a prince without a kingdom: vango #2 chapter sampler

8/20/2019 A Prince Without a Kingdom: Vango #2 Chapter Sampler

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Timothée de Fombelletranslated by Sarah Ardizzone

A PRINCEITHOUT A

KIN D M


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This is a work of fi ction. Names, characters, places,and incidents are either products of the author’s

imagination or, if real, are used fi ctitiously.

Text and cover design copyright © 2011 by Gallimard JeunesseEnglish translation copyright 2014 by Sarah Ardizzone

Picture of the Hin en urg © Corbis

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced,ransmitted, or stored in an information retrieval systemin any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or

mechanical, including photocopying, taping, and recording,without prior written permission from the publisher.

First U.S. edition 2015

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 2014957056

ISBN 978-0-7636-7950-715 16 17 18 19 20 BVG 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Printed in Berryville,VA, U.S.A.

This book was typeset in Perpetua.

Candlewick Press99 Dover Street

Somerville, Massachusetts 02144visit us at www.candlewick.com


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But my heart is like a precious piano — double-locked,an t e ey ost.

— Anton Chekhov


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PART ONE

:

1. THE CORPSE IN THE BLUE COMET 13

2. STORMY WEATHER ON THE TRACKS 25

.

.

5. ON THE RIDGE OF A GLACIER 56

6. LAST WORDS ON DEATH ROW 71

.

.

9. LA BOH ME 118

10. A GHOSTLY BEDROOM 134

.

PART TWO

12. THE CONSTELLATIONS 169

13. GUARDIAN ANGELS 184

.

.


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.

.

8. FOUR WORDS IN A TELEGRAM 247

.

.

.

22. “WEEP FOR HUMANITY!” 303

PART THREE

:

TELLA 328

23. THE CAPITAL OF SILENCE 338

.

.

26. BEFORE THE STORM 380

27. THE SAUCEPANS OF ETERNITY 393

.

.

0. BARBARY FIG TREES 441


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CAST OF CHARACTERS

talics denote real historical gures

murderous Soviet agent tasked with killing Vango

MILIE ATLAS girl who secretly prowls the rooftops of Paris; resistance nameMarie; a.k.a. “the Cat”

IEUTENANT AUGUSTIN AVIGNON Boulard’s ambitious second-in-command

THEL B. H. Scottish heiress and orphan; in love with Vango; lives with herbrother, Paul, at Everland Castle

AUL B. H. Ethel’s older brother; Scottish heir and orphan; RAF pilot who

fi ghts in the Spanish Civil War and for the French ResistanceOCTOR BASILIO doctor on the island of Salina; hopes to see Mademoiselle

again

cabaret singer who achieved fame at La Lune Rousse inMontmartre, Paris

eminent police detective at the Quaides Orfèvres (Criminal Investigations, Police HQ, Paris)

- Boulard’s mother

mysterious resistance leader for the Paradise Network murderous pirate who left Salina for New York with a

stolen fortune; a.k.a. Gio

ORGELES Voloy Viktor’s right-hand man, and a thug

ADAME BLANCHE DUSSAC concierge for the Paris apartment block whereBoulard lives; friend of Marie-Antoinette Boulard

COMMANDER/DOKTOR HUGO ECKENER commander of the Gra Zeppelin; friendof Vango; member of Project Violette

OTHER ELISABETH leader of the Abbey of La Blanche on the island ofNoirmoutier, off the coast of western France

OCTOR ESQUIROL Max Grund’s personal doctor; member of Project Violette

proprietor of La Belle Étoile restaurant in Paris

chief representative of the Gestapo in German-occupied Paris

headwaiter of the Gra Zeppelin

captain of the Gra Zeppelin; Hugo Eckener’s

second-in-commandADEMOISELLE Vango’s childhood nurse; a.k.a. Tioten’ka; a.k.a. “the


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WERNER MANN German World War I fi ghter pilot; member of ProjectViolette

ROTHER MARCO cook at the invisible monastery on the island of ArkudahARY housekeeper at Everland Castle; guardian of Ethel and Paul

NSPECTOR BAPTISTE MOUCHET assistant to the superintendent at theQuai des Orfèvres (Criminal Investigations, Police HQ, Paris)

son of Peter, the gardener at Everland Castle; Ethel’s ally

violin player from Moscow studying inParis; blackmailed into spying for Boris Petrovitch Antonov

father of Andrei; lives in Moscow

younger siblings of Andrei;hey live in Moscow

OSEPH JACQUES former soldier turned boxer from the Ivoryoast; now a barber based in Monaco; member of Project Violette; a.k.a.

J. J. Puppet

SIMON the bell ringer at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

JOSEPH STALIN despotic ruler of the Soviet Union

SVETLANA STALIN

eight-year-old daughter of Stalin; a.k.a. Setanka; a.k.a.Setanotchka

STELLA a girl from Chakva

GIUSEPPINA TROISI Pippo Troisi’s abandoned wife; a.k.a. Pina

once a farmer from the island of Salina; now an “asylumseeker from marriage” at the invisible monastery on the island of Arkudah

washed up on the island of Salina as a child; now a young mansearching for his identity; a.k.a. Evangelisto; a.k.a. “the Bird”

pirate from the island of Salina; killed by Giovanniafarello

daughter of the late Bartolomeo Viaggi; from the island ofSalina

VOLOY VIKTOR nefarious arms dealer; also goes by many other names,ncluding Madame Victoria

Soviet agent; rival of Boris Petrovitch Antonov

WEEPING WILLOW mysterious, sickly fi gure who is hidden away in a valley

n the Caucasus MountainsADRE ZEFIRO leader of the invisible monastery of Arkudah; mentor of


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1918. At the age of three, Vango is washed upon a beach in the Aeolian Islands in Sicily, with Mademoiselle,is nurse, w o c aims to now not ing a out t eir past. Herows up on the island of Salina, sheltered from the world,

among t e ir s an c im ing t e c i s.At the age of ten, he discovers the invisible monas-

ery, w ic Pa re Ze ro oun e in or er to protect a ewdozen monks from the mafi as that were after them. Vangos accepte y t e community, an ives etween is is anand the monastery. But, four years later, when he announceso Ze ro t at e wants to ecome a mon , t e pa re sen shim away to fi nd out about the world before making a fi nalcomm tment.

