Red Serpent: The Falsifier

by Delson Armstrong

  “Yes,” Alex said plainly. He added, “Your enemy.” This brought about evil cackles from the Twelve.

  The laughter died down. There was a long hard moment. “You have made yourself that, young Falsifier,” continued Claudius, laying a heavy ruthless emphasis on the last word.

  “What do you mean by that?” Alex asked.

  Vitellius said with scorn, “You think such a man as you can bring down an Empire that has been standing for two hundred thousand years.”

  “Christ did it with the Roman Empire,” Alex said.

  An awkward silence arose once again, this time much longer. Alex sensed their nervousness.

  The Twelve were irritated. The only way to learn the secrets of the Regnum from Alex would be through sincerity, kindness and good intentions, characteristics which none of them had.

  “You may leave,” Julius said quickly. The fires extinguished, leaving Alex groping around blindly in the dark. But then suddenly the double-doors opened and he saw Daniel and Nikolas waiting for him patiently.

  As he stepped out of the threshold, the doors slammed shut.

  “So?” Nikolas asked.

  “Nothing at all.” Alex shook his head, “It was pointless, I guess.”

  “Well, have they told us to come in?” asked Daniel.

  “Nope. They just told me to leave.”

  The doors opened once more and Nikolas and Daniel entered, while Alex looked at the guards, and wondered what was coming next.

  Out of respect for the Twelve, Nikolas and Daniel walked with their heads bowed. Then they prostrated themselves before the Twelve. The fire roared up again and the Twelve looked down at them. Domitian asked Daniel, “What is the enemy doing here?”

  “He, my lords,” Daniel said, smiling at Nikolas, “is no longer an enemy, as aren’t the other Rebels.”

  “How can we be so sure?” asked Julius. “After all, even till the last day our king trusted him, but he played a double-game all along. Surely,” he said, a bitter irony in his voice, “you know this.”

  Daniel’s face flushed. “Yes, I know.”

  Nikolas spoke, his voice firm and steady, “My masters, I beg you to give us one last chance. Since the Last Battle we have been nothing but guinea pigs for you. But now we are fully ready, instead of being forced, to serve Lord Anaxagoras. If you allow it, I will get what information I can from the Falsifier, without any interference or surveillance. He knows of the Regnum and its plans. I will comfort him and since he is already in my trust, he will be easily manipulated into spilling the secrets of our enemies. Please, if you don’t believe me, let me tell you something no one knows.”

  “And what that might be,” asked Julius, leaning forward.

  “He is the son of Aidan and the grandson of Anaxagoras,” he said simply, with a blank face. “He is born of a human and has the blood of both races. That...” Nick paused for effect, “is why he is called what he is. I have earned your trust once before. I went to the Land of the Eight Kings, and didn’t try to escape.”

  Tiberius laughed. “Escape is impossible.”

  “Nevertheless,” Otho said, “we will look into the matter. For now, because of your son, you will remain free to do as you please as will all the other Rebels. If the blood analysis proves what you say, you shall be trusted. Leave us.”

  Nikolas backed away, bowing before turning to leave.

  Daniel remained there. As the door shut, Cassius said in more relaxed tone, “Now, Daniel. What is this turn of events? Did you know of this?”

  “Yes, I did. My father told me before this meeting.”

  “I don’t sense any danger,” said Tiberius.

  “Nor do I,” said Vespasian.

  “We must be cautious, nonetheless,” added Nero.

  “And what about the projects? Shall we continue?”

  “As promised, yes,” said Julius, “And now is the time to send the ultimatum. We know now, as we have always known, that they have weapons. Send it immediately.”

  “How long should I give them?” Daniel asked.

  “Twelve hours.”

  *****

  John timed himself as he planned the words of his speech. He was no longer nervous and sensed things would be in his control. He knew everything would go according to plan, provided he received the ultimatum. He had his frequency set to the vampires’. This special connection was established for diplomatic situations such as these. He knew however, this incoming message would be a cry for blood and war. He stared at the empty, black screen on his wall. He checked the clock in the office and the watch on his wrist: they both showed 8:25. Kurt would be coming in five minutes, which gave him enough time to prepare for his speech.

