sunset

by nick nelson

the sunset was green, as the gypsy had predicted. despair overwhelmed pargrave. but kingsbury kept his own counsel. nobody else at the gathering was young enough to notice the obvious contradictions. it was the hour of the waterfall,. the kings and emperors in their boxes began their discreet withdrawal. wenders, who had just arrived after an arduous journey over the mountains, greeted pargrave with his usual jolly demeanor. but pargrave simply shook his head. evans, the celebrated altero-nato-paleontologist, suddenly remembered an incident from his lost youth. zeno, disguised as the butler, was having none of it and told varrington so in no uncertain terms. an hour later they had all dispersed, and the serious business of the catastrophe commenced. as the sun set, the duchess arrived at the empty chateau. she found a couple of bottles of wine in the cellar, along with the body of the spanish consul. when she went back upstairs with the bottles, she noticed that the driver from the railroad station had not left, but had made himself at home in the lounge behind the auditorium. are ypu waiting for something? she asked him coolly. i am waiting for the story to end, he relied isolently. must it end? it is not a story if it does not end, the rebel forces will be here soon. they will either shoot you or conscript you. that is a chance i am prepared to take. have you lived in this area long ? long enough. would you like some wine? why don’t you see if you can find some glasses? and give you a chance to retrieve the pistol you are no doubt concealing? the duchess smiled. you have thought of everything,. i see. i have tried to. the driver stood up. it is not a story if it does not end. meanwhile pargrave and evans, who had missed the last train from the station , were reaching the brow of the hill, after walking up from the village. kingsbury was about a hundred yards behind them.