by Joseph Rubas
***
“It is cold for April,” Van Helsing said with a shudder. He and Seward were standing along a rail overlooking the stern. Behind them, the Titanic’s boat decks stretched for nearly eight hundred feet, and its four massive funnels rose high into the steely blue heavens. Ahead of them, the stern eventually gave way to open sea. On the horizon, Seward faintly saw the outline of the English coast.
“It is a bit chilly,” Seward said. He was comfortable himself, but Van Helsing was aged.
Van Helsing muttered something in German and shook his head.
“If Dracula is onboard,” Seward said, clearing his throat, “how are we going to find him? The Titanic is a big ship.”
“Indeed it is,” Van Helsing replied, gazing up at the Union Jack flapping atop the lofty aft mast. “Too big, but that is beside my point. If Dracula knows we are here, he is likely to come to us. He remembers what we did to him, John, and his vanity won’t let him ignore it.”
“So we just sit and wait?”
“No, we will search for him. It is better to meet him on our terms than his, but either way, we will meet him.”
Seward turned back toward the stern. Several steerage passengers moved between cranes and capstans, enjoying the spring sun.
He supposed that Van Helsing was right; Dracula would come to them if they didn’t go to him. On the other hand, he didn’t want to overestimate the monster. He could very well hide until they docked, and then disappear into the teeming streets of New York.
He said as much, and Van Helsing nodded.
“You are right. Him staying hidden is a possibility. Which is all the more reason for us to actively look for him.”
Seward nodded mutely. The thought of examining every nook and cranny of Titanic was daunting, however.
“Do you remember where Dracula sleeps, John?” Van Helsing asked.
“Of course,” Seward replied at once. “In a box of his native soil.”
“Correct. And where would boxes be kept on a steamship?”
“The hold.”
“Yes. The first order of business is to search the hold and see if we cannot find his boxes. If, and when we do, we purify them. If we are lucky, he will be in one of them. If we do not find his boxes, or if we do not find him, we will play Sherlock Holms.”
They left the rail and began down starboard. A few lower-class ladies lounged in deck chairs and read or happily chatted. Seward tipped his hat as they passed.