Ron Goulart - The Curse of the Obelisk

THE CURSE OF THE OBELISK 61
CHAPTER 14
Belphoebe spread her arms wide and took an enthusiastic deep breath. "This has been quite
invigorating thus far," she said happily. "One can see why you so enjoy the detective profession,
Mr. Challenge. For it provides both an intellectual challenge and the opportunity for a satisfying
amount of healthful outdoor exercise."
Harry wiped his forehead with his pocket handkerchief, "Yes, a ten mile hike up the side of a
thickly forested steep hill is great fun," he said. "Sometimes, when I'm between cases, I do this sort
of thing for the sheer joy of it."
Smiling, she said, "You have a rather pleasant sense of humor."
He moved ahead through the oak trees until he reached the edge of a small clearing. About a
half mile uphill loomed Gewunden Castle. From his coat pocket he took a small pair of opera
glasses. "Ugly joint."
The thick stone walls were a good ten feet high, topped with rusty spikes and what looked to be
jagged shards of broken bottle glass. The castle itself was a complex cluster of towers and dark tile
roofs.
Belphoebe came up beside him. She undid the top buttons of her blouse. "I have brought a
sketching pad and a suitable pencil," she told him. "I am quite good at drawing landscapes and
buildings, much in the manner of your Joseph Pennell."
"What we could really use is a floor plan of the damn place," he said. "Nobody in town has one,
though."
"An accurate rendering of the exterior will enable us to make certain speculations as to what
lies within."
"Okay. I want all the gates and doorways marked down," Harry told her. "And a rough sketch
of the whole setup."
"That I can assuredly supply," said the blonde Belphoebe. "If I might borrow your glasses for a
moment."
"Sure, here."
"I made a few sketches on my earlier visit." She put the binoculars to her eyes. "Yet I dared not
approach anywhere near this close."
Harry frowned, his shoulders hunching slightly. As the young woman began making notes on
her sketch pad, he backed away.
They hadn't followed a trail up here, and the trees rose high all around them. Branches thick
with new leaves were tangled and intertwined overhead and brush grew high on the mossy ground.
Glancing from side to side, Harry walked back along the way they'd come.
Although sunset was at least a good hour off, the day was already starting to fade.
He had a growing feeling that someone was watching them. Eyes narrowed, he looked to the
left and right and then up into the treetops.