Wednesday, June 30, 2010
After a long day working in Jessica’s room, we all showered and changed and finally made it back to the parlor in time for the meeting. We were pretty excited to talk about the episode in toto, there was so much to say, and we had been sent an unexpected invitation to spend the fourth of July at Merlotte’s. I wondered if Eric and Pam would come to the party. I asked Sam when he brought us our lunch if we could invite Eric and Pam and Jessica, who had been sleeping in the newly refurbished crawl space under Bill’s house til the sun went down, and hopped in the car with God Speed and Sal and Jen to go the meeting.
Sam is not a great fan of the fang…never had been really. Of course he had known about Vampires far longer than the rest of us since he himself was a supernatural being. But, he saw how it important it was for us to have the freedom to invite them and he gave his approval. Alcide had accepted as well. He was happy to get to know us better, and perhaps a few of us even better than Eric would like. Body Guard, being one of the two natured himself enjoyed having the friendship of another Were in the meetings.
I asked Body Guard how Eric responded to the revelation of his being a were. Unlike Sam, who could change into any animal he imprinted on, Body Guard was a full blooded Werewolf like Alcide. But Alcide and Body Guard had no animosity toward Sam as many Weres did against shifters. Alcide and Body Guard moved through life independently without strict adherence to a pack, though they respected the local pack leaders as much as they could. They were better off on their own in their estimation.
When we arrived, Aolani had made us a couple of huge chickens. Minnie made us a green bean casserole and Fairy had made mashed potatoes with chives and a huge peach cobbler to be served with butter cream ice cream. Minnie had also made her special brownies. Thank God for Minnie’s brownies.
Raki was pouring the wine and handed me a glass. I sipped the cold crisp wine and smiled in gratitude. I had drunk down half a glass and she poured more. “Is this some of Eric’s stuff?” I asked.
“No,” she said, “I brought a few bottles in.”
“We’ll be needing it,” I said. I looked around at all the people in the parlor, all of our friends. Pam and Eric and Jessica were there, having Tru:Bloods and chatting. Alcide was having a cold beer. Butter came up to the Viking and he rubbed her belly as he kissed her. “Not much longer,” he said to her.
Fairy, Raki and Minnie Mouse were eating a piece of brownie apiece and chatting over some yummy siggies Fairy and Raki had been making. Bella, Renee, Scarlett and Westexan were at the computer reading some things on the forum, catching up. Eric came over and leaned over Renee and he whispered something in her ear and she nodded and he patted her gently on the shoulder and turned to greet Kellie, known interchangeably as Chris or The Kid. He embraced her and kissed her on the cheek and she hugged him back. Renee turned in time to see the embrace and shook her head and turned back to the screen.
Dude came in. He kissed Pam and Jessica and shook hands with Eric, a ritual the Viking was accustoming himself to. Generally Vampires do not like being touched by humans they were not feeding from, but Eric was trying to be more open to the experience and he would briefly clasp hands with one of the boys and give them a couple of shakes before releasing them. I asked Eric about it and he said to Vampires it was the equivalent of when a master teaches his dog to shake. It was something they preferred not doing. I think it was because in the times before the Great Revelation, it revealed their otherness and so they simply did not do it. I suggested this to Eric and he nodded his agreement.
I turned to speak to Barrister and Alcide and Aolani and Body Guard. Jen and God Speed had joined us.
“How is it going on that Vampire’s house,” asked Alcide.
“Pretty good, we have to make two rooms light tight,” said God Speed. “Any suggestions?”
“I’ll come around and look at what you are doing,” he said. “Since they came up out of the coffin, the construction business has had to figure out ways to accommodate them.” Alcide had a look of distaste on his face but held his tongue. Linzy and Lina and Tiff came up to him to chat and I saw Eric’s eyes glow for a second, but turned around. It was innocent chat, but I knew Eric did not approve of it. He liked to be the center of attention for his ladies and he kept his possessive Vampire jealousy in check with effort.
