After the Fall (23 page)

The double doors opened and a dozen or so men and women entered the room. Their styles were about as different as one could imagine. Some were old and regal, while others looked like they were barely out of adolescence. An old man with long white hair and thick mutton chops walked past us and sat next to me. He looked like he had been transported right out of the 1800’s. Another man with much more modern features and dress seated himself next to Rayna. They shared a greeting and a kiss on each cheek. Through all this, the seat at the head of the table remained unoccupied. The people around the table chattered excitedly until they heard the footsteps walking down the hall. Silence fell over the room.

A man walked into the room. He had shoulder length honey blond hair, blue eyes, and a generally pale complexion. I guessed he hailed from England and bowed to the Queen once upon a time. All the occupants rose from their seats and looked upon him with expectation. I decided to rise with them.

“Please, have a seat,” he said with a slight upper crust British accent that may have faded a little over the years. “You must be our newest arrival, the Miracle Man!”

He reached out to me and embraced with with a warmth atypical of our kind. Too stunned to do anything, I sat there and waited for him to let go. He took his seat at the table and addressed the group.

“I know you’re all aware of the reason I called this meeting. We have some mundane business to discuss, but there is a new item as well.” He pointed to me. “Our guest arrived in town a few days ago, starving and tired. I hope we have done well by you on the task of taking you in and nursing you back to health.”

“And you have,” I replied.

“I am sure you have been at least acquainted with the city of Anathorn and its rich history. It reads like something out of the pages of fantasy book.”

“I would love to hear it sometime.” My guest seemed pleased with the conversation, but I felt a stinging pain in my shin. Rayna was glaring at me across the table. Her eyes warned me to stop interrupting.

“Anathorn was once a bustling city in the Midwest. It was home to three hundred thousand souls, hardly a metropolis at the time. Just like any other place, people lived, raised their children, and worked for a prosperous tomorrow. For the most part, they got it. Thanks to the rich agricultural business in the region, it enjoyed many years of quiet prosperity. This city, like many others, had its days numbered.

“The end of year festivities in this town were marked not by celebration but by quarantine and martial law. It was useless, however. The government was powerless to stop the threat growing from within. After a few weeks, the military received the order to retreat. Those still living in the city were left behind and forced to fend for themselves. The situation was grim. Pockets of survivors remained, but at least one fell a day. It seemed only a matter of time until the entire city would be taken by the dead.

“All this went on until the appearance of one woman. She walked into town without any fanfare or ceremony, as there was hardly anyone left to give it. The undead, smelling her flesh, began to come out to the streets. They approached her with their glazed eyes, their shambling step, jaws snapping back and forth. What they got was not the meal they were expecting, but a summary execution. She swung her sword back and forth, often beheading three or more at a time, if they were of the same height. The battle raged on for many nights until others, both human and Vampire emerged from the buildings and began to join. It was carnage for both sides, but at the end of a week, parts of the city became safe to live. We had begun to retake the world.

“With that declaration came the survivors. Word of our victory had spread across the land. They took up residence within the walls, after a mandatory quarantine period imposed by Anna herself. Those found to be infected lived out the remainder of their life and were beheaded soon after turning.

“Not all of the survivors were quiet, law abiding citizens. This plague was not kind to nonviolent beings, and those who failed to adapt joined its ranks. Many of the people roaming the landscape were outlaws, antisocials, and psychopaths. They seemed the only ones with fortitude enough to survive this new world.

“At first, there were a few violent crimes. The citizens themselves were allowed to handle them. All that changed one night when a Vampire woman was found murdered. Anna could remain quiet no longer. She stepped up and addressed the crowd with fiery rhetoric. There was an intense manhunt for the perpetrators. During this time, they found no refuge or quarter in this city. Wherever they went, they found a pair of eyes that informed their pursuers of their whereabouts. When they were caught, they were taken to the town square for a public execution.

“Anna was merciless. All of her rage was concentrated on these three men. She flogged them mercilessly for an hour, until their backs were raw. Then, to the amazement of those watching, she bit their necks and drank their blood until they were dead. The spectators thought the show to be over, but it was far from that. With a blood-stained face, she announced to the crowd that there would be no mercy for anyone who dared commit a crime. With this, she had a large crate brought forth and opened it. Within it were three undead that sprang forth to devour the men. Many people left in disgust, but twice as many stayed behind, unable to tear their eyes away from the grisly spectacle. When it was over, Anna had the three zombies put back into the crate and carried off. This was the last time anyone dared to commit a crime of such magnitude.

“It did not stop there, however. Robberies, assaults, even the largest profiteer in town, who charged exorbitant prices to the people or demanded “special favors” from them, met a grisly end, all in the eye of the public. Crime came to a swift end. Even minor offenders were flogged. Soon no one wanted to commit any crimes. Many mourned their lost freedom, but it was preferable to life on the outside.

“Many more of our kind came every day, attracted by the growing population. Anna welcomed them with the same warning that she gave their citizens. There were a few offenders, but they were dealt with swiftly. Their executions were more exclusive, limited to our kind, but it got the message across. Anna’s rule was law, and as a result, this town flourished.

“She dispatched teams of men, both human and Vampire, to clear the rest of the city. After that followed the countryside. They began to set up barriers, expanding ever more outward, repelling the horde without any mercy.

“It was all this hard work, under the watchful eye and firm hand of Anna Thorn, that built this city. It is in her memory that they named this place after her, so that others may know of her sacrifice.”

