“Jonathan has asked me to record this message because he feels too exhausted to do it himself, and he wants every detail preserved.
“Stay with your dear Mina today.
“The rest of us are going out to investigate. Although perhaps ‘investigate’ is not the right word. We already have a strong idea of what happened. We only need to confirm it.
“Your most important duty today is to remain with Mina and protect her.
“Nothing can reach Dracula 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 a hand of fire had written it on the wall.
“He must have prepared his escape in advance. That last 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. He was afraid we would catch him before sunset.
“It was his final hope.
“Perhaps he had also planned to hide in Lucy’s tomb, believing that she, like him, would keep it open to him. But he had no time.
“When that failed, he went to his last remaining refuge—the final box of earth he could use.
“He is clever. Very clever.
“He understood that his game in England was over.
“So he decided to return home.
“He found a ship traveling along the route by which he originally came and placed his box aboard.
“Now we must discover which ship it is and where it is going.
“Once we know that, we will return and tell you everything.
“And then we will give you and dear Mina new hope.
“Because all is not lost.
“Think of what we have accomplished.
“It took this creature hundreds of years to reach London.
“Yet once we discovered how he was moving his belongings, we drove him out in a single day.
“He is powerful, but he is not unlimited.
“He can still be defeated.
“We are strong because each of us has a purpose.
“And together, we are stronger still.
“Take heart, dear husband of Mina.
“This battle has only begun.
“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 her spirits rise considerably.
The certainty that the Count had left England seemed to comfort her.
And comfort gave her strength.
For me, too, the danger suddenly seemed unreal now that Dracula was no longer physically near us.
Even my terrible experiences in Castle Dracula seemed like something from a distant dream.
I sat in the bright autumn sunlight and breathed the crisp air.
For a moment, I almost convinced myself that none of it had really happened.
Then my eyes fell on the red scar on Mina’s forehead.
I could not deny the truth after that.
As long as that mark remained, there could be no real disbelief.
Even if it disappeared one day, the memory of it would remain forever.
Mina and I were afraid of simply sitting around doing nothing, so we went through all our diaries again.
We read them from beginning to end, then started over.
Strangely, every time we read them, what had happened seemed more real, but the pain and fear became easier to bear.
There seemed to be some greater purpose guiding everything.
That thought comforted us.
Mina said that perhaps we were being used as instruments for some ultimate good.
Perhaps she was right.
I wanted to believe as she did.
We still had not talked about the future.
It seemed better to wait until Van Helsing and the others returned from their investigations.
The day passed surprisingly quickly.
It was already three o’clock.
The following day, we gathered again.
Van Helsing explained what they had discovered about the ship carrying Dracula.
“We knew the Count wanted to return to Transylvania,” he said.
“So I was certain he would eventually travel toward the mouth of the Danube or somewhere on the Black Sea, because that was the route by which he originally came.
“At first, we had almost nothing to go on.
“But Mina’s hypnotic trance gave us an important clue.
“She heard sails being set, so we knew he had left on a sailing ship.
“A small sailing ship might not appear on the ordinary shipping lists in the newspapers.
“Lord Godalming suggested that we check Lloyd’s records instead, because they record every ship that sails, no matter how small.
“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 then onward toward other ports and eventually up the Danube.
“I immediately said, ‘That is the ship carrying the Count.’
“So we went to Doolittle’s Wharf.
“There we found a large, rough-looking man working in a tiny wooden office.
“We asked him about the Czarina Catherine.
“At first, he was suspicious and extremely unfriendly.
“But Quincey knew how to make him more cooperative.
“Soon he was willing to answer our questions and take us around the wharf.
“We spoke with several sailors.
“They told us that yesterday afternoon, around five o’clock, a strange man had arrived in a great hurry.
“He was tall and thin, with a pale face, a sharp nose, unnaturally white teeth, and eyes that seemed to burn.
“He wore black clothes and a straw hat that looked completely out of place.
“He was throwing money around as he demanded information about ships going to the Black Sea.
“Eventually, someone took him to the ship.
“But he did not go aboard.
“He stopped at the end of the gangplank and demanded to speak with the captain.
“The captain came after hearing that the stranger was willing to pay well.
“At first, the captain was furious, but eventually he agreed to his demands.
“Then the stranger went away and asked where he could hire a horse and cart.
“Not long afterward, he returned, driving the cart himself.
“A huge wooden box was sitting in it.
“He personally lifted the box from the cart, although several men were needed to move it onto the ship.
“He spent a great deal of time telling the captain exactly where the box should be placed.
