The Sookie Stackhouse Companion (17 page)
Read The Sookie Stackhouse Companion Online
Authors: Charlaine Harris
TO: WILLIAM COMPTONDEAR BILL,LONG TIME NO SEE. AS YOU KNOW, THE VAMPIRES IN MY AREA PAY THEIR FEALTY BY WORKING AT FANGTASIA. PLEASE CONTACT PAM TO SET UP YOUR SCHEDULE.ERIC NORTHMAN
To: Eric Northman,
Sheriff of Area Five, LADear Eric,I understand that your vampires may offer a tithe as an alternative to working at Fangtasia. I have other obligations and fear I will not have the time to dedicate to your club.Sincerely,William Compton
TO: WILLIAM COMPTONDEAR BILL,A TITHE IS ACCEPTABLE, BUT I WOULD MUCH PREFER YOUR TIME AT FANGTASIA. AS A FORMER CONFEDERATE SOLDIER YOU WOULD BE QUITE A DRAW. I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE WORK TO DO FOR THE QUEEN, BUT SURELY YOU CAN SPARE ME, YOUR SHERIFF, SOME OF YOUR VALUABLE TIME AS WELL.ERIC NORTHMAN
To: Eric Northman,
Sheriff of Area Five, LADear Eric,Please find enclosed my certified check for six months’ tithe.Sincerely,William Compton
Phone: Eric calling Bill.
ERIC:
“Bill.”
“Bill.”
BILL:
“Eric.”
“Eric.”
ERIC:
“I need you to bring your human to Fangtasia tomorrow night.”
“I need you to bring your human to Fangtasia tomorrow night.”
BILL:
“Why?”
“Why?”
ERIC:
“I need her services.”
“I need her services.”
BILL:
“Eric, you know she is mine.”
“Eric, you know she is mine.”
ERIC:
“Of course, Bill. There will be none of that.”
“Of course, Bill. There will be none of that.”
BILL:
“Then why?”
“Then why?”
ERIC:
“It is enough that I am sheriff and I order you to bring her.”
“It is enough that I am sheriff and I order you to bring her.”
BILL:
“Eric . . .”
“Eric . . .”
ERIC:
“Bill, you know it will be much better if you bring her willingly. You wouldn’t want me to have to send someone to get her, would you?”
(Silence.)
“Bill, you know it will be much better if you bring her willingly. You wouldn’t want me to have to send someone to get her, would you?”
(Silence.)
BILL:
“We will be there.”
“We will be there.”
Phone: Bill calling Eric.
BILL:
“Eric.”
“Eric.”
ERIC:
“Bill.”
“Bill.”
BILL:
“I received your gift.”
“I received your gift.”
ERIC:
“And you’re calling to thank me. It was my pleasure, Bill.”
“And you’re calling to thank me. It was my pleasure, Bill.”
BILL:
“I’ve sent her back unopened.”
“I’ve sent her back unopened.”
ERIC:
“You didn’t like her?”
“You didn’t like her?”
BILL:
“I have no need for her.”
“I have no need for her.”
ERIC:
“I see. I’ll have to find some other way to show my appreciation to you and your human.”
“I see. I’ll have to find some other way to show my appreciation to you and your human.”
BILL:
“That’s not necessary. I’ll consider your absence in our lives reward enough.”
“That’s not necessary. I’ll consider your absence in our lives reward enough.”
Phone: Eric calling Bill.
ERIC:
“Congratulations on your new position as Area Five Investigator, Bill. I had not realized you had such aspirations.”
“Congratulations on your new position as Area Five Investigator, Bill. I had not realized you had such aspirations.”
BILL:
“I thought it wise to secure a position.”
“I thought it wise to secure a position.”
ERIC:
“Technically, you now work for me.”
“Technically, you now work for me.”
BILL:
“Technically, I work for Sophie-Anne, as do you.”
“Technically, I work for Sophie-Anne, as do you.”
ERIC:
“Yes, I suppose you are right.”
