Lord of the Vampires (19 page)

And in the process, I am tended to like a real lady, embraced into the social bosom of those who are my prey. Nay, not a real lady but the princess that I am, for Elisabeth and I go by our titles, the Countess Nadasdy and the Princess Dracul. How everyone fawns over us!

We have even bought a house, a great French
chateau
in the most affluent part of the city, which Elisabeth has rilled with servants. I have a wonderfully handsome coachman, Antonio, offspring of a black African mother and Italian father. For sport, I engage with him in what he believes to be a most scandalous affair Little does he know
just
how strange it is for a lowly coachman to be dallying with
this
particular princess.

But the house, the house, the house is beautiful. There are cut crystal panes in the windows which refract sunlight into rainbows and fine Turkish carpets, and peacocks strutting on the grounds, and flowers and gushing fountains and statues of Bacchus and Pan and Aphrodite

We are the exotic new darlings of society, the Hungarian and Roumanian representatives of royalty. People call on us, and we serve (and eat!) the finest French pastriesthe tiny decorated ones, of the type I had seen in Viennas
Konditorei
but could not savour.

I devour it all. And I suckle on the citys rich and powerful elitemostly men, who contrive to get me alone. How cheerfully I let them and then, how cheerfully I drink.

But a pall is cast upon this bliss when I contemplate Vlads arrival. He will try to find someone to try to kill us, just as we have enlisted Mr. Harkers aid. We left our Englishman in Buda-Pesth, raving in delirium. It will make for a nice excuse, especially since he will remember nothing of us women but everything of Vlad. His people will think him sick all this time with madness or brain-fever, no doubt, so that when he does resurface in his Exeter, no one will be suspicious.

And we will find a way to bring him to London.

But I have waited so many years to enjoy my freedom in this fair (but dirty) city that I dread the interruption of my happiness. I feel like saying to Elisabeth:
You go, and wage your metaphysical war against Vlad; leave me here
!

She seems happy, but has been preoccupied the past two days. She has enjoyed our socialising and indulging in sexual peccadilloes with those upon whom I dine; but yesterday and to-day, she closeted herself away beyond my reach, using a magic so strong I cannot detect where she has gone. I assume she is preparing for the confrontation with Vlad, or enlisting the Dark Lords aid. But when she emerged yesterday, she was grim-faced and silent, and sent me out to shop alone.

Today she did so again. When I arrived home late, I found her down in the cellar, where she had unwrapped packages sent from her home. The contents?

Dear God, the contents A woman-sized Iron Maidennaked, the nipples on its hard breasts painted gaudy red, its wide leer filled with human teeth of various sizes and shades of white, yellow, brown. From its head flowed long golden hair; upon its pubes was coiled the same.

Nearby stood another obscene creation: a narrow cylindrical cageagain, just large enough to hold a womans body. From its iron bars emerged long, sharp spikes
turned inward
, so that any prisoner who struggled or tried to flee would soon find herself impaled. I stood and watched in silent horror as Elisabeth directed Dorka and a manservant upon a ladder as they suspended it from the ceiling, then threaded the rope through a pulley.

What is this? I asked, in a low voice that trembled. I knew the answer already; the devices purposes were patently clear. But I had to hear Elisabeths explanation.

She whirled smiling to face me, her eyes bright with predatory anticipation. Zsuzsanna, darling! Welcome to our little dungeon. Her sulkiness was entirely gone, replaced by great good cheer; she reached for my hand and pulled me to her, then planted a fervent kiss upon my lips.

I stood stiff and unyielding, for I was quite distraught: I could only think of how desperately I had always hated Vlads Theatre of Death, where it pleased him to torment his poor prey without mercy. I have dined on the blood of strangers too long to feel any remorse for itbut vampire or no, I have never shared Vlads predilection for torture. Bad enough the poor fools should die, so I long ago vowed that I would send them to Hades on clouds of ecstasy.

Most times, I have managed to do so. But when I saw Elisabeths horrific devices, I panicked. I had judged her to be like me, a woman of generosity and kindness, capable of sympathy towards her supper; had I run from the Impalers arms into the embrace of another as secretly cruel as he?

