed her eyes. Then she said joyfully, "I have indescribable gratitude for each and every one of you. Oh, my poor darling!" With that, she embraced her husband's increasingly gray head and gently kissed his lips.

As the sky began to lighten, revealing the first signs of dawn, Mina woke her husband. Her voice and demeanor were both calm and resolute. "Jonathan, go and get the professor. I need to see him immediately."

"Why?"

“I have an idea. I think only now, as dawn is breaking, can I speak of him openly.”

Huck hurriedly complied with his wife's request.

Less than two minutes later, Hao Xin arrived at their room wearing a morning robe, while Quincy, Arthur, and Jack rushed to the door to ask anxiously.

When the professor saw Mina, the anxiety on his face was instantly dispelled by an affirming smile. He rubbed his hands together and said, “Oh, my friend Jonathan, our dearest Miss Mina is back with us today, just like before!” He turned to her and asked cheerfully, “What can I do for you? You must have something important to tell me at this time.”

Mina hesitated for a moment before answering Howsin's question in an almost ordinary voice: "It's really hard to describe. But he... speaks to me without even trying."

Mina continued in a completely emotionless voice, "I know I'm gradually becoming like him. I will die when I find myself showing even the slightest sign of hurting anyone I love."

The professor raised his thick eyebrows. "You're not going to commit suicide, are you?"

She nodded firmly. "I will, if no one who loves me can save me from this pain, and if I desperately want to die!"

Haoxin slammed his fist on the table. "No! I'm telling you, you absolutely cannot do that! You cannot die at the hands of anyone, especially not your own. You cannot die before the other person who disrupted your sweet life is truly dead, because if he continues to live on as an immortal being, your death will be just like his. No, you must live!"

Mina's gaze swept over the men standing around her, all of whom shared the same resolve to fight for her. She seemed to be embracing the pitiful position of a vampire victim, watching them from a distance. First Professor Howing, then her husband—meeting Jonathan's gaze required considerable effort—then Jack, Arthur, and finally Quincy Morley.

She said to them all: “I understand that you must fight. But not with hatred. The most pitiful among us is the poor, lost soul who caused all this misfortune. You should have compassion for him as you have for me. Since he has already left us, why should we keep chasing after him?”

"Because, my dearest Miss Mina, even if it means following him to hell, we must find him no matter what!"

"Why?"

“Because,” Hausin replied solemnly, “he can live for hundreds more years, while you are made of flesh and blood. Time is terrible now—because it has already left that mark on your neck!”

Huck leaped forward to his wife's side, for for a moment she looked as if she were about to faint.

However, she held on with sheer willpower. "I need you to hypnotize me!" she announced anxiously to Howsing, "before dawn, because that way I can speak freely. Hurry, time is of the essence."

Without a word, Hao Xin gestured for his patient to sit on the bed. He placed the candle on the bedside table, stared intently at her, and began to make hypnotic gestures in front of her, moving his hands alternately from her head down.

Mina stared intently at him. Jack sensed an impending crisis and felt his heart pounding wildly.

A few minutes later, Mina's eyes gradually closed. She sat motionless, only the slight rise and fall of her chest indicating that she was still alive.

After giving a few instructions, the professor stopped; his forehead was covered with beads of sweat.

Mina opened her eyes again, but her gaze was extremely distant, as if she had become a different person.

By this time, everyone who had been standing in the hallway had entered the room and gathered around the foot of the bed. The professor raised his hand to emphasize that they should remain quiet, and said to Mina in a calm, low voice, "His destruction is what will save you, Miss Mina. Help me find him."

“He’s gone,” she answered suddenly, adding, “I believe he has left the country by now.”

“Yes,” the professor agreed. “We experienced hunters were busy all day yesterday. We believe all the crates have been destroyed, with only one exception.” Then he calmly asked, “But, child, how do you know he’s gone?”