Morgaine and Michael [The Morgaine Chronicles #8]

by Joe Vadalma

  "What I mean is that you're in danger in this house."

  "Danger? From who or what?"

  "Vampires."

  "Vampires? You've got to be kidding."

  "No. I'm very serious. There are two of them. If they catch you alone, they'll kill you."

  Mandy shuddered. She wondered whether this ugly man was delusional. She recalled the vision or dream she had earlier. “I may have encountered one. A woman. She kept talking about someone wanting my blood."

  "That must've been Elizabeth. She's a ghost not a vampire. She was warning you about the vampires, as I am now. Besides the fact that monsters, such as I, and vampires abide here, the place is haunted by ghosts and demons."

  "Ghosts and demons, huh."

  A crash of lightning and thunder lit up the entire room. A short thin man stood in the corner. His face was the color of chalk. Mandy leaped off the bed and pointed. “Is that a ghost or a demon?"

  Legion turned his flashlight toward the corner. “We see you hiding there, Sylvan. Come over here."

  The little man sashayed over. His clothes were ragged and moldy looking, his hair, long and shaggy. Clumps of soil were in it. He looked like someone who had risen from the dead. He walked to the center of the room and bowed. It was apparent that he was avoiding Legion. “Good evening, miss. My name is Sylvan Macrome.” He had a feminine lilt to his voice.

  "Mandy Blake. Pleased to meet you.” Something about the man made her nervous. She wondered whether he and Legion and perhaps others here were a bunch of crazy's living in the mansion. Maybe they escaped from an asylum. “Say Vic, did you see my knife."

  "I've got it. I was afraid that you would try to hurt me with it.” He handed it back to Mandy. “This will do you no good against Sylvan. He's one of the vampires."

  Macrome said, “Sad to say, but it's true. None other than Dracula himself made me a creature of the night. But don't worry, Mandy; I won't harm you. In the first place, I prefer the blood of men to women. Besides, Morgaine prophesied your coming. You're under her protection."

  "Oh yeah. That's good to hear.” Mandy was no longer terrified but only slightly frightened. She was certain that the two were madmen, not supernatural beings as they claimed. Of course, she still had to be on her guard. They could be killers. “Say Vic, you said there were two vampires. Who's the other one?"

  Macrome replied, “My protégé. He was the village priest until I took his blood. His name is David Winters; we call him Father Winters."

  "The other vampire is a priest?"

  "Was a priest. I don't think the Catholic Church accepts the undead as priests.” Macrome giggled at his little joke.

  Legion said, “What's this about Morgaine? Has she appeared here?"

  "Only briefly. She said that a young woman would be arriving soon and warned me and the good Father not to harm her, under threat of our destruction. I assume she meant Mandy, since no one else has come here recently. Morgaine is probably cooking up some trouble, as usual, and Mandy must have something to do with her plan.” He turned to Mandy. “So you see, dear, you have nothing to fear from Winters or me. You're under the protection of a powerful demon witch."

  Mandy wanted to laugh. This Sylvan Macrome was an imaginative crazy person. “So. Will I meet this Morgaine person? What did you say she was, a demon-witch?"

  Legion shook his head. “Better pray that you don't. She's evil through and through."

  "What do you guys think I should do? Leave? There's an awful storm outside, and I have nowhere else to go.” Mandy was unsure herself what to do. She was not afraid of Macrome. She felt that she could handle the little man. But the other brute was awful strong. Even if she found a way to lock the bedroom door, he could probably bust it down easily enough. On the other hand, so far he did not seem threatening. She yawned. She had done a lot of walking the previous day and had not received more than a couple of hours sleep so far that night.

  Legion said, “Since Morgaine has warned the vampires not to harm you, I guess you're fairly safe here. I've got an idea. Maybe we can have Isaac guard you while you sleep. He would not let anything happen to you."

  "Isaac? Who is he?"

  "Not a he, an it. Come with me. I'll introduce you."

  Macrome said, “Nighty-night, Mandy and Victor. I must be on my way to meet some fresh blood.” He giggled again and left the room.

