ADW Part 13

It was many months before the whispered asseverations about my reception finally attenuated. Many of the guests never spoke a word about it afterwards, but a few undertook the manner of Coleridge’s Ancient Mariner, seeking out listeners for his “ghastly tale.” Their words, for the most part, were dismissed as the products of overly imaginative minds, jealousy, and alcohol.

Harder to dismiss was the disappearance of Dr. Triste. The police spent weeks scouring the city and surrounding countryside for clues, but their efforts were in vain. He simply vanished, having been last seen at my ill-fated gathering. Some claimed there must be a connection between the disappearance of Dr. Triste and the alleged resurrection of Prof. Glauben, but these theories were largely considered too fantastic to be believed. Ultimately, my genuine innocence (at least as regards Dr. Triste) was accepted by the authorities. Given that neither Dr. Triste’s nor Prof. Glauben’s corpus was ever habeas, the case was dropped.

Over time I tried to forget those incredible events that followed from disinterring Prof. Glauben’s skeleton. My valet Jacob was immensely relieved that I ended my strange and secretive ways. And I began courting the young Diera Marshall, who, like her father, spoke not a word about the shocking events at my home that evening.

I cannot recall the precise evening, but approximately a year after the disappearance of Dr. Triste I awoke from a fitful sleep with a strong urge to take a walk in the night air. It was as though I was being beckoned. I had no choice.

I dressed hurriedly, throwing on heavy clothes to protect myself from the chill. I glanced at my watch; it was 1:15 am.

By the time I had left the warmth of my home I realized where I was headed. Of course! Why hadn’t I thought of it earlier?

The cold winter wind gnawed at my face, but I walked steadily towards my destination, crushing dead leaves beneath my feet. Fog was all that lay before my lantern’s light, but I knew the way by instinct, even though I had only been there once before. After a full two hours I saw the imposing stone edifice before me. I made my way to the small hill behind the prison, and pushed my way through the creaky wrought-iron gates I’d entered two years earlier. It took only a few minutes searching to find the headstone which bore Prof. Glauben’s name.

For some time I stood in the dark silence, staring at the grave and mulling over those past outré events. They were already becoming a fuzzy memory, though it still pained me greatly to recall the expression on my mentor’s bony face when he left our reception. Yes, he had to be here; again, it all fell into place. I struck the moist earth with my spade.

An hour later I had for the second time opened the grave of my friend and teacher. For the second time I removed the coffin lid. And for the second time my heart sank. There, amid the rotting remains of a black tuxedo, lay the skeleton of Dr. Glauben, silently weeping.

“Nein, Venwick, let me stay here, beneath ze earth, where I belong,” he pleaded.

“I shall do as you request,” I replied with trembling lips, “but please allow me to say goodbye.” The skeleton looked up from his coffin. “Professor,” I continued, “Did you talk with Dr. Triste after you left the reception?” Prof. Glauben said nothing. “I believe you followed Dr. Triste from the party because you knew something about him–or rather you deduced it–and when you confronted him outside he admitted that he, too, had achieved immortality.”

The skeleton winced, and I went on. “Yes, Professor, you two were –you are–in the same predicament, and after hearing your statements of that night I conclude that you both decided to act as dead men, even if you can’t die.”

Prof. Glauben remained silent for a moment, then opened his jaw with a bony click. “Ja. Ve have forfeited ze hereafter,” he said softly, “and now ve must suffer. But ve shall not continue to live our lives among humans. Ve decided zhat ve must behave as ze dead.” A tear emerged from an eye socket and rolled down the side of the skull. “Und now, Venwick, you must leave. Please to close ze door after you.”

With a heavy heart I replaced the coffin lid and shoveled earth back into the hole. Then after crossing myself I turned to walk home. Breaking over the red horizon ahead of me was the morning sun, harbinger of a new day, bringing with it the blessing of life and the promise of death….

Or vice versa.