I’ve been reading my other Dracula books for content once we get to the finale. I hope you look forward to me never shutting up about Dracula ever. I have a bit of an inferiority complex I guess and I feel like if I’m going to be able to really draw this whole Let’s Read together I still have some homework to do.
November 2
We open with Team Boat today. Jonathan writes complaining that Arthur let him sleep in because he seemed to need the rest. Jonathan does feel better after sleeping so much. He thinks about Mina and Van Helsing and estimates that they’re at Tihuța Pass by now. He wonders how Quincey and Dr. Lobotomy are doing as the river tributaries seem like a pain in the ass.
We finally hear from Dr. Lobotomy next. Seems like Team Horse is doing fine and he doesn’t say anything interesting except that their experience “adventuring” together seems to be making things go smoothly.
On Team Carriage, Van Helsing and Mina have been taking turns driving. She complains about the cold and says that in her Dracula hypnosis, she said that the water rush had changed.
I’m cold too, Mina, so I went out today and spent money getting that plastic shit to seal my windows. Maybe then I can keep the heat inside somehow.
Mina writes again in the evening, talking about how the world around them has become wilder and human presence has become rare. They picked up another two horses at their last stop so now they have four pulling the carriage. They believe that they’ll arrive at Tihuța Pass in the morning. Mina prays for God to look after everyone, but not her, as she is unworthy for now.
November 3
Dr. Lobotomy complains about the cold. Team Horse has caught word that Team Boat’s boat has gotten to the Bistrița. They’re at Fundu. I could probably make a map of this but. Maybe tomorrow.
November 4
Team Horse hears word that Team Boat got fucked up trying to navigate some rapids on the river. Good thing is Arthur knows how to fix boats on top of all the other shit he knows. Apparently.
Our second entry is a Memorandum by Van Helsing, writing to Dr. Lobotomy. It seems that the cold has made Mina exhausted so she’s sleeping all the time rather than keeping her diary. After sleeping all day though she seems fine now, I guess? He can’t hypnotize her.
This constant “She got worse and then she got better” kinda talk is everywhere in this book and it does remind me a bit about how attentive you can be to loved ones. I do this to my cats a lot when they’re sick. “He seems better this hour after last hour.” But as a reader I find it a little bit confusing. Are they sick or not? Like pre-bite Lucy.
Van Helsing logs the events of the past few days. They arrived at Tihuța Pass at sunrise on the 3rd. They took a break to try some hypnosis and afterward she was full of excitement now knowing where she needs to go via Jonathan’s logs. After they travel a long while, Van Helsing tells Mina to go to bed, which is when he struggles to wake her.
I think I drowse myself, for all of sudden I feel guilt, as though I have done something; I find myself bolt up, with the reins in my hand, and the good horses go along jog, jog, just as ever.
Van Helsing writes like he talks. No wonder everyone wants to try writing down his monologues verbatim.
From noonish (presumably) to sunset, she slept. They take a break, light a fire, and eat. Mina is in great spirits now and looking healthy, but she doesn’t seem to sleep again all night until the sun is up again. UH-OH.
Jonathan writes as well saying that the accident they got into on Team Boat super sucked. He writes as if we already know what he’s talking about, which we do, I guess. But how does he know that?
It looks like they have horses now and are abandoning the boat for the road after fucking it up good on the rapids.