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 decided that I’ll give up everything and stay.”

She was not listening. Inclined forwards, she was staring attentively at the spot where that shadow fused with the darkness. “Quickly,” she said suddenly, seized Prokop by the arm and pulled him into the car beside her. A single movement and the car had begun to slide forward. At that moment a light appeared in one window of the castle and the shadow sprang out of the darkness. “Halt!” it cried and threw itself in front of the car; it was Holz.

“Out of the way,” cried the Princess, closed her eyes and opened the throttle full. Prokop raised his hand in horror; there was an inhuman roar and the wheels lurched over something soft. Prokop was about to spring out of the car, but at that moment it swung round the corner of the drive, so that the door slammed to by itself and the machine hurled itself into the darkness. With horror he turned round to the Princess. He could scarcely recognize her with her leather cap, bent forward over the wheel. “What have you done?” he cried.

“Quiet,” she said sharply through her teeth, still inclined forward. He caught sight of three figures in the distance on the white road; she slowed down and drew up close to them. It was the military guard. “Why are your lights off?” asked one of the soldiers. “Who are you?”

“The Princess.”

The soldiers raised their hands to their caps and drew back. “The password?”

“Krakatit.”