So Vango spends the year of 1929 as a crew member ofe Gra Zeppelin airs ip, y t e si e o Comman er Hugo

Eckener. On board he meets an orphan called Ethel, who israve ing wit er rot er. But Vango is eing pursue yunknown forces who want him dead, and three weeks aftermeeting Et e , e is orce to eave er.

A few years later, just as he is about to become a priest ate oot o Notre Dame Cat e ra in Paris, Vango is accuse


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continues, and Superintendent Boulard and his men join thean s o t ose a rea y pursuing im. From now on, Vango

eads the life of a fugitive across Europe, as he tries to dis-cover w y suc atre o ows im.

Padre Zefi ro has now left his monastery and is fi ghtingagainst t e arms ea er Vo oy Vi tor in or er to eep t eromise he made to three friends, twenty years earlier, in therenc es o Ver un.

In the middle of this whirlwind, Vango fi nally learns aboutis ramatic arriva in Sici y as a c i : o s ore rom t eslands, his parents were killed in their boat by three men,e y one Ca are o. Vango an is nurse escape . Ca are obetrayed his co-pirates, sunk the boat, and disappeared with

e ion s s are o t e mysterious treasure t at was on oar .

Vango sets o again into t e un nown to n Ca are o anuncover the great secret of his life.


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PART ONE

NEW YORK,

MAY– DECEMBER 1936


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AN ENCOUNTER IN THE SKY:

VANGO AND ETHEL

La e urst, New Jersey, Septem er , 929

The rectangle o crumpled corn was their hideout.They were lying next to each other, draped in the gold o the

crop. All around them, fi elds stretched as far as the eye could see,

prou an ta eneat t e sun. T e airs ip on t e groun was just

visible, a few kilometers off, like a shimmer of silver in the grass.

She was twelve perhaps, and he ourteen. She had run a ter him

through the corn, which had closed up again behind them.

Go away e a ca e out.

She had followed, without the faintest idea of where he was

heading. Now they were huddled on the ground, ace-to- ace, and

she was crying.

Are we i ing? W y o we ave to i e?

Vango put two fi ngers to Ethel’s lips.

“Shhh. . . . He’s here. He’s ollowing me.” Not even the ears of grain rustled. Complete silence, except for a

sustained summer note, a deep note you might call the sound o the

sun. Vango had a crazed look in his eyes.

Te me w at s going on, Et e w ispere .

The parched earth soaked up the traces of her tears.

T ere s no o y ere. I on t recognize you anymore, Vango.What is the matter?”


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A PRINCE WITHOUT A KINGDOM

her as if their meeting was the beginning of everything and that in

her entire li e she had never really known anybody else. Three weeks

had been like a small eternity together. Hadn’t they traveled all theway aroun t e wor ?

They had even forgotten about the other passengers on board

t e Gra Zeppelin, the crowds that gathered at each stop-o , thenews papers reporting on the great airship’s adventure, the magnesium

ashes rom the cameras alling over them like a shower o white rain.

In their hearts, it had been just the two of them fl ying: fromNew York to Germany, and then nonstop to Japan. A ter ve days

et loose in Tokyo, they had crossed the Pacifi c in three days, fl own

over the bay o San Francisco at sunset as part o a otilla o small

aircraft, been given a standing ovation in Los Angeles and Chicago,

and nally landed at Lakehurst, near New York.

Enough for at least one lifetime. Or perhaps for two lives joining

toget er?

“Please,” she whispered, “tell me what you’re frightened of. Then

can e p you.

Once again he put his hand over Ethel’s mouth. He had just

ear a c ic ing soun , i e a weapon eing oa e .

“He’s here.”

W o?Et e ro e over onto er ac .

Vango wasn t t e same person anymore.

T ree wee s ear ier, t ey a een strangers. T ey a met in t e

kies above New York, on the rst night o their voyage. Ethel wished

e cou e ac t ere, re iving it a , secon y secon , eginningwith the rst words, “Don’t you ever speak?”


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AN ENCOUNTER IN THE SKY: VANGO AND ETHEL

every question for the past fi ve years. She was leaning against the

window, holding a glass o water. They were one hundred meters

above the tallest skyscrapers. The vertical night sparkled below them.S e wasn t intereste in t e person w o was ta ing to er.

“I was watching you with your brother,” he had remarked. “You

never say anything. But he’s very good at looking a ter you.”

He had turned his head to discover a pair of green eyes staring

at im.

All the other passengers were asleep. She had left her cabin insearch o a glass o water and had ound this boy, sitting in the semi-

darkness, in the small kitchen of the airship. He was peeling potatoes.

S e suppose e was wor ing as a itc en an .

And then, as she headed for the door to return to her cabin, she

had heard him say, “I you like, I’m here. I you can’t sleep, my

name’s Vango.”

T ese pecu iar wor s a stoppe Et e in er trac s. S e a

repeated them to herself, before wondering, And if I can sleep, willhe still be called Vango?

Against her better judgment, she had glanced at him. She saw

that he was peeling his potatoes as i they were precious stones, with

eight perfect facets. Above all, she saw that he bore no resemblance

to anything or anyone she had ever met be ore. She had walked outo the room. The Zeppelin was already some distance rom the coast.Man attan was just a s iny memory in t e s y.

When Ethel returned to the kitchen shortly a terward, Vango had

admitted, “Like you, I’ve said very ew words in my li e. It’s your

si ence t at s ma ing me so c atty.

It was er smi e t at etraye er. S e a sat own on a crate,as i she hadn’t seen him. He was singing something in a language


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Vango could no longer recall what he had said to pass the time.

ut e a n t stoppe ta ing unti morning. Per aps e a egun

with the potato he was holding between his fi ngers. Boiled, sautéed,oaste , grate , stewe : t e um e potato a ways astoun e im.

ometimes, he would even cook it in a ball of clay, which he would

mash a terward with a stone, as i it were an egg. From the potato,

he would no doubt have gone on to talk about eggs, then chickens,

then everything that lives in the armyard, or that lends its scent to

the vegetable garden or the spice shop, or that falls from the fruittrees with the sound o autumn. He had talked about chestnuts

exploding, and the sizzle of mushrooms in the frying pan. She was

istening. He had got her to smell the jar o vanilla pods, and he had

heard the fi rst sound to pass her lips as her face approached the jar

to sni it: like the sigh o a child turning over in her sleep.