  The office was filled with old war relics, which John loved collecting. Some he had bought at auctions and exhibitions before the Coming of the Vampires. Life was good then. Politics were sensible. There was no constantly changing government like there had been in these twenty one years. A white marble bust of Napoleon, John’s favorite general, sat on the coffee table watching his every move. Two comfortable leather chairs were placed near a large fireplace opposite a library full of books about war strategies. The collection also included classics by Dickens, Dumas, Bronte, Hugo, and Shakespearean plays, of which John was a huge reader and adorer. His desk stretched almost twelve feet long, carved out of the trunk of an oak tree and varnished with a dark reddish-brown lacquer. A pile of cluttered files lay on it along with a computer and many books bound in leather. These were John’s own works on the vampire race. The vampires’ vast and authentic history had always intrigued him from the very beginning. In comparison, the history of the human race seemed short, tragic, and redundant. At least ninety five percent of vampiric history was conclusive. Their history was filled with extensive facts and there were no contradictions. John’s fascination grew to the point where Aidan had instructed that he be the unofficial historian for both vampires and humans alike. Aidan wanted John to convey to future generations, when the time came, the history of the War for Existence, which took place before Alex’s birth and the War of Vengeance, which he named the Coming War.

  There was a knock on the door. “Come in,” he said and the door opened. The man standing at the threshold was of medium stature with a long thin face and whiskers for a mustache that were the fieriest of orange. He grinned like an innocent child as he saluted John. He walked to the desk and John told him to sit down. “It’s good to see you, Kurt,” said John, smiling.

  “Same here, General,” said Kurt, his grin growing double. He ruffled his hair, which was the same color as his whiskers and sighed, “It’s been too long, I’d say.”

  “Yes,” John said. “Definitely too long. You should keep in touch more often.”

  “Ah, you know, with the training, and the work I got at home...”

  “Work?”

  “Yeah, I’m actually writing a book.”

  “Really?” asked John. “What about?”

  “I’m compiling a history of the Regnum. It’s still in its initial stages, but right now, I’m interested in the latest development.”

  John laughed. “Brilliant! Now you sound more like a journalist.”

  Kurt gave a warm smile at this. “Well, you have to admit: it’s a bloody good story!”

  “Yes,” John said. He got up and went over to the small bar where he poured some whiskey for Kurt and himself. “You know, I am very interested in this project of yours, Kurt. You have to tell me more about it,” he came back with two glasses in his hands, “But,” he gave Kurt one, “I want to get down to business first.”

  “Of course,” Kurt said, sipping his glass, “Tell me what you had in mind.”

  “How are your boys?” John asked, meaning the pilots Kurt had trained.

  “As usual, in top shape.”

  “Good. Can we have them ready by tomorrow?”

  “Sure. So, you really are serious?”

  “Of course, my friend,” John said, “This is the time.
With Alex on the Earth, I will negotiate with the Regent and the President for his release.”

  “Bit risky, isn’t it?”

  “Well, that’s where you and your boys come in.”

  “How many you need?”

  “About a hundred.”

  Kurt nodded, contemplating and beginning to make plans already. “And all of them, by the next day?”

  “Yeah. I figure there’s going to be an attack, and you will have to come to cover Alex and me along with a few ground soldiers.”

  “That would require about fifteen to twenty, I reckon.” He paused to see John’s reaction. John simply nodded. “So why the extras?”

  “I suppose there will be a lot of defense in space itself, but very little in the atmosphere,” John said, “So, what we should do, is attack them when they least expect it. Take down their cities, destroy as much as possible, so they know we’re serious about it, and this will give us the advantage.”

  “But how do we know where to attack and what to attack?”

  “I figure the place of negotiation will be an important part of the Earth, somewhere the vamps deem special or vital for their security.”