  As he passed the dresser mirror, he cast no reflection. At least it appeared that way to Mandy. But the only light in the room came from candles. She decided that she was mistaken. Nonetheless, a shiver went down her spine. What if Sylvan really was a vampire? She had not ruled that out for certain. In that case she should fear him regardless of his claim that she was under the protection of some demon witch.

  She followed Legion down the creaking stairs to the library. He went over to a set of shelves, reached in and pulled on something. There was the screeching of rusty gears, and the section pivoted out. A secret panel, Mandy thought. This house is like the ones in those corny old horror movies. It's got everything, the Frankenstein monster, ghosts, vampires. I wonder what this Isaac is. Something not human. Victor called it an it. She shuddered again. Maybe it's a man eating plant.

  Behind the wall was a hole in the floor. Within it a spiral staircase led below. Legion started down and signaled for Mandy to follow. Now where the hell could this go? she thought. The idea of descending into a creepy cellar with Legion did not appeal to her. A chill ran down her spine. Weren't basements where the bodies were buried and killers lurked? Nonetheless, she followed the big fellow. What if Legion was bring her down there so that after he murdered her he would have a place to bury her? Or maybe there was a torture chamber down there.

  As they climbed down, her surroundings changed from framing lumber and plaster to mortared stone. When Mandy accidentally brushed against the surface, she cried, “Eww, the wall's slimy with mold.” The staircase continued on into the depths of the earth. Holy shit, she thought, the cellar must be about three stories down. The walls became crude rock like the interior of a cave.

  Finally the staircase ended in a paneled room full of decent office furniture. There were filing cabinets, a printer, bookshelves, and cabinets for supplies. Two desks held computers showing screen savers.

  Legion flipped on overhead lights and led Mandy to another door. The room beyond the entrance was as dark as the interior of a mine. As Legion flashed his light around, Mandy saw that it was a weird laboratory, like those old wood prints of alchemists’ labs, with benches, retorts, strange hookups, shelves of bottles filled with herbs and pickled specimens, candles, metal instruments and other paraphernalia.

  She noticed something in the shadows of a dark corner. Two red lights, at the height a man's eyes, stared at her. When Legion turned on the light, Mandy saw that it was a manlike robot straight out of the sci-fi magazines.

  Legion said, “Mandy, meet Isaac."

  The android advanced toward Mandy with an outstretched hand. “Hello, Mandy. I am pleased to make your acquaintance."

  Not knowing what else to do, although she was leery, Mandy shook his hand, which was covered with a soft plastic material that felt like human flesh. “Pleased to meet you, Isaac."

  "The pleasure is all mine.” It winked at her. “Are you going to be staying here, or just visiting?"

  "For the time being. She's an overnight guest,” said Legion. “However, she needs protection from the vampires while she sleeps. Will you stay in her room and guard her?"

  "I consider it my duty,” Isaac replied. He retrieved a large crucifix and a small one on a chain. It handed the smaller one to Mandy. “Please place this around your neck. According to the literature I have read on the subject of vampires, it will help ward them off."

  Mandy was not sure that she wanted the android in her room while she slept. But she was tired, and the storm still raged. She figured that she had more to fear from madmen or vampires, whichever they were, than the android.

  The three of
them returned to her room. Legion said, “Sweet dreams, Mandy,” and left.

  Isaac said, “I'll stand over here by the door while you sleep."

  The night was warm and humid. Mandy did not feel like sleeping in her sweaty clothes. “Isaac, turn around until I tell you to face this way.” When the robot obeyed, she stripped down to her bra and thong, and slipped between the sheets. “You may face this way now."

  Isaac turned her way. By candlelight, his plastic mannequin face looked almost human. It was a handsome face. “Goodnight Isaac.” She blew out the candle.

  "Goodnight Mandy. Don't worry about the vampires. I can handle them.” The android had a pleasant baritone voice.