They had even looked at each other for a second in silence. She

eeme surprise .

Vango had continued. Later, he noticed the small bundle of

vanilla pods bringing tears to the girl’s eyes; even the acrid smell o

yeast on the chopping board seemed to make memories rise up for her.

e watc e er eginning to t aw.

The next day, as they passed the thirty-fi fth meridian, Ethel had

uttered her rst word, “Whale.” And sure enough, below them was a dri ting white island, which

not even the pilots o the Zeppelin a spotte . A w ite is an t atturned gray when it rose up out o the oam.

A ter that word came the word “toast,” then the word “Vango,”

and then other words too: sounds that lled the eyes and mouth. This

asted or nearly two weeks. Ethel could eel li e returning, the waya in person recovers t eir sig t. Her rot er, Pau , sitting at t e


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eyes. He hadn’t heard the deep timbre of her voice since the death

o their parents.

But just before leaving Japan, on the twenty-fi rst of August, shea seen somet ing crac in Vango s gaze. W at a appene t at

evening of their world tour?

Et e su en y remem ere t at a reams ave to come to an en .

Now, here they were, lying in their den o corn and sunshine. They

should have felt so close, the two of them, on this particular morning,now that they were ar away rom the others at last. But instead she

noticed the way Vango’s hand was trembling as she valiantly brought

ers c ose to it.

“The balloon’s about to depart. You must go,” whispered Vango.

But w at a out you?

“I’ll catch up.”

I m staying ere wit you.

“Go.”

S e stoo up. Vango tugge er ac own again.

“Stay low and walk as far as the last row of corn, over there.

T en run to t e Zeppelin.Something fell to the ground, behind Vango.

W at s t at? Et e wante to now.Vango picked it up and tucked it inside his belt, in the small o

is ac . It was a revo ver.

You re osing your min , sai Et e .

Vango wis e t at were t e case. He wis e t at e a ma e

everyt ing up. T at t e invisi e enemy w o a trie to i im

t ree times in one wee a never existe , an t at Et e s air cousweep away t e s a ows ying in am us a aroun im.


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“You made me a promise,” she added, after taking a few steps.

Wi you remem er?

He nodded, his eyes no longer able to focus.S e vanis e into t e corn.

ter she had been walking or ten minutes, with her matted hair

tuck to her cheeks and eyes, Ethel heard two gunshots being fi red

n the distance behind her. She turned around. The pool o gold lay

till, as if at low tide. Ethel could no longer tell where she had setout rom, or where the sound had come rom.

The blaring of the airship’s horn was summoning her. Ethel

turned ull circle, unable to decide what to do; then, remembering

Vango’s pleading look, she continued walking toward the Zeppelin.

Commander Eckener’s booming voice was making the kitchen window

vi rate.

“Where’s my Piccolo? What have you done with him?”

Otto Manz, the che , shrugged, causing all his chins to disappear

nto his collar.

“He was here at midnight making a sauce or me. Try this!”

Otto held out a steaming wooden spoon, which Hugo Eckener

pus e asi e.I m not ere to iscuss your sauces I m as ing you w ere

Vango is.

The kitchen was at the ront o the airship. The canvas giant

tugge at its mooring ropes, preparing to eave America. In its u ,

ten o Christopher Columbus’s sailing ships could have been lined up

en to en . A pilot o cer appeared at the door.


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“Who?” bellowed Eckener.

My itt e sister, Et e , announce a twenty-year-o man w o

had entered behind the offi cer.“This isn’t a summer camp! This is the rst round-the-world trip

by air! And we’re running an hour late. Where are these kids?”

Over t ere exc aime t e coo , oo ing out t e win ow.

Ethel had just cleared a path through the crowd surrounding the

a oon. Her rot er, Pau , rus e towar t e win ow. S e was a one.

“Get her on board!” ordered the commander.T ey reac e out to au er up; t e steps a a rea y een

taken in. Paul greeted her on the threshold.

W ere were you?

Ethel thrust her fi sts into her pockets. She was staring at her

rot er. S e sense t at s e was teetering on a narrow causeway. S e

could either dive back into the silence she had inhabited before Vango,

or s e cou set out a one on a new journey.

Paul sensed his sister’s vertigo, and he watched her with trepida-

tion, as i she were a cat on a glass roo .

“I went for a walk,” said Ethel.

Ec ener appeare next to t em.

“What about Vango?”

I on t now, answere Et e . I m not Vango s eeper. Isn te ere?

No, e s not ere oome t e comman er. Nor wi e ever

e again. We re eaving.

“You’re not going to set o without Vango?” remonstrated the cook.

“He’s red. That’s it. We’re o . . . .”

Eckener’s voice altered. Ethel looked away. The orders reboundedall the way to the ight deck. Otto Manz collapsed against the


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“Vango? You can’t be serious!”

Don t I oo serious? roare Ec ener, is eye rows stic ing up.

“At least try this sauce for me,” pleaded the cook, still with thewoo en spoon in is an .

But before the taste of truffl es could reverse destiny, Eckener had

isappeare .

Suddenly, the voice of Kubis, the headwaiter, could be heard

ca ing out, T ere e is

Ethel bounded into the corridor and made for the dining room; pus ing asi e t e trave ers w o were gat ere at t e win ow, s e

canned the airfi eld that was fi lled with soldiers and onlookers.

“There he is!” declared Kubis again, rom the neighboring window.

And sure enough, Ethel could see, beyond the crowd, a man,

unning an waving is arms.

“It’s Mr. Antonov!”

Boris Petrovitch Antonov had also been missing rom the roll call.

“He’s wounded.”

The Russian had wrapped a scar around his knee and he was

imping.

This time, the white wooden staircase was put back in place or

him to embark. The latecomer explained that he had tripped on a

oxhole while stepping back to take a photo.His eyes were xed on Ethel.

Boris Antonov had small wire- ramed glasses and a waxen com-

p exion. He was trave ing wit Doctor Ka ine, a Russian scientist

and Moscow’s o cial representative or escorting the Zeppelin overt e Soviet Union. Two wee s ear ier, Ec ener a eci e to ypass

the north o Moscow, where tens o thousands o people waited to noavai . Doctor Ka ine a emonstrate is Si erian temper, ut it


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Kakline was now busy dealing with Antonov. But he didn’t even

g ance at t e oo staine an age on is compatriot s nee. Instea ,

he was grilling him with a barrage of hushed questions. Kaklineseemed to be satis ed with the outcome o Antonov’s adventure. “Da,da, da,” he kept saying, pinching Antonov’s cheeks as if he were a

goo so ier.

