Castle on the Edge Read Online Free PDF

dictator of Germany, who is now threatening the stability of Western Europe. No doubt this scourge on mankind will attempt to conquer the whole world, too.”
    “Yes, Hitler is a menace and I hope he’s stopped; because if he’s not, the dark ages will be like paradise on Earth, in comparison to what it would be like under Hitler.” Doctor Lederer responded with passion.
    Although agreeing with both Mister Duncan and Doctor Lederer in their assessment of Hitler, I attempted to lighten up the conversation by saying, “Mister Duncan, Miss Holden told me you have constructed some stage props for the Halloween party this evening.”
    “Yes, that’s right. Miss Hopkins, Mister Morgan, and I are putting on a little show in the recreation room tonight. I’ve made a park bench out of plywood and painted it green, two streetlights out of clay and painted the posts green too so they will look real…or real enough. Then I procured two bed lamps for the lights atop the posts, one each from two of the unoccupied rooms on the second floor…Nurse Holden said it would be all right. And oh yes, with Doctor Calloway’s permission, I borrowed the two potted palms from the lobby, you know, the ones on either side of the foyer to the main entrance of the Castle. They will simulate trees in a city park; that will be the first scene, starring Miss Hopkins and Mister Morgan. They’re going to play a pair of fractured lovebirds in Central Park, New York.
    “I shall also perform myself, in the second vignette. I will play the part of an eccentric sculptor. I molded some silly-looking forms for my comedic character. All three of us have memorized our scripts. Miss Hopkins wrote them, you know, as well as directed the acts. Mister Morgan turned the rec. room into a makeshift theatre for tonight’s performance, he’s been working on it all day and I worked on the props all week. I believe Mister Morgan is setting up chairs for the audience as we speak.
    “I’m actually looking forward to being in the show, it’s good therapy for me, as you know. I’ve never done anything like this before.
    “That’s wonderful” Doctor Lederer said joyfully, “and it’s a good thing to have one’s mind on projects, hobbies and activities, so the devil can’t enter an otherwise idle mind.”
    I looked at Doctor Lederer and gestured that we had to leave, then told Mister Duncan the same and thanked him for his time. Mister Duncan accompanied us to the door.
    Doctor Lederer and I proceeded out from his room and walked down the hall to where there remained one more unoccupied patient room. We stopped in front of the door.
    “I wonder if the new patient is in this room,” Doctor Lederer said, as he looked at the door and then to me.
    “I was wondering the same thing. I don’t think it would hurt to knock.”
    “Of course, we shouldn’t eavesdrop, but it might not be a bad idea to listen at the door for a moment, to see if there’s any activity inside, Alex.”
    “You’re right, Doctor Lederer. I mean, Doctor Calloway said he would be orientating the new patient during this hour while I’m introducing you to our six patients.” I then firmly pressed my left ear up against the door.
    “Hear anything, Alex?”
    “Not a thing. I don’t think there’s anybody in there. I’m going to knock.”
    I knocked. There was no response. Then I tried to open the door. It was locked.
    “That’s very strange. We never keep vacant rooms locked. “
    “Maybe it’s not vacant, Alex.”
    “I don’t have the key on me. I’ll run down to the nurse’s station; we keep a set of keys there. Wait here, Doctor Lederer.”
    I saw Nurse Jenkins at the station and asked her for the set of keys for the third floor. She gave them to me and I went back to the locked room where I’d left Doctor Lederer standing. I was looking at the different keys to pick the right one to open the door.
    Doctor Lederer said, “I noticed that none of the rooms are numbered,