by Paul Cornell
"Get this off me!" The girl shouted at him.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." The cricketer stepped quickly forward, a searching expression on his face. He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "If she wants to be free, ask her why she can't lift it off." Russell looked between them.
"Ask her!" repeated the man.
"I can't move it, Russell, because I'm a vampire," Madelaine smiled at the student sweetly. "And we have an inability to cross running water. Why don't you go home now? I think this is going to get rather messy."
The young man jumped up, staring at her, and sprinted off down the cobbled street, towards lights and taxis.
"I'll pop round later, okay?" Maddy shouted after him.
"You will do nothing of the sort." The Doctor pointed at her angrily. "Do you know what damage your feeding does, what innocent lives it - "
Maddy interrupted him. She'd been sniffing the air, intrigued. "You're not human," she whispered. "Oh no, you're this Doctor bloke, aren't you?"
"I'm the Doctor, yes, and you're right, I'm not human. Now, I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to know what's happened to my companion Nyssa."
"She's one of us, that's what's happened," Maddy smiled. "It'll suit her. She's got a lot of pain inside, she deserves the chance to enjoy herself." She put her hands on the hose gingerly.
"How do you know - " The Doctor visibly controlled himself "Where is she?"
"I don't know. I haven't seen her since Australia."
The Doctor frowned at her. He seemed to realize that she was telling the truth. "Who's your leader? Who's behind all this?"
"Good question ... now Jake!" Maddy had looked up suddenly.
Tegan slammed into the railings behind the bench, propelled by some sudden force. The other end of the hosepipe spilled water over the cobbles at her feet.
Maddy shrugged off the loop.
The Doctor found himself pulled off his feet and held aloft by his collar. Jake stared at him accusingly. "Don't do that," he murmured. "She doesn't like getting closed in."
"No ... I'm sure she doesn't. You know, if you put me down, we might be able to talk about the safety of my companion." He glanced quickly at Madelaine. "I think we all have her well-being at heart, don't we?"
"Yeah, we might. But you're full of traps. You killed one of us. Can't let you live." Jake threw the Doctor over the railings, and he landed in the churchyard. "You all right?" he asked Madelaine.
"Fine, yeah. You finish him off; I'll make it two out of two with the girl." Maddy dropped to her knees and approached the unconscious Tegan, who was lying against the railings. "This'll be the Aussie who upset that Sanders. The Doctor isn't exactly Ian Wright, is he?"
"Eh?" Jake hopped over the railings. The Time Lord was picking himself up, gasping. The fall had winded him.
"No trouble scoring at international level." Maddy pulled aside Tegan's pullover and undid the top button of her shirt beneath.
Jake laughed, casually knocking the Doctor over again with the back of his hand. "So what did you do to Eric, then?" he asked.
"I did nothing!" the Doctor shouted. "He killed himself? If you'd only listen to me again.
Jake reached for him, intending to snap his neck.
"Barbara Wright!" the Doctor gasped manically. "She became a housewife, you know, and makes a rather good upside-down cake! She and her husband Ian have a son called John!" Jake snatched back his hand as the Doctor moved forward, staggered by the force of his words. The Time Lord was staring intently into his eyes as he pushed Jake back to the railings.
"My granddaughter, Susan! My friend Adric, who gave his life trying to save others! I have great faith in these people, whatever your name is, and if there's one thing that you can count on in this turbulent and uncertain universe it's that I'll never allow any of them to come to harm if I can possibly ... help it!" He snatched a cricket ball from his pocket and tossed it expertly through the railings.
It smacked against Madeleine's forehead as she bent over Tegan. The female vampire's head flew back, her skull hitting the cobbles with a force totally out of proportion to the impact of the ball.
"I tampered with the seam," the Doctor advised Jake, backed onto the railings by now. "It's interlaced with thread from a rather ancient prayer mat, a distillation of faith. Besides, I think you'll find that my companion and I have a touch too much garlic in our bloodstreams for your taste. Tell me who your leader is."
He struggled to his feet "Yarven. Lord Yarven. "This is all my fault, right? Don't go hurting Madelaine because of what I've done."
