with his glass now empty , he was still not yet ready to partake of his bed . Checking the scullery , he was unable to locate any further bottles of the wine he so enjoyed , and having already consumed several glasses , believed himself more than capable of entering the deep cellar without assistance .
In slippered feet , Palatino entered the narrow doorway and descended the steep wooden staircase to the lower levels of the wine cellar , holding in one hand the worn balustrade , his other , the oil lamp taken from the desk in his study . The temperature below was consistent , yet the Don felt a chill as he stepped off the stairs onto the hard stone flooring of the immense cavern .
Along the walls lay the huge vats of wine , dated , and marked with the blend and grape . Down at the far end were the bottles , stored on their sides in row upon row of long wooden racks , the glow from the lamp throwing distorted images throughout .
He eventually found that which he sought , and removing a bottle , wiped away the dust using the sleeve of his silk robe . Checking the label to ensure the correct vintage , Palatino turned to vacate the cavern when a breeze from out of nowhere caused the lamp to extinguish , and he was left to stand silently alone , within the black suffocating void .
Not one given to panic , Palatino remained perfectly still . There was no point in calling out , for there was nobody able to hear from so far below ground and so he tried to stay calm and let his eyes accustom themselves to the heavy burden of darkness . The only sound to be
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