I remained silent. The nun's words did indeed have some truth to them. Anastasia noticed my hesitation and handed me the key:
"The girl is in one of the rooms on the ground floor. You can talk to her, and most likely, Lisa will really want to leave with you. But think about what I'm saying before you take a wounded cripple away from the holy monastery. I'll be waiting for you on the second floor."
A steep staircase led to the basement behind a thick bronze door. Just in case, I left Romka guarding the entrance with a pistol, ordering him to shoot anyone who tried to approach. This was a precaution in case the monastery's inhabitants were tempted to lock Galina and me in the basement.
It was dark downstairs, so I had to turn on the flashlight. The bright beam illuminated the ancient unde
