“Jonathan, you must stay here with your dear Mina today and take care of her. The rest of us are going out to investigate. Though perhaps ‘investigate’ is not quite the right word. We already know what we are looking for. We only need to confirm what we suspect.
“Staying with Mina is the most important thing you can do today. It is your duty as her husband, and nothing can reach her here before sunset.
“Let me tell you what we already know. Our enemy has left England. He has gone back to his castle in Transylvania. I am as certain of this as if God Himself had written it on the wall in fire.
“He must have prepared for this escape in advance. That final box of earth was ready to be shipped somewhere. That is why he took the money. That is why he hurried away at the end, afraid that we would catch him before sunset.
“It was his last chance. Perhaps he had hoped to hide in the tomb where poor Lucy once lay, believing that she, like him, would keep the place open to him. But he had no time.
“When that plan failed, he turned to his final refuge—the last piece of earth that belonged to him.
“He is clever. Very clever. He understood that his position in England was finished, so he decided to return home.
“He found a ship following the same route by which he had originally come. He put his box aboard, and now we must discover which ship it is and where it is going.
“Once we know that, we will come back and tell you everything. Then we can give you and dear Mina some new hope.
“Because all is not lost.
“Think about it. It took this creature hundreds of years to reach London, yet once we understood how he was moving his belongings, we drove him out in a single day.
“He may be powerful, but he is not all-powerful. He can be hurt. He can be forced to flee. He cannot suffer exactly as we do, but we are strong because we each have a purpose. And together we are stronger still.
“Take heart, Jonathan. This battle has only begun.
“And in the end, we will win. I believe that as surely as I believe God watches over His children.
“So be strong until we return.”
Van Helsing.
When I played Van Helsing’s message for Mina, I saw an immediate change in her. She seemed much brighter.
The certainty that the Count had left England comforted her. And comfort, more than anything else, seemed to give her strength.
For me, too, the danger now seemed strangely distant. The Count was no longer standing over us, and because of that, it almost became difficult to believe that any of this had really happened.
Even my own experiences in Castle Dracula seemed like something from a terrible dream.
I looked out at the bright sunlight and felt the crisp autumn air.
For a moment, I almost convinced myself that it had all been a nightmare.
Then I saw the red scar on Mina’s white forehead.
I could not deny the truth after that.
As long as that mark remained, there could be no forgetting. Even if it disappeared someday, I knew the memory would remain with me forever.
Mina and I were afraid of sitting around doing nothing, so we went through all the diaries again.
We read everything from beginning to end, then started again.
Strangely, the more we read, the more real everything seemed, yet the pain and fear became easier to bear.
There was some kind of purpose running through everything that had happened. That thought gave us comfort.
Mina even said that perhaps we had somehow been chosen to help bring about something good.
I wanted to believe that too.
We still had not spoken about what would happen after all this was over. It seemed better to wait until Van Helsing and the others returned from their investigation.
The day passed much faster than I expected.
It was already three o’clock.
At five o’clock, we all gathered to hear the report.
Van Helsing, Lord Godalming, Dr. Seward, Quincey Morris, Jonathan, and I were present.
Van Helsing explained what they had discovered about the ship that had carried Dracula away.
“We knew the Count wanted to return to Transylvania,” he said. “So I believed he would travel through the mouth of the Danube, or somewhere along the Black Sea, since that was the route by which he originally came.
“At first, we had almost nothing to work with. But Mina told us during her hypnotic trance that she heard sails being set, so we knew he had left on a sailing ship.
“A small sailing ship would not necessarily appear on the ordinary shipping lists in the newspapers. Lord Godalming suggested that we check Lloyd’s records instead, because they keep track of every ship that sails, even the smaller ones.
“There we discovered that only one ship bound for the Black Sea had left with the tide.
“She was the Czarina Catherine.
“She had sailed from Doolittle’s Wharf, bound for Varna, and from there she would continue toward other ports and eventually up the Danube.
“Then I said, ‘This is the ship carrying the Count.’
“So we went straight to Doolittle’s Wharf.