“The captain did not like being ordered around.
“He told the stranger that if he cared so much about the box, he could come aboard and see for himself.
“But the stranger 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 said he would certainly board before the ship sailed, although the captain might be surprised by how soon that would be.
“Then he asked where he could find another ship where he could obtain shipping documents.
“After that, he disappeared.
“No one cared much where he went.
“They had other things to worry about.
“Then something unexpected happened.
“The Czarina Catherine was delayed.
“A thin mist began rising from the river.
“Within a short time, it became a thick fog that surrounded the ship and the wharf.
“The captain was furious.
“He shouted and swore, but there was nothing he could do.
“The water kept rising, 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 was so angry that he cursed him and his box.
“But the stranger did not seem offended.
“He calmly went below with the mate and inspected the place where the box had been put.
“Then he returned to the deck and stood there in the fog for a while.
“He must have left by himself because no one noticed him go.
“Soon the fog began to disappear.
“The sailors then realized something strange.
“Almost no fog had appeared anywhere else along the river.
“It had gathered almost entirely around that wharf.
“Eventually, the Czarina Catherine left with the falling tide.
“By morning she must have been far down the river.
“And by the time we heard all this, she was already far out at sea.”
Van Helsing paused.
“So, dear Mina, we must wait for a little while.
“Our enemy is now at sea, heading toward the mouth of the Danube.
“The ship may travel quickly, but we can travel faster over land.
“When we leave, we can reach Varna before him.
“Our greatest hope is to meet him while he is inside his box between sunrise and sunset.
“During those hours, he cannot defend himself properly.
“We can open the box and destroy him before he wakes.
“We also know exactly where the box is supposed to go.
“We have spoken with the ship’s owner.
“He showed us the invoices and all the shipping papers.
“The box will be unloaded at Varna and handed to an agent named Ristics.
“The ship’s owner has done his part.
“The rest is our responsibility.
“This is not something for the police or customs officials.
“We must deal with it ourselves.”
When Van Helsing finished, I asked:
“Are you certain the Count remained aboard the ship?”
“We have the strongest evidence possible,” he replied.
“Your own testimony during the hypnotic trance this morning.”
I hesitated.
“Then is it really necessary for us to pursue him?
“I dread Jonathan leaving me.
“And if the others go, I know he will go with them.”
Van Helsing’s expression became serious.
“Yes,” he said.
“It is necessary.
“First for your sake, Mina.
“And then for the sake of humanity.
“This monster has already caused enormous suffering.
“He has spent centuries preparing himself to enter the modern world.
“Think about what that means.
“He came from a remote and barren land and deliberately chose a crowded city where human beings were everywhere.
“Preparing for such a journey must have taken him centuries.
“Another creature like him might never have been able to accomplish the same thing.
“But Dracula is different.
“The land where he lived and remained undead for so long is itself filled with strange natural forces.
“There are deep caves and underground passages whose depths no one understands.
“There have been volcanoes.
“Some still produce strange waters and poisonous gases.
“There may be magnetic, electrical, chemical, and other forces there that we do not understand.
“Perhaps those forces helped preserve his unnatural life.
“And Dracula himself was extraordinary even when he was alive.
“In a violent age, he was known for his courage, intelligence, and strength.
“His mind was unusually powerful.
“As his body survived and grew stronger, his mind continued to develop as well.
“And now look at what he has done to you.
“He has infected you.
“Forgive me for speaking so plainly.
“I say it because I want to save you.
“Even if he never attacks you again, you will eventually become like him if you simply continue living until your natural death.
“We cannot allow that.
“We have sworn to stop it.
“We believe we are carrying out God’s will.
“The world must not be surrendered to monsters whose existence itself is an insult to 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, we will fall for a good cause.”
I asked:
“But won’t the Count learn from this?
“Now that we have driven him from England, won’t he simply stay away, like a tiger driven away from a village?”
Van Helsing shook his head.
“Your tiger comparison is exactly right.
“I will use it myself.
“In India, they know that once a tiger tastes human blood, it becomes a man-eater.
“It keeps hunting.
“Dracula is the same.
“We have driven him away, but he will not stop.
“He has never been the kind of creature who quietly gives up.
“Even when he was alive, he crossed borders and attacked his enemies on their own land.
“He was defeated.
“Did he stay away?
“No.
“He returned again and again.
“Look at his persistence.
“With what we once thought was a childlike mind, he planned to come to a great modern city.
“He studied London.
“He learned its language.
“He studied its society, laws, politics, finances, science, and customs.
“He patiently prepared himself.
