thinking twice
lose his nerve
it crossed his mind
switch
rip open
shiver
'Good God!' he whispered, 'where does this idea come from? Is it from you, Faria, my good friend? Since only the dead can free themselves from these prison walls, let me take the place of the dead!'
Without thinking twice about his decision, and to ensure he didn't lose his nerve, he leaned over the body. He opened the sack that contained the body with a knife that Faria had made. He pulled out his friend’s body, carried it through the tunnel to his own cell, and laid it on his bed. He tied his own nightcap around the dead man's head and covered him with a blanket. He kissed the cold forehead one last time and tried to close the eyes, which were staring in a frightening way. He turned the body towards the wall so the guard would assume he was sleeping, as he frequently did.
Dantès then entered the tunnel again, moved his bed against the wall, and returned to Faria’s cell. He took out a needle and thread from a hiding place. He pulled off his old clothes so that the guards would only feel skin through the rough material. After getting into the sack, he lay exactly like the dead body and sewed up the opening from the inside.
If the guards had entered at that moment, they would have found out the truth just by hearing his heart beating. Dantès could have waited until the evening visit was finished, but it crossed his mind that the prison guards might come and move the body earlier. If that happened, his last hope would be completely ruined.
Now his plans were fully prepared. If the workers realized they were carrying a living man, he didn't intend to give them time to catch him. He would cut through the sack and escape. If they tried to stop him, he was prepared to use his knife to defend himself.
If they took him to the cemetery, he would deal with being covered in dirt. Since it was night, he expected to dig his way out as soon as the workers turned their backs. He hoped the weight of the earth wouldn't be too heavy to overcome. If he was caught or if the soil was too heavy, he would be trapped —and he felt that might be better anyway.
Dantès hadn't eaten since the previous evening, but he didn't feel like eating now. His situation was too risky to think about anything else. The first danger was that the guard might notice the switch at seven o'clock. Fortunately, Dantès had often stayed in bed due to exhaustion, so the guard usually just left the food and walked away. However, if the guard tried to start a conversation and got no answer, he might investigate and discover the trick.
When seven o'clock arrived, Dantès’ suffering truly began. He tried to calm down his racing heart, while wiping the sweat from his forehead. He felt his body shiver. However, the hours went by without any trouble. He had managed to survive the first test. It was a positive sign.
Finally, at the time arranged, he heard footsteps. Edmond gathered his courage and held his breath. He heard two men place down on the floor a wooden frame for carrying bodies. The door opened, and a faint light shone through the sack. Two men approached the bed.
'He’s heavy for a thin, old man,' one said, picking up the head.
'They say you put on weight in your bones every year,' the other replied, lifting the feet.
'Did you tie the knot?' the first one asked.
'Why carry more weight now? I can do it when we get there,' the other replied.
They placed what they supposed was a dead body on the frame. Edmond made his body go stiff as though he were a dead man. As they carried him up the stairs, he suddenly felt the cold night air. It was a mixture of pleasure and pain. The men walked a short distance and then stopped. One of them went to find something.
'He is certainly not light!' the man said, sitting down to rest. Dantès’ first thought was to run, but he controlled himself.
'Give me some light,' the man called out, 'or I’ll never find what I’m looking for.'
The man with the torch obeyed, though he wasn't happy about it. Edmond wondered if they were looking for a spade*. Instead, he heard a heavy metal object being dropped next to him. Suddenly, a rope was tied around his feet with painful force.
'Is the knot tight?'
'Yes, it’s secure,' the man answered. 'Let's go.'
They continued for fifty more steps. Dantès could clearly hear the waves crashing against the rocks.
'Bad weather,' one man said. 'It’s not a nice night for a swim.'
'Well, somebody’s going to get wet and it’s not us,' the other joked cruelly. Dantès didn't understand the joke, but he felt terrified.
'We’ve arrived at last,' said one.
'A bit further,' the other insisted. 'The last one hit the rocks because we weren't careful.'
They climbed a few more steps. Then, the men took him by the head and heels and began to swing him backwards and forwards.
'One! Two! Three!'
Dantès felt himself thrown into the air. He was falling with a speed that made him feel sick. Even though the heavy weight pulled him down quickly, the fall felt like it lasted forever. Finally, with a loud splash, he hit the freezing water. He let out a scream as he fell beneath the waves.
Dantès had been thrown into the sea with a thirty-six-pound weight tied to his feet. The sea was the grave of the Château d’If.
Although he almost became unconscious, he was still able to hold his breath. Since he was prepared for anything, he used his knife to rip open the sack. He struggled to free himself from the weight, which was dragging him down. He bent his body and cut through the rope. With a final effort, he swam to the surface. He breathed the fresh air and realized that, after many years, he was finally free.
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