Lord of the Vampires (38 page)

It was long, hard work, and mid-day had arrived before we were finished. The others seemed cheered by our early success, whilst I struggled to hide my own disappointment; John alone noticed. As we could spare no delay, we proceeded almost immediately to the station and took the train into London.

We located the old mansion at 347 Piccadilly quite easily, though the bustling neighbourhood in which it was located and the bright light of day precluded our breaking house as we had at Carfax. Arthur came up with the excellent notion of pretending to be the owner of the property, and hiring a locksmith to open the front entry. This he did most successfully, feigning such casual ease and confidence as he watched the hired man do his job that a patrolling policeman took no notice of them.

After some wry comments from Quincey as to Lord Godalmings native talent for crime, we entered the house. Making a thorough examination of the property, we found Draculas effects upon the dining-room table: a bundle of deeds (thank God, only to the four properties) and another ring heavy with keys.

But within the same room were the boxes: not nine, but only eight in number! Nevertheless, with the aid of turnscrew and wrench, we opened each one and sealed it with the Host. Then the tools were turned over to Arthur and Quincey, along with the ring of keys; off they went to Bermondsey and Mile End, whilst Harker, Seward, and I remained at Piccadilly, to lie in wait for the count, should he come.

Come he didafter a wait of many hours, and just after Quincey and Arthur returned with the report that they had successfully sealed off six boxes at Bermondsey and six at Mile End; but
one
box remained unaccounted for!

It was just after that frustrating revelation that we heard the key turn in the lock, followed by footsteps sounds that put us all on alert, but also filled me with bittersweet gladness, for they signalled Vlads return to limited powers in daylight. He could move only in human guise now, until the setting of the sunall the better for us!

Even so, he proved a fearsome foe, and sprang through the dining-room door with feline grace and cunning. Harker wielded his great kukri knife and slashed out, eyes blazing like those of an avenging angel. Had he been an inch closer, he would have won the day, for the tip came perilous close to the vampires cold heart. As it was, the huge blade sliced through the breast of his coat, and out spilled a cascade of gold coins and banknotes.

With speed and skill, the vampire ducked beneath Jonathans arm to scoop up what coins and notes he could, and with them ran off, so swiftly that none could catch him.

Harker was undone by his failure, for he had sworn to free his darling from the curse by nightfall; we comforted him as best we could. But secretly, I felt encouraged by that afternoons encounter: Vlads hair had been streaked with silver, his face lined with the first traces of age. He is growing steadily weaker, key or no! And soon we will obtain it from him

If Elisabeth does not reach him first.

* * *

4 OCTOBER.

In the hour before dawn, John came to wake me. He and the other men had been taking turns spending the night outside the Harkers roomin part to make Madam Mina feel protected, and in part, I think, to protect
me
from Jonathan. At any rate, Jonathan had come rushing out of the room to wake John, as Madam Mina had asked me to come hypnotise her at once, before the sun rose.

I wasted no time, but pulled on my dressing-robe and followed John. By then, both Arthur and Quincey (who, I suspect, were too restless to sleep) had risen and the whole lot of us made our way to the Harkers bedchamber.

The gaslight was burning bright, and Madam Mina was sitting upon a love seat in her dressing-gown, her long dark hair falling in waves upon her shoulders. Jonathan sat beside her, holding her hand in both of his with a solicitous air; his demeanour, too, was cheerful and excited, but his eyes were anxious. At the sight of me she smiled, looking more her old self than she had in many a day; but the smile faded almost at once as she said, with an air both businesslike and excited:

You must hypnotise me at once, Doctor! Dont ask me how, but I
know
that I am privy to information about Vlad which can help us

Before she finished speaking, I lifted a hand, and bade her fix her gaze upon itmore for the sake of the others watching than Madam Mina. I moved my hand this way and that, for show, but in the end, it was a mere glance into her eyes that closed them and sent her deep into trance.

Where are you? I asked.

A crease appeared in her smooth forehead, vand her head moved languidly from side to side as if she were shaking it in refusal. I dont know Its dark, very dark, and still as death

What do you hear?

