17 Mina Reads the Count’s Mind

CHAPTER 17 Mina Reads the Count's Mind Mina had an idea. Because she was now connected to the count, she wanted Van Helsing to hypnotize her. Perhaps the connection could be used to the group's advantage. He did it just before dawn, when Mina felt she could speak most freely. When she opened her eyes, after being placed in the trance, she was not the same woman. She was obviously under the spell of the count.

"Where are you?" Van Helsing asked. "I'm not sure," Mina answered, in place of the count. "But I hear the sound of lapping water." The count was on a ship! It made perfect sense. He was moving his last box of earth by water. The sun came up just then, and Mina woke up. "Did it work?" she asked hopefully. "It did," Van Helsing replied. The men quickly set to work on Mina's latest clue. There were many ships in the great port of London, but at least they now had a lead. They knew what the count had needed those gold coins for: a ticket for the ship. Jonathan stayed behind with Mina while the other men went to search the ports. They suspected that the count was trying to get home to Transylvania. Soon they confirmed that, aboard a ship named the Czarina

Catherine, a tall man, thin and pale, with very white teeth, dressed all in black, had scattered some money about and asked which ship was sailing next for the Black Sea. A deal had been struck and a great box brought on board. The box was to be unloaded in the port of Varna and handed off to an agent there. Later, a curious fog had settled over the boat before melting as quickly as it had come. In that fog, the men now knew, the count had snuck aboard and into the box. The Czarina then set out to sea. Over the next few days Van Helsing hypnotized Mina a few more times, and her visions continued to tell him that the Czarina was on the sea. Van Helsing was worried, however. If they could tell what the count was thinking by reading Mina's mind, the count might also be able to read her mind in return, and learn of their plans for him. Mina had the same fear. "My dear," she said

to her husband. "I am changing more and more each day. My connection to the monster grows stronger. You must continue to hypnotize me and learn what he is planning, but for your safety as much as mine, you must never tell me anything about your plans, not until the scar is gone from my forehead." It was decided that the group, including Mina this time, would travel by land in search of the count. They would take the Orient Express from Paris and beat the count's ship to Varna. Once they found the ship, their best hope was to go aboard when the count was still in the box, between sunrise and sunset, when he could make no struggle. They would kill him, then and there, as they had killed Lucy. During the hypnotism sessions on the train and upon arriving first at Varna, Mina's responses continued to indicate that the

Czarina Catherine was still at sea. Mina spoke of lapping waves, rushing water, and creaking masts. Finally they got word that the Czarina Catherine was about twenty-four hours away and would arrive at Varna the next morning. That day Mina became extremely tired and had her most difficult hypnotic session yet. By noon of the next day, there was still no sight of the ship or any news of it. Mina, however, was feeling better. In fact, although the scar remained on her forehead, she felt almost herself again, as if she had been freed. That day's hypnosis once more turned up "lapping waves" and "rushing water." So the Czarina Catherine was still on the water, but where? The boat should have arrived at Varna long before now. Was the count escaping to another port? Two days later the men received a telegram, confirming their worst fears.

Instead of landing at the port of Varna, as they had expected, the Czarina Catherine had entered the port of Galatz that day, which was farther upriver. The men quickly sprang into action. "When is the next train to Galatz?" Van Helsing asked Mina if she would mind going to get the train schedule. While she was gone, he turned to Jonathan and told him of his fears. When Mina had been especially tired a few days ago, it was likely because the count had sent his spirit to read her mind. Van Helsing put his finger to his mouth, for Mina was walking back into the room. Both men tried to look innocent, but it was as if Mina could now read their minds as well. "He used me, didn't he?" she asked. "He read my mind." Van Helsing nodded. "But perhaps you are a bit freer from him