11 A dangerous plan

　　One day Johann came to tell us that the King was now very sick，and that Antoinette de Mauban and a doctor were looking after him．But the Duke never left Rupert of Hentzau alone with Antoinette．I understood why，after what Rupert had told me．There were often angry voices in the castle these days，Johann told us．

　　Two of the Six were now dead，but there were always two men watching the King．The other two slept in a room above and would hear them if they called．Detchard and Bersonin watched by night；Rupert of Hentzau and De Gautet by day．The Duke's rooms were on the first floor，in the new buildings of the castle，and An-toinette's room was on the same floor．But at night the Duke locked the door of her room，and pulled up the drawbridge．He kept the key himself．Johann slept near the front door of the new castle with five other men-but they had no guns．

　　We could not wait any longer．'Listen！'I said to Johann．'I'll make you rich if you do what I say．'Johann agreed．

　　'You must take this note to Madame de Mauban．' I said，'and tomorrow，at two o'clock in the morning， you must open the front door of the new castle．Tell the others that you need air，or something- and then escape．'

　　Johann was clearly afraid，but he seemed to understand．I explained my plan to Sapt and Fritz．

　　'When Johann opens the front door，'I said，'Sapt and his men will run into the castle and hold the men who are sleeping there．At the same time Antoinette will scream loudly again and again．She'll cry“Help！Help me，Michael！”And she'll shout Rupert of Hentzau's name．Duke Michael will hear and he'll run out of his room- straight into the hands of Sapt！Sapt will get the key from the Duke and let down the draw-bridge．Rupert and De Gautet will hear the noise and hurry to cross the drawbridge．I'll hide by the bridge in the moat，and when they try to cross，I'll kill them．Then we'll hurry to the room where the King is，and kill Detchard and Bersonin before they have time to kill the King．'

　　The others listened in silence．It was a very dangerous plan，and I did not really think it would work-but we had to try！

　　That evening I went to visit Flavia．She seemed very thoughtful，and as I was leaving，she placed a ring on my finger．I was wearing the King's ring，but I took off my Rassendyll family ring and gave it to her．'Wear this for me always，'I said．

　　She kissed the ring，and replied seriously，'I'll wear it until the day I die．'

　　And then I had to leave her．I had already told the Marshal that if anything happened to the King，he must take Flavia to Strelsau，tell the people that Duke Michael had killed the King -and that Flavia was their Queen．I knew this could be my last day alive．

　　11 一个危险的计划

　　一天约翰来告诉我们，国王病得很重，安冬纳特和一个医生正在照顾他。但是公爵从来不让鲁帕特和安冬纳特单独呆在一起。我明白这是为什么，鲁帕特已经告诉我了。约翰告诉我们，城堡里最近常有愤怒的叫嚷声。

　　虽然“那六个”中的两个已经死了，可是总有两个人看着国王，另外两个睡在楼上的一间屋子里，一叫就能听见。戴查德和伯索宁夜里看守，鲁帕特和德·高蒂特白天看守。公爵的房间是在城堡里新楼的一层。安冬纳特的房间也在这一层。但是一到夜里，公爵就把她的房门锁上，把吊桥拉起来，他自己拿着钥匙。约翰和另外五个人睡在新楼的正门附近，不过他们都没有枪。

　　我们不能再等了。“听着！”我对约翰说：“我会让你发财，假如你照我的吩咐去做的话。”他同意了。

　　“你把这张纸条交给德·莫班夫人。”我说，“明天凌晨两点钟，你必须把新城堡的正门打开，告诉别的人你想透透空气，或者别的什么——然后就逃走。”

　　约翰显然很害怕，但是他看上去听懂了。我把我的计划告诉了萨普特和弗里茨。

　　“等约翰打开正门，”我说，“萨普特和他的人就冲进去抓住睡在那儿的人。同时，安冬纳特就会不停地大声尖叫：'救命！救救我，迈克尔！'然后她会叫鲁帕特的名字。迈克尔公爵听见了就会冲出房间——正好落进萨普特的手里。萨普特就从公爵那儿拿到钥匙，放下吊桥。鲁帕特和德·高蒂特听见动静会冲过吊桥，我就藏在桥边的护城河里，他们过桥时我就除掉他们。然后我们就冲到国王在的那个房间里，在戴查德和伯索宁杀死国王之前先杀死他们。”

　　其他人静静地听着。这是一个非常危险的计划。我自己也并不真的相信它能成功。可我们必须试试！

　　那天晚上我去看望弗蕾维亚。她看上去心事重重。当我离开时她将一个戒指给我戴在手上。我戴着国王的戒指，但我摘下我的拉森狄尔家族的戒指给了她：“永远替我戴着它吧。”我说。

　　她亲吻了戒指，严肃地回答：“我会到死都戴着它的。”