Man Friday

rat, a raven, a wolf, or a great black hound. I can impersonate numerous paranormal creatures, such as black dogs, werewolves, and hags; my favorite is the barghest. I can even imitate other people." He burst into shadow, which increased in size, and when it dissipated she found herself staring at her own face. For a moment it was like looking into a mirror, until the face broke into a leering grin.

  "All right, you've made your point." Vlad reassumed his cat form.

  "I can see definite advantages with that, but I'd rather you not impersonate me except when absolutely necessary."

  "Of course, My Master."

  "Fine. Now, if you don't mind--"

  "Master, may I have a word with you?"

  "You already are; too many in fact. And you don't need to call me 'master' with every breath. At least, not in private."

  "Yes, My Master." Somehow he managed to make the cat-face flash a grinning leer.

  She sighed. "What is it?"

  "What will you do if your paralysis proves to be permanent?"

  She wondered about that herself. "I don't know. I'll just have to play it by ear."

  "I can offer a way to cure you."

  That piqued her interest. "How?"

  "Are you familiar with the Dhampyr?"

  "I think so. In Balkan folklore, that's the child of a Human and Vampire, isn't it?"

  "Not quite. Do you know what causes vampirism?"

  "Yes, a parasite. A Dr. Borgia named it Pestilia vampirae."

  "Correct. It cures us of disease, injury, and age, but at the cost of a Hunger for blood, a daytime Torpor, and sterility. We cannot conceive children, either with ourselves or Humans."

  "So, pray tell, what is a Dhampyr?"

  "Contrary to legend, one does not become a Vampire automatically when bitten. One must consume the blood of a Vampire first. The parasites inhabit our tissue, but their eggs circulate through the bloodstream. If a Vampire wishes to Turn a Human, he first takes her blood; not enough to kill her, just enough to weaken and disorient her. He then offers her his own, through an open vein."

  "Why would she take it?"

  "We have a law, that no Human be Turned against her will. She takes it because she wants it."

  "As I remember, you turned Lucy Westenra against her will, and tried to do the same to Mina Harker."

  The cat face displayed an evil grin. "I never was one for obeying laws."

  A chill ran down her spine as she contemplated that bit of news. If that's true, how can I trust him? When this is over, maybe I should put him back in that crypt.

  But then his expression returned to normal. "In any event, the loss of blood through feeding makes a Human crave it. When the blood enters her stomach, the acids stimulate the eggs in the blood to hatch. The embryonic parasites pass into the small intestines, where they enter the bloodstream and travel to other tissues to establish themselves, including the brain. They cause no damage, but they alter the body chemistry, which Turns the Human into a Vampire."

  "How long does it take?"

  "The process of taking and giving blood continues two or three times a day for a few days, until the Human falls into a coma. She then sleeps for a few days more as the parasites make their changes, but when she finally awakens she is overwhelmed by the Hunger and she is driven to hunt."

  "So, about a week?"

  "Thereabouts."

  "Interesting. But what does this have to do with a Dhampyr?"

  "There is a certain threshold of infection that must be achieved to Turn a Human. Weakening her with loss of blood decreases that threshold and stimulates the parasites to make their alterations, but even a healthy person can be Turned if she consumes enough vampiric blood. However, if insufficient blood is consumed to reach that threshold, she will not Turn, but the parasites will still become established and make some alterations. Such a person is a Dhampyr."

  "Some alterations?"

  "Yes. The extent depends upon how close to the threshold she comes, but even a minor infection grants certain limited vampiric powers."

  "Such as?"

  "It can vary from one individual to the next, but the most common are night vision, enhanced strength and constitution, and healing."

  "Healing?" That caught her attention.

  "Indeed. During a proper Turning, the parasites at least stimulate blood production, to replace what was lost through feeding, but they will also repair any other damage they encounter. The same is true for a Dhampyr, and it will continue throughout her life, which the parasites will extend almost indefinitely."

  "So, you're offering to make me a Dhampyr, to cure my paralysis if it doesn't go away on its own."

  "I am offering more than that."

  Her mind skipped a track. "Are you suggesting I become a Vampire?!"

  "No. There are too many disadvantages at the start, not the least of which is amnesia."

  "I don't understand."

  "The parasites suppress a Turned Human's memories, so that she forgets her former life. It is necessary for her to adopt the lifestyle required to become a Vampire, but it would mean you would forget your duty to God, Sovereign, and Country, and you would become the very thing your family has dedicated itself to destroy."

  "Then, just what are you suggesting?"

  "I can take you right to the edge of the threshold. You will not be Turned, but you will have virtually the full powers of a Vampire. Think of it: your strength will be as a dozen strong men, you will be virtually indestructible, you will never succumb to sickness or age, and you will see centuries come and go as if they were years. You will move faster than men can see, you will defy gravity, and you will be able to see in the absence of light. You will be the most powerful monster hunter that ever has or will exist, after me. You can expand your duty to protect the whole of Mankind, not just the inhabitants of these small islands. You and I can roam the world, ridding it of paranormal threats, and I can teach you what I know of the Dark Arts, so you can become as powerful as I am."

