Page 399 - The Grotesque Children's Book

Chapter 73.

Carola to her own rescue

When two hours more passed after Tozzo had been denied an audience with Carola at her
prison cell, Tozzo tried a more polite approach. “I wonder if I might possibly see my friend, if
it’s not too much to ask, please.”

He was greeted with an assuring, “Oh, please, is it? And you think just by adding the
word 'please' to your unfair and unreasonable request, that I'm somehow obligated to grant it?”
The prison warden paused for decretal effect, then went on, “Certainly. Follow me.” And the
warden led Tozzo to Carola’s cell. (Moral: Don’t underestimate the power of the word “please”
when approaching persons of great authority.)

“Tozzo!” she said to Tozzo through the bars of her jail cell, “You have to do something
for me!”

“Anything. I’ll get you out if I have to bend the bars!”

“No, it’s not about getting me out.” Carola was not in terrible spirits, considering the
circumstances. “Maybe I should be worried about that, but I’m not,” she said. “They could have
executed me on the spot without a trial. Now at least I’ll be allowed to testify on my own behalf,
and should be released shortly thereafter.”

Tozzo answered, “I didn’t understand a word of that. Are they feeding you?”

“They’re feeding me, Tozzo, yes. My guess is that the Duchess has given orders to treat
me well. I’m in a cell with just one other woman. There are other girls here with six, seven,
even eight prisoners. It would drive me mad, I think.” Carola glanced over her shoulder at the
other woman in her cell, who was lying on her back on the planks which served as both bench
and cot. “That’s Luzetta.” Carola whispered, “She’s pretending to be asleep, but I know
otherwise.”

Tozzo squinted. “What’s that, Carola? Speak up, I can’t hear you.”

Carola leaned forward, but continued whispering as quietly as before. “I don’t want her
to hear us. She gets out tomorrow.”

“Sorry,” explained Tozzo a second time, “You’re whispering. I can’t hear you.”

“I don’t know how long they’ll keep me in here, Tozzo, and I’m worried someone might
find all my, um, my souvenir blindfolds from Birch Bough Blind which I hid.”

Carola shot another look at Luzetta. She thought she caught a glimpse of an eye
squeezing just a little more closely shut than a moment before, but she couldn’t be sure. Nor
would an open eye be proof of anything, thought Carola. She could just as easily eavesdrop on
our conversation with both eyes shut.

“Speak up,” said Tozzo. “You hid what?”

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