“Every success only increased his confidence.
“And he did all of this alone.
“Completely alone.
“He began with nothing more than an ancient tomb in a forgotten land.
“Imagine what he could accomplish if the entire modern world of knowledge became available to him.
“He can look at death without fear.
“He can survive among diseases that kill entire populations.
“If a creature like him had come from God rather than the Devil, imagine what a force for good he might have been.
“But we have sworn to free the world from him.
“We must work in secret.
“We must be careful.
“People in this modern age often refuse to believe even what they see.
“The disbelief of educated people would be Dracula’s greatest protection.
“It would become his shield and his weapon against us.
“And we are willing to risk everything—even our own souls—to protect the person we love, to protect humanity, and to honor God.”
After a long discussion, we decided not to make any final decisions that night.
We would sleep on everything we had learned.
The next morning, we would meet again and decide exactly what to do.
Tonight, I feel strangely peaceful.
It is almost as though some terrible presence has finally been removed 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.
Sleep had done us good.
At breakfast, everyone seemed much more cheerful than any of us had expected.
It was astonishing how quickly human beings could return to hope once the immediate danger disappeared.
Several times I wondered whether the terrible events of the previous days had been nothing more than a nightmare.
Then I saw the red mark on Mina’s forehead.
The truth came rushing back.
The Count still existed.
The danger was still real.
Even Mina sometimes forgot her own condition for a while.
Only when something reminded her would she remember the scar.
We planned to meet in my study shortly and decide what to do.
But I had one troubling suspicion.
We would all have to speak openly.
Yet I feared that Mina could no longer speak freely.
I knew she was thinking deeply.
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 told Van Helsing about my concern.
I suspected that some part of the Count’s terrible influence was beginning to work inside her.
He had given her what Van Helsing called the vampire’s baptism of blood.
Perhaps some kind of poison was now spreading through her.
I dared not think too deeply about it.
If the same force that kept her silent could also force her to speak, then Dracula might be able to make her reveal everything she knew.
That would put us in terrible danger.
Van Helsing came to my study before the others.
I intended to speak with him privately.
When the Professor entered, I could see that he had something difficult on his mind.
Finally, he said:
“John, there is something you and I must discuss alone.
“Later, we may have to tell the others.”
He hesitated.
Then he said quietly:
“Poor dear Mina is changing.”
A cold shiver ran through me.
My worst fears had been confirmed.
Van Helsing continued.
“We learned from Lucy what happens when we wait too long.
“This time we must recognize the signs early.
“Our task is already more difficult than ever.
“And now every hour matters.
“I can see the beginning of the vampire’s influence in Mina’s face.
“It is still very slight.
“But it is there.
“Her teeth are a little sharper.
“Sometimes her eyes have a harder look.
“And she has become silent more often.
“Lucy behaved in the same way.
“But there is something else that frightens me.
“If Mina can enter a hypnotic trance and tell us what the Count sees and hears, could the connection work in the opposite direction?
“He hypnotized her first.
“He drank her blood and forced her to drink his.
“Could he use that connection to force her mind to reveal everything she knows?”
I nodded.
Van Helsing continued.
“Then we must stop him from doing so.
“We must keep Mina ignorant of our plans.
“If she does not know what we intend to do, she cannot reveal it.
“It will be painful.
“Terribly 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 the thought hurt him.
I told him that I had reached the same conclusion.
He looked relieved.
Soon the others arrived.
But before the meeting began, Mina sent word through Jonathan that she would not join us.
She said she thought it would be better if we could discuss our plans freely without worrying about her presence.
Van Helsing and I exchanged a quick glance.
We both understood.
If Mina had realized the danger herself, then some suffering—and perhaps some danger—had already been avoided.
Without speaking, we agreed to keep our suspicions secret until we could discuss them privately.
Then Van Helsing turned to our plan.
“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 Varna in three days.
“Even if we allow two extra days for weather that the Count may influence, and another full day and night for possible delays, we still have nearly two weeks to spare.
“So, to be completely safe, we must leave England no later than the seventeenth.
“That will put us in Varna at least one day before the ship arrives.
“We will have time to prepare.
“And we will all be armed against both physical and supernatural danger.”
Quincey Morris spoke.
“I understand the Count comes from a country where wolves are common.
“He may know that region better than we do.
“I suggest we add Winchester rifles to our weapons.
“I trust a Winchester when there is trouble of this kind.
“Remember Tobolsk, Art? When we were being chased by that pack, what wouldn’t we have given for a repeater rifle apiece?”
“Good,” Van Helsing said.
