B00724AICC EBOK (21 page)

Stephen rubbed his burning wound. “We have no use of a replica!”

“
The genuine article is moved around and around, and the replicas are sometimes replaced with the real thing. A way of hiding it in plain sight.”

“
Is Dracula aware of these museums?”

“
Yes, but as far as we know he hasn’t been to one in many centuries.”

Stephen nodded and considered. “Sounds like terrible odds. Are you able to tell the real thing from a fake?”

“
I am.”

“
Well?”

Philo rubbed his eyes and forehead. “Their handles are all imbedded with a red ruby. The ruby on the genuine Hithroma is slightly larger than the rest.”

“
That does us a lot of good. Would you really recognise the genuine article?”

“
I would.”

“
All the rubies are genuine rubies?”

“
Yes, of course.”

Joshua shook his head. “He’s making all this shit up.”

“
I am not.”

“
So tell us where this so-called museum is located.”

“
It will be necessary for me to show you. You’ll have to carry me. How long do the effects endure?”

“
You’ll be weak for at least five or six days.” Stephen gestured to Joshua and Luke to pick him up. “Your speed should return in a couple of weeks, but you’ll be bumping into a hell of a lot of stuff. Trees, buildings. Just like an inebriated human. But all the effects will eventually pass.”

“
That is just great.”

Stephen threw himself down on the sofa. “We’re going to want to find that place before you fully recover. So don’t get it in your head that you can stall for days and then suddenly dispatch us.”

Philo threw up a stream of vomit that reached across the room, mostly blood. “And you have to agree that you won’t dispatch me, otherwise there’s nothing in it for me.”

Stephen thought on it. “That is disgusting. Agreed.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

It was a gray and rainy morning in Orlando. It was raining so hard one wouldn’t have been able to stop and avoid hitting one’s mother-in-law crossing the road, even if one actually wanted to elude the collision. The palm trees were flowing with the wind as the bands of rain struck the area, annoying tourists and making them restless. The parks weren’t as much fun in heavy rain. Those with short vacation times were even more worried by the forecast. Some were forced to fight the rain in their plastic ponchos, which were big business in the Orlando area, especially on this day.

Dracula wasn’t sure if the area had more hotels or restaurants in the International Drive area, it had plenty of both.

When Dracula entered Parc Corniche the Siamese cat was in the passenger seat with his old friend Zacharia trapped inside it. He drove around building five; his global positioning system didn’t recognise the area as he hadn’t upgraded it to the newest map. So the small section where his luxury suite was located wasn’t recognised by the GPS. The Tom Tom GPS was very reliable and he wouldn’t travel without it. It was different travelling in bat form as things were viewed from the air, but on occasion he preferred to travel in his black Infiniti QX56 8 passenger vehicle. He preferred the Tom Tom GO255TM even though the vehicle did have its own navigation system. The 400 horsepower V8 5.6 litre machine was nice, and he enjoyed all the room although he didn’t need it. The vehicle had never carried another passenger.

Past building 5 on the right was the newest section with their eight luxury condo types; he stayed in the unit 6106 with the 6 on the front door. Two palm trees to the left was a nice addition.

“
Well cat, we’re here.”

The cat made a combination of half meows and guttural sounds from the passenger seat as they pulled into the parking space in front of the door. Dracula thought the cat sounded hilarious. The sound that was coming out of Moon Diamond was too funny. He could read the cats mind but it was natural for Zacharia to attempt to talk with words, and it annoyed him every single time the Master laughed at him.

All vampires in the area had become instantaneously restless and uneasy with his presence in the area. It was as if they were in the path of a category 5 hurricane. Many it felt as if someone was ready to pounce on them from around every corner to decapitate and destroy, and because of it vampire crime slowed to virtually zero in most of the state of Florida. All the vampires were on edge and out to save their own skin. Few vampires actually realized the effect and pull that the Master had on them and sometimes from several hundred miles away, depending upon how sensitive they were to his presence. A few recognised his arrival and immediately headed out into other states, knowing that they would never be a match to his strength and power.