  She didn't know how to respond, because she didn't know how to feel. His offer caught her off guard, and she felt interest and fear and anger all at once, with none stronger than another. Then a stray thought intruded, from some hidden corner of her mind she knew not where.

  "You're lonely, aren't you?"

  The eyes of the cat face grew wide and round as saucers, and he meowed before he spoke. "What makes you ask that?"

  "You spoke of us traveling the world. Granted you would still be bound to me, but I get the impression that we'd be more than that; like partners, equals, rather than master and servant. Then there was Lucy, and Mina, and your three Transylvanian brides that Old Abraham destroyed. You almost seem to be obsessed with acquiring companions."

  "That is true. We Vampires are a solitary race; we live alone, hold private territories, and destroy any rival who tries to usurp our hunting grounds or poaches on our rightful prey. And yet, as the years and centuries pass, that solitude preys on our souls and we come to crave company. There is not one of us who has not taken a Companion at least once in his long life. Some of us take Humans as pets, but most Turn favorites so that we may have their presence for some time to come. And for a short while it works. We have the joy and comfort of a comrade to bring substance and purpose back into our lives. But it never lasts. In time our Companions leave us to be on their own. It usually happens when their amnesia fades."

  "The memory loss isn't permanent?"

  "No, but it generally takes a century. Yet with the return of their memory their original personality reasserts itself. It cannot wipe out the new personality, but it absorbs it and becomes dominant once more. Though the process is gradual, there comes a time when the Companion realizes she is no longer who she thought she was, and she discovers she no longer cares for the one who Turned her. She then leaves him, often forever."

  The poignancy with which he spoke touched her. "How often has that happened to you?"

  "Too often, but I sought out Companions more eagerly than m
ost."

  "Do any still exist?"

  "To my knowledge, none."

  "What of Mina? From what you've told me, she should have become a Dhampyr."

  "She did, but she left me like the others, and I have not heard of her since."

  "I'm sorry. I think I understand you better now. You hope that if our relationship was one of monster hunting instead of romance, we would remain together longer."

  "You would gain more than I."

  "But if it worked, you would no longer be quite so lonely."

  He made no reply except to stare at her in an intent manner.

  "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tempted, especially under the present circumstances, but I'll need time to think about this."

  "As you wish, My Master, and I understand. You should only accept if you have no doubts and no hesitation. You must want it with all your heart."

  "Very well, and thank you for your patience."

  The Vlad-cat stood up. "My patience is legendary." He then turned a complete circle several times, laid down and curled up, covering his head with his tail.

  Differel removed her glasses and set them on the night table before folding her hands over her stomach and closing her eyes. She found his offer very tempting, more so than she would care to admit, but it also frightened her. She wasn't just concerned about the permanence, though that was a critical consideration. Despite her personal commitment to her family's responsibility, she could resign as Director of the Order whenever she wished, and it was by no means certain that Her Majesty's Government would approve her appointment. But once she took that first drink of Vlad's blood there would be no going back. She could not change her mind later and renounce being a Dhampyr no matter how much she regretted it.

  Instead, what distressed her most was that she would be forsaking her Humanity forever, even if she went no further. She would do so, and gladly, if it was the only way for her to honour her duty, but she had not yet arrived at that point. Until then, being Human was all that separated her from the monsters she would swear to destroy. She understood that being a monster, or even just a half-monster, was no bar to performing her duty; Vlad as proof of that. But could she truly fulfill an oath to defend Sovereign, Church, and Country once she was no longer fully human? Even if such an oath would have any meaning, might she not become a mere thrall, like Vlad, only in service to the Queen and Whitehall? And what if she left Britain as Vlad suggested? Could she ever return, or would she be like him, forever exiled from the soil of her birth?

  Yet the power he offered was intoxicating. How could she just ignore it without giving it serious consideration? How could she turn her back on what might be the only way she could keep herself alive without proper training? She owed it to her family, to her Father, to seize whatever opportunity offered itself if it meant she could fulfill the duty she had inherited from them.

  Her mind seesawed back and forth as arguments presented themselves and were debated, but as she wrestled with the conundrum, she sank deeper into her subconscious, until finally she drifted off to sleep without realizing it had happened.

  Later that day, Aelfraed gave a report on the nurse's statement. Differel sat in the meeting room next to the office, at the foot of the table, with Mrs. Widget and Mr. Holt on either side of her while Vlad stood behind her wheelchair. Aelfraed stood at the head, reading from a prepared text.

  "She claims that her contact was an aide for a member of the Privy Council, and that he had ordered your death once the Council had been informed that you had slain Miranda."

  "Was she able to provide a name?" she asked.

  "No, Madam."

  "Then how could she know it was a Counsellor?"

  "She described the aide."

  "She met him? When and how?"

  "The same day she made the attempt on your life. She went into Denver to do some shopping and he contacted her at an outdoor cafe."

  "That doesn't explain how she knew he was attached to the Privy Council."

  "She had first met