At my coldness, Elisabeth merely laughed, and jovially pulled me to her side so that she could wind an arm round my waist. Silly Zsuzsa! Dont be frightened of them! Theyre merely tools. Means to an end. Then she pressed her lips to my ear and whispered, so that neither Dorka nor the manservant could hear: In time, dearest. In time, you will understand. Do not judge before you see for yourself

I do not
want
to see, I said stubbornly, and pulled away.

That was the extent of it; neither she nor I have spoken of the secrets in the cellar since. Frankly, I do not wish even to think of them, for when I do it spoils the sublime happiness of being here in London with the one I love. Tonight we met a group at a restauranta baronet and his wife, and a lord and lady!and dined on a fine British supper of champagne, oysters, beef Wellington, and trifle. Food is such a delight!

I will do my best not to judge Elisabeth until I see what she intends with these implements. I cannot imagine anything good, but I must trust her

* * *

Dr. Sewards Diary

21 July.

After speaking to Van Helsing about Renfield, a patient, I have granted his request to privately interview our life-eater in his cell. I suspect the professor believes dare I say it?vampires are involved. Since he decided to remain here, he has spoken to me of his mission here only twice, and then in the vaguest terms. My belief still wavers from time to time; I suppose I will never be convinced until I have irrefutable physical evidence of the existence of such creatures.

Last nights musings about our zoophagous patient affected me more than I had realised. Upon retiring quite late, I fell at once asleep, into vivid, gruesomely detailed dreams of Renfield regurgitating the bloodied, half-digested corpses of sparrows, cats, large dogseven a horse, which emerged from his gullet impossibly whole. And everywhere floated feathers, painted with blood in more delicate, intricate designs than could ever be wrought by the hand of Nature.

Abruptly, over this nauseous spectacle fell a great darknessthe all-consuming evil void from the recurring nightmare I had relayed to Professor Van Helsing. It spread like a shadow over the vomiting man until he was entirely eclipsed. That sight evoked again in me an intense terror, a terror that grew to unbearable proportions when, even in the midst of my dream, I understood its meaning:

The Darkness is like Renfieldan Eater of Souls, desperate to consume life after life after life after life. And it means to devour Van Helsing and me.

* * *

The Diary of Abraham Van Helsing

24 JULY.

Dracula draws near. This instinct and evidence tell me; in fact, I took the liberty of hypnotising Johns zoophage, Renfield, and am convinced that his newfound obsession with consuming life is in some way a sinister influence of the vampires approach.

In fact, Vlad should have arrived in London a fortnight ago. Thus far, however, Gerda will not corroborate this. In Zsuzsannas voice, she speaks only of one other the mysterious Elisabeth, who seems to be neither mortal nor vampire. Of Vlad she says: Hmph! Who cares about
him?
. We shall see him soon enough

I can think of one possible explanation: that Vlad and Zsuzsanna have had a falling-out, and took separate routes. For a moment this notion caused me some terror, as it could mean that Vlad is headed elsewhere in England, or to another country altogether.

But no; Zsuzsanna says that she will see him soon enough. And I know that she is here in London. Where, I do not know; but I must learn soon and find her, before she finds
me
.

* * *

8 AUGUST.

At last, at last! Word from Gerda: He is come, she said this afternoonand that is all I could coax from her. Then, like a little girl, she drew up her knees and hugged them to her chest; and turned her face from me and pouted. I confess that despite the chill I felt knowing that Vlad had arrived (and with him, great danger), I smiled. Not at my poor wife, but at the perfect mental image I had of the immature Zsuzsanna sulking. Everything Gerda has told me so far fits: all the condescending references to Vlad and to her freedom, and now this unhappy reaction at the arrival of him whom she had once adored. My guess is right; they
have
had a falling-out.

But will Vlad join Zsuzsanna here? His arrival took more than a month, which means he must have come by sea. I had pressed Gerda on this, asking, Where is he now? London?

She would say nothing, merely shook her head.

I can only hope that he makes amends and returns to Zsuzsannaelse my task will prove much more difficult, indeed. Without Gerda as my compass, I am lost.

