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‘You go back to the Domesday Book； yes； I know。
‘The Domesday Book and a lot of other history as well。 Dragonpols have served Crown and Country ；through the ages。 We're a proud people。。
‘Yet you prefer to live here； in the Rhineland； far away from your roots？〃 ‘That must seem strange to you； I know。 We have a place in Ireland。。。〃 ‘Drimoleague？〃 ‘The Dragonpols of Drimoleague as we're known； yes。〃 ‘And there's also a manor house in Cornwall。
‘Dragonpol Manor。 Yes； you're well informed； James； but none of that's a secret。 So； we have property。 We also use it。 Hort spends at least half of the year in Ireland。 I use Dragonpol Manor； usually in the autumn； sometimes in the spring。
Part of the difficulty is the eternal British problem death and taxes； or I should say death duties and taxes。 Also； this is the largest of our properties； and the Museum of Theatre is not a new concept to us。 It began with my father。 He was a great benefactor of the Arts particularly the theatre。 He had the first dream of making this place into a museum。 It's the right size。 We had to do something with it。〃 He paused again； his hand and arm moving in a sweeping gesture。 ‘Schloss Drache； as it is or was is a great white elephant； my friend。 We always knew that we would either have to sell it or make it into some kind of going concern。 The world's greatest Museum of Theatre was my father's concept。 I'm simply going to see that it bees a reality。
‘And is that why you suddenly retired from a huge and successful career in the theatre？〃 He frowned。 ‘Partly。 That was only one of many things。 People have made wild guesses as to why I so suddenly gave up acting； when it wasn't as sudden as they seem to think。 I'd been contemplating it for a while。 I'm not going into all the details； but yes； the concept of this International Museum of Theatre was one reason； another concerned things within my family。 For the Dragonpols； family es first and there were certain matters I had to see to。〃 Bond nodded。 ‘So； what has this to do with your engagement to Laura？〃 ‘There has to be someone to carry on the family and its tradition。 I wanted sons。 Laura also wanted children。 We talked of it many times； and we were both agreed。 But。 …‘ ‘But what？〃 ‘About a month before her death； she dropped a bombshell on me。
‘She told you about her maniac brother。
‘Quite。 Yes； she told me about David March。 It took a very strong character。 She had held back the truth； but finally she told me everything out there in the garden。 It's something I won't forget。
‘And that was enough？ You broke off the engagement because she happened to have a homicidal maniac as a brother？〃 ‘Oh； e； James。
If you've studied the business； you know it was more than that。
‘What do you mean？〃 ‘Her father and mother。 They were also strange； unbalanced people； far from normal。 Laura lived in terror of suddenly finding out that she was also a little crazy。〃 ‘And was she？〃 ‘She could bee obsessive。 She was obsessive about her job。〃 ‘And you weren't？ Being obsessive about one's work doesn't mean。。
‘It was slightly more than that。 She spoke with doctors very eminent psychiatrists。 Some had evaluated her family when her brother 。。。 well； after he was arrested。 The conclusion was that they were the cause of passing on the seed of madness to her brother； and； if that was the case； she could well carry similar genes。 She was told that her children would have a seventy…thirty chance of being born with some kind of mental aberration。
‘Isn't that the case with most people？ Life's a lottery； David。〃 He did not look Bond in the eyes。 ‘She was already beginning to see signs of deterioration in herself。〃 ‘Such as？〃 ‘When she told me about her past； her family； she admitted that； as well as her obsession with work； she had recently had experience of fugues。
‘Memory loss？〃 ‘Yes； a fugue is a period of time lost in the memory。 Often a blanking…off of the mind。 She had lost the odd hour； but more recently days were missing。 During her penultimate visit to this place； she admitted to losing almost an entire day； and she later regained a portion of that lost time。 She said it was like a half…remembered dream； in which I had bee her brother； and Hort was her mother。 Laura was terrified convinced that she had begun a descent into abnormality。〃 ‘And you could not risk having children with her？〃 ‘James； there is a little madness in all old families。 The Dragonpols have experienced their share of it。 To have gone on and produced children with Laura would have tempted fate。 We decided to end it。
That's all there is to it。 We were not about to play Russian roulette with the future。〃 ‘Okay。〃 He gave the impression of having accepted Dragonpol ‘5 explanation。 ‘Forgive me； David； but I have to ask other q~~~~ ‘Go ahead。
‘Where were you on the day Laura was murdered？〃 ‘Then you really believe she was murdered？〃 ‘Take my word for it。〃 He gave a long shudder。 ‘Where was I？ You're not going to like the answer； James。 I was in the air。 I was flying from Washington to Zurich。
Bond looked up sharply； as if he had been stung。
‘You were in Washington？〃 ‘For one night； yes。 The Thursday night。 I saw an eminent Professor of English。 We met at the Folger Library and dined at the Willard Hotel。 I took a flight direct from Dulles。 It was slightly delayed； and I got into Zurich at around ten on the Friday night。 You can check it if you want。
‘You flew from here to Washington？ I mean from Germany？〃 ‘No。
No； I went in from Paris。 There were some papers…letters of the great Sarah Bernhardt…that I had purchased from a dealer。 I did not want to risk having them sent by any normal means。 So； as I was travelling。
‘How long had you been travelling？〃 Dragonpol made some calculations； counting on his fingers。 ‘I was away from here for almost a week。 It was a quick and short trip。 I arrived in Rome on the Sunday night； saw a collector of theatrical memorabilia； and bought some beautiful media dell'arte prints from him。 On the Monday I flew to London。。
‘What time of day？〃 ‘The afternoon。 I got into Heathrow； let me see； around six in the evening。 Had dinner with a dealer and arranged for him to bid for me certain items of interest were ing up for sale at Sotheby's。
‘You're sure it was on the Monday night？〃 ‘I'm positive。 I have all the necessary information。 I keep a very good filing system。
Every penny of my expenses is noted for tax purposes； because I can offset them against the museum as business。 I have tickets； itineraries； everything。 Yes； I arrived in London on the Monday night early evening。
‘And from London？〃 ‘Paris。〃 ‘When？〃 Already； Bond was doing agitated sums。 David Dragonpol； it seemed； had followed the route of the killer； the assassin responsible for the deaths in Rome； London； Paris and Washington then； Switzerland。
‘The Tuesday evening。 Just for one night。 In Paris I saw one of the directors of the e die Francaise。
‘Then you left for Washington？〃 ‘I arrived very late on the Wednesday。 On Thursday night I met with my friend at the Folger； and from there we went out to dinner。
‘And you were back in Zurich on th