  As Mandy lay there trying to sleep despite the storm, her anxiety, creaking of the house and banging of the shutters, she thought about the robot's hands. She wondered what they would feel like touching her. She fantasized the android getting into bed with her. Oh come on, Mandy, she told herself, you're not so horny that you'd think about going to bed with a machine. Next thing you know, you'll be dreaming about that ugly Legion guy. Nonetheless, she wondered whether whoever built the robot included the regular masculine equipment. Somehow she doubted it.

  Soon these sexual fantasies faded as she drifted into slumber. She began to dream, but not about Isaac or Legion, but about the ghost who had warned her about the vampires. Again, she heard a woman's voice from the corner of the room. However, in Mandy's dream the ghostly form of a middle-aged woman slowly appeared and approached the bed. Mandy recalled that Legion had called her Elizabeth. “Are you Elizabeth?” she asked.

  The phantom replied, “In life that was my name."

  "Why are you haunting this house? Why haven't you passed on to the other side?"

  "I wish to be near my child."

  "Who is your child?"

  The specter pointed toward the doorway where Isaac stood.

  "But that's a machine, a robot. How can it be your child?"

  "I adopted him. I was his first teacher, you know."

  Mandy, for reasons she could not understand herself, became interested in this ghostly woman's story. “Really. How did come about?"

  "Years ago, when I was alive, I taught autistic children. I even wrote papers on the psychology of learning. At the time I was married to a rather nasty man by the name of Frederick Wolfgang. Although he was verbally abusive and controlling, I loved him in my own way. Or perhaps I was afraid to leave him. He was a scientist working in the field of artificial intelligence. When the Turc Corporation hired him to help them design a humanoid robot, they also hired me. At first I helped the software specialists design programs to allow their android to learn from experience, although I was pretty much of a computer idiot. They used my ideas on the psychology of learning, you see."

  "That must've been interesting work."

  "It was when I could avoid the Frederick's abuse. He was always criticizing everything I did, even accused me of flirting with the software engineers."

  "That must've been awful for you. I wouldn't stay five minutes with a man like that."

  "But you're a different sort of person. I was always weak and too ready to sacrifice myself for someone else. My husband committed suicide."

  "Oh. Sorry for your loss."

  The ghost chuckled. “He was no loss for me. I was glad to be rid of him. Of course, at first because I had been so used to having him order me around, I felt kind of lost myself. As a result, I threw myself into my work, which at that time was playing nursemaid and kindergarten teacher to Isaac. You see, after the designers built Isaac, who was the prototype, they recruited me to train him to learn those things most humans learn in the first nine or ten years of life. Of course, Isaac was a good student and progressed much more rapidly than any human. He was such a willing pupil and so kind and considerate that I felt toward him as though he was my adopted son."

  "I can understand that, especially after the sudden death of your husband.” Even the ghosts have hang ups in this place, Mandy thought.

  "But they wanted to change my boy's brain patterns to make him evil."

  "Who wanted to do that?"

  "The military, especially that awful Major Bachman. Well, Jack Westcott, a computer scientist who also worked for Turc, and I with the help of Mister Ellul, the man who used to own this house, engineered my boy's escape. Mister Ellul allowed Isaac and I to live here."

  "How long did you live there?"

  "Years. You see, Mister Ellul and his wife had moved to New York, and the house was empty except for Isaac and me. But one night, something terrible happened. Major Bachman got wind of where Isaac was and sent a couple of thugs to steal my son. They surprised me in my bedroom and tortured me. They wanted to know where my little boy was hidden. When I refused to tell them, they went too far and killed me. After my spirit left my body, I stayed to watch over Isaac.” She began to sob. “I felt so sorry for him. When he found my body, he thought I was simply ill. He did not know what to do. Finally, when that private detective, Raven Lenore, showed up, he asked her what was wrong with me. She told him the truth, that I was dead. I'm sure he mourned me in his strange electronic way. The thugs returned that same night and tried to blame my death on Raven and her partner. That witch Morgaine was involved too."

  "Morgaine? She's seems to be quite bad person. This is the second or third terrible thing I've heard about her. And she's supposed to be my protector. Who is she anyway?"

  "She was Mister Ellul's lover before he met the woman he married, Melody. She was simply a witch before she committed suicide. Afterwards, she became a demon. She's been causing trouble ever since. Mandy, stay away from her. She's evil and dangerous."