"I didn't kill your friend. I don't intend to kill you. That's my handicap, you see, I try not to kill anybody. Now, tell me - " From the street behind Jake, there came a great commotion. Torches flared around the corner, and a great noise of shouts suddenly erupted with the sound of running footsteps.
"Great," muttered the vampire. "Lot of faith in that lot. You've got some friends there. Got their stakes ready, have they?"
The Doctor looked down at his shoes. "Take her and go."
The vampire needed no second bidding. He swept over the railings, grabbed Madelaine and sped off straight up as the first torch beams caught him.
"If you see Nyssa, take care of her!" The Doctor bellowed skyward, watching as the lovers became a tiny silhouette against the stars. Then he was blinded by the torch beams too. He raised his hands. "So ... are you friend or foe?"
Jeremy led Nyssa through the forest, keeping up a jolly stream of conversation as he did so. "You know, I felt rotten when I was converted. I thought that the whole thing was rather, oh, I don't know, seedy. My first instinct was towards self-destruction, but you soon learn to rationalize things. It's not as if you're alone. The Undead have one of the best social circles in the world. It's going to get a lot better shortly as well."
Nyssa, suspicious at first, had grudgingly come to appreciate his company. She'd felt so alone in the sky and the forest. It was only her familiarity with that feeling that had kept despair at bay. To have a normal conversation with somebody was unexpected. "Is there any cure for this condition?" she asked.
"Cure? Do you know, I've never really asked. In my day, all we had to go on was X-films. The Messiah and his lady will be able to tell you, I'm sure."
"The Messiah?"
"Lord Yarven. As the title suggests, he's the saviour of all our people, as well as their father. Now he's here, exciting things are going to happen. Ah..."
They'd come to a clearing, with a clear view of the low hills and hummocks ahead of them. In the middle distance stood the castle, torches on its walls casting shimmering reflections in the moat. The distant sounds of music echoed across the valley.
Jeremy indicated the building with a flourish. "The Castle Yarven. Let's fly, shall we?"
Madelaine woke up high over the forest, and relaxed in Jake's arms. "Sod it. What was that thing?"
"Holy relic."
"Did you kill him, then?"
"No. He got away. Bunch of villagers with torches arrived to rescue him."
"Really?" Madelaine sniffed at Jake's arms, surprised. "Oh, hey, that was him. The Christian. We missed him!"
"Yeah, and thank God for that and all. You and your flirting. We could have been killed there, you know? 'Let's make a student into a vampire'! Why do I listen to you?"
"You love me. Don't you?"
"'Spose so. That Doctor said he didn't kill Eric."
"He would do, wouldn't he?"
"No, he didn't smell of a lie. He was all right too, for a mortal."
"Not him too. The last thing our lot need is an alien."
Jake banked and headed down towards the castle. "That's what we've already got, remember?"
Maddy hugged him. "I remember," she said. "Damn right I do."
Tegan knocked aside the damp cloth that was being applied to her brow. "Get off! Doctor, they're - " She looked around. A concerned young woman was reaching into a first-aid kit. She was sitting in the back seat of a
car, parked just beside the pub. The Doctor was leaning in the doorway.
"Ah, Tegan," he grinned. "Every now and then I wish you had a thicker skull. How are you feeling?"
"Insulted. What happened?"
"I, ah, don't think we should talk about that now."
"But did you find out the name of - ? "
"I did. Unfortunately, it meant absolutely nothing to me. Hush now, here comes our rescuer..."
"Is she okay?" A tall man in a blue tracksuit peered over the car door, and reached a big hand round into the back seat. "Victor Lang, Ms Jovanka. How are you doing?"
"Fine, thanks." She would have started to ask questions, but Lang turned immediately to the Doctor. That, and the back of her head was developing a healthy bruise. She took the moist cloth from the young woman and started to apply her own first-aid training.
"My people are searching in teams," Lang pointed along the street. "Do you know who they were?"
"No. Muggers, I suppose."