Pause.
“I understand your human has captured a killer. She’s quite resilient.”
“Yes, I suppose you are right.”
Pause.
“I understand your human has captured a killer. She’s quite resilient.”
BILL:
“Indeed she is. Don’t float around her windows anymore, Eric. It makes her uncomfortable.”
“Indeed she is. Don’t float around her windows anymore, Eric. It makes her uncomfortable.”
Living Dead in Dallas
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2004.
Sookie calls Portia Bellefleur to come to Merlotte’s and get her brother, Andy, who has gotten drunk after a particularly bad day at work. Leaving his car in the parking lot, Portia drives Andy home.
Sookie calls Portia Bellefleur to come to Merlotte’s and get her brother, Andy, who has gotten drunk after a particularly bad day at work. Leaving his car in the parking lot, Portia drives Andy home.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22.
When she gets to work in the morning, Sookie notices that Andy’s car door is open. She discovers the body of the bar’s short-order cook, Lafayette Reynold, in the backseat. She blows her own car horn to get Sam’s attention, and he calls 911. The police arrive and question Sookie, who tells them that Lafayette bragged about attending a sex party a few days earlier. She and Sam privately discuss whether someone from the orgy could be responsible for Lafayette’s death. Terry Bellefleur, Andy’s cousin, comes in as a fill-in cook and informs them that Lafayette’s neck was broken and that there is evidence of sexual assault.
When she gets to work in the morning, Sookie notices that Andy’s car door is open. She discovers the body of the bar’s short-order cook, Lafayette Reynold, in the backseat. She blows her own car horn to get Sam’s attention, and he calls 911. The police arrive and question Sookie, who tells them that Lafayette bragged about attending a sex party a few days earlier. She and Sam privately discuss whether someone from the orgy could be responsible for Lafayette’s death. Terry Bellefleur, Andy’s cousin, comes in as a fill-in cook and informs them that Lafayette’s neck was broken and that there is evidence of sexual assault.
Summoned to Fangtasia by Eric, Bill and Sookie begin to argue in the car on the way to Shreveport. When the car suddenly dies, an angry Sookie gets out. Bill tells her he is going to get a mechanic and leaves the car unlocked for her, but she resolutely begins to trek back to Bon Temps. She hears movement in the woods beside her and calls out, figuring she might as well know what she is dealing with. Much to her surprise, a woman steps from the woods, a feral razorback hog by her side. She identifies herself as a maenad and tells Sookie that she needs a message taken to Eric Northman. Sookie is able to turn away just as the maenad slashes at her, catching her on her back instead of her face and chest. Sookie is in agony as she falls to the ground.
Bill returns and rushes a mortally wounded Sookie to Eric for help. Dr. Ludwig, a supe herself, is called in, and after cleaning Sookie’s wounds with her tongue, the doctor instructs the vampires to drain Sookie’s poisoned blood and replace it with transfusions of real and synthetic blood. Sookie passes out and wakes to find Pam watching over her. After cleaning up, Sookie waits in Eric’s office with Bill until Eric, Pam, and the new bartender, Chow, finish closing the bar. Eric informs them that he is sending Bill and Sookie to Dallas so that she can use her “gift” to help the vampire leader of Area Six solve a problem. Sookie has no choice but to consent, per her agreement with Eric. She brings the conversation to a stop when she asks why a maenad is in the woods, and the vampires explain that maenads feed off the violence associated with alcohol and, therefore, are very interested in bars. They expect tribute from those who profit from drink.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23.
Sam agrees, albeit reluctantly, to give Sookie the time off to go to Dallas. He initially reacts with laughter when she solemnly warns that there is a maenad roaming the woods, but he quickly sobers when Sookie shows him her scars. He gently kisses her back, and then he kisses her more deeply on the lips. She briefly responds to his warmth but then pulls away, and they try to resume their conversation. Portia comes into the bar with a request from Andy for Sookie to “listen” for information because he is a suspect in the death. Sookie agrees, but for the sake of her friend Lafayette, not for the Bellefleurs.
