4. The novice
Circa 1750 A.D., Dresden
Before being allowed to know her master’s secrets, Myra had had to serve him for five years. She had given herself to him spontaneously, begging him to consider her as a candidate. This begging had not been without difficulty. Myra had been locked in a cage and left outside in the cold for three days, without water or food.
She had almost gone insane during those three days. She had been left exposed to the weather-beaten fortresses of the castle, with in front of her the unique spectacle of the River Elba.
When a mute servant had gone to free her, she was more dead than alive. She had been taken inside the large gothic building, through cold and dark rooms. It seemed the 18th century had never arrived in that place. It looked like the Master want
