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.”Pause.“Locking the door to keep the others out, Mr.Cushing—or me in?”“You seem to be the one with all the answers.”“Not quite.Why were you so hard on Ben Louder? He seems a kind, sincere man.More importantly, a loyal member of your little vigilante vampire club.He assisted you on the hunt, his intentions clear.Vampires are very cunning.It wasn’t Louder’s fault he unknowingly had one under his employ.”“But it was his fault…”“You mean his responsibility.”“I mean his fault.”“I don’t understand.”“Really? And you were doing so well! Such a clever girl! Too clever, I think!”“Am I?”“It’s right under that pert little nose, Sheila! Ben Louder is the reason Arthur Angstrom was a vampire!”I felt my heart drop about seven feet.I began thrashing savagely under Mitzi’s weight.“Get off me!”“Chill, Eddie, she knows what she’s doing.”“Goddamnit it, don’t you get it? Louder’s a vampire! Cushing’s a vampire! They’re all vampires!”Mitzi pressed down with her front paws.“Not all, I think…”“You’re making this up,” from Clancy.“Why?”“Am I?”“Yes.Vampires don’t stake other vampires.It just isn’t done.”“Nor was it tonight!”Pause.I could almost hear Clancy’s wheels turning.“…then…Lester’s not a vampire?”“Not yet.”Sounds of lighter feet backing up…then a bump.Silence.“She’s backed into a wall!” I sobbed.“Go on, my dear, you’re doing so well.”“…Lester’s not a vampire…none of the young men downstairs are vampires…because vampires can’t breed…”“That’s my smart Miss Sheila! Do go on!”“…Able House…a meeting place for young men and women of aristocracy and breeding.The ultimate nepotism.Men and women who eventually wed, have an heir, continue the lineage.And only then become vampires!”“To continue that lineage!”“But keeping it in careful check, in careful control.By hiding in plain sight among England’s great estates, great entitlement.That’s brilliant.I assume it runs all through Parliament.”“It does.”“A fairly large, but very private club, in keeping with fine British tradition.You’re not trying to take over the world like Alicia and Kolcheck…you’re attempting to blend with it!”“For centuries now, yes.”“Conservation”“We prefer the term birth control.”“…’with the other cows’…”“Pardon me?”“Gretchen said she’d been consigned to the second floor with ‘the other cows.’ But not for milk, for blood.The girls supply you with blood, isn’t that right? That’s unspeakable.”“Not at all.The upstairs girls aren’t turned, that would be pointless.”“Of course, you’d soon run low on stock!”“We rarely get complaints.The downstairs girls are paid quite handsomely.If not chosen by someone to marry and sent upstairs, their wages are doubled.”“And the occasional dissenter? Dealt with accordingly, ala Arthur Angstrom?”“Rarely.It happens.”“Often enough to ensure the spirit of the hunt?”“Collateral damage as in any war.A drop in the ocean compared to the wars involving your own country, Miss Blaine.”“Oh, shit!” I groaned.“He’s onto her! He knows she’s Clancy!”SEVENTEEN“But he doesn’t necessarily know who we are!” Mitzi hissed, pressing harder into my back.I struggled against her, spitting sod.“Are you crazy? Let me up! We’ve got to—““Eddie, use your brain for once! She’s Clancy! A hybrid! He can’t hurt her!”“How the hell do we know what he can do to her—what he even is?”“He’s a vampire,” said The Count pleasantly behind us, “nothing more, nothing less.”I felt the poodle’s weight drop from my back and I sat up.The Count was smiling at us, perched on the shiny hood of the Lamborghini, blowing blue smoke from the long yellow stem of his cigarette holder.Splendid in his top hat and tails, his gleaming Dracula medallion.He glanced about himself approvingly.“What a wonderfully vulgar vehicle! Young Lester does have decent taste, you really must give him that!”I stood, brushing at my jeans.“I’d like to give him a lot more than that right now!” I glared up at the second story window.“That and his tight-assed old man!”The Count smiled, clapped his hands once and Mitzi bounded into his lap.“Now, now, Edward, let’s don’t muddle all the hard work now we’re so close to the dénouement! My darling Mitzi here is quite right—our lovely Miss Blaine remains quite invulnerable to the stodgy Lord Cushing!”I held up my hand to still him, eyes still glued on the glowing upstairs window.“Sh! I can’t hear them anymore!”“Yes, I’m afraid that’s my fault, I’m scrambling her transmission.”I jerked around to the old man, gently stroking Mitzi’s fur, the poodle limp with ecstasy in his arms.“Why!”“To keep the playing field level, of course.”I strode impatiently toward the car.“What the hell are you talking about? Put her back on!”The Count rubbed the dog’s tummy.“I’m afraid not, Edward.Fair is fair, after all!”I started to reach for him but one look from those unwavering red eyes and I remained frozen in place—I hoped of my own volition.I tried a new tact.“Count, look, you know how much appreciate all you’ve done for us! The way you’ve—in your own unique way—guided us through all this, led the way, helped fend off possible disasters.We all owe you a great debt.Me, Mitzi, Clancy, the twins in Chicago—““Sylvie--?”I felt a spurt of adrenalin [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]