Hanns Heinz Ewers Alraune by Joe Bandel Read Free Book Online Page B

wine on the Sabbath. It brings luck in peace and in
war, is a protection against witchcraft and brings lots of money
into the house. It is good for prophecy and makes its owner
lovable. It brings women love magick, fertility and easy
childbirth. It makes people fall madly and wildly in love with
them.
    Yet it also brings sorrow and pain whereever
it is. The house where it stays will be pursued by bad luck and it
will drive its owner to greed, fornication and other crimes before
leading him at last to death and then to hell. Nevertheless, the
alraune is very beloved, much sought after and brings a high price
when it can be found.
    They say that Bohemian general Albrecht
Wallenstein carried an alraune around with him and they say the
same thing about Henry the Eighth, the English King with so many
wives.”

    The attorney became quiet, threw the hard
piece of wood in front of him onto the table.
    “Very interesting, really very interesting,”
cried Count Geroldingen. “I am deeply indebted to you for sharing
that bit of information Herr Attorney.”
    But Madame Marion declared that she would not
permit such a thing in her house for even a minute and looked with
frightened, believing eyes at the stiff bony mask of Frau
Gontram.
    Frank Braun walked quickly back to the Privy
Councilor. His eyes glowed; he gripped the old gentleman on the
shoulder and shook it.
    “Uncle Jakob,” he whispered. “Uncle
Jakob–”
    “What is it now boy?” The professor asked. He
stood up and followed his nephew to the window.
    “Uncle Jakob,” the student repeated. “That’s
it!–That’s what you need to do! It’s better than making stupid
jokes with frogs, monkeys and little children! Do it Uncle Jakob,
go a new way, where no one has gone before!”
    His voice trembled; in nervous haste he blew
a puff of smoke out from his cigarette.
    “I don’t understand a word you are saying,”
said the old man.
    “Oh, you must understand Uncle Jakob!–Didn’t
you hear what he said?–Create an Alraune, one that lives, one of
flesh and blood!–You can do it Uncle, you alone and no one else in
the world.”
    The Privy Councilor looked at him
uncertainly. But in the voice of the student lay such certainty,
conviction and belief in his skill that he became curious against
his will.
    “Explain yourself more clearly Frank,” he
said. “I really don’t know what you mean.”
    His nephew shook his head hastily, “Not now
Uncle Jakob. With your permission I will escort you home. We can
talk then.”
    He turned quickly, strode to the coffeepot,
took a cup, emptied it and took another in quick gulps.
    Sophia, the other girl, was trying to evade
her comforter and Dr. Mohnen was running around here and there
hyper as a cow’s tail during fly season. His fingers felt the need
to wash something, to pick something up. He took up the alraune and
rubbed it with a clean napkin trying to wipe the dust and grime
away that clung to it in layers. It was useless; the thing had not
been cleaned for over a century and would only get more napkins
dirty. He was filled with the sense that something was not right.
He swung it high and skillfully threw it into the middle of the
large wine bowl.
    “Drink alraune,” he cried. “You have been
treated badly in this house and must certainly be thirsty!”
    Then he climbed up on a chair and delivered a
long solemn speech to the white robed virgins.
    “I hope you can stay eternally as pure as you
are tonight,” he finished.
    He lied, he didn’t want that at all. No one
wished that, much less the two young ladies, but they clapped with
the others, went over to him, curtsied and thanked him.
    Chaplain Schröder stood next to the Legal
Councilor complaining powerfully that the date was nearing when the
new Civil Law would go into effect. Less than ten more years and
the Code of Napoleon would be gone and people in the Rhineland
would have the same civil rights as over there in Prussia! It was
absolutely