The luxury hotel suite had style and comfort, with an upstairs containing a master bedroom and a smaller bedroom with two single beds. The place had 1200 square feet of living space, and a complete kitchen. The downstairs contained an LG television which he never turned on, along with an electric stove, dishwasher, microwave and a spacious black Amana refrigerator, which contained lots of space for his beakers of blood. There was a table to seat six, and a sofa that also pulled out into a sofa bed. He couldn’t decide if the walls were butter yellow, or had a slight tinge of green to them. Dracula glanced at the nice chandelier over the table, but nothing to compare with his expensive one at home. Ceiling fans were in both bedrooms, including the living room. The sliding doors also revealed a small private patio off the living room.

Dracula sat in the living room on the sofa and stared at the television, which was turned off. The cat was curled up on the comfy chair beside the sofa. Zacharia remained slightly annoyed at having been laughed at. The Master waited for Piers Anthony to contact him as he tried to pull himself out of his suicidal funk, nothing really seemed interesting enough to him to actually want to be alive. When he checked his cell phone he noticed a call from an old flame that captured his interest. His memories went to all the good times they had had, which were considerable. He remained undecided whether or not to return the call, although he felt that he would talk to her, sooner or later. She had been the one to break off the relationship, and it continued to irritate him.

Dracula both hated and liked Piers for aggrieving and pursuing him; he knew of no other that would dare to do so, and for that reason alone there was some admiration. He also liked his books and so that was at least a little morsel of flickering life that tugged at him. And so Dracula waited patiently for Piers to show up and vex him some more, it was commencing to be the only damn thing that he had to look forward to in his miserable life. That in itself was enough to hang himself from his chandelier, and remain there forever.

One day turned into three when finally Piers showed up at 10:15 in the morning beneath a bright sunny Florida sky and banged on door number 6 with the knocker. Clack, clack, clack the knocker collided with the door as the author waited patiently. The air was alive with the songs of birds. He knew that Dracula could hear him, and he also knew that he might just take his time to respond. Suddenly, the sound of wind as the master blurred down the carpeted stairs to the edge of the door, but there he remained silent. Piers could feel him behind the door. His omnipotence was disturbing at such a close distance, and of course Dracula was aware of it. He could sense how it made the author uncomfortable, and that’s exactly why he did it.

The Siamese cat raised its head and observed the goings-on.

Piers frowned. “I know you’re there.”

“
I know you know.”

“
Are you going to let me in? Or are we going to stand here all day like children?”

Dracula belched a big one and tasted blood. “We’ll see.”

Piers looked to the left and observed a white Cadillac Escalade. “I’m here on important business.”

Four minutes went by when Dracula finally spoke. “Yes, yes, important business. It’s always is with you. Significant. Of vital importance I’m sure. Essential things imperative to the universe itself.”

Piers felt like banging his head against the door. “Are you going to LET ME IN or not?”

“
That depends.”

His voice had lots of aggravation in its intonation. “Depends on what?”

Dracula’s voice responded with a deep resonance. “I haven’t decided yet.”

The author played with his white beard. Several more minutes passed when he heard Dracula snoring from behind the door. His mouth fell open at the sound of it. “Are you actually sleeping in there?”

“
Not anymore.”

“
You’ve come all this way so I know you’re going to let me in there.”

The door finally opened and Dracula blurred so rapidly and looked so comfortable on the brown sofa that it was as if he had been there for hours. The Master had tried the sofa bed that the couch morphed into and found it comfortable enough. “Come in destroyer of sleep. You, sir, are a moocher of pleasant dreams. You should know that I am never happier than when I am unconscious in slumber. It’s next-door to death. In a way it is heavenly.”

The cat meowed a greeting.