He concluded by saying, “She is remembered.”

“She is remembered,” everyone said in chorus.

The council had no shortage of questions, which I answered truthfully, or as much as could be expected in my situation. They asked where I had come from, the town and its people, how I secured my sustenance, and why I ended up leaving it. I told them about Jericho, its fanatical people, and the tragic way it all ended with the betrayal of the chieftain by his own son. I omitted certain details, like my affair with Rhiannon, or the way that this place worshipped me like a divine being. I felt my story could do without these tidbits. When I finished, the room went silent and the head man began to clap.

“Bravo! I love your story. It’s so moving, full of heroism and such. If only it had a touch of romance, it would be brilliant. Now, I propose a vote regarding our new friend here. Those in favor?”

One by one, they said “aye.” All except Rayna, who remained silent.

“Those opposed?” Rayna raised her hand.

“May I ask why you opposed
this time
?” asked the man with a tone of weariness I did not fail to detect.

“Besides the fact he’s a pansy? Nothing else. No offense, Luke, but these European-bred Vampires are a bunch of lily-livered—”

“That’s enough.”

“Dandies without a decent set of—”

“I said that’s enough, Rayna! I’ve had enough of your insolence for today. You will abstain from speaking unless asked.”

The two of them locked eyes while the rest of the room waited uneasily. He smiled and continued.

“Very well, the vote is made. The penalty is death.”

“I beg your pardon?” I asked.

“Lying and fabrication are offenses punishable by death.”

“Hey, whoa! I didn’t fabricate anything. Every word I told you is the truth!”

“You would have us believe that you found a whole settlement out west and were able to live off its people for some time until someone blew up the walls, and nobody noticed you there?”

“They knew I was there. I helped them, and they helped me. It was a fair trade.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Believe what you want, but I’m telling the truth.”

“I’m sorry. You’ll have to die.”

His intense gaze met mine. I didn’t beg or plead for my life. I gave him no sign of weakness. If this is what must happen, so be it. I’ve never begged for my life and I wasn’t about to start now.

He started to laugh and patted me in the shoulder. The rest of them started to smile, especially Rayna.

“You’ll have to forgive us. We’re a cheeky bunch here. Just having a little fun, is all.”

“Yeah, a regular riot,” I grumbled.

“You’ve found a good one, Rayna. This one will do.”

“Will do for what?” I asked.

“You’ll be a fine addition to our group. Welcome.” He stretched out his hand. I hesitated for a second but ended up shaking it. “Now, I trust you will share a meal with us, won’t you? It’s the least we can do.”

Luke, whose full name was Lucretius, clapped and called for the waiters. A dozen men and women in spotless uniforms came into the room with trays full of chilled decanters. They set them on the table and poured a large goblet for each of us. Everyone waited for Lucretius to take his first drink. All of them except Rayna, who began to slurp out of her goblet. Lucretius ignored her and lifted his glass.

“To our guest, that this may be the start of a long, fulfilling friendship.”

The rest of them murmured their approval and tipped their goblets back. Rayna had stopped for a moment to raise her own before draining her goblet and asking for another one. 

Everyone drank their fill. I drank close to a dozen of goblets almost filled to the brim, and my body still asked for more. The hunger was returning. It didn’t help that I found the chilled blood bland and unsatisfying.

“You like it?” asked Lucretius. “We have a pool of donors just for this purpose. They’re carefully screened and put on a strict diet.”

“Sure, it’s great.” That would explain the taste. Still, it was better than the blood of those starving people out there, even if it was refrigerator cold. I could deal with that.

“I wanted to make a proposition to you,” he continued.

“Go on.”

“You said that you had an arrangement with the good people of Jericho. We have set up something similar here. Our people are all too happy to live here. They enjoy plenty of food thanks to the crops and cattle we brought and the protection we place over them. Most of them have never even had to give back an ounce of anything except their labor. All we ask is for a select few to give back to their community, as a tribute to their protectors. In exchange, they are given a life of comfort that others would envy.”

“I sense there’s a catch here.”

“No, there’s no ‘catch.’ As I said, we protect them. We ensure they are fed and secure. There is no place out there that can give what we are able to provide.”

“That much is true.” Not even Jericho could compare to this.

“We send a few of us out to patrol the borders and take out the interlopers. It’s not entirely without risk to us. Some of our people have been bitten. Unfortunately, we’ve found that it is as toxic to us as it is to the humans. After the bite, fever sets in, and then…”

“Then comes the blow to the head.”

“If you must put it in such terms, yes. Because of this, there are fewer of us gathered around this table.”

The rest of them bowed their heads for a moment. This time Rayna joined them, keeping her head hung low long after everyone else.

“So!” he said with sudden vigor. “What I want to ask is if you would like to join our band of protectors, patrol the fences, if you will. Keep
our
cattle safe.”

By cattle, he did not mean the variety of grazers roaming the grasslands beyond the suburbs. He was speaking of the people living within the borders of this city-state. I was strangely comfortable with this way of seeing them. Throughout all these years, I had thought of myself as a hunter, but now we had succeeded in domesticating our prey. I could get used to this.

“So, what do you say?”

“I say yes, of course. I’ll do whatever you need to keep the herd safe.”

And that was how I found myself riding in the back of an open Jeep, heading for the outskirts of town. 

Border Patrol

That night, we finished our meal and went off our own separate ways. Lucretius called Rayna to stay back after we were dismissed, no doubt to take her to task for her impertinence. She was not one to keep her opinions to herself.