"No, my friend, no, that was a rhetorical question. On your way to your costume party, you were ambushed by the forces of evil. We've found them everywhere tonight, as we make our way from church to church. They run from us wherever we cast our light."
"The forces of evil?" The Doctor asked carefully. "What exactly do you mean?"
Lang put a hand gently on his shoulder. "Satanic cultists. I know, I know, to you British it sounds like something out of an old movie. But in the USA we've seen cases like this before. They can infest a city like rats. It's no accident that we find them here around churches - and such wonderful churches you have here - they love abusing places like that."
A blue-tracksuited group leader jogged up to Lang. "They're long gone, sir. Does the gentleman want to call the police?"
"No, no ..." The Doctor waved a hand. "Victor Lang. Yes, of course, you're the evangelist who's due to appear locally soon, aren't you?"
"Yes. But I haven't just come to this city to preach. I've been helping out local groups like New Light wherever I go. These guys seem to have quite a problem on their hands."
"We're up to it, sir," the young man cut in.
"I'm sure you are, Mike." Lang grinned, gently punching him on the arm. "Are you sure you don't want to go to a police station? We could drop you off in the refreshment wagon here. I'd love to see one of these guys identified, get him in an identity parade or whatever."
"I didn't see enough of them to be any use. What do they do, exactly, these cultists?"
"Oh, terrible things." Lang sat on the car bonnet, his hands clasped together. "I guess that's part of the reason why this stuff never gets reported. People can't imagine anything so incredible happening in their city. These cults follow their own religious doctrines, usually nonsense that they've invented themselves, but it invariably attracts the attention of Lucifer. They need new blood for their sacrifices, so they harvest babies, either abducting young girls or encouraging their female members to become pregnant, time and time again. It's quicker for them if... well, for the young lady's sake I won't go into details, but they don't generally sacrifice children who've gone full term. On top of that, let me tell you, Doctor, three-quarters of child abuse in Britain is down to these people."
"Really?" The Doctor looked at Lang seriously, then glanced at his shoes, rocking on his heels. "You know, I thought that most child abuse happened in very ordinary homes, mainly by a relative of the victim." His gaze shot up and fastened on Lang's. "Isn't that true?"
"That's what the media want you to think, Doctor. I mean, I'm not saying it's a conspiracy or anything, but these media people seem to be obsessed by the idea that ordinary fathers are always abusing kids. In actual fact, that's a tiny part of the problem. Most families are still the safest place for a child to be."
"Well, it's been a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Lang, but my companion and I really should - "
"Wait." Lang reached into the glove compartment of the car and handed the Doctor a calling card. "That's my office in Manchester. If you want proof about these cultists - I can tell you're sceptical - within a few days we're going to raid a major centre of cult activity. My contact says we should be able to photograph and hopefully identify at least two dozen of them. You'll see the story of that one in the press. Bet on it."
The Doctor had turned away, but now he slowly turned back to Lang. "Do you know," he breathed, "I think I'd like to do more than read about it. Tell me, would you have room for two more in your raiding party?"
In the great hall of Castle Yarven, a muscular vampire banged a gong. The revellers fell silent. Jeremy Sanders strode forward from the stairwell that led to the roof, a doorway that had acquired the trappings of a main entrance. "My Lord Yarven" he called. "May I introduce a rather special new arrival?"
Yarven had assumed his place at the head of the table, sitting on a wooden throne with Ruath perched on the arm. "You may."
"May I introduce our first novice from another world, Nyssa of Traken!"
Applause echoed around the chamber. Nyssa stepped down the stairs, trying to maintain a regal bearing despite the revulsion that welled up in her at the sight of what lay on the white cloth of the dining table. If she could appear confident, even with the terrible weakness that she felt gaining on her every moment, then she would be in a better position to deal with this Yarven. "My Lord," she curtsied. "I am Traken's last daughter. Thank you for offering me your hospitality."
"By my blood!" Yarven laughed. "You show right proper respect! Kiss the ring."
Nyssa approached him, curtsied again, and kissed the silver band on his finger. It tingled against her lips.