Sam agrees, albeit reluctantly, to give Sookie the time off to go to Dallas. He initially reacts with laughter when she solemnly warns that there is a maenad roaming the woods, but he quickly sobers when Sookie shows him her scars. He gently kisses her back, and then he kisses her more deeply on the lips. She briefly responds to his warmth but then pulls away, and they try to resume their conversation. Portia comes into the bar with a request from Andy for Sookie to “listen” for information because he is a suspect in the death. Sookie agrees, but for the sake of her friend Lafayette, not for the Bellefleurs.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24.
Arriving at the airport in Dallas, Sookie heads to the cargo plane Bill traveled on, waiting for his casket to be unloaded. She is accosted by a man dressed as a Catholic priest who attempts to pull her away with him; however, just then Bill’s coffin appears, and the lid opens as Bill wakes. The “priest” runs as Bill rushes to Sookie’s side, and they consider the meaning of the incident as they make their way to the Silent Shore Hotel, where Sookie is startled and delighted to realize that the hotel bellboy, Barry, is also a telepath, although very unschooled. They are met at the hotel by Dallas vampire Isabel Beaumont, who waits while they check in and freshen up before taking them to the home of the sheriff of Area Six, Stan Davis. Stan tells them that one of his nest mates, Farrell, is missing, and Stan wants him found. He brings in humans known to have been in the vampire bar where Farrell was last seen. By reading their memories, Sookie is able to tell that Farrell entered a bathroom with another vampire. She also realizes that the “priest” from the airport was in the bar as well. Bill steps away to use a computer and returns with the identity of the second vampire based on the description Sookie elicited. Stan is appalled to realize that Farrell was probably kidnapped by Godric, aka Godfrey, an ancient vampire who has become a renouncer and plans to meet the sun in a ceremony arranged by the anti-vampire Fellowship of the Sun.
Arriving at the airport in Dallas, Sookie heads to the cargo plane Bill traveled on, waiting for his casket to be unloaded. She is accosted by a man dressed as a Catholic priest who attempts to pull her away with him; however, just then Bill’s coffin appears, and the lid opens as Bill wakes. The “priest” runs as Bill rushes to Sookie’s side, and they consider the meaning of the incident as they make their way to the Silent Shore Hotel, where Sookie is startled and delighted to realize that the hotel bellboy, Barry, is also a telepath, although very unschooled. They are met at the hotel by Dallas vampire Isabel Beaumont, who waits while they check in and freshen up before taking them to the home of the sheriff of Area Six, Stan Davis. Stan tells them that one of his nest mates, Farrell, is missing, and Stan wants him found. He brings in humans known to have been in the vampire bar where Farrell was last seen. By reading their memories, Sookie is able to tell that Farrell entered a bathroom with another vampire. She also realizes that the “priest” from the airport was in the bar as well. Bill steps away to use a computer and returns with the identity of the second vampire based on the description Sookie elicited. Stan is appalled to realize that Farrell was probably kidnapped by Godric, aka Godfrey, an ancient vampire who has become a renouncer and plans to meet the sun in a ceremony arranged by the anti-vampire Fellowship of the Sun.
Sookie asks how the “priest” could have known that she would be at the airport and suggests, in writing, that Stan’s house is bugged. She locates the bug under the table, and the vampires drop it into a bowl of water after acting out a little scenario for the listener’s benefit. Isabel’s human companion, Hugo Ayres, offers to escort Sookie to the Fellowship to gather information.
Stan, angry about the bug, asks if there are any strangers visiting the house, and Isabel brings in Leif, actually Eric, who came to Dallas to watch over Bill and Sookie. Leif/Eric denies planting the bug, and Sookie points out that the bug had to have been there for a few days in order for the listener to know when she and Bill would be flying in. Isabel takes Sookie and Bill back to their hotel, where they attempt a little romance but are interrupted by Eric.
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