“
Yes, hello to you Zacharia. I’d ask you how you are but I know the response to that question. Poor cat, I can feel your irritability and despair from here; though I would imagine that you will get used to your condition in time. Then again perhaps not.”

Moon Diamond hissed.

Piers sat beside Dracula on the sofa. “Ah, yeah. No reason to hiss at me I’m not responsible for your current condition.”

“
Go on maggot. You are keeping the great Dracula from his sleep. Perhaps not so great anymore but still. I could squash you like a, like a thing that can be squashed.”

“
Are you on drugs?”

“
They accomplish nothing, and believe me I’ve tried.”

“
Well, not that far from here is a house containing three vampires that are feeding on children.”

“
What! Why wasn’t the sheriff informed!” Dracula appeared as if he had a great desire to kill someone.

The cat was also furious as it arched its back at the thought of such injustice. Its fur stood on end which was an extremely uncomfortable feeling for Zacharia; however the cat was used to it, though the feline found it puzzling as to why he had become so upset.

“
Zedock was informed, however they are considerable biters and he’s not interested in perishing at this time. It’s Eqerton and Lyre. Zedock’s called for backup but none are available. Didn’t I mention to you that the world is going to hell? It’s not a fallacy that I’ve pulled out of my ass for entertainment purposes.”

“
Sounds vaguely familiar. Lyre is quite powerful. I would have thought that someone would have killed those bastards by now. But vampires being so low that they are killing innocent children?”

“
Yes, killing them. Feeding on them. They have acquired a taste for fresh young blood. But you can just imagine that lives are being destroyed nonetheless.” Piers sat on the edge of the sofa.

Dracula stood up and the fire in his eyes was obvious. The look on his face actually frightened Piers to the core; he almost felt sorry for the infidels. “Come on.”

The cat was the first one at the door.

“
What do you say if I wait right here on the sofa?” Piers liked to avoid confrontation whenever possible.

“
What about if you don’t and we say you did? What if we cut their heads off and make them view their own headless bodies? Do you think it’s possible that they would see it? How quickly does the brain perish?”

Piers Anthony envisioned it, and had the most unpleasant look on his face. “I suppose it’s possible, but I wouldn’t assume that would work, nor would I wish to do it.”

The Master reached under the sofa and pulled out a huge sword in its scabbard. It gleaned in the light. It was as sharp as it could be and had a black vampire bat with two small rubies for eyes carved into the shark skin over steel hilt. It was one of the most impressive things that the author had ever seen. Dracula had the weapon fabricated one hundred and fifty-one years ago by a vampire swordsmith called Alcott. He was a short bald fellow with the disposition of an angry dragon, with everyone except the Master. Alcott’s talent for producing exceptional swords was legendary, with magic infused into every single sword. The weapons were impossible to break remaining forever in a state of newness.

“
That is some sword.”

“
I can assure you that it is the finest in all the land. I think.”

Piers was permitted to hold it briefly. “I would imagine that it’ll sever heads pretty good.”

“
Indeed.”

Dracula picked up Moon Diamond and blurred off into the Florida sun. Piers followed him as the wind from them pulled the door shut and made the palm trees wave.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

LAUREN SAT ON A BENCH in Brighton near the street. She was taking a bit of a rest from patrolling the area. It was a nice middle class neighbourhood. She had carried the heavy bench around, placing it here and there as she saw fit. House after house and duplex after duplex made up the community. The sun had set and she enjoyed the atmosphere of the descending darkness. Night was refreshing to all vampires. A few passers-by seemed impervious to her presence, but others became immediately aware of her and the possible danger. The swords gave her away as either a red sheriff, or a vampire monster ready to pounce; they avoided eye contact with their hearts pounding as they walked by her bench. Most figured her for a sheriff because of the trench coat, but they couldn’t be sure. How hard would it have been to purchase a trench coat and pretend to be a sheriff? Some even figured that the red badge could also be a fake. The worst scenarios were often realized.