The passengers felt the surge of takeoff. This was always the most

emotional moment, as the ying ship pulled away rom the shouts o

the crowd and slowly rose to silent heights in the air.O Ec ener was in is woo en c air on t e star oar si e, near

the fl ight deck windows. His blue eyes were tinged with sadness. He

was thinking about Vango, the ourteen-year-old boy who had just

spent nearly a year on board the Graf Zeppelin. From very early on,he had imagined a mysterious destiny or the person he called Piccolo.

ut he couldn’t help becoming attached to him. From the outset, he

a rea e t e ay w en Vango wou isappear.

Eckener was gazing down at the corn. The balloon had already

risen two hundred meters. The hive o activity in the hangars at

Lakehurst had been left behind, and only the crop fi elds were in view

now. But when he saw, down below, in the so t mist and expanse o

yellow, a boy running through the ears of corn, Eckener rediscovered

is smi e. He stowe t at sig t in is memory, a ong wit a t eothers: the Sahara hurling itsel into the ocean rom the cli tops,

the grid ormation o the gardens at Hokkaido in Japan, the ull

moon over the dark orests o Siberia. Each moment was a miracle. It

was as i the harvesting had been orgotten about, in order to make

t possible or a young man to cut a urrow through the corn as he

ran eneat t e a oon.Et e was in er ca in. Her an s against t e g ass, s e eane


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across the fi eld below her. The crazy racing of the blue dot was slowly

osing ground against the shadow o the balloon. Her heart pounding,

Ethel leaned even farther so as not to let him out of her sight.Vango, s e w ispere .

t exact y t e same moment, e in t e partition wa , Doctor Ka ine

dropped his champagne glass.

The crystal shattered against the corner o a table, making

Comrade Antonov stand up. Are you quite sure a out t at? muttere Ka ine, pus ing t e

window slightly ajar.

W y? inquire Boris Antonov.

“I’m the one asking the questions here,” insisted Kakline, as he

glared at the oor.

“I . . . I didn’t have time to go right up to the body,” stammered

oris. But —

“What d’you mean?”

“But I saw him all.”

“You didn’t check?”

“The zeppelin was about to take o without me. . . .”

The blue dot disappeared. Kakline gritted his teeth.

You i iot.

Exhausted, his legs having taken a thrashing rom his race across the

eld, Vango stopped. He bent over and clasped his knees, unable to

catch his breath. The purring o the engines was becoming ainter

now. Slowly, Vango stood up. His eyes were xed on the horizon

unti comp ete si ence was restore .


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1

Lakehurst, New Jersey, seven years later, May 1936

THE CORPSE IN THE BLUE COMET

Rusty warehouses had been erected where the cornfi elds usedo e, ut Vango sti recognize t e ac eart etween isngers. He crouched down at exactly the spot where he hadatc e Et e isappear a t ose years ago.

It was here that his life on the run had begun.Seven years ater, e sti i n t now w at is enemies

ooked like.Day a n t ro en yet. Vango a arrive in New Yor

by boat the evening before, on a third-class ticket. He hadma e or La e urst, w ere t e Hin en urg, t e new yingmonster from the house of Zeppelin, was due to land for therst time.

Vango wanted to have a word with Hugo Eckener.

T ere are some peop e w ose sc e u es are a vertise inblock capitals at newspaper kiosks. To fi nd out where theyare, a you ave to o is isten to t e newspaper se ers in t estreet calling out, “Eckener in New York with his Hindenburg Buy t e Post

On t eir way ac rom Sici y, Vango an Et e a trave eo France before boarding a boat to cross the Channel at


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When they docked at Southampton, she had made heray ac to Scot an . An Vango a set o or America.

Ethel couldn’t understand why he was deserting her one oc si e, w en t ey a a rea y een ost to eac ot er

or such a long time. He couldn’t even tell her what heanne to o. T is time, e a n t ma e any promises. S eas shivering in the cold. He had stood there, saying nothing,it t e rain streaming t roug is air. Et e a wa e

away. The ship’s horn announced the end of the stopover.No goo - yes. A ways t e same scene eing p aye out.He would never forget that look in Ethel’s eyes, beneath heroo : a sort o t reat. S e a n t ma e any promises eit er.

Nig t was c inging on in t e west. T e airs ip wou n t arriveuntil after midday. The air still felt cool, and in the distance,

e an ing e was empty. Vango ay own un er a ewingering stars.

T roug t e win ow o a corrugate iron s ac , a mandressed in black was spying on him.

Si ent seagu s circ e a ove Vango. On t e ri ge ohe transatlantic liner Normandy, approaching the coast, small

qua rons o gu s a een watc ing over im, as t ey wouhave followed a plowman or a trawling fi sherman. Now theya oun im again, espite t e g oom, in t e mi st o t ese

hangars far from the sea. Five or six gulls pretending to beocturna ir s. Vango e as eep, ypnotize y t e apping

of white wings.

T e man in ac , c a in a an it s coat, waite a w i ebefore emerging from his hideout. He approached the boy


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HE CORPSE IN THE BLUE COMET

a close eye on things. The man glanced up at the circle theyma e in t e nig t s y, t en untie Vango s s oes. He put

hem in his poacher’s pockets and headed off.W en ay ig t wo e im, Vango sense t un er in t e

offi ng, and through his half-open eyes, he glimpsed a stormys y. But on eaving imse up wit is e ows, e iscoverehat his shoes had disappeared. He searched the grass aroundim. C ec ing is e t, e cou ee t e c ot ro e was

ooking for, containing the precious stones. So his old shoesere t e on y t ings t at a een sto en. Not ing e se.He tipped his head back to get the measure of the storm.

A rum ing soun was coming rom t e gray s y, strea eith glints of mercury. But this particular sky was poweredy our enormous engines an carrie more t an a un reassengers: it was the Hindenburg airship arriving from Europe.

Vango stoo up, ee ing azz e . W en e a trave eon board the Gra Zeppelin with Ethel, back in 1929, he couldever ave imagine t at one ay Comman er Ec ener wou

succeed in making an infi nitely bigger and heavier airship riseup into t e s ies, comp ete wit a smo ing room, a revo v-ng door, and even an aluminum baby grand piano covered

n ye ow eat er. But Ec ener s reams cou ma e moun-ains fl y.