  “Why do you think that?”

  “It’s just an educated guess, but I think that they won’t waste time looking for a God-forsaken area to negotiate. They will want to get the killing done with as fast as possible. I guess they think we are stupid and so they won’t really expect a heavy air strike.”

  “Okay.”

  “Just remember: first let out twenty fighters, so that they think that’s all we have and when I say so, let out the entire air strike.”

  “Any places in particular?”

  “Not really. When the time comes for that, you’ll know.”

  “Alright. As you say, General,” Kurt said taking his glass and raising it in a toast.

  The screen John had been looking at flickered and Daniel’s face appeared on it. “General Howe,” Daniel said.

  “President Gareng,” John said, “how do you do?”

  “We have reason to believe that you have broken clause number 108765. Because of this disobedience and outright audacity, there will be consequences.”

  “Oh?” John said in a mocking tone.

  “Yes,” Daniel pretended to not notice the sarcasm. “And since you have hidden the Falsifier from us, and now that he is in our custody, we ask you to destroy all your arms within the next twelve hours. We are prepared to be merciful this one time, since this is the first collective instant.”

  “I see.”

  “You have twelve hours,” Daniel repeated quickly.

  Before Daniel disconnected, John said, “No, President Gareng. You are sadly mistaken. You have twelve hours.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You have twelve hours to return Alex to his rightful place, or we will attack.”

  Daniel laughed. “Is that so? Surely we can negotiate.”

  “Negotiate?” John paused, acting as if he was considering the thought. “Alright. In the next twelve hours, I shall come, albeit with a few guards for my protection, to negotiate. I’m sure we will arrive at a decision that will suit both our best interests.”

  “So be it,” Daniel said. “You may meet me here. I am sending you the coordinates.” As soon as the pictures had come up on the screen, Daniel flickered away. The map on the screen showed that the destination was in the Atlantic, somewhere near England.

  “How can that be?” said Kurt, “There ain’t no land mass there.” “Yeah, but whatever is there, like I said, is of key importance.” “Hmm.” “Well, looks like there’s been a change of plans.” Kurt looked at him, his eyes unblinking. “We move out in the next twelve hours.”

  Angel held the newspaper limply in her hand. The top story of the day covered John’s rise to dictatorial power and the appointment of Richard as Vice-Chancellor, but what had shocked and frightened her most was the news about Alex and the Rebels. According to the reports, Alex was a hybrid of vampire and human. She watched the television, waiting for Mr. Howe to come on for the coronation ceremony. She felt, like the others in Regnum, betrayed and hurt, but for her this was much more personal. She worried about herself and her mother, who was working silently in the kitchen. Her father grunted at the mention of John Howe and cursed under his breath. She felt constricted. She feared in her heart that they would soon tell her to abort the baby. In any case, they were waiting for John’s speech to confirm everything. His confirmation would more settle the matter and Angel would have little choice but to abort the unholy thing in her womb.

  “Well, it looks like the Vice-Chancellor-to-be, Richard Bacon, is stepping outside of the Headquarters building,” the reporter yelled. There was immense cheering from the crowd. Bacon was smiling, waving to the people and as quickly as he had come out, he went back inside. It didn’t make any sense, until a few moments later. “Now remember, Joy,” the man on TV was saying, “About half an hour back, the General and Mr. Bacon visited the Central Hospital. It has been verified that they visited Jarad Hameed, whom, as we know, has been kept there since yesterday.”

  “An interesting turn of events, isn’t it?” Joy, the anchor said, “Yesterday, the very same man who arranged a fake assassination attempt on himself, seemed to be down in the dirt, with his plans backfiring. And now we have Mr. Howe, who, as the Senate has confirmed, had no links to the attack. Mr. Howe is prepared to risk his own political career for the salvation of his people. Ultimately the people have decided. Kyle?”

