Chapter 43

Their hosts had insisted they did not leave for bed so soon after eating and that they stay back with Jacques and Yves, but Henri and Pierre had been sober when they arrived at dinner and had insisted on returning to their rooms when the after-dinner drinks became too rowdy. As time and space seemed to shift, Pierre was relieved that Henri had come back at the same time and had come to find him because of the strange condition they were in.

They lay on the bed side by side, experiencing bizarre visions and hallucinations as the hours passed. As Henri seemed to doze beside him, Pierre caught a glimpse of a shadow at the window. As he stared at it, it arranged itself in the form of Antoine. Pierre jumped up, opened the window, and felt Henri pull hard at his jacket.

“What are you doing? You’ll fall!”

Pierre realized the third story of the building they were on was too high for Antoine to stand