  "I intend to."

  CHAPTER 5. THE SEANCE

  Michael's friends met in Melody Ellul's apartment. When they arrived, Melody was dressed in black. She considered herself a widow. Her friends were more hopeful. That was why they were there. They wanted to brainstorm a way of rescuing Michael from the clutches of the demon witch, Morgaine.

  Melody served drinks. She did not need to ask any of them what they wanted. She knew them well enough to know each one's preference. Raven Lenore, who had arrived on her motorcycle wearing blue jeans, a T-shirt and a leather jacket, liked Pina Coladas. Jack Westcott, Raven's boy friend, drank straight bourbon on the rocks. Lance Flebert, the former movie actor, always asked for a vodka martini, very dry. Rhami Deju, the psychic, and Robert Longfeathers, the shaman, both drank tea. Melody herself was partial to Samuel Adams lager beer.

  After she sat down on an easy chair, she said, “Okay folks, this is your meeting. I agreed to allow you to use my apartment as a meeting place. Otherwise, leave me out of it. Even if you should devise a means of rescuing Michael from the clutches of Morgaine, she would not leave us alone.” She sighed. “I don't know about you, but I've had it. Ever since I met Michael, I've had to deal with supernatural entities and evil persons. I've been possessed by a demon and made the slave of a vampire. Enough is enough. I'm through with the whole occult business. I'll have no more to do with Michael. If I wasn't married, I would join a convent."

  Raven asked, “Don't you love Michael anymore?"

  "I do love him. But not enough to endure the turmoil that his love/hate relationship with Morgaine entails. Besides, according to the archdemon Asmodeus, Morgaine loves Michael more than I do. Well, let her have him. Think of the danger you're putting yourselves into by dealing with the denizens of Hell, not only to your living bodies, but to your immortal souls.” Melody made the sign of the cross. “An eternity in Hell is no joke."

  Westcott said, “Not all of us believe that we have an immortal soul, or that there is a Heaven or Hell."

  Melody replied, “Still an atheist, Jack, I see. I don't understand how you can rationalize your position after all you've seen and been through."

  "I believe that there's a scientific explanation for every phenomena that we've witnessed. We simply haven't studied the problem carefully enough, or p
erhaps we need better instruments. In fact, that was the suggestion I was going to make. A former colleague of mine from the university where I worked has invented a device to peer into other dimensions. I intend on finding out exactly what his device does and whether it would be of use in rescuing Michael."

  Raven said, “Good luck on that one, hon. Unless your buddy's machine can bring us to where Morgaine is keeping Michael, it will do us no good. I've decided on a different approach. I'm sure Morgaine has plans that go beyond simply having Michael for herself. I'm still a priestess of the Church of Omega. Lately, there's been a lot of activity at the highest levels. I intend on snooping out what's going on. Perhaps I can find a clue as to what Morgaine intends to do with Michael."

  Flebert remarked, “It's what you do best, Raven. You're a super detective and spy. As for myself, I can't help thinking back to the time that Rhami, Bob and Jack entered Morgaine's dimension through the caves beneath Moonwood. I believe the answers we're looking for lies down there somewhere."

  Westcott said, “And we were almost trapped in Morgaine's dimension. That gate to the place she resides is too dangerous. The entities she controls have it well guarded."

  "Oh, I don't intend to enter it. Simply try to determine the nature of it and those ‘entities’ that Melody calls demons. There may be ways of defeating them. Maybe we could call on an angel, like when Rhami, Bob and I were possessed."

  Deju shook his head. “I wouldn't go within a mile of Moonwood. Demons are in control there now."

  Flebert said, “I'm not afraid of them. After all, I still have a part of one in my head. If no one wants to go with me, I'll go alone. Isaac is still there, isn't he?"

  Melody replied, “I believe so. We told the robot that it could make Moonwood its home as long as it wished. There are still people in the government looking for it to change its programming."

  "Then I'll use its help."

  Deju said, “Before we rush into anything, we should contact Michael and see if he can give us information that will help us."