“We found a small wooden office there. The man inside was so large that he almost seemed too big for the building.
“We asked him about the Czarina Catherine. At first, he was extremely suspicious. He shouted and swore constantly.
“But Quincey knew how to deal with such men.”
Quincey smiled.
Van Helsing continued.
“After a little persuasion, our friend became much more cooperative.
“He took us around the wharf and asked several sailors what they had seen.
“They told us that yesterday afternoon, around five o’clock, a strange man had appeared in a great hurry.
“He was tall and thin, with very pale skin, a sharp nose, unnaturally white teeth, and eyes that seemed to burn.
“He was dressed entirely in black, except for a straw hat that looked completely out of place.
“He kept throwing money around as he demanded information about ships sailing toward the Black Sea.
“Eventually, someone took him to the ship.
“But he did not go aboard immediately.
“He stayed at the end of the gangplank and demanded to speak with the captain.
“The captain came after being told that the stranger was willing to pay well.
“At first the captain was angry, but he eventually agreed to the man’s demands.
“Then the stranger went away and asked where he could hire a horse and cart.
“Soon he returned, driving the cart himself.
“In the cart was a large wooden box.
“He lifted the box down himself, although several men were needed to get it onto the ship.
“He spent a long time telling the captain exactly where the box was to be placed.
“The captain did not like being ordered around.
“He told the stranger that if he cared so much about where the box went, he could come aboard and see for himself.
“But the man refused.
“He said he had other business to attend to and would board later.
“The captain told him he had better hurry because the ship would leave with the next tide.
“The strange man simply smiled.
“He told the captain that he would certainly come aboard before the ship sailed, but that the captain might be surprised at how soon the ship actually departed.
“Then he asked where he could find another ship where he could obtain some shipping documents.
“After that, he disappeared.
“No one seemed particularly interested in where he went. The sailors had other things to worry about.
“But then something strange happened.
“The Czarina Catherine was delayed.
“A thin mist began rising from the river.
“Within a short time, the mist became a thick fog that completely surrounded the ship and the wharf.
“The captain was furious.
“He swore at everyone and everything, but there was nothing he could do.
“The water continued to rise, and he began to fear that he would miss the tide altogether.
“Then, just as the tide reached its highest point, the strange man returned.
“He walked up the gangplank and asked to see where his box had been stored.
“The captain told him, in no uncertain terms, exactly where he wished the man and his cursed box could go.
“But the stranger did not become angry.
“He calmly went below with the mate and inspected the place where his box had been stored.
“Then he came back on deck and stood there in the fog for a while.
“Apparently, he came aboard alone. No one noticed him leave the wharf.
“The sailors hardly paid attention to him.
“Soon the fog began to disappear.
“Then the strangest thing happened.
“The sailors discovered that the fog had barely existed anywhere else along the river. It had gathered almost entirely around that particular wharf.
“The Czarina Catherine finally left with the falling tide.
“By morning, she must have been far down the river and heading toward the sea.
“By the time we heard all this, she was already far out at sea.”
Van Helsing paused.
“So, dear Mina, there is nothing more we can do for the moment.
“Our enemy is now on the water, traveling toward the mouth of the Danube, with the fog itself seemingly under his command.
“A ship, however fast, cannot travel as quickly as we can over land.
“When we leave England, we can reach Varna ahead of him.
“Our greatest hope is to meet him while he is still inside his box between sunrise and sunset. During those hours, he cannot defend himself properly.
“We have several days to prepare.
“We also know exactly where the box is supposed to go.
“We have spoken with the owner of the ship, and he showed us the invoices and shipping documents.
“The box is to be unloaded at Varna and handed over to an agent named Ristics, who will identify himself when it arrives.
“The owner has done everything he was supposed to do.
“When we asked whether there was any legal problem with what we planned to do, we told him no.
“This is not a matter for the police or customs officials.
“We must deal with it ourselves.”
When Van Helsing finished, I asked him whether we could really be certain that Dracula was still aboard the ship.
“We have the best possible evidence,” he replied. “Your own testimony from this morning’s hypnotic trance.”
