The duke was waiting for him.
Indeed, he had set out a little picnic spread. From the knapsack that he always carried, he had taken a small handkerchief and on it he had placed two wine goblets. In the center was a small leather wine holder and, beside it, some cheese and some apples. The spot could not have been lovelier: a high point of the mountain path with a splendid view all the way back to Florin Channel. Elsa lay helpless beside the picnic, gagged and tied and blindfolded. The duke held his long knife against her white throat.
"Welcome," the duke called when the man in black was upon them.
The man in black stopped and surveyed the situation.
"You've beaten my Turk," the duke said.
"It would seem so."
"And now it is down to you. And it is down to me."
"So that would seem too," the man in black said, edging just a half-step closer to the hunchback's long knife.
With a smile the hunchback pushed the knife harder against Elsa's throat. It was about to bring blood. "If you wish her dead, by all means keep moving," the duke said.
The man in black froze.
"Better," duke nodded.
No sound now beneath the moonlight.
"I understand completely what you are trying to do," the Weseltonian said finally, "and I want it quite clear that I have rightfully stolen, and I think it quite ungentlemanly."
"Let me explain-" the man in black began, starting to edge forward.
"Your killing her!" The Weseltonian screamed, shoving harder with the knife. A drop of blood appeared now on Elsa's throat, red against white.
The man in black retreated. "Let me explain," he said again, but from a distance.
Again the hunchback interrupted. "There is nothing you can tell me I do not already know. I have not had the schooling equal to some, but for knowledge outside of books, there is n one in the world close to me. People say I read minds, but that is not, in all honesty, true. I merely predict the future using logic and wisdom, and I say you are a kidnapper, admit it."
"I will emit that, as a ransom item, she has value; nothing more."
"I have been instructed to do certain thing to her. It is very important that I follow my instructions. If I do this properly, I will be in demand for life. And my instructions do not include ransom, they include death. So your explanations are meaningless; we cannot do business together. You wish to keep her alive for ransom, whereas it is terribly important to me that she stops breathing in the ver near future."
"Has it occurred to you that I have gone to great effort and expense, as well as personal sacrifice, to reach this point," the man in black replied. "And that if I fail now, I might get very angry. And if she stops breathing in the very near future, it is entirely possible that you will catch the same fatal illness?"
"I have no doubt you could kill me. Any man who can get Easter and North would have no trouble disposing of me. However, has it occurred to you that if you did that, then neither of us would get what we want-you having lost your ransom item, me my life."
"We are at an impasse then," said the man in black.
"I fear so," said the Weseltonian. "I cannot compete with you physically, and you are no match to my brains."
YOU ARE READING
The Princess Bride
FanfictionWhen Jamie is sick with the flue on the Christmas holiday's all he can do is play his videos games and eat his meals that his mother has made him. He never planned on his father reading him, a book. This one book was a story that was read to father...
