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passage of time. In the Möbius continuum time was a very nearly meaningless
concept, but here in the first low foothills of the
Carpatii Meridionali it was very real, and still the dead vampire's tale was
not completely told. The important part - for Harry, and for Alec Kyle and
INTESP - was still to come, but Harry knew better than to ask directly for the
information he desired. He could only press Thibor to the bitter end.
'Go on,' he urged, when the vampire's pause threatened to stretch
indefinitely.
'What? Go on?'
Thibor seemed mildly surprised.
'But what more is there? My tale is told.'
'Still, I'd like to hear the rest of it. Did you stay in the castle as Faethor
had commanded, or did you return to Kiev? You ended your days in Wallachia,
right here, in these cruciform hills. How did that come about?'
Thibor sighed.
'Surely it is now time for you to tell me certain things. We made a bargain,
Harry.'
'I warned you, Harry Keogh!'
the spirit of Boris Dragosani joined in, sharper than that of
Thibor.
'Never bargain with a vampire. For there's always the devil to pay.'
Dragosani was right, Harry knew. He'd heard of Thibor's cunning from the very
horse's mouth:
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it had taken no small amount of guile to defeat Faethor Ferenczy. 'A deal is a
deal,' he said. 'When
Thibor has delivered, so shall I. Now come on, Thibor, let's have the rest of
the story.'
'So be it,'
he said.
'This is how it was.'
Something brought me awake. I thought I heard the rending of timber. My mind
and body were dull from the night's excesses - all of the night's excesses, of
which Faethor had only been the first - but nevertheless I stirred myself up.
I lay naked on the lady's couch. Smiling strangely, she approached from the
direction of the locked door, her hands clasped behind her back. My dull mind
saw nothing to fear. If she had sought to escape she could easily have taken
the key from my clothes. But as I made to sit up her expression changed,
became charged with hatred and lust. Not the human lust of last night but the
inhuman lust of the vampire. Her hands came into view, and clasped in one of
them was a splinter of oak ripped from the shattered door panel. A sharp knife
of hardwood!
'You'll put no stake through my heart, lady,' I told her, knocking the
splinter from her hand and sending her flying. While she hissed and snarled at
me from a corner I dressed, went out, and locked the door behind me. I must be
more careful in future. She could easily have slipped away and unbarred the
castle's door for Faethor - if he still lived. Obviously she'd been more
intent on putting an end to me than on seeing to his well-being. Her master he
may have been, but that wasn't to say she'd relished it!
I checked the castle's security. All stood as before. I looked in on Ehrig and
the other woman.
At first I thought they were fighting, but they were not...
Then I went up onto the battlements. A weak sun peered through dark, drifting
clouds heavy with rain. I thought the sun frowned on me. Certainly I did not
enjoy the sensation of its feeble rays on my naked arms and neck, and in a
very little while I was glad to return indoors. And now I found myself with
time on my hands, which I put to use exploring the castle more fully than
before.
I searched for loot and found it: some gold, very ancient, in plate and
goblets; a pouch of gems; a small chest of rings, necklaces, bangles and such
in precious metals. Enough to keep me in style for an entire lifetime. A
normal lifetime, anyway. As for the rest: empty rooms, rotten hangings and
wormy furniture, a general air of gloom and decay. It was oppressive, and I
determined to be on my way as soon as possible. But first I would like to be
sure that the Ferenczy was not lying in wait.
In the evening I dined and drowsed in front of a fire in Faethor's quarters.
But as night drew on it brought thoughts to disturb and niggle in the back of
my mind, disquieting ideas which would not surface. The wolves were aprowl
again, but their howling seemed dismal, distant. There were no bats. The fire
lulled me.
'Thibor, my son,'
said a voice.
'Be on your guard!'
I started awake, leaped to my feet, snatched up my sword.
'Oh? Ha, ha, ha!'
that same voice laughed - but no one was there!
'Who is it?' I cried, knowing who it was. 'Come out, Faethor, for I know
you're here!'
'You know nothing. Go to the window.'
I stared wildly all about. The room was full of shadows, leaping in the fire's
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