“Winchesters it is.
“Quincey always keeps a clear head, especially when there is a hunt.”
He looked around the room.
“There is nothing more we can do here for the moment.
“And none of us knows Varna well.
“So why wait 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 answered quickly.
“You must remain here and take care of your wife.”
Jonathan was silent for a moment.
Then he said:
“Let us discuss that tomorrow morning.
“I want to talk to Mina first.”
I thought Van Helsing would warn him not to tell Mina about our plans.
But he said nothing.
I looked at him and coughed meaningfully.
He simply raised one finger to his lips.
I understood.
For a long time after the meeting, I could not think clearly.
Everything seemed to be changing again.
Mina’s decision not to take part in the discussion troubled me.
Since I could not ask her directly, I could only guess what she was thinking.
She was sleeping now, peacefully and sweetly, like a child.
Her face was calm and happy.
Thank God she could still have moments like that.
Later, I sat beside her and watched her sleep.
For a little while, I almost felt happy myself.
As evening came, the sunlight disappeared and the room grew darker.
The silence became strangely solemn.
Suddenly, Mina opened her eyes.
She looked at me with great tenderness.
“Jonathan, I want you to promise me something.
“I need your word of honor.
“And I need you to make this promise before God.
“You must not break it, even if I later kneel before you and beg you through tears to do so.
“Promise me now.”
“Mina,” I said, “I cannot promise something without knowing what it is.
“I may not even have the right to make such a promise.”
“But, my dear,” she said, “I am asking you to do this for me, and it is not for my own sake.
“You can ask Dr. Van Helsing if I am right.
“If he disagrees with me, then you may do whatever you believe is best.
“And if all of you later agree, you will be released from the promise.”
“I promise,” I said.
For a moment, she looked completely happy.
Then 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 guess from anything you say.
“Do not tell me anything while this mark remains on my forehead.”
She touched the scar.
I saw how serious she was.
“I promise,” I said.
As soon as I said the words, I felt that an invisible door had closed between us.
Later that night, Mina was bright and cheerful again.
Her happiness seemed to spread to everyone else.
Even I felt as though the darkness hanging over us had lifted slightly.
We all went to bed early.
Mina was sleeping peacefully.
It seemed miraculous that she could still sleep through such terrible suffering.
Thank God for that.
At least while she slept, she could forget her troubles.
I hoped I might do the same.
I wanted a dreamless sleep.
The next morning brought another surprise.
Mina woke me early.
“Bring Dr. Van Helsing,” she said.
I assumed she wanted another hypnotic session.
I went immediately to fetch him.
The Professor was already dressed and seemed to have been expecting the call.
He came into our room at once.
As he entered, he asked Mina whether the others should come too.
“No,” she said simply.
“It will not be necessary.
“You can tell them everything yourself.
“I must go with you on your journey.”
Van Helsing looked as surprised as I was.
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 because of what has happened, you may be more vulnerable than any of us.”
He hesitated.
Mina touched the scar on her forehead.
“I know.
“That is 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 secretly, I will find some way to do it.
“He could make me deceive anyone—even Jonathan.”
The look she gave me was full of love and sorrow.
I could only take her hand.
I was too overwhelmed to speak.
She continued:
“You men are brave and strong.
“You are stronger because there are several of you together.
“You can resist things that would destroy a single person.
“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 solemnly.
“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.
She had fallen back against her pillow and was already asleep.
She did not even wake when I opened the blinds and sunlight flooded the room.
Van Helsing motioned for me to follow him quietly.
We went to his room.
Within minutes, Godalming, Seward, and Quincey 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 spirit is strong.
“It must have been extremely painful for her to tell us what she did.
“But she was right.
“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.
“First, we will board the ship.
“When we identify the correct box, we will place a branch of wild rose on it.
“According to the old belief, a vampire cannot escape while such a branch is placed upon the box.
“For now, we must trust that belief.
“Then, when we have the 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 afterward, so be it.”
I instinctively took his hand.
It felt as hard as steel.
“Good man,” Van Helsing said.
“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 on 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 my affairs and prepare myself for whatever might happen.
Later, everything was finished.
I had made my will.
If Mina survived, she would inherit everything.
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 was becoming increasingly uneasy.
I was certain that sunset meant something to her.
These moments were becoming terrifying for all of us.
Every sunrise and sunset seemed to bring another danger or another pain.
Yet perhaps, according to God’s will, all this suffering might eventually lead to something good.
I wrote these things down because Mina must not hear them now.
If she survived and read this diary later, she would know what had happened.
Then I heard her calling me.