Господин Барон / The Baron: 6

"That one! Confess, where is he?!"

Camrad_RIP 02.01.22 в 19:31

And on the table in front of me lay... a printout of a photo from the website! More precisely, my "kind" face.

Camrad_RIP 02.01.22 в 19:32

"That's not you! I have studied drawing and I can tell you that there is nothing of that person in you!"

Camrad_RIP 03.01.22 в 11:21

I opened my desk drawer with pleasure, searched through it, finally found both versions, and took them and compared them. Yes, I underestimate myself, but what a talent! Actually, the trick with the face suggested to me a friend, an aspiring actress. It was long ago, twenty years ago, but in his spare time, she loved to look at the faces of others and give advice on image. It's true, I was running to her for something different, but over time, what I got during the breaks came in handy.

Camrad_RIP 03.01.22 в 11:22

" So you're saying you want my brother?" It was said with a minor-threatening intonation, accordingly... what was it - stiffer cheekbones, a tilt of the head, sharper intonation? And all this is illuminated by a single desk lamp, under which the mock-raised Ghoul warms his ears. "So there he is." I, ignoring the spear pointed at me, moved the lamp, changed the lighting, leaned back, raised my head, and smiled charmingly, reproducing the image adopted for the "photo of the good baron.

Camrad_RIP 03.01.22 в 11:24

"God, he's also a werewolf."

Camrad_RIP 02.01.22 в 19:31

"When you live to be my age, you will be the same." I walked past the shrunken henchmen and sat down in my chair. "As anyone doing business in earnest does, my dears. And now explain to me, whose idea it was, and what you wanted to achieve?" And with a slight movement of my face, I turned into an "evil" Baron. This is more familiar to me and them.

Camrad_RIP 03.01.22 в 11:53

What followed was a funny scene of bickering, accusations along the lines of "it's you! No, it's you!" and the hissing of a disgruntled girl. As was my custom, I pitted the henchmen, who were searching for the truth, against each other, fishing out the truth. It turned out that, having heard a lot of tales from "I won't tell you who," and deciding that the real baron could not do as I did to her, Marty started an investigation. Yesterday, in the heat of drunkenness, she overheard a phrase and, not wanting to be wrong, interpreted it in her own way, thought I was a monster, and all day long she persuaded her friends to come to me and "press the villain against the wall".

Camrad_RIP 03.01.22 в 12:01

Oh, everything happens in life! To think - to mistake a living person, whom you have known for a few days, for some kind of monster. Adult people... or not so, she's nineteen years old. They read too much fantasy and then attack their employers with spears!

Camrad_RIP 03.01.22 в 12:07

"And anyway, who cares?" I went on with my accusatory and educational speech, not so much for the benefit of the henchmen as for my amusement. "You serve Baron Gravstein - I am him! And as for the "monster" - you have seen me standing calmly in the sun and touching the silver. Here..." I rummaged in my pocket for change and twirled a coin in my hands. "You see? I even carry it with me."

Camrad_RIP 04.01.22 в 16:13

"It's gold!" Suspicion instantly returned to Marty's voice.

Camrad_RIP 04.01.22 в 16:14

"Hmm, indeed." I looked at the metal circle with curiosity. It was really gold, and it was old, like a Spanish coin. Where did I get it? But that would come later. "Still, I had silver in my hands, the same gravcoins."

Camrad_RIP 04.01.22 в 16:15

"Only in a souvenir package!" It was obvious that the battle buddy had already realized the haste of her decision and was arguing solely out of the habit of never giving up.

Camrad_RIP 04.01.22 в 16:15

I slowly picked up the cup with the rest of the coffee, drank it, tried not to wrinkle it, took out the spoon and licked it, and dropped it back with a clink. The white pale metal finally convinced my most scandalous henchman. Oh, my goodness, and softness, what are you doing... Absent! As always.

Camrad_RIP 04.01.22 в 16:22

"Attention." There was a short shuffle, and the henchmen, lined up in height, stretched out, devoutly devouring their superiors with their eyes. "Kudos for your vigilance." Everyone smiled at once. "And censure for such a poorly executed inspection. Before the visit to the bosses, first, the hard evidence is gathered, and only then are the claims made." They're nervous. In general, they should have been scolded and rewarded with something like night duty, but I was lazy. "By the way, Smartass, where's your award shield?"

Camrad_RIP 04.01.22 в 16:27

"One moment, Your Grace!"

Camrad_RIP 04.01.22 в 16:31

Van Cliff darted out the door, then returned at once. He dragged the shield behind him in a wheelchair, like the ones retired women now use to go shopping.

Camrad_RIP 04.01.22 в 16:31

"As you can see, it's always with me and doesn't bother me at all!" And he patted the metal.

Camrad_RIP 04.01.22 в 16:32

"Well, kudos," I spoke smiling, but Smartass seemed to be drooping, and the other henchmen suddenly began to move away from him. "You really are clever and smart. I think you deserve an extra reward. Marty the spear!" I held out my hand without looking, and when the girl handed me the weapon I handed it to the henchman who had fallen. "He who has managed so quickly with one task can wear more than just a shield. Now, I hope you'll hand me this as well at any moment. I forbid you to drop it or move more than five paces away from the insignia of your dignity."

