"Good. Now, come, I have a private box in this study where I have stored the papers you will need as well as enough gold and silver so you will be able to buy lodging and food. Keep the money on your person at all times. I have two strong, but light bags to serve this purpose. Do not store the coin in a trunk or any other convenience that is separate from you, nor are you to tell anyone, including Henrik, about the treasure you will be carrying on your person. I'm sorry. I know this is a heavy burden I am forced to place upon you, but there is no other manner in which to ensure you will be safe from harm. Never show what I am to give to you to another soul either—not to our younger brother and certainly not to Henrik. I will give Henrik other monies so he will not suspect that you also carry a treasure with you. Please bend close for what I am about to show you and tell you. These very walls may well have ears. I fear I am placing you now as the head of our family from this day forward. This family now extends to both Henrik and his daughter."
"But…about the gold and silver. I understand what you say about showing it to no one, including Henrik. However, Henrik has been with our family for his entire life, and he wouldn't—"
"I trust no one," interrupted Frederic. "Someone reported our parents for their part in the revolution—someone who knows us and has access to our parents' secret papers. Because this spy is within our midst, we are all in danger. Do you understand? We could all be tried for treason and hung."
"But, Frederic, since our youngest sister, Béla, is only three years old, surely it is possible for her to stay here. After all, it will be a hard journey for her. Is there no other way?"
"There is none. It will be worse for her if she stays, and this is another reason why I spoke long and ardently to Henrik about the need to bring his daughter with him. I could not have rightly placed you into the position as the head of our family if you also had to act as a nanny for Béla. Henrik's daughter, Lilike, will carefor Béla, which will leave you free to think clearly about what is best for our family. Do you have any other questions?"
"I…I—"
"You all must flee…and tonight. I do not know how much time we have until the palace guards come here to arrest our entire family."
"I…I can hardly believe it."
"I know."
Glancing up at Frederic's solemn face, Czanna was startled to realize this might be the last time she would ever see her brother, unless… "Brother, if we are all in danger, then you must come with us. I beg you. Come with us."
"I cannot," Frederic replied. "You know I cannot. I have it in my power to free our parents and clear our family's name. This means more to me than my life. Please understand, I must stay here and fight. But, you must go. You must find safety in America. Lose yourself in the wild western frontier of America. Do not use our family name. Trust no one. And, under no circumstances are you to return to Hungary."
"Never?"
"Never," Frederic confirmed, shaking his head. "I believe it must be so. There seems to be no empathy in the new government towards those who strove to free the people. But, do not fear. There is yet a ray of light in all of this."
"Yes?"
"Do you remember our cousin Alfred?"
Czanna nodded. "I do. He is about ten years older than you, I think."
"Yes, he is older than I. Do you remember him being a part of the Revolution, also?"
"Yes, I do," said Czanna. "But, he became a Hungarian forty-eighter and escaped into the American West, didn't he? I assume he must have changed his name in order to evade capture."
"Yes, he did," replied Frederic. "But, he and I have been writing to one another these last seven years. I wish I knew where he is located exactly in the American West. I know only the following: he uses the English name of Old Tom Johnson and he lives within the Glacier Mountains located in the far corner of the Northwest Indian Country. I have written to him, informing him of what is happening here to our entire family, and I have told him to watch for you and our siblings in the next few years. But, since I do not know exactly where he makes his home in the Glacier Mountains, I am trusting you—not Henrik— to hire a guide to take you to him."
"But, why not Henrik?"
"Let me say this one more time: someone who knows us and who has access to our papers betrayed us. I like Henrik, same as you. But, I trust no one except you to take our family to safety."
Czanna nodded.
"Now, I have also written a letter that I will give to you to take to our cousin, whom you may call Tom Johnson. I am putting this letter into your care to present to him once you locate him; plus, there is one more of our family's possessions which is, perhaps, the most important of all I have to give you. Our father begs you to find our cousin and give him this." Frederic reached inside his coat to draw out an object carefully wrapped in the finest linen. Looking around the room, inspecting its nooks and crannies in detail, he then gave the package his attention and unwrapped the linen.
Czanna gasped. "Why, it's our…our—"
"Coat of arms, our Crest. It is worth a treasure, not only because it is made of bronze, gold and silver, but because it is also a seal we must preserve. Our father instructed me to caution you to hide it well, and, to this end, I have personally created a trap in your trunk where you may hide our seal. When you at last find our cousin, you are to give our family's crest to him. It is important. The seal must be preserved, even if our country falls. Itwill also identify you to our cousin. Our father wishes you to give our cousin the seal because, if my plea to Emperor Franz Joseph fails, our cousin would then be the oldest living member of our family. As you well know, it is always the eldest of our family who must bear the responsibility for preserving it. Seek out our cousin. He will help you. Give him my letter and the seal and ask him to help you all to disappear into the rugged country of the American West. I fear there may well be Hungarian agents who will try to follow you. Do you understand?"
"I do. But, Frederic. How can I go there and leave you here knowing…knowing…?"
Frederic again shook his head. "I cannot go with you. Please understand this: my duty is here. When you arrive in America, send me word of your arrival but say nothing more. I believe you will need to hire a coach to take you to a settlement called St. Louis. From there, you can book passage aboard a steamboat that will take you into the depths of the American West. Our cousin has written to me telling me he has become a fur trapper. I admit I think it is a terrible occupation, but it is, perhaps, the only livelihood for a man in the ruggedness of America. At least where he is now, he is not in the line of fire. Join him there, and once you are safe from harm, use the money I have given you to buy property, if you can. I will do my best to free our parents. I cannot emphasize this enough: do not let anyone know you carry with you a treasure in gold and silver, nor tell another living soul about the family crest; you are not even to say a word about this to our siblings, and certainly not to Henrik."
"But, I must have some money I can easily show and use to buy necessities. If I am to hire a man to take us to our cousin, I must—"
"Of course you will have to carry some coin with you. But, what I am giving you to carry on your person is more than mere coin."
"Oh, yes, of course. Yes. I understand now."