Finally, Pam, the sergeant of arms of the group and Eric’s strong right hand, called us to order and we began to find our places. Our circle was not complete without our Bill, who had been in our world since day one when we started meeting this Eric and Pam and Jessica. His absence was felt deeply, even among Eric’s wives and the boys the group. Sal, the last one to come into the parlor hurriedly took a seat beside Jessica and Scarlett and Pam called the meeting to begin.
“Tell us what you think?” said the pretty Vampire.
“Well, there is a lot going on. Those werewolves Eric, what are they to you?” asked Dude.
“We were hunting them, for a reason,” said Eric. “A personal one.”
“You and Godric?” I asked.
“Yes, and other Vampires,” said Eric. “But this is personal to me and I am not ready to tell it yet.” I had hoped Eric would tell us more about what had happened to make him hate the Werewolves with the brand so much. But I feared we would learn things as they revealed themselves in the adventures. I wondered if it would fill in the gaps of our personal adventures during the summer.
But, with Eric’s words, we nodded. We very well knew from Bill’s experiences last Sunday that Vampires were not immune to painful memories. If Bill had them, so had Eric, so had many of the Vampires. I wondered if Eric dreamed about whatever had happened and if he ever woke with a start and had tears on his face. I imagined he had. Fairy reached out and squeezed the Viking’s hand and he turned to her and looked at her.
“I was disappointed that Bill’s attempt on Lorena’s life was not successful,” said God Speed. “When he burned her.” We all stiffened and grumbled at that. We would like nothing better than to have Lorena Krisiki in final death. We hated her. The King of Mississippi seemed unperturbed at Bill’s actions and further went on to speak to Bill about something he had no intention of doing but was afraid would happen anyway. The King had suggested that Bill make Sookie Vampire.
“I wonder why the King is so interested in Sookie?” said Sal. “I mean, can she carry her telepathy on to being a Vampire?”
“I don’t know,” said Eric.
“Hey, Eric, has any Vampire ever suggested that you guys have a controlled breeding program?” I said. “I’m sorry of the choice of words, but it is the only way I can say what I mean clearly.”
“Controlled how?” he said.
“Well, like…you can fly…and I take it Pam can too?” I said. I had been brooding about this for a long while. Could Pam fly? I think so. In the first summer adventures when they were escaping from the raid at Fangtasia, Pam and Eric moved in exactly the same way and it was different than just Vampire speed. They were preparing to fly into the night. “Did you inherit flight Pam?”
“I did inherit flight though I am not as strong as Eric,” said Pam.
“And Godric could fly?” I asked.
“Yes,” said Eric.
“Do you think Sookie’s telepathic abilities would stay intact?” I asked.
There was quiet. The two elder Vampires were thinking things carefully. Alcide spoke.
“I know that if a were is made Vampire he can’t change on the full moon or any other time,” he said.
“But Sookie is not were,” said Eric. “It is about even odds, she might, she might not.”
“Well, for the sake of argument, what a coup if she did. Then any Vampire she turned would be telepathic…what a resource for a Vampire, the ability not only to glamour but read the thoughts of a human…or a were in his were form,” I said.
“Interesting,” said Eric.
“Otherwise, why is the king suggesting Bill to turn her when her usefulness as a telepath might end? Or is this just a red herring to get Bill to contact Sookie under the auspices of turning her and then the king simply take her and force her to work for him, perhaps keeping Bill as...insurance,” said Barrister.
“That is until she found out he has shagged Lorena,” said Fairy. We nodded. Despite what we felt about the things we had seen Bill do to Lorena, the fact that he had had sex with her would be a deal breaker to Sookie, regardless of his motives or his rage at the time. She may feel beholden to try to help Bill but this would be more of a moral imperative, but her feelings for Bill would be bruised. This would not hold her captive for long to do the king’s bidding.
“And Franklin Mott?” said Westexan.
“What do we know about him?” asked Minnie.
“Not much,” I said. “He is English and he is aligned with either Queen Sophie Anne or the King Russell.” I was betting hard money it was Russell.
“He certainly got Tara steamed up,” said Lina. “But I felt sorry for her.”
“Sorry?” said Eric. “Why?”
“Well, not because she spent a