Vango starte to sprint are oot towar t e an ing e .The crowd was packed in tightly around the barriers.

Ran s o curious peop e ept arriving. As e passe amonghem, Vango missed the sense of genuine exultation he had

otice on previous occasions. Somet ing seeme to ave tar-ished the crazy, childish joy he had always witnessed toward


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aking the orders being given to the airmen — who werereparing to gra o o t e a oon s mooring ropes — ring

out even more loudly.Vango new w at a c ange .A few weeks earlier, there had been a lot of talk about the

ropagan a roppe over Germany rom t e new Hin en urgballoon. Every province was showered with leafl ets depictingHit er, w i e ou spea ers are Nazi songs: t is terri ying

pectacle had sullied the airship’s image, even in America. Andow, espite t e spray rom t e crossing, t e circ e aroun t ewastika on the zeppelin’s fl ank glistened the color of blood.

T e a oon a come to a stop. T e oot ri ge wasbrought out from its underbelly. Vango recognized Captaine mann, poste at t e entrance to greet t ose a out to

disembark the airship. When they appeared at the top of theteps, t e passengers cast victorious eyes over t e crow .There wasn’t a single crease in their white shirts, or a hairout o p ace, an t eir s oes g istene . Sti , t ey oo e i -erent from the rest of humanity, as if they had returned fromanot er wor .

Such was the magic spell cast by this fl ying machine.

Vango eci e to et t e passengers isperse e oreapproaching Hugo Eckener.

A on woman was ma ing er way own t e steps.She was fl anked by two young men, who looked like hotele oys, carrying er suitcases an urs. Vango stare at er.

At a thousand dollars a ticket, it was rare to travel onboard

e zeppe in wit sta . Usua y, t ey wou o ow separate yn the hold of a cargo ship, accompanying the parrot cage and


30/48


Another passenger quickly stole the blonde’s top bill-ng, attracting t e p otograp ers attention. His name was

on everyone’s lips. He was a famous singer returning from aEuropean tour. His ips were xe in a pu icity-s ot smi e.Vango was carried along by the crowd without even realiz-ng it. Caug t up in t e w ir win o journa ists an curiousbystanders, he felt himself almost being lifted off the ground.T ere was a po ice cor on to protect t e star, ut t e scrum

rampled the cordon and threatened to turn violent.Vango o e a ong i e a cor in t is uman ti e. In t emiddle of the fi ghting that had broken out, a face rose up andmme iate y isappeare again.

Stunned, Vango just had time to recognize it. He triedo e ow is way against t e current. T e ace was per ect yetched in his memory.

T e man a trimme is mustac e into angs, w i esideburns hid part of his cheeks, and he wore a brown trilbyu e ow over is eyes. But it was im.

Zefi ro.Vango a spotte is rien Pa re Ze ro, a ot o t e

nvisible monastery on the island of Arkudah, who, some

mont s ear ier, a mysterious y a an one is mon s wit -out giving any indication of his whereabouts.

Pa re w ispere Vango.He received two blows to the head and slid to the ground.Over to t e west, in In iana, an engineer ca e Jo n W.

Chamberlain, emancipator of housewives, had just fi nished

ui ing t e rst u y automatic was ing mac ine, w icrelied on a force known as the centrifuge. And it was this


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outward direction until he rolled on the grass, whiter than aeet.

On opening his eyes, he spotted a coat disappearing behinda car. Vango recognize t e tri y an went a ter it.

Zefi ro . . . He couldn’t let him disappear again.C evro et uses were ing up wit passengers as Vango

drew nearer. He saw Zefi ro chasing a handsome purple open-topcar e ore jumping on oar one o t e uses. Vango c im e

nto the next one. The convoy was slowed by the fl ow ofe estrians. Horns toote , an t e ye ow uses urc e overhe bumpy grass before rediscovering the delights of pavement.

T e man sitting next to Vango on t e us eye is neig -bor’s shoeless feet suspiciously. He kept his hands tightlyresse against is poc ets, or ear o aving is o watctolen. The last thing the passenger could have imagined wasat Vango, t e are oot eggar, a sewn into is e t aouch of rubies valuable enough to buy up all the shoe facto-ies on t e East Coast.

The journey didn’t take long. At quarter past seven thatorning, t e ye ow C evro ets pu e up in ront o La e urst

tation. A few passengers got out. Spotting the trilby and the

coat among t em, Vango set o on t eir trai . T e purp e caras parked under the station clock.

Ze ro quic ene is step an examine t e car. It wasempty. He entered the ticket hall, inspected the waiting room,an ea e out onto t e p at orm. W ist es s ri e across t etation. The Blue Comet was on platform one. It pulled out,

rou e in steam.It was a magnifi cent blue train — as handsome as a toy,


32/48


latform just in time to see the padre board the moving train.Pus ing asi e t e stationmaster w o was oc ing is way,

Vango began to sprint barefoot. Two other railway workerscrosse t e trac s in a i to stop im.

“You shouldn’t attempt to board a moving train, sir!”T e ast carriage was a ong way a ea o im, an ayers

of smoke prevented him from seeing where the platformen e . Vango put on a na spurt an jumpe onto t e ac

buffer of the locomotive. Just in time. The platform had dis-appeare eneat is eet.At that very instant, the gleaming purple car exploded

un er t e c oc . T e exp osion was so power u t at it s at-ered all the windows in the station.

Vango c ung to t e train, eaving e in im t e rac et oshouts and whistle blows. All he could see was black smokerising up eyon t e p at orms.

Vango didn’t understand what was going on. Ever sincee was ourteen, t ere a a ways een angers an ramasrailing in his wake. The world exploded when he passed by.As es were a e e t e in .

Recent y, on t e ocean iner to America, e a spent t reehours in the rain one night, on the deserted bridge, his armsoutstretc e to t e s y, oping to was away t is curse. Twoold ladies had scooped him up the next morning. They wereDanis trave ing companions, an t ey sco e im e ore en -ng him their cabin for the whole day so he could warm up.

You si y oy How irresponsi e o youThey made him drink tea until he was full to bursting and


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“Were you out of your mind?”Being on t e receiving en o someone e se s anger a

ever done Vango so much good.