Here she tilted her head, as though listening. The lapping of waves footsteps overhead, and men talking. The creaking of a chain, and the tinkling of metal

A ship, I realised, and shared a triumphant glance with my three friends. Fear of Elisabeth, perhapsor even, dare we think, fear of
us
and our determination, now that he was weakerhad driven him from the country!

Inspiration filled me. Leaving Madam Mina entranced, sitting quietly, I turned at once to Jonathanand, without hesitating, put him at once into a deep trance, then signalled John to step forward and put his hands over his ears, lest Elisabeth should be made privy to any more of the information we were seeking. Quincey and Arthur looked a bit scandalised at first, but relaxed as they realised the necessity for it; in fact, both offered up handkerchiefs to John, which he wadded up and pressed against Harkers ears, to better muffle Minas murmured replies.

That done, I turned back to my first patient and commanded, Tell me your thoughts.

To the first return, she intoned, and the castle deep within the forest.

Arthur dashed about the room, found a piece of paper, and scribbled it down.

Where is the key? I continued.

The first? Lying cold against my heart. The second, at my homethough where, I cannot say.

She fell silent then, and would say no more; I motioned for Quincey to lift the blind, which revealed the first pinkish light of dawn.

Immediately I turned towards Jonathan; John at once released his hands so that I could ask the entranced man:

Where are you?

I follow.

Whom do you follow? Van Helsing or Vlad?

At that, he turned his face stubbornly away, like a spoiled child who refuses his supper; I tried a different approach.

What do you see? What do you hear?

A grimace of the most vicious exasperation came over him. With eyelids still lowered, but aflutter, he growled in a low but distinctively feminine voice, Look here, Van Helsing! You are a stupid bastard, indeed, to tangle with me. Ill see you deadif not with these hands, then a pair of others!

At once he leapt up from the chair and ran to the bed. From beneath the mattress, he pulled the fearsome kukri knife and ran towards me with it.

I knew now, without doubt, that Arminius talisman would keep him at baybut my confidence in it was not total. While it might hold Harkers person an arms length from my own, the kukri knife could reach much farther and it was no respecter of talismans or magical charges. Only the presence of John, Arthur, and Quincey saved me, for they rushed him from the back and sides, and caught the arm hoisting the knife. It took the bone-crushing grip of three strong men upon his wrist before he let go the weapon with a howl; Seward, much accustomed to dealing with violent outbursts, soon had him back in his chair and pinned fast.

Of a sudden, he relaxed completely, sagging. I released him from the trance quickly, then watched as John slowly, carefully, eased his grip.

Jonathan opened his eyes and blinked in confusion for some seconds; then looked over at his hypnotised wife with avid interest and concern, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

I picked up the cue and brought Mina out of her trance, as well; she was bright and cheerful, but completely unaware of what she had said or what else had transpired. So we left the Harkers, and told them both to rest well, and not hurry to breakfast. They both were clearly exhausted, and took our advice gratefully.

* * *

Whilst the Harkers were sleeping, the rest of us discussed the situation. Dracula was on a sailing ship weighing anchor somewhere in the Port of Londonthis we all agreed was a logical assumption, given Madam Minas report. But whither was it bound?

There were hundreds of ships weighing anchor in London on any given day, and at first glance the task seemed hopeless. But Arthur pulled the scrap of paper from his pocket and read it to us:

To the first return, and the castle deep within the forest.

The castle deep within the forest sounds like Castle Dracula to me, John said. After all, didnt Mina say that the second key was at home?

The other two men nodded agreement, and Quincey said, It has to be. What else can you make of to the first return except return to the first line? And the first line talks about Transylvania.

So it was agreed: We would try to discover which ships had set sail yesterday for the Black Sea, the most logical route and the way by which the Impaler had first come. Madam Minas description of the sounds indicated a sailing shiptoo small to be listed in the
Times
. Fortunately, Arthur knew that at Lloyds we would find a listing of
all
ships that had set sail.

