Dracula engsub

CHAPTER 2: Jonathan Arrives At The Castle

As the passengers continued to cross themselves, Jonathan said good-bye and climbed into the carriage. It was almost midnight. Remembering the landlady's words, he he could not help but shiver at this, despite the blanket and hot tea that the count's assistant had offered him. His shivering only increased when, off in the distance, wolves began to howl. The horses seemed to be shivering, too, or at least snorting with fright.

Just then the cloud that had been covering the moon shifted, bathing the scene in a pale blue light. There, all around them, stood the wolves - creatures with white teeth and red tongues, long limbs and shaggy hair.

Jonathan jumped. It was terrifying to think that these creatures had been so close the entire time. But the count's assistant merely raised his arms and whispered something to the wolves, which fell immediately back. A cloud covered the moon again then, and they were once again in darkness.

The carriage climbed the remaining distance up the steep mountain to what Jonathan could now see was a vast and ruined castle. Through great round aches, they entered a dard courtyard and stopped.

The driver left Jonathan and his luggage at the castle's front door and then, with no further word or instruction, pulled away. The carrisge dissapeared into the night.

The huge front door was made of wood, and carved in great detail, but Jonathan could see no knocker or bell anywhere. Taking a step back and looking up at the castle's long black windows, he could not see even one ray of light.

Just then, from behind the door, he heard steps approaching. The steeps were followed by the sounds of rattling chains and great steel bolts being pushed to the side. The door swung open and there stood a tall old man clad entirely in black, with gleaming eyes that looked strangely familiar. He had thick bushy eyebrows, pale skin, and very red lips. And when he smiled, behind those red lips were sharp-looking ivory teeth.

"Welcome to my castle," the man said, in excllent but heavily accented English. "I am Count Dracula." He reached out and shook Jonathan's hand.

Taking Jonathan's bags, the count led him through long dark passages and up many winding stes of stone stairs. 'What grim adventure will this be?' Jonathan wondered as they walked. But when the count threw open the door to what would be his room, Jonathan was slightly relieved. There, before him, was a warm crackling fire in the hearth and a delicous dinner spread out on a nearby table.

'I was silly to be afraid,' Jonathan told himself sternly. 'I have allowed the suspicions of the townspeople to get to me.' After all he was a professional, here to do a job. He was also very hungry.

"Won't you be joining me?" he asked the count, noticing that only one place had been set for dinner.

"Oh, no," the count said. "I don't... I mean, I've slready eaten."

The count stayed, however, and kept Jonathan company while he ate, asking him all sorts of questions.

"If a ship comes into an English port," the count asked, for example, "can I arrange for someone to come and pick up cargo and have it transported into town?"

"Of course," Jonathan said. "my firm could arrange that for you."

"What if I wanted to arrange it myself?" the conunt asked. "No offense. I trust you will understand that sometimes it is wise to spread out your affairs, and not have one person knowing all of your business."

Jonathan gave the count the names of some firms that could take care of such matters.

Only as the first dim strand of the the morning sun came through the window of Jonathn's room did the count stand up and push back his chair. Somewhere in the valley below, distant wolves began to howl.

Jonathan shivered, thinking back to the awful creatures that had lined the carriage' path. The count, however, smiled. "Listen to them," he said, almost wistfully. "The children of the night."

Jonathan shivered even more, not only at this strange comment but at something else he noticed just then - the count's strangely hairy hands, with long thin fingernails cut to a sharp, almost clawlike point. Things would be clearer, he hoped, in the morning.