I looked at him.
“Then is it really necessary for us to chase him? I am afraid of Jonathan leaving me. And if the others go, I know he will go with them.”
Van Helsing answered quietly at first.
“Yes. It is necessary.”
His voice grew stronger.
“Necessary—necessary—necessary!
“First for your sake, Mina. Then for the sake of humanity.
“This monster has already caused terrible suffering, even though he has only recently begun to use his full powers in this new world.
“I have told the others about him. You can hear everything in Dr. Seward’s recordings or your husband’s.
“Think about what he has accomplished.
“He came from a remote, barren land and decided to move into a crowded modern city where human beings are everywhere.
“It took him centuries to prepare.
“Another creature like him might never have been capable of such a thing, even if given all the time in the world.
“But Dracula is different.
“The place where he lived and remained undead for centuries is itself strange. The land is filled with deep caves and underground passages whose depths no one fully understands.
“There have been volcanoes there. Some still release unusual waters and deadly gases. There are forces in that land—magnetic, electrical, chemical, and perhaps others we do not understand—that may have helped preserve his unnatural life.
“And Dracula himself was exceptional even when he was alive.
“In a brutal and dangerous age, he was famous for his courage, his intelligence, and his strength of character.
“He had an extraordinary mind.
“As his body survived and grew stronger, so did his intellect.
“And all of this happened without the help of the supernatural forces of evil that now surround him.
“Those forces must ultimately yield to the powers of good.
“Now look at what he has done to you.
“He has infected you.
“Forgive me for saying it so plainly, but I say it because I want to save you.
“He has changed you in such a way that, even if he never touches you again, you will eventually become like him simply by continuing to live until the natural time of your death.
“We cannot allow that.
“We have sworn that it must not happen.
“We are trying to carry out what we believe is God’s will—that humanity should not be handed over to monsters whose very existence mocks everything good.
“God has already allowed us to save one soul.
“Now we must go forward like the old knights of the Cross and save others.
“We will travel toward the sunrise.
“And if we fall, then we will fall for a righteous cause.”
I asked him:
“But won’t the Count learn from this? Now that we have driven him from England, won’t he simply avoid us, like a tiger that has been chased away from a village?”
Van Helsing smiled grimly.
“Your tiger comparison is excellent. I will use it.
“In India, they know that once a tiger tastes human blood, it becomes a man-eater. It does not stop hunting people.
“Dracula is the same.
“We have driven him away from our village, but he is a man-eater, and he will never stop hunting.
“He is not the kind of creature who will quietly retreat and stay far away.
“Even when he was alive, he crossed borders and attacked enemies on their own ground.
“He was defeated, but did he give up?
“No.
“He came back again and again.
“Look at his persistence.
“With what we once thought of as his childlike mind, he conceived the idea of coming to a great city.
“He studied London carefully.
“He discovered what opportunities it offered.
“Then he patiently prepared himself.
“He learned new languages.
“He studied our society.
“He learned about our laws, our money, our science, our politics, and our customs.
“Everything he experienced only increased his desire.
“It also strengthened his mind, because every success proved that his original plans had been correct.
“And he did all of this alone.
“Completely alone.
“He began with nothing more than an ancient tomb in a forgotten country.
“Imagine what he could do if the whole modern world of knowledge became available to him.
“He is a creature who can look at death without fear.
“He can live among diseases that destroy entire populations.
“If a being like him had come from God rather than the Devil, imagine how much good he might have done.
“But we have sworn to free the world from him.
“We must work quietly.
“We must keep our plans secret.
“People in this modern age do not believe even what they see with their own eyes. The disbelief of educated people would be Dracula’s greatest protection.
“It would become his shield, his armor, and his weapon against us.
“And we are willing to risk everything—even our souls—to protect the person we love, to protect humanity, and to honor God.”
After a long discussion, we decided that nothing should be settled that night.
We would sleep on the facts and meet again at breakfast.
Then we would decide what to do.
Tonight, however, I feel strangely peaceful.
It is almost as though some terrible presence has finally been lifted from me.
