* * *
Word of the humans carried through the horde with a ripple of excitement, but no one was really hungry. The diehard brain-lovers had been at the front and were all dead now. The remaining zombies were those that had come along out of fear or curiosity or because they believed in Norm.
Ahead, Norm saw a frenzy of blurred movement. If he came any closer to the humans, he risked the brainlust. Now was the time. Norm raised himself as high as his slouching spine would allow.
I am Norman Winslow! he yelled. I was the first! I have tasted human brains and they do not satisfy! Turn from these measly mortals and join me in the quest for true ecstasy. Feast on noble flesh! To the duke!
Norm wasn’t sure what a vampire was, but Paddington hadn’t sounded happy that the duke was one and Norm had promised to do whatever he could to help. Besides, he needed to draw the horde away from the humans and the Andrastes seemed to be able to take care of themselves.
An old, patriotic part of Norm wondered whether this was treason. Probably, but the death penalty wasn’t much of a deterrent any more.
The horde’s cries of Forgive me! and For Harold! and What did he say? and It’s a basic existential conundrum that… trailed off. Heads sought the Andrastes and Norm pointed his stump of an arm at them.
Large are their brains and delicious! Norm shouted. Ignore the mongrels of the street! Ignore the desires of the flesh! Dine on the finest cuisine!
Stumbling and shuffling and growling, the nearby zombies – many of who were followers of Norm’s teachings – started toward the vampires. The cows were pulled along with them, but didn’t seem very concerned by the night’s events.
Truly, Norm said, the path to enlightenment and fulfilment is inside the heads of our former leaders! Civil blood makes civil tongues unclean, but noble blood emboldens! To the duke!
Most of the zombies were buying it. Some, however, continued toward the humans, creating a traffic jam as the horde tried to move in two directions at once. Zombies pushed and pulled at their fellows, tore pieces off them, bumped, were shoved, fell, trampled the fallen. Zombie killed zombie for the right to feast on their species of choice.
The horde thinned.