The Historian

Paul goes down to breakfast at the monastery, but Helen does not appear. Gripped by panic, Paul runs to her room: She has been bitten again. The chain on her crucifix necklace was broken. Though he suspects the dead librarian, Helen says that she felt that this presence was more potent. They will cleanse her fresh wound with holy water at the church. When they finally meet Ranov, he is suspicious.

Ranov escorts Paul and Helen to the monastery at Bachkovo, where they ask to meet a monk once named Vasil Pondev, on Stoichev’s advice. Brother Angel, as he is now known, is old and infirm, kept separate from the other monks. He speaks nonsense, according to Ranov, and his thoughts are hard to follow. He sings bits of a ballad that mentions a dragon as protector. When Paul asks him directly about Dracula, Brother Angel falls into a fit of anguish. They later ask the archivist at the monastery about the song. It originated from a nearby village, and they decide to investigate further.