Perhaps—
I could not finish the thought.
I looked into the mirror and saw the red mark on my forehead.
I knew then that I was still unclean.
We all rose early the next morning, and I believe sleep had helped every one of us.
When we met for breakfast, everyone seemed much more cheerful than I would have thought possible after everything we had suffered.
It is remarkable how quickly human beings can recover when the immediate cause of their fear is removed.
Even death itself can sometimes clear the way for hope and happiness.
Several times during breakfast, I found myself wondering whether the terrible events of the past few days had really happened.
Then I would see the red mark on Mina’s forehead and remember.
The Count was still alive.
The cause of all our suffering still existed.
Even Mina sometimes seemed to forget her own condition for a while. Only when something reminded her would she remember the terrible scar.
We were going to meet in my study within half an hour to decide what to do.
But I sensed one serious problem.
We would need to speak openly with one another.
Yet I had begun to fear that Mina could no longer speak freely.
I knew she was thinking about everything. I was certain she had reached conclusions of her own, and I suspected they were both intelligent and correct.
But she would not—or perhaps could not—say them aloud.
I mentioned my concern to Van Helsing.
I suspected that some part of the Count’s terrible influence was beginning to affect her.
He had given her what Van Helsing called the Vampire’s baptism of blood.
Perhaps some poison was now working through her body.
I dared not think too deeply about what that might mean.
If the force that kept her silent could also force her to speak, then our plans could be revealed to Dracula.
That would create a danger we could barely imagine.
Van Helsing was coming to my study before the others.
I intended to speak with him privately.
When the Professor arrived, we discussed the situation.
I could tell that he had something difficult to say.
Finally, he spoke.
“John, there is something you and I must discuss alone. Later, we may have to tell the others.”
He hesitated.
Then he said:
“Poor dear Mina is changing.”
A cold shiver went through me.
My worst fear had been confirmed.
Van Helsing continued.
“We learned from what happened to Lucy that we must recognize the signs before it is too late.
“Our task is now harder than ever.
“And every hour matters.
“I can see the beginning of the vampire’s influence in her face.
“It is still very slight, but it is there if we know what to look for without allowing fear to control our judgment.
“Her teeth are a little sharper.
“Sometimes her eyes have a harder look.
“But that is not all.
“She has become silent more often, just as Lucy became silent.
“Lucy sometimes could not speak even when she tried to communicate through writing.
“And now I fear something worse.
“If Mina can enter a hypnotic trance and tell us what the Count sees and hears, then perhaps the reverse is also true.
“He hypnotized her first.
“He drank her blood and forced her to drink his.
“If he chooses to do so, could he use that connection to force her mind to reveal everything she knows?”
I nodded.
Van Helsing continued.
“Then we must prevent it.
“We must keep her unaware of our plans.
“If she does not know what we intend to do, she cannot reveal it.
“It will be painful.
“Very painful.
“But it must be done.
“When we meet today, I will tell her that, for reasons we cannot explain, she must no longer take part in our discussions.
“She must be protected instead.”
He wiped the sweat from his forehead.
I knew how much it hurt him even to consider doing this to Mina.
I told him that I had reached the same conclusion.
The relief on his face told me I had done the right thing.
It was almost time for the others to arrive.
Van Helsing left to prepare himself for the difficult conversation.
I believe he wanted to pray alone before facing Mina.
But when the meeting began, both Van Helsing and I experienced an unexpected relief.
Mina had sent word through Jonathan that she would not join us.
She believed we should be free to discuss our plans without feeling that her presence was preventing us from speaking openly.
Van Helsing and I exchanged a quick glance.
We both understood what had happened.
If Mina had recognized the danger herself, then perhaps some suffering—and some danger—had already been avoided.
Without saying anything aloud, we agreed to keep our suspicions to ourselves until we could discuss them privately again.
Then we turned to our plans.
Van Helsing explained the situation.
“The Czarina Catherine left the Thames yesterday morning.
“At her fastest possible speed, she will need at least three weeks to reach Varna.
“We can travel overland and reach the same place in three days.