The Blue Comet was a luxurious train offering a high-speedconnection to New Yor . A ter its our o g ory, t e GreatDepression of 1929 had restricted its timetable. But this morn-ng, a t e seats were ta en. Vango ma e is way t roug

he carriages, one after another. He was wearing a gray velvetcap an a ta en o is jac et, w ic e carrie over onearm. There was nothing remarkable about him, provided youi n t oo at is eet.

Nobody on board had noticed the explosion. The pas-engers were rea ing quiet y or e se ozing, proppe againsthe windows.

Vango was oo ing or Pa re Ze ro. T e ast time e aeen him, on the main concourse at Gare d’Austerlitz in Paris,e pa re a n t even recognize im. From t at ay on,

here had been no further sightings of Zefi ro: he was reportedissing, e ieve ea .

Close by, in the front carriage, a lady was lounging on a

rst-c ass seat. S e a exc usive use o t e two en compart-ents and had stationed an armed guard in the corridor. Evene tic et inspector a receive a wa o o ars to guaran-

ee that she wouldn’t be disturbed. She wore an angora stoleover one s ou er, an rom time to time, s e ru e er earensuously against it.

It was t e on e wit t e e oys. S e a e t t em inhe adjacent compartment, along with the men in suits who


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burly fellows in matching uniforms were waiting, hats onnees.

“I’m away for two weeks,” she complained, “and no prog-ress as een ma e?

Neither of the men responded.Answer me, Dorge esNo reply came from the man called Dorgeles, but his

enormous neig or opene is mout .

The blonde made a violent sssssshhh! noise. This in turnma e t e sto e on er s ou er ripp e, an out o it eapewo blue eyes. It was a cat. The woman slowly lowered herea again, so t at it wou go ac to s eep.

Dorgeles knew what the person hidden beneath this femi-ine isguise was capa e o . He new ow urgent it was tolacate the man behind the makeup: Voloy Viktor.

We n im or you, Ma ame Victoria. We now e safter you. He’ll come to us.”

T e on e wave er an , as i Dorge es s voice stirisked waking the cat.

I can t s eep or a sing e secon , s e isse . I now t atZefi ro is following me. I can smell him.”

Trust us. We re ere to protect you.“Can you smell it, Dorgeles? The stench of sulfur?”S e was a ucinating.“You’ve got to trust us. You’re putting yourself in danger

y c anging t e timeta e so o ten.“Surely you can smell it, Dorgeles?”

It a never een part o t e p an or Vo oy Vi tor toravel on board the zeppelin. Nor on this train, for that


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uddenly demanded that his big purple car pull up in front ofe station in or er or im to catc t e B ue Comet.

“I could smell him,” whined Madame Victoria. “I couldme im e in me. He s a ways t ere. Ze ro is a ter mykin.”

T ere was not ing to worry a out in t e car. He evenissed you at the Plaza Hotel, back in May.”

T e on e pointe a ue-painte nai at Dorge es.

“You’re the one who missed him at the Plaza! YOU!”T e cat snar e . Dorge es stare at t e oor. He wasecalling the evening in New York when he had been trussed

up an un e into t e trun o is own car e ore e aa chance to fi gure out what was happening.

Next to im in t e train compartment, ig Bo A mon ,rom Chicago, who hadn’t been recruited for the quality ofis conversation, was starting to utc er is at.

“You can rejoin the others,” Dorgeles told him.Bo stoo up an ange is ea on t e cei ing. T en e

ade a small polite bow, hitting his neck against the luggageac as e rew imse up to is u eig t.

When he had fi nally made it out of the compartment,

Ma ame Victoria ro e er eyes.“I wouldn’t even hire him to scrape the muck off my

unting oots. How o you se ect your primates?They were both silent for a few minutes. Madame

Victoria eane against t e win ow. Her eyes itte overhe countryside. How could anyone have recognized, in this

wooning a y, t e ma ness o Vo oy Vi tor, arms ea erand murderer?


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THE CORPSE IN THE BLUE COMET

“I have some news that will interest you,” Dorgeles saidso t y, in a i to regain ost groun .

Madame Victoria didn’t respond.Some news as o yester ay evening, Dorge es went on.

“Did you know that Zefi ro’s sidekick, the one we photo-rap e im wit , as een i enti e . . . ?

“His name is Vango Romano.” Madame Victoria sighedeari y as s e rummage in er ma eup ag. Don t you ave

anything new to tell me, Dorgeles?”He arrive in New Yor ast nig t, y oat.This time, there was a fl icker of curiosity on Madame

Victoria s ace. S e oo e at erse in a itt e mirror e geith mother-of-pearl.

How o you now t at?“I’ve got one of my men stationed in customs at the port.”Ma ame Victoria snappe t e mirror s ut. S e pro uce

a square of leather from her blouse and took out two photos,ic s e e up against eac ot er.“Now at last you’re saying something interesting. I’ve

a ways t oug t we get to t e o one via t e young one.Dorgeles didn’t even allow himself a satisfi ed smile.

He was on y too ami iar wit is oss s moo swings.“Show this photo to each of our men.”Dorge es no e an sett e com orta y into t e ac o

his seat.Now roare Ma ame Victoria. S ow t em now I

ant that little . . .”

Dorge es gra e t e p oto, stoo up, an e t t ecompartment.


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* * *Vango a on y one carriage e t to c ec . One ast c ance

o fi nd Zefi ro. Suddenly, the shadow of the ticket inspec-or oome e ore im. Vango pus e open t e oor to isight and disappeared inside before he was spotted. He foundimse in t e rst-c ass avatory. A curtain a een rawn

across the window. It was almost pitch-black. Vango turnede oc . Wit is ear presse to t e oor, e waite or t e

nspector to head off.W en e trie to ta e a step ac war , e near y tro onomething bulky and limp on the fl oor. He bent down in theoom an put is an out. Using is st to sti e is cry, einned himself against the wall, tugging the curtain clean offts rai .

There, curled up in front of him, between the basin ande toi et, was a i e ess o y, a most na e , ying ace own.


38/48

2

STORMY WEATHER ON THE TRACKS

“Padre?”Vango i te t e ea y its air an turne it towar t eight.