  The reported nodded. “That’s right, Joy. It looks like Alexander Howe, the nephew of the Council Leader, is in fact a hybrid... vampire and human. It seems implausible, but it is so. I spoke to people here earlier asking them what they made of it and some of them said they didn’t really care. Some gave examples of the battles fought in the past side-by-side with the Rebels, a group of vampires led by General Nikolas Gareng, the one who kidnapped Alex yesterday. Some people have made allusions to Aidan, a mysterious prophet who, according to some sources, was a direct son of the enemy, Anaxagoras. And speaking of Rebels, there is a proposal set in motion by John Howe that they be allowed to rejoin their old allies, the humans, on the Regnum.”

  “And what do you suppose will be the...the basis of his speech and the major outlines of his proposals?”

  Again, as there was an unclear signal, the reporter simply nodded. A few moments after the anchor had stopped speaking, the reporter started, “Right...well, we can only presume, in light of the speeches he has given before, that he will want war. War is good now, people say, and many here with whom I’ve spoken confess that over the years they have felt a longing for existence on their own planet and they feel John will deliver it. He will enforce new laws, as well, if we are to achieve this common goal. There will be the proposal to rescue Alexander and establish the Rebels as an integral part of our society.”

  “Okay,” Joy said and the camera focused on her. “There you have it. We’ll be back after a few moments. Stay tuned as we give you live coverage of history in the making.”

  The logos of RNN, Regnum News Network, appeared and shifted to a commercial break.

  Angel sighed. Ken was reading a magazine and acting like he hadn’t heard anything. Martha came back from the kitchen, with a tray containing three cups of coffee and some scones. She placed them on the table and sat opposite Angel on a cushioned rocking chair. Ken took his cup of coffee and ignored Angel. He felt her watching his every move. Her eyes shifted from him to Martha and then to him again. “That’s it! I have had enough of this,” she said.

  Both parents glanced at her, mystified by her tone. “What?” they both said, as if they hadn’t understood.

  “You know what!” she said. “You know exactly what I’m talking about!”

  Martha said, “Why not finish our coffee first and then we can talk about it?”

  Angel sipped her coffee and glared at her mother, but remained silent. The news came on again and this time,
all three Stones had their eyes glued to the television as the ceremony was about to begin.

  John turned to Richard. “So, how’s the crowd?”

  “Ecstatic, as usual. You ready?”

  “Yeah...if you are.”

  The Senators came out, four by four, waving and smiling. Their names were called out by the announcer as they approached the huge stage at Central Square. After every few moments or so, the patriotic crowd went wild. It was not necessarily the names that excited them; it was more the feeling of being a part of history. Then, the names of the Judges were called out and one by one they entered the stage. After that, the Municipal officials were called out.

  The big moment arrived. The announcer gave a very dramatic and anxious pause, in order to heighten the anticipation. The drums rolled and trumpets blared. He called out the name of the Vice-Chancellorto-be, “And now, ladies and gentlemen, I proudly present to the public, the adviser to Leader Howe, Councilman Richard Bacon!” Richard strode out gracefully and, as always, waved and smiled to the beloved public. As the crowd roared with adoration, the orchestra played an imperial-themed tune. The music slowly faded and so did the cheers of the people. The Councilman was called onto the main podium, which looked like an oversized church altar, by Justice Nyazika. Richard came forth without hesitation and smiled warmly at the Justice.

  He bowed and Nyazika returned the gesture. The Justice said, “Before we begin the oath, I would like to add a few words of mine to commemorate this special occasion.” There was a respectful silence for the gifted and revered political scientist and Court Justice, as everyone awaited his words. “It has been my great privilege and immense pleasure to have known these two fine gentlemen. They have been extremely professional in matters of the State and have a valiant history together as great friends and allies against the vampires...”

  Meanwhile, John received a call on the nanophone that was attached to his jacket. He clicked his fingers and a holographic projection of the caller appeared in the air. The caller was a pudgy bald man with a sharp face. It was his butler, Andrew. “Andrew, what is it?”