“But you will not have an employer to pay you if Herr Gunter ends up in the hospital—or worse! I have no idea why you state that you must stay here, but I will do so while you subdue those hospital attendants.”

As soon as the guard headed for the dining room, from which shouts and profanities emanated, Ramses opened the door and went down a short flight of stairs. Despite the limited light, he had no difficulty spotting David bound securely to a chair.

“About time,” David said. “I’ve run out of poetry to quote and have been reduced to counting beetles and cockroaches. The beetles outnumber—”

Ramses untied David and yanked him up. “Are you still under the influence of drugs? If I must, I will drag you up the stairs but it may be quite uncomfortable.”

David took a cautious step. “I seem to be able to walk under my own power. How are we going to get past Gunter’s guards? From what I heard when they thought I was unconscious, I received the distinct impression that they were in the house and yard waiting for you.”

“I will enlighten you later,” Ramses said as he propelled David up the stairs to the door. He looked at the hallway, which was now vacant, the attendants, the guard, and Gunter having taken the fracas into the dining room. “There is a hammock of sorts just below the flat surface of the gurney. Squirm your way into it and try not to wiggle.”

“Are you insane?”

“Would you prefer to remain in the basement and conduct cockroach races?”

Cursing under his breath, David eventually managed to position himself in the hammock. Ramses took the sheet at the end of the gurney and draped it so that David was not visible, and then wheeled it to the doorway of the dining room. Sethos remained on the floor, his eyes closed. Two of the attendants were berating Gunter, whose face was as red as that of Sethos, while the other two fussed over Sethos and made lewd accusations about each other’s parentage. The guard hovered, unsure how to intervene.

“Put the patient on the gurney!” yelled Ramses, struggling to maintain his purported Welsh accent. “You must get him to the hospital immediately!”

“Yes, you idiots!” added Gunter. “I will ride with you to make sure that he is given the best medical care available. Pick him up gently.”

Sethos had coached his amateur actors, who began to shout that such things were not allowed and were illegal and medically perilous and contrary to their procedure. They picked up their patient, not as gently as they might have, and carried him to the gurney. “We go now!” one of them pronounced with a growl.