We went there at oncewithout disturbing the Harkers, especially as we wished to avoid any further encounters with Jonathan. There we learned that only one ship had set sail for the Black Sea on 3 Octoberthe
Czarina Catherine
, bound for the port of Varna.

She had sailed from Doolittles Wharf, our next destination, where we learned from the manager that a tall, very strange pale man had come at five oclock yesterday afternoon, and insisted that a box be loaded onto the ship.

There can be no doubt: He is headed for home!

Chapter 17

The Diary of Abraham Van Helsing

15 OCTOBER, NIGHT.

Left London the morning of 12 October and arrived via the
Orient Express
in Varna this afternoon, after travelling day and night. Madam Mina continues to give the same report at every sunrise: waves lapping, darkness.

After much debate, we decided to let Jonathan come with us. It would have been cruel not to permit him to come, since we were taking his wife (who has been of great use thus far). We remain ever-vigilant around him, and wear our talismans at all times, as my death would be most convenient for Elisabeth. It would cause Vlads immediate destruction, and she would have no more worry from us; she could merely meet the ship when it docks, and retrieve the first key from Vlads pitiful remains.

According to Zsuzsanna, the fact that Elisabeth is nearby awaiting an opportunity to attack, means that she has not seen the fifth line; she needs the first key in order to read it! Apparently, after Vlad discovered the first key and read the fifth line, it disappeared when Elisabeth stole the manuscript. This is good news, for it means she will not rush to Vlads castle ahead of him (and us). No, she follows
us
(or rather, Harker) because we follow Vlad. But her proximity is not the best news for me; only Arminius talisman upon my personeven when I batheprotects me. (Thank God, it is still strong enough to repel her!) Another hopeful piece of news: Zsuzsanna says that when she travelled with Elisabeth to London, she noticed that, despite her abilities to move about freely during the day, she was still limited by the slack of the tide. Knowing this and knowing that when Vlad was at his most powerful, he, too, was still restricted by flowing water (evidenced by his decision to come to London by boat, and, Zsuzsanna says, the route he chose as bat when she followed him one night to Hillingham)we can posit that Elisabeth is still so restricted.

I have finally pressed one of Arminius crucifixes upon Madam Mina; I explained that it was a specially blessed piece designed to ward off the vampire, and would protect her more securely than her own little golden cross. She now wears both; I suspect it has had more than a little effect upon her and Jonathans private life

As for Zsuzsanna and Arkady, they have secretly accompanied us the entire way, and serve as our spies. They will be of much use to us if and when we find it necessary to continue on to the castle. However, before we departed for Varna, Zsuzsanna announced that she had broken off all psychical contact with Harkerthis so Elisabeth has no means of learning what our little band is up to. With that assurance, we have taken her into our confidence regarding the fifth line, and our plan for dispatching Vlad and obtaining guardianship of the first key.

I still find it difficult to trust her; were it not for Arkady, I do not think I would even deal with her. So she has come to her senses and is filled with regretam
I
to pity
her?
She has cost me my wife and son. I do my best to be civil to her, for my fathers sake. Beyond that, I owe her nothing.

Arthur continues to put his lordly title to good use on our behalf. He has convinced the shipper of Vlads box that it contains something stolen from His Lordships friend; we now have surreptitious permission from them to board the ship when it docks and open the chestat our own risk.

29 OCTOBER, NIGHT.

After an agony of waitingday after day of sitting, reading, contemplating, conversing, all of us now obsessed with putting an end to this affair Arthur received a telegram from Lloyds yesterday, saying that the
Czarina
had entered Galatz at one oclock, 28 October.

Galatzmore than one hundred fifty miles to the north! We had languished in Varna thirteen days, waiting restlessly, while the Impaler laughed at us all!

Somehow, Madam Minas thoughts revealed to Dracula our presence in Varna; now he has cut her off from his own plans. Zsuzsanna advises me that Vlad cannot do so without also losing access to Madam Minas thoughts as well (just as she, Zsuzsanna, no longer has access to Jonathan Harkers thoughts), and Arkady confirms this. For the time, we are free to use Minas great intelligence to assist us without revealing to Vlad our strategy. I write this on the train to Galatz.