Amelie looked at her parents again - they were still sitting motionless, with long faces. I wanted to rush, to take my mother by the hand, but it seemed out of place. What's happening?
The hunchback looked at his father.
- Well, what are you, Monsieur Bricard, make your precious daughter happy.
The voice is quite consistent with the ugly appearance. Short, hoarse, as if a hunchback had taken ice water in the heat and caught a cold. That voice was numbing, scraping along the ribs like emery on a stone. Whip it up.
Amelie went cold, seeing how much anguish reflected in her father's eyes. She looked openly at the hunchback, trying not to show fear:
- What's going on here? What do you need here?
The hunchback raised his faded, bushy eyebrows.
What an ill-bred girl. M... Mr. Bricard, what's going on? Your ill-mannered daughter allows herself to speak first in the presence of her elders. Maybe she still has a habit of contradicting you? Is this allowed for a girl?
Whack-whack, whack-whack. With such a sound, the stonecutter polished the white stone when they erected a fence near the Cathedral of St. Picard. Then the whole street from morning to night sounded with this shuffling, as if mice were scratching everywhere.
The father finally moved, lowered his head:
“My daughter, my decision may seem unexpected to you. But I thought it over. The venerable master of Mr. Gastu wished to see you in his castle. It is a great honor for us.
— Sorcerer?
Amelie could not restrain herself, but her father's gaze simply begged to be silent.
It can not be true. If all this is due to a damaged account book ... is it really conceivable?
Father, yes, I am guilty. I went into your office and messed up the account book. I won't deny. Guilty - I will answer. I will rewrite everything. But why should I go somewhere?
The father raised his head.
- The book has nothing to do with it. Go to hell, this book.
It seemed as though the father's living emotions were struggling helplessly under impenetrable armor, securely locked up, imprisoned, like criminals, in a stone sack of prison.
"Then why are you chasing me?"
The father was silent. The hunchback drilled him with small black eyes, similar to two cockroaches, turned his gaze to Amelie:
- I'll have to explain. Dear maiden, my venerable host has shown you unheard-of mercy. And I've been sitting here ass for several hours already. And this is fraught. The venerable host will be dissatisfied, - now it sounded didactic and nasal.
I wanted to take something heavy, a poker, to hit the freak on the head to shut up. But Amelie only asked:
Why should I go there?
The hunchback breathed out with a bored look:
“The venerable host will explain everything to you himself.
Amelie looked at her father, who only nodded doomedly. She stepped forward hurriedly.
“Yes, can you really let me go like this?” Where? What for? With him?
Father did not know where to put himself:
“Sorry, my girl. But now it is necessary. You must go.
The hunchback got up impatiently, straightened as far as he could. In the chair, he didn't look as ugly, as crooked as a seahorse. Greasy yellow hair, long disproportionate arms with huge palms, as if belonging to another person. And this bird's nose ... So awkward that it caused a smile rather than fear.
The hunchback sighed noisily and took a step towards Amelie:
- How tired I am ... For several hours I had the misfortune to convince your papa. Your daddy is stubborn. Your dad is clueless. But some, especially weighty arguments, nevertheless, convinced him. And now the girl is roaming. Well, you weren't taught to fulfill your father's will? What a crazy family!
How miserable the father seemed now ... And the mother - white as a sheet, as if not alive. She never said a word.
Amelie still hoped that everything would be resolved now. All this should certainly be well resolved. She looked back at the hunchback.
- What are the arguments?
He was clearly losing patience.
“My venerable host will pay Monsieur Bricard a large sum of gold savers for his trouble, which will solve many of your papa’s problems. And in particular, it will cover his impressive debt to a certain Mr. Rom and save Mr. Bricard from a debt prison. And your family, respectively, from shame. Solid goodness and undeniable benefits.
Amelie looked at her father in horror:
- Duty? Debt prison?
He just nodded and lowered his head.
We have been living in debt for several years. Nothing of ours is left here.
Amelie looked into her mother's desolate face.
"So you're... selling me?" - now she fully felt the expression "eyes climbed on her forehead." - Is it so easy? For debts?
The father stood up with difficulty - he could barely stand on his feet:
"We're left with no choice." He lowered his head low, low. Could have failed with shame. “We were simply put before a fact. I cannot argue with such a gentleman. He will destroy us all.
Amelie shook her head.
We will find this money. I will marry whoever you say. I swear I won't say a word! I will endure everything! Just don't send.
The father shook his head.
- Now you can't. I hope everything works out. He said you could come back. Maybe even very soon. And everything will be as before.
"And if I don't come back?"
The hunchback crept very close. Bent, he barely reached Amelie's shoulder:
“No one is interested in your consent, dear girl. The venerable host commanded - this is the main thing. Nothing to do about. But it will be much better if your noble parents do not remain at a loss. Yes, and be reasonable.
Amelie still did not believe that she was seeing and hearing all this. She closed her eyes, shook her head, opened her eyes, but everything remained in its place. Both parents and an ugly hunchback. She remembered the river, the guardsman with the long hook. Creator! And what if they fish her out of the river the next day in the same way? Naked and broken? For some reason, even death did not frighten now as much as nogata. Amelie impetuously covered her face with her hands, breathing noisily. Finally, she looked at the hunchback:
— May I say goodbye to my sisters?
Behind the girls' bedroom is the back staircase. The gate leads to Rusty Lane. If you choose between the river and the city at night ...
The hunchback bowed his head. It was skewed to the right all the time, because the hump was displaced:
— You can. Only hastily.
Amelie looked at her mother for the last time, her face expressionless in shock. From shock or unknown sorcery. They are both bewitched, otherwise father would never, never in his life say such a thing. Didn't agree. Didn't let go. Amelie picked up her skirts and rushed out of the living room. She almost ran through the dark corridor, past the sisters' room with the door closed. Further, at the very end, to the underwear. She took the lantern off the hook, felt for the flint and steel on the shelf, but her hands were trembling - there was no way to light it, and there was no time. She left the lantern, darted through a low, inconspicuous door, onto a narrow black staircase, and began to descend in complete darkness, groping her way, holding on to the cold stone wall. Finally, she groped for the boards of the door, a massive iron bolt. She pulled, but the iron did not give in - the door was rarely used, apparently rusted. Amelie pulled again and again, skinning her fingers, but in the darkness there was only a frail clang, as if a bolt had been tightly riveted. She pulled again and again, no longer paying attention to the fact that the clang of iron could be heard. My fingers hurt, and sweat broke out on my forehead.
Amelie did not immediately realize that the bolt began to take shape. The pale orange light grew brighter. The hunchback stood on the stairs, holding a lantern at arm's length:
- I knew it. Poor, arrogant girl. Well, nothing, the venerable owner will bring down this nonsense in an instant. He does not like the arrogant.