"My Lord, she needs food!" Ruath reached out and examined the pallor of Nyssa's skin. "My child, let me get you something - "
"No! I mean ... I can't ..."
The vampires at the table laughed and made affectionate noises. They thought this was charming innocence, Nyssa realized, something they recognized. Great Keeper, did this mean that she was destined to end up like them?
"We understand, my dear." Ruath stroked her hair. "There are more subtle meats for your young palate. You must take something other than animal blood, or you'll fall into a fugue."
Jake and Madelaine had entered the hall themselves.
Madelaine saw Nyssa by the throne and ran forward, bobbing her knee to Yarven. "My Lord, this is the Doctor's companion, the one whose blood was taken by the Child. Surely he won't have used all that up yet?"
"You're right!" Ruath smiled brightly at Madelaine. She searched the hall for the baby vampire and found him bobbing near the fireplace, then whispered in Yarven's ear. The Lord of the Vampires nodded. "Madelaine, perhaps you'd arrange for a transfer between them. The Child's metabolism is very slow. He's only little, and I've got no idea what his system will have made of Trakenite blood."
"Come with me," Maddy put a hand on Nyssa's shoulder and led her away. Jake grabbed the Child by a foot and pulled the floating baby towards the door.
"Fair Nyssa," called Yarven as they left, "after you have fed, I would have words with you concerning your master, the Doctor. Come and see me later, when this gathering has retired for the morning, and we can talk in private."
The vampires at the table roared with laughter. Ruath playfully flicked Yarven's nose with her finger.
Nyssa turned slowly at the door, pallid and supported by Madeleine's arm. "Thank you, my Lord," she managed to say. "I should like that very much."
She took three more steps before she fell to the floor, unconscious.
Five
Nyssa opened her eyes.
She was curled against Madelaine, under a giant satin quilt that also encompassed Jake and the baby they called the Child. Everybody else was asleep. In the corners of the elaborate gothic bedroom various other vampires were curled up, with clothes rolled under their heads as pillows. The first light of dawn was redly streaking the leaded glass of the windows. Nyssa didn't feel cold.
Last night, after they'd woken her from her sw
oon, Madelaine had fussed over her, telling her to look away while she connected her to the Child. She said that she wasn't very familiar with the equipment but they'd have to do a lot of this in the future. Parched and impoverished Undead had started to arrive, and they had to share blood out. Far from looking away in nausea, Nyssa had explained the workings of the circulation pump to her. Madelaine had told her about the shock she'd felt when she found out that Ruath had taken them a few weeks back in time going from Tasmania to here. She kept thinking of flying across the world to see herself. Nyssa had realized how dangerous Ruath's short time jump had been, but kept quiet.
When the Child was connected, burbling away to itself, to the other end of the equipment, Jake had made a show of throwing the switch. "Big red switches. Great." The machine sorted through the various blood groups the Child contained, Nyssa theorized, and -
She nearly fainted when the first Trakenite blood came through to her. Food, her own dear food, after so long starving. She was filled with warmth and strength again, and in being so realized how weak she'd been. Maddy had insisted that she sleep with them, and Nyssa had been too tired to offer any comment. Madelaine had an arm draped protectively around her even now.
Why was she awake at dawn? Was this the last of her humanity making itself felt? She hadn't wanted to think about the future, about what would become of her. The Traken blood would last a day, a night, and then she'd have to feed or die. The vampires could offer her their second-hand blood, but that had still been originally taken from some innocent. Besides, how long could she prevail upon such hospitality? Nyssa closed her eyes at the thought of her manners forcing her to bite somebody's neck. That would almost be humorous if -
Come to me, child.
That had been clear, a voice right into her ear. Nyssa gently moved Madeleine's arm from her shoulder and eased the cover back, finding her clothes on the floor.
The great stairs of the castle were littered with the sleeping forms of the Undead, dried blood formed in pools round their heads on occasion. Nyssa picked her way down the heavily carpeted steps, glancing at the growing light from the windows. The panes were growing darker as she watched, rejecting the dawn.