L2-6-3

My poor friend," I said, how long have you had that cough?

It's nothing, he said, but he couldn't stop coughing.

"'Come,' I said firmly, we will go back upstairs.

Your health is important.

You are rich, respected, admired and loved.

You have a wife and children.

Many people would miss you if you died.

We will go back before you get seriously ill.

I can go to Lucressi for help with the wine.

No," he cried, this cough is nothing.

It will not kill me, I won't die from a cough.

"'That is true,' I said.

But you must be careful."

He took my arm and we began to walk through the cold, dark rooms.

We went deeper and deeper into the cellar.

Finally, we arrived in a small room.

Bones were pushed high against one wall.

A doorway in another wall opened to an even smaller room, about one meter wide and two

meters high.

Its walls were solid rock.

"'Here we are,' I said.

I hid the cask of a Monteado in there.

I pointed to the smaller room.

Forcunato lifted his candle and stepped into the tiny room.

I immediately followed him.

He stood stupidly staring at two iron handcuffs chained to a wall of the tiny room.

I grabbed his arms and locked them into the metal handcuffs.

It took only a moment.

He was too surprised to fight me.

I stepped outside the small room.

"'Where is the Amontiado?' he cried.

"'Ah, yes,' I said.

The cask of Amontiado."

I leaned over and began pushing aside the pile of bones against the wall.

Under the bones was a basket of stone blocks, some cement and a small shovel.

I had hidden the materials there earlier.

I began to fill the doorway of the tiny room with stones and cement.

By the time I laid the first row of stones, Forcunato was no longer drunk.

I heard him moaning inside the tiny room for ten minutes.

Then there was a long silence.

I finished the second and third rows of stone blocks.

As I began the fourth row, I heard Forcunato begin to shake the chains that held him to

the wall.

He was trying to pull them out of the granite wall.