“Even if we allow two days for weather that the Count may be able to create, and another full day and night for unexpected delays on our side, we still have nearly two weeks of extra time.
“So, to be completely safe, we must leave England no later than the seventeenth.
“That will put us in Varna at least a day before the ship arrives.
“We will then have time to prepare.
“And of course, we will all be armed—not only against ordinary physical danger, but against supernatural danger as well.”
Quincey Morris spoke up.
“I understand the Count comes from a country filled with wolves. He may know that land better than we do and perhaps reach it before us.
“I suggest we add Winchesters to our weapons.
“I have always trusted a Winchester when there is trouble of this kind.
“Remember, Art, when we were being chased by that pack near Tobolsk? We would have given anything for a repeater rifle apiece.”
“Good,” said Van Helsing.
“Winchesters it is.
“Quincey always thinks clearly, especially when there is a hunt involved.”
He looked around the table.
“There is nothing more we can do here for now.
“And if none of us knows Varna well, why not go there early?
“There is no advantage in waiting here.
“We can spend tonight and tomorrow preparing.
“If all goes well, the four of us can leave together.”
“The four of us?” Jonathan asked.
“Of course,” Van Helsing replied quickly.
“You must remain here to take care of your sweet wife.”
Jonathan was silent for a moment.
Then he said quietly:
“Let us talk about that tomorrow morning.
“I want to discuss it with Mina first.”
I thought this was the moment Van Helsing would warn him not to tell Mina anything about our plans.
But the Professor said nothing.
I looked at him and coughed meaningfully.
He simply put a finger to his lips and turned away.
For some time after the meeting, I could not think clearly.
Everything that had happened seemed to open another new problem.
Mina’s decision not to take part in the discussion troubled me.
Since I could not ask her about it directly, I could only guess what she was thinking.
I was no closer to understanding the truth.
The way the others had reacted also confused me.
We had previously agreed that there would be no more secrets among us.
And yet now everyone seemed to be hiding something.
Mina was sleeping peacefully.
She looked like a child, her lips gently curved into a smile.
Thank God she could still have moments like this.
Later, I sat watching her sleep.
For a while, I almost felt happy myself.
As evening approached, the sunlight faded and the room slowly grew darker.
The silence became deeper.
Then Mina opened her eyes and looked at me tenderly.
“Jonathan, I want you to promise me something.
“Promise me on your word of honor.
“And promise me before God that you will keep it, even if I later kneel before you and beg you through tears to break it.
“Please. You must promise me now.”
“Mina,” I said, “I cannot make a promise like that without knowing what it is. I may not even have the right to make it.”
“But, my dear,” she said, with such seriousness that her eyes seemed almost to shine, “I am asking you to do it, and I am not asking for myself.
“You can ask Dr. Van Helsing whether I am right.
“If he disagrees with me, then you may do whatever you think is best.
“And if all of you later agree, then you will be released from the promise.”
“I promise,” I said.
For a moment, she looked completely happy.
But even then, the red scar on her forehead made me feel that happiness was almost forbidden to her.
She said:
“Promise me that you will tell me nothing about the plans you are making against the Count.
“Do not tell me directly.
“Do not give me hints.
“Do not let me work it out from anything you say.
“Do not tell me anything at any time while this remains on my forehead.”
She pointed to the scar.
I understood how serious she was.
“I promise,” I said.
But as soon as I said those words, I felt that an invisible door had closed between us.
Later that night, Mina was cheerful again.
Her happiness seemed to affect everyone.
Even I felt as though the heavy darkness surrounding us had lifted a little.
We all went to bed early.
Mina was sleeping peacefully, like a child.
It seemed almost miraculous that she could still sleep in the middle of such terrible suffering.
Thank God for that.
At least, while she slept, she could forget her fear.
Perhaps I could do the same.
I desperately wanted a dreamless sleep.
The next morning brought another surprise.
Mina woke me early and asked me to bring Van Helsing.
I assumed she wanted another hypnotic session.
I went immediately.
The Professor seemed to have expected the call. He was already dressed and waiting.