* * *

24 AUGUST.

From the small bits of information I have gleaned from Gerda, I believe I can triangulate the area where Zsuzsanna must be hiding: near the East End, or Piccadilly. I have scouted the area extensively both by cab and on foot and, so far, have failed to locate any properties suitable for vampires. The neighbourhoods there are havens for the wealthy upper-class; they contain no cemeteries, no crumbling chapels, nothing sufficiently gloomy to suit Vlads taste.

I have no further word, however, regarding whether he will rendezvous with his consort. It may well be that I have a double taskto hunt down both him
and
Zsuzsanna separately. I pray that will not come to pass.

I think it will not; for last night, we had quite a scare at the asylum which has convinced me that he is indeed come to London. Johns zoophage, Renfield, became so grievously obsessed that he scaled the asylum wall and ran onto the neighbouring property. (Fortunately, he did not get so far as to alarm the residents.) The disturbance drew me from my room, and when John returned (huffing and puffing), he told me all that had transpired.

What caught my attention most was a comment the patient had made in his delirium, that the Master had come and he, Renfield, would do this Masters bidding. As John reports it: I have worshipped You long and afar off. Now that You are near, I await Your commands

Renfield is, as I have always suspected, exceptionally sensitive. (Madmen usually areforgive me, dear Gerda, but it is true of you as well.) He feels the vampires evil presence nearing, and has incorporated it into his madness. But we must take especial care with him, for he has offered himself up to Vlads service. He is therefore of great potential danger to us.

Vlad is indeed in the area; my guess is London, with Zsuzsanna. Tomorrow, when Gerda is able, I will see if that guess is right.

* * *

30 AUGUST.

Everything points to a separation between Vlad and Zsuzsanna. When I question Gerda, she still refuses to say much about him; clearly, Zsuzsanna lives somewhere in the city with this Elisabeth, and no one else. But if she despises Vlad as greatly as her speech and demeanour suggest, why did she also choose to come here? Why not some other great European city, rather than share London with one she so hates?

This makes my work doubly difficult, for I had meant to rely on Gerdas knowledge of Vlads movements. It torments me to think that the vampire is nearby, feeding on innocent victims, while I am unable to find him, much less stop him.

I see only one choice: to utilise Renfield as much as possible, in hopes that he possesses, somewhere in his troubled brain, information which can help.

* * *

The Diary of Abraham Van Helsing

1 SEPTEMBER.

A slight change in Gerda. Under hypnosis, she seems crestfallen. Apparently Zsuzsanna has had some sort of falling-out with her friend Elisabeth; any mention of same, or of Vlad, elicits the vilest curses. But where Zsuzsanna is now, Gerda will not say.

One interesting piece of information: At the same time she curses Vlad, she also speaks of a manuscript or parchment. This she does not elaborate upon, but from her expression and tone of voice, I gather she wants badly to obtain itif only for the purpose of getting it away from Vlad.

* * *

Dr. Sewards Diary

3 SEPTEMBER.

Van Helsing and I paid Lucy Westenra a professional visit at Hillingham today (at his insistence, though I told Art Holmwood that I wanted to bring in an expert). Poor girl! It breaks my heart to see her in such a state. She has lost a good deal of weight and is now too thin, and her pallour suggests severe anaemia of the sort that often costs young people their lives. Still, she was as pretty as ever, sitting in her bedchamber near an open window through which streamed warm sunlight; it saddened me to see that she was too weak to properly enjoy one of the last days of summer. She wore a white frock embroidered with white satin thread, and her hair was tied back with a great white bow like a schoolgirls. In the sun, hints of gold in her dark ash hair gleamed becomingly.

But she was clearly exhausted, lying upon a chaise longue against a plethora of pillows. Despite the days warmth, one wool blanket was tucked around her legs, and another draped about her shoulders. When the maid brought us to her, she did not lift her head, but with great effort raised her arm that we might take her hand. Weak or no, she managed to thoroughly charm Van Helsing and me, of course.

And I do believe he charmed her, though he again took on the
persona
of the witless foreigner, the slayer of English grammar and syntax. I wish he would not do it at least, not when I am around. It embarrasses me for his sake (it makes him, one of the worlds most intelligent and educated men, seem a bumbling fool), and sometimes his more outrageous locutions make me grin at the most inappropriate times.