For a sp it secon , e a t oug t it was Ze ro. His senseof relief was almost shameful. Slowly, he bent over the body.T e man was wearing un erpants an an un ers irt. His ri srose and fell: he was still breathing. Vango knelt down next toim. T ere were no c ues as to w o e was. T e man mere y

seemed to be asleep, his right hand closed around something.Vango eane over im a it more. In is c enc e ngers, t eman was holding what looked like a small pair of metal pliers.

Is that some kind o tooth extractor? won ere Vango.He picked up the object to see if there were any blood-

stains on it. Not ing. T e ewer c ues t ere are, t e morehe imagination runs riot. Vango started fantasizing abouta patient s revenge against is entist, an ot er maca rescenarios. Above all, he was conscious that he didn’t want toe accuse o anot er crime t at e a n t committe . He

splashed some cold water on his face, undid the lock, and

oo a eep reat .Vango pushed the door open.


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Almond, Madame Victoria’s henchman. Vango turned verya e, an is eyes u ge .

Bob was squirming in front of him. Not even his hugeo y was exempt rom t e ca s o nature.

“I need to go in,” he said.Vango i n t u ge, aving s ut t e oor rm y e in

him. Bob stooped down to his level.Sic ? e as e , staring at t e oy s pa i ace.

“That’s right,” said Vango. “I’m feeling sick.”Bo sni e , as i e wante proo .“Very sick,” repeated Vango.Bo A mon too a step ac war to avert isaster.

Vango seized the opportunity to lock himself inside the fi rst-c ass avatory again.

“Come back in fi ve minutes, please,” he called out frome ot er si e o t e oor, etween exp icit retc ing noises.

He heard Bob walking away down the corridor.Vango was at t e ac o is tiny i eout, s ivering wit

ear. But he didn’t really start feeling sick until, down byis eet, in t at c ammy air, t e o y o t e toot snatc ertarted moving.

When Bob Almond went to sit back down in the compart-ent, a ong wit is t ree co eagues an t e two e oys,

he was shocked at how patient he had been. He stared intopace an t oug t a out w at e just one. Next time, asure as his name was Bob, he would make that guy deal with

is pro ems on t e trac s.“Dorgeles came by,” mentioned one of his colleagues. “He


40/48


Bob didn’t answer.T e oss says we ve got to n t at.

Bob didn’t even glance at the square of shiny paper beinge out to im. He was too usy staving o t e ca oature. He got out his watch to calculate when he could tryis uc again wit t e rst-c ass avatory.

“He’s the new target,” the other man continued.Wit out paying it muc attention, Bo too t e p oto o

Vango Romano.I m warning you — Ma ame Victoria wants im a ive,his neighbor specifi ed.

Don t as too muc o Bo , jo e one o t e men, w oappeared to be dozing under his hat. Everyone guffawed.

During t is rie exc ange o wor s, Bo A mon abegun to stare at the photo. The picture did the rounds ofis e t rain t ree or our times e ore it vague y egan to

remind him of someone.T en it came to im in a as . He stoo up, anging is

head on the ceiling again.Crapo aA travel bag came crashing down from the rack.

Bo rus e out o t e compartment, ran own t e cor-ridor, and arrived in front of the lavatory door. One kick ofis oot was a it too to wrenc t e oor o its inges.

In the gloom, he could make out the whites of two petri- e eyes. Bo smi e . He a im.

T e men arrive one a ter anot er to witness Bo A monooming ahead of them, dragging some wretched creature


41/48


“Here he is,” declared Bob, who was bursting with pride.Get Dorge es I ve oun is man.

But the person Bob was holding by the hair didn’t lookanyt ing i e t e p oto o Vango. T is victim wore on y aaded undershirt and underpants, and his teeth chattered whileor s ri e own is c in.

Seeing the bewildered expression on his friends’ faces,Bo A mon raise is catc to eye eve .

“Crapola!” he bellowed.He t rew t e man to t e groun an returne to searche lavatory.

W ere is e? I swear, I saw im. Just then, Dorgeles appeared.We ve got to searc t e ot er carriages. He s on oar

boomed Bob.W o?“Him!”Bo as e t e p oto.“Check the whole train!” Dorgeles instructed coldly. “And

n t e inspector or me. I want to ta to t e inspector.The men all made a dash for the second carriage.

Meanw i e, t e victim was sti writ ing on t e oor inhis underpants.

Vango was walking between the rows of passengers. Hei n t want anyone to notice im, ut ept c ec ing ner-

vously behind him all the same. When he saw the inspector’s

uni orm, ten paces away, e t rew caution to t e win anore down the aisle. The train tilted as it took a wide bend,


42/48


one carriage to the next, leaping over the screeching rails,us ing asi e anyone w o got in is way. A gir an e on t e

knees of an elderly rabbi, and a man with a pair of pigeons saton t eir cage, crus ing t e ars an reeing t e ir s.

In a fl urry of feathers, the inspector passed through theaviary, s ie ing imse wit is arms. He trippe on a suit-case but managed to get up again. He appeared to be limpingow, an e is cap in is an . Never a so muc energy

been expended by a railway worker to catch a fare dodger.T e torna o a are y own t roug e ore anot erollowed, and this one was much more ferocious. MadameVictoria s men estroye t e e ris e t y t ose w o aone before them. Nobody could make any sense of the chaos.

Vango a now reac e t e ast carriage. T e inspector,ho was just behind him, was losing ground to the gangsters,ut e ept on going, ragging is injure an e e in im.

Dorgeles remained in the fi rst-class carriage, at the otheren o t e train. He ept is an rm y on is gun. He washe only person left, along with the two porters, to guaranteeMa ame Victoria s protection.

“I bribed the inspector to seal off the carriage! Where is

at moron?He tossed two guns to the young bellboys, so that they

cou mount guar wit im.Vango had arrived at the end of the train. In front of

im, t ree oors opene irect y onto t e trac s. Dea en .There was nothing else for it. He knew he would be blamed

or attac ing t e entist. He was use to suc accusations.The train was approaching New York, as it traveled along an


43/48


oplar trees quivered when the Blue Comet sped past.A cry. He i n t even ave time to turn aroun . He saw

he shadow of the inspector suddenly rise up, grab hold ofim, an stagger wit im towar one o t e oors. Vangoried to break free while, with one jab of his shoulder, thenspector orce open t e oor. Vango et out a scream. T edin was terrifying. The tracks fl ashed past like lightning. Theyere ot a out to a .

