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The Masquerade Ball – Part 06

“Wh-What is it?” Kazuya asked.

“Don’t leave yet. Play a game with us.”

“A game?”

The Dead stopped shuffling and regarded the Orphan curiously. “Sounds like a good idea. I was just getting sick of playing cards. Not like I can sleep tonight anyway. Let’s try out this game of yours. How is it played?”

The Orphan took a sip of water. “Fetching raisins.”

The Dead and the Empress nodded, while Kazuya and the Lumberjack looked clueless.

“It’s a game usually played in Eastern Europe,” the Empress explained on behalf of the Orphan. “That takes me back. My sisters and I used to play it during the winter, when we were snowed in and couldn’t go outside. You fill a bowl with raisins and pour hot brandy in.”

The Lumberjack quickly got up, shuffled to a waiter, and returned with a bowl of raisins. The Dead also rose and strode over to a waiter, returning with a bowl of brandy so hot it stung the eyes.

He poured a generous amount of brandy over the raisins.

“You pour hot brandy over raisins and set them on fire,” the Empress said in a warm, reminiscing tone. “Then you take a raisin from the fire and eat it while making a wish. You get nervous about picking the raisins. It’s fun. It’s also very interesting to hear about other people’s wishes. Even when I played it with my family, we would learn something unexpected about each other.”

She smiled gently, recalling her precious family.

“Yeah,” the Dead agreed, narrowing his eyes in remembrance.

When the brandy was lit, their table glowed an ominous blue in the dim dining car. Like a taffeta fabric flapping in the wind, the blue flame danced eerily from left to right, despite the absence of wind.

“I, uhh…” Kazuya was still worried about Victorique.

The Empress smiled at him. “It won’t take long. Just try it a bit. Then you can go back to the compartment.” She took a sip of wine.

Kazuya nodded reluctantly and drank some water.

The whistle rang high.

The spinning empty bottle on the table pointed to the Lumberjack.

“You first,” the Orphan said low.

The young man gave a start. “B-But I’ve never played this game before.”

“It’s fine. Just move your hand quickly and you won’t feel the heat. Just a split second.”

“Uhh… It’s kinda scary,” the Lumberjack mumbled, then daringly stuck his hand into the flames. “Hot, hot!” he cried as he took a piece of raisin and popped it in his mouth.

Everyone was staring at the Lumberjack. When he noticed their gazes, he shrank in embarrassment.

“I-I ate it,” he said.

“Now say your wish.”

“Right… I wish to find my sister, who’s been kidnapped by the king of the underworld, safe and sound.”

His voice was dark and sorrowful. Silence descended on the table. Kazuya suddenly remembered the strange voice he heard when he passed through the corridor earlier. Brother, help me. What was that about?

In an effort to get rid of the gloomy atmosphere, the Empress cheerfully stuck her hand into the bowl.

“Hot!” she said as she ate the raisin. “As for me… I wish my pursuers will never find me and I get to have a fun trip.” She smiled. As she stared at the Orphan’s glass, her expression clouded. “But I’m sure the more I travel, the more I’ll miss my kingdom. During winter, the sea and the sky turn white. My wonderful kingdom. My subjects must be waiting for me.”

The table fell silent again. The Dead eyed her incredulously.

Tears formed in the Empress’ eyes, and she fell quiet.

The Dead sighed. “I guess it’s my turn.”

“Yeah.”

Frowning, but with a rather bold gesture, he put his hand in the bowl and popped several raisins into his mouth.

The Dead chewed. “Let’s see… I wish gravekeepers don’t find me and that I continue to enjoy my journey with the rest of the living! How’s that? Damn, it’s hot. I think I just burned my mouth. Ow!”

The Lumberjack tapped him on the shoulder. “You ate a bunch. One would have been enough.”

“Maybe I’m getting hungry.” The Dead laughed.

Staring at the pale blue flame, Kazuya wondered what he should wish for. Currently he wished that he and Victorique would make it back to St. Marguerite Academy safely. When he made his decision, the Orphan sitting next to him finally let go of his arm. Her tight grip had left a red mark.

The Orphan put her hand in the bowl and picked up a raisin.

Her slim hand emerged from the bowl.

She put the raisin in her mouth.

And bit it.

She chewed, drank some water, and for a moment a smile appeared on her pale face. Her colorless lips parted to say something. She seemed to be laughing. Her throat twitched and her laughter turned hysterical.

She wasn’t laughing. She was holding her throat, her face twisted in shock.

She was in agony.

The Orphan rose to her feet, and she toppled backward along with the cabriole-legged chair. The Empress yelped. The Lumberjack jumped up and backed away from the table. The Dead screamed to his feet.

The Orphan was holding her throat in pain. Her plaid skirt shook with her trembling legs, the hem turned up, exposing her pallid leg.

Kazuya’s breath caught. On her pale thigh was a black holster, where a heavy, cold gun gleamed.

She’s hiding a gun! Why would she be carrying one?

The Orphan was still squirming in pain. Her face was ashen, her eyes wide.

“What’s wrong?!” The Empress held her up.

“Who… Who put poison… in my raisin?!” The Orphan staggered to her feet. She pushed the Empress hard and wobbled away.

“Orphan? What’s wrong? Where are you going?”

“Someone poisoned me. You’re not getting it. No one’s getting the memento box. I’d rather go down with the whole train than let you have it!”

The Orphan stumbled away from the dining car. She rolled up her skirt and reached for the holster on her thigh. The Empress and the Dead followed after her. The Dead tried to pinion her arms.

“Watch out!” Kazuya yelled. She has a gun!”

“A gun?” The Dead looked back, baffled. “Why would a girl have a gun?”

The Orphan jumped out of the dining car and slammed the door shut. The Dead shrank back, standing frozen. A gunshot rang out from the other side, and the door shook violently.

The Empress screamed. The guests in the dining car rose at the sound of the gunfire, stirring.

Kazuya ran to the door. He tried to open it, but to no avail. He exchanged glances with the Dead.

“No good,” Kazuya said. “She locked the door then shot it so it can’t be opened.”

“What’s going on? Why would she do this? She looked to be in serious pain. She was breathing hard and was white as a sheet.”

The Lumberjack reached for the door and rattled it, but eventually gave up.

“She was screaming about her raisin being poisoned,” the young man said.

The train lurched. Screams filled the dining car. Shrieks were coming from the other side of the door as well.

The train swerved again. This time to the other side. The train’s whistle pealed high into the night sky, resounding endlessly.

Far off in the distance, in the driver’s cab, gunshots were fired twice.

The dining car was quiet.

The steam whistle continued roaring, thin and high, as though declaring an emergency.

Clank!

The train rocked sideways. The Empress fell to the floor, and the Lumberjack helped her up.

The Dead turned pale. “This is bad,” he muttered.

“What’s bad?”

“The train’s speeding up!”

“Victorique!” Kazuya shouted through the door. “Are you there? Are you okay?! Hey!”

The Empress started crying. The other ladies in the dining car began sobbing as well. Their male companions held their hands or embraced them to comfort them.

Kazuya pounded on the door repeatedly. “Victorique!”

“This is bad,” The Dead mumbled shakily. The Old Masquerade was gaining speed as it lurched side to side. “The first gunshot destroyed the lock on this door. The second and third shot probably destroyed the brake valve.”

The Lumberjack nodded in horror. “She said she’d rather go down with the train.”

The whistle pierced through the night.

Lamps flickered, and the clamorous room darkened.

The car shook.

“Shit,” the Dead spat. “It’s going out of control!”