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minds to your will？
〃With my eyes； yes。〃
Beguilment； hypnotism； a stage magician's trick！ You are an innocent。
〃Damn you！〃 Yulian's pride was hurt at last； his patience all used up。 〃What are you anyway but a dead thing？ I'll tell you what I've learned： I can take a dead creature and draw out its secrets； and know all that it knew in life！〃
Necromancy？ Is it so？ And no one to show you how？ That is an achievement！ There is hope for you yet。
〃I can heal my own wounds as though they never were； and I've the strength of any two men。 I could lie with a woman and love her…to death； if I desired…and not even weary myself。 And only anger me； dear father； and then I could kill； kill； kill！ But not you； for you're already dead。 Hope for me？ I'll say there is。 But what hope is there for you？〃
For a moment there was no answer from the melting Thing。 Then …Ahhh！ And indeed you are my son； Yuliaannn！ Closer； e closer still。
Yulian moved to less than arm's length from the Thing； facing it squarely。 The stench of its burning was monstrous。 Its blackened outer shell began to crumble； rapidly disintegrated and fell away。 The flames immediately attacked the inner image； which Yulian now saw almost as a reflection of himself。 It had the same features； the same bone structure； the same dark attraction。 The face of a fallen angel。 They could be peas from the same pod。
〃You。。。 you are my father！〃 he gasped。
I was； the other groaned。 Now I am nothing。 I am burning away； as you see。 Not the real me but something I left behind。 It was my last hope； and through it and with your help…I might have been a power in the world once again。 But it's too late now。
〃Then why do you concern yourself with me？〃 Yulian tried to understand。 〃Why have you e to me…or drawn me to you？ If I can't help you； what's the point of this？〃
Revenge！ The burning Thing's voice was suddenly sharp as a knife in Yulian's dreaming mind。 Through you！
〃I should avenge you？ Against whom？〃
Against the ones who found me here。 The ones who even now destroy my last chance for a future。 Against Harry Keogh and his pack of white magicians！
〃You're not making sense。〃 Yulian shook his head； gazed in morbid fascination as the Thing continued to melt。 He saw his own features liquefying； streaming away and falling from the burning creature in molten tatters。 〃What white magicians？ Harry Keogh？ I don't know anyone of that name。〃
But he knows you！ First me； Yulian； and then you！
Harry Keogh knows us…and he knows the way： the stake； the sword； and the fire！ You tell me you can sense the presence of enemies…and have you not sensed just such enemies close to you even now？ They are one and the same。 First me； and then you！
Even dreaming； Yulian felt his scalp crawling。 The secret watchers； of course！ 〃What must I do？〃
Avenge me； and save yourself。 That； too； is one and the same。 For they know what we are； Yulian； and they cannot abide us。 You must kill them； for if you don't they'll surely kill you！
The last scrap of human flesh fell from the nightmarish entity； revealing at last its true； inner reality。 Yulian hissed his horror； drew back a little way； gazed upon the face of all evil。 He saw Thibor's bat's snout； his convoluted ears； long jaws； crimson eyes。 The vampire laughed at him…the bass booming of a great hound…and a split tongue flickered redly in a cave of teeth。 Then； as if someone had applied a giant's bellows to the task； the flames roared up higher still and rushed in； and the image blackened at once and turned to glowing cinders。
Trembling violently； running with sweat； Yulian came awake； sat bolt upright in his bed。 And as from a million miles away he heard again； one last time； Thibor's far； faint voice： Avenge me； Yuliaannn。
He stood up in the dark room； went shakily to the window； looked out on the night。 Out there； a mind。 A man。 Watching。 Waiting。
Sweat quickly dried on Yulian and his flesh turned cold； but still he stood there。 Panic receded； was replaced by rage； hatred。 〃Avenge you； father？〃 he finally breathed。 〃Oh； I will。 I will！〃
In the window's luminous； night…dark pane his reflection was an echo from the dream。 But Yulian was neither shocked nor surprised。 It simply meant that his metamorphosis was now plete。 He looked through the reflection at〃 the dark； furtive shadow there in the hedgerow and grinned。
And his grin was like an invitation to step in through the gates of hell 。
At the foot of the cruciform hills； Kyle and Quint； Krakovitch and Gulharov waited close together in a small group。 It wasn't cold but they stood together； as if for warmth。
The fire was dying down now； the wind which had earlier sprung up out of nowhere had quickly blown itself out； like the dying breath of some unseen Gargantuan。 Human figures； half hidden in the trees and the billowing black smoke； toiled above and to the east of the devastated area； containing the fire and beating it down。 A grimy； coveralled hulk Of a man came stumbling from the trees at the foot of the slope towards the vampire hunters where they huddled。 It was the Romanian ganger； Janni Chevenu。
〃You！〃 He grabbed Krakovitch's arm。 〃Plague； you said！ But did you see it？ Did you see that。。。 that thing before it burned？ It had eyes； mouths！ It lashed； writhed 。
it。。 。 it。。。 my God！ My God！〃
Under the soot and sweat； Chevenu's face was chalk。 Slowly his glazed eyes cleared。 He looked from Krakovitch to the others。 The gaunt faces that looked back seemed carved of the same raw emotion： a horror； no less than Chevenu's own。 〃Plague； you said；〃 he dazedly repeated。 〃But that wasn't any kind of plague I ever heard of。〃
Krakovitch shook himself loose。 〃Oh yes it was； Janni；〃 he finally answered。 〃It was the very worst kind。 Just consider yourself lucky you were able to destroy it。 We're in your debt。 All of us。 Everywhere。。。〃
* * *
Darcy Clarke should have had the 8。00 P。M。…2。00 A。M。 shift； instead he was bedded down at the hotel in Paigntonsomething he'd eaten； apparently。 Stomach cramps and violent diarrhoea。
Peter Keen had taken the shift in Clarke's place； driving out to Harkley House and relieving Trevor Jordan of the job of keeping Bodescu under observation。
〃Nothing's happening up there；〃 Jordan had whispered； leaning in through the open window of his car； handing Keen a powerful crossbow with a hardwood bolt。 〃There's a light on downstairs； but that's all。 They're all in there； or if not then they didn't e out through the gate！ The light did e on in Bodescu's attic room for a few minutes； then went out again。 That was probably him getting his head down。 Also； I felt that there just might be someone probing for my thoughts but that lasted for only a moment。 Since when it's been quiet as the proverbial tomb。〃
Keen had grinned； however nervously。 〃Except we know that not every tomb is quiet； eh？〃
Jordan hadn't found it funny。 〃Peter； that's a really weird sense of humour you've got there。〃 He nodded at the crossbow in Keen's hand。 〃Do you know how to use that？ Here； I'll load it for you。〃
〃That's OK；〃 Keen nodded affably。 〃I'll manage it all right。 But if you want to do me a real favour； just make sure my relief's on t