Three men had just appeared behind them. The biggeste a Co t in is e t an .“Don’t move!”T e inspector i n t waver or a secon . He grippe

Vango even more tightly and leaped with him into thin air.T e t ree gangsters saw t em ro an isappear e in a

ound of earth.Bo A mon re seven s ots rom is Co t in y into

he bushes, shouting “Crapola!” several times as a point ofrincip e. T en e tro on a rai way wor er s e met em a-

zoned with blue stars.A ew carriages away, Dorge es was sti s outing imse

hoarse.

W ere s t e inspector? WHERE IS THE INSPECTOR?He stopped. A weak voice was answering him. Dorgeles

oo e own.“Here I am. . . . I’m the inspector!”Down on t e groun , t e man in is un erwear e out

his hand. He was writhing like a worm on the corridor fl oor.

Vango opened his eyes. He was lying in the middle of fl ower-


44/48


had left a large rectangle of fl attened vegetation. He mustave ac e out or severa minutes. T e sun was eating

down hard.He ear a man e in im.“I’d do well to smash your face in, little one.”T e itt e one turne is ea .There, with barely a crease in his tight inspector’s uni-

orm, sat t e ar an an some Pa re Ze ro. He was

erched on an upturned bucket and tucking into a tomatoat was sti green. Next to im, on t e groun , ay a smabundle.

Because o you, I misse my c anceHe spat out the tomato skin.Seventeen years spent o owing im A i etimeZefi ro had never sounded so frosty.A w o e i e An t e ives o ozens o ot ers, over

here, in the invisible monastery, all in mortal danger becauseo you. Bravo, itt e one.

Vango didn’t move or say a word. He was frightened ofma ing t ings worse, o turning ot er peop e into victimssimply by saying the wrong thing. Of starting a tidal wave by

raising is itt e nger.“Did I ask you to meddle in my affairs?” asked Zefi ro. “He

as na y in my grasp“Who?” asked Vango weakly.Vo oy Vi tor.Vango felt desolate.

I . . . I m sorry. But you s ou n t ave me e in myaffairs either.”


45/48


Vango. They’re after you as well! They want to pin you toeir wa .

“Me?”As usua , Vango cou no onger te w et er e was t e

victim or the guilty party.T ey sat t ere toget er, istening to t e si ence.“Padre . . .”Ze ro i n t answer.

“Padre . . . you saved my life.”An I m a rea y sorry I i . It was a oo is act ocompassion.”

Vango ung is ea . T e pa re was watc ing im out ohe corner of his eye.

T ey want you ecause o me, a mitte Ze ro, a teretting a few seconds go by. “Because they saw you with men Paris. So it s my au t too.

Vango stood up. His body had been given a drubbing bye tum e e a just ta en.

“Was the man in the fi rst-class lavatory another of VoloyVi tor s irty tric s? e as e .

“No. I needed a disguise to get to Viktor. You do what-

ever it ta es. Ze ro s rugge . But I orgotten to pic uphe ticket puncher. I was heading back to fi nd it when I sawyou.

“Padre . . . did you batter the ticket inspector?”He was corrupt. Vi tor a ri e im. I m not oo ing

or excuses. I take full responsibility for everything I’ve done.

I trie to oo y-trap two o Vi tor s omes ast mont . Anhis morning I fi tted a time bomb inside his car. . . .”


46/48


Vango thought back to the explosion and the black clouden t e train a pu e out o t e station.

“As long as Viktor is alive,” Zefi ro explained, “my fellowmon s are in anger on t eir is an . He wi trac own ourmonastery to the bitter end.”

T e pa re e a grass opper etween is ngers as eacknowledged his friend’s confusion.

You re not sure i you sti recognize me, Vango. But

here is only one Padre Zefi ro. The same man who built theMonastery o Ar u a wit is are an s, w o sings Go slory before a tomato plant, who raises a clutch of monks ine mi e o t e sea, an w o is etermine to trac own

Voloy Viktor. They’re all the same man, Vango. And I’moing t is in or er to remain t at man.

He contemplated the grasshopper in the palm of his hand.An now, e sai , I m ace wit t e same question

hat’s been there since day one. What am I going to do withyou?

Vango closed his eyes. He was thinking of the hangingmonastery at t e top o t e is an .

“Back there, they’re all wondering what you’re up to.

T ey t in you ve gone ma .Zefi ro let the grasshopper escape before picking up his

un e an stan ing up.“I have to destroy Viktor before I can return home.”It was Vango s turn to stan up.“Where are we going?”

Pa re Ze ro was a rea y stri ing a ea . T en t ey otstopped and looked down at Vango’s bare feet.


47/48


“Is there a problem?”T ey sto e my s oes.

“Stole?”Yes, w i e I was as eep.“You can’t trust anyone these days.”Ze ro starte wa ing again, past t e vegeta e gar ens

ith their fl owers.You re in uc e ca e out. An , rom some way

ahead, he tossed his bag to Vango.W at s t is?Vango opened the small bundle. There, wrapped in some

c ot es, was a pair o s oes. Vango cou n t wait to puthem on.

T an you, Pa re“I hope they fi t.”I mean, w at in o person goes aroun stea ing s oes?

uttered Vango to himself.Possi y someone w o wante to s a e you o t eir

rail,” answered Zefi ro under his breath. “Someone who didn’tant you emo is ing everyt ing t ey ve ac ieve .

Vango stopped in his tracks. He looked up and then down

again, to examine t e s oes proper y, e ore staring at Ze ron the midst of the cosmos fl owers. Yes, the shoes fi tted Vango.T ey tte im i e a g ove, ecause t ey were is s oes.

Zefi ro was laughing.Pa re . . . w ispere Vango.He couldn’t quite believe it. Saboteur, terrorist, attacker

o rai way wor ers, s oe t ie : it was a ot or one man ohe cloth.


48/48

A Prince Without a KingdomTimothée de Fombelle

translated by Sarah Ardizzone

“Characterized by the same beautiful writing and intricate plotting that made the first so

gripping. . . . A worthy sequel.” — Kirkus Reviews
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/vango-book-two-timothee-de-fombelle/1121445270?ean=9780763679507http://www.amazon.com/Vango-Book-Two-Without-Kingdom/dp/076367950X/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1429709920&sr=8-4&keywords=a+prince+without+a+kingdomhttp://www.indiebound.org/book/9780763679507

a prince without a kingdom: vango #2 chapter sampler

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