He came into our room at once.
As he entered, he asked Mina whether the others should come too.
“No,” she said calmly.
“It will not be necessary. You can tell them everything yourself.
“I must go with you on your journey.”
Van Helsing looked as shocked as I felt.
After a moment, he asked:
“But why?”
“You must take me with you.
“I will be safer with you.
“And you will be safer with me.”
“But why, dear Mina?
“You know that protecting you is our greatest duty.
“We are going into danger, and you may be more vulnerable than any of us because of—because of what has happened.”
He hesitated.
Mina raised one finger and touched the scar on her forehead.
“I know.
“That is exactly why I must go.
“I can tell you this now, while the sun is rising. Later, I may not be able to.
“I know that when the Count commands me, I must obey.
“If he orders me to come to him secretly, I will find a way to do it.
“He could make me deceive anyone—even Jonathan.”
The look she gave me when she said this was unforgettable.
I could only take her hand.
I was too moved to speak.
She continued:
“You men are brave and strong.
“You are strong because there are several of you together.
“You can resist things that would destroy a single person who had to face them alone.
“And I may be useful to you.
“You can hypnotize me.
“Through me, you may learn things that even I do not consciously know.”
Van Helsing looked at her gravely.
“Mina, as always, you are right.
“You will come with us.
“Together, we will do what we have set out to do.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Mina became strangely quiet.
I looked at her.
She had fallen back onto her pillow and was already asleep.
She did not even wake when I opened the blinds and allowed the morning sunlight to fill the room.
Van Helsing motioned for me to follow him quietly.
We went to his room.
Within a minute, Godalming, Seward, and Quincey had joined us.
Van Helsing told them what Mina had said.
“Tomorrow morning we leave for Varna,” he said.
“But now we have another factor to consider: Mina.
“Her soul is strong.
“It must have been terribly painful for her to tell us what she did.
“But she was right to do so.
“We have been warned in time.
“We cannot waste a single opportunity.
“When the ship arrives in Varna, we must be ready to act immediately.”
“What exactly are we going to do?” Quincey asked.
Van Helsing paused before answering.
“First, we will board the ship.
“Once we identify the correct box, we will place a branch of wild rose on it.
“According to the old belief, no vampire can escape from a coffin sealed in that way.
“We must trust that belief for the moment.
“Faith has guided mankind since the earliest days, and superstition often grows from faith.
“Then, when we have the right opportunity and no one is watching, we will open the box.
“And then—God willing—it will all be over.”
“I won’t wait for an opportunity,” Quincey said.
“When I find the box, I will open it immediately and destroy the monster.
“I don’t care if a thousand people are watching.
“If they kill me for doing it a moment later, so be it.”
I instinctively took his hand.
It felt as hard as steel.
I think he understood what I meant.
“Good man,” said Van Helsing.
“Brave man.
“Quincey is everything a man should be.
“Believe me, none of us will hesitate because of fear.
“I am only telling you what may happen and what we may have to do.
“We cannot know exactly how the final moment will unfold.
“There are too many possibilities.
“We will all be armed in every way we can.
“When the moment comes, we will not hold back.
“For today, however, we must put our personal affairs in order.
“We must make sure that everyone who depends upon us will be cared for.
“None of us knows when or how this will end.
“My own affairs are already arranged.
“I have nothing else to do except prepare for the journey.
“I will arrange the tickets and everything else we need.”
There was nothing more to say.
We separated.
I went to settle all my affairs and prepare myself for whatever might happen.
Later, everything was finished.
I had made my will.
Mina was my sole heir if she survived.
If she did not, the people who had helped us so faithfully would inherit what remained.
The sun was now moving toward the horizon.
Mina had become increasingly uneasy.
I was certain that sunset meant something to her.
These moments were becoming terrifying for all of us.
Every sunrise and every sunset seemed to bring another danger, another pain.
Yet perhaps, according to God’s will, all of this suffering might eventually lead to something good.
I wrote everything down because Mina must not hear these thoughts now.
If she survived and read this diary later, she would know what had happened.
Then I heard her calling me.