Camrad_RIP 04.01.22 в 16:33

"Thank you for your trust, Baron." There was no joy in his voice.

Camrad_RIP 04.01.22 в 16:35

"Great. Norman, you work in the kitchen with Marty tomorrow."

Camrad_RIP 04.01.22 в 16:37

"What am I in for?!"

Camrad_RIP 04.01.22 в 16:38

"For being older and more experienced, you did not point out to your friend the dubiousness of her conclusions. And what did it lead to? You see, my Ghoul woke up as a result!"

Camrad_RIP 04.01.22 в 16:40

The cat yawned once more, showing white fangs, and looked intently at the henchmen, clearly choosing his prey.

Camrad_RIP 04.01.22 в 16:40

"And Robert would chase Smartass around the castle, showing him how to hold his spear properly while running with the cart you have a shield on." Both groaned, and I remembered that I still hadn't covered the secret entrance to the castle dungeons in any way. "Next, Dan and Sato, since you have so much energy left by tonight, you will go to the back gate in the morning, take a bigger stone there, and place it on Enedar von Graveshtein's tombstone.

Camrad_RIP 04.01.22 в 16:47

"Wh..?"

Camrad_RIP 04.01.22 в 16:47

"That's the way it has to be! And if I need it that way, what do you say?"

Camrad_RIP 04.01.22 в 16:20

"It will be done, Mr. Baron!"

Camrad_RIP 01.01.22 в 15:43

Good. And finally, to improve the educational and testing process, from now on you will be able to report every night on how you spent your day. In about a thousand words, no more. Short, just thee essence.

Camrad_RIP 01.01.22 в 15:46

I don't have anything to heat the fireplace with.

Camrad_RIP 01.01.22 в 15:52

"Yes, Mr. Baron."

Camrad_RIP 01.01.22 в 15:43

"Go ahead, it's late."

Camrad_RIP 01.01.22 в 15:42

The girl, who realized what she was about to be told by her fellow students, looked at me frowningly and jumped out. She was followed by the rest of the henchmen, and Dan was the only one who lingered.

Camrad_RIP 01.01.22 в 15:33

"Mr. Baron, we never doubted for a second. But our battle buddy... it's a natural force, it's impossible to resist it! - He pressed both hands to his heart and made a penitent face, and then jumped out, closing the door carefully."

Camrad_RIP 01.01.22 в 15:31

Ghoul and I looked at each other and smiled at the same time.

Camrad_RIP 01.01.22 в 15:29

I was in a melancholy mood, but I gave tasks to the unfortunates who happened to be at hand - and I was immediately awake and cheerful!

Camrad_RIP 01.01.22 в 15:30

Ah, I love my work!

Camrad_RIP 01.01.22 в 10:55

* * *
Do you think Baron Gravstein is one of his kind?

Camrad_RIP 25.12.21 в 17:56

I don't know, but The Grave was buried by a big boulder yesterday! Apparently, someone else can get out?"

Camrad_RIP 25.12.21 в 17:56

From comments on the Gravstein Castle Museum website
* * *

Camrad_RIP 25.12.21 в 17:55

Spitting out a cherry pit, I followed the trajectory of its fall from the tower and turned to von Schnitze:

Camrad_RIP 11.01.22 в 15:57

"It's boring, Egilbert. Should we arrest the mailman?"

Camrad_RIP 11.01.22 в 15:58

"But for what?"

Camrad_RIP 11.01.22 в 15:58

"For ties with unholy powers."

Camrad_RIP 11.01.22 в 15:59

"Excuse me, Mr. Baron?"

Camrad_RIP 11.01.22 в 15:59

"I've been following him for two weeks now, and he's never been more than a minute late. Believe me, it's impossible to such a delivery without an agreement with the Prince of Darkness!"

Camrad_RIP 11.01.22 в 16:04

"Alexander, you are very wrong here! We Eskenlanders are capable of..."

Camrad_RIP 11.01.22 в 16:04

I didn't listen any further, just nodding decently. I was bored.

Camrad_RIP 11.01.22 в 16:05

Over the past week, somehow by itself, that is, almost without swearing or running around, almost everything got organized. Tourists visited the castle six times a day, plus a joint breakfast and lunch (manager still pushed me, I had to agree). They introduced an additional attraction: a night in the "medieval" way, in the refectory, on planks of straw, thrown under the tables. For some reason it was much more successful than comfortable rooms with modern furniture. Tourists got up in the morning with groans and grunts, but happy!

Camrad_RIP 11.01.22 в 16:06

We managed to figure out the origin of the howling and moaning. It was Ghoul. The kitten had been lurking in the ventilation ducts, sometimes entertaining himself with concerts. The bizarre acoustics did indeed carry the sounds to the dungeon cells in a strangely distorted form. However, we were in no hurry to tell anyone about it; there was no reason to deprive the castle of the atmosphere of an ancient mystery.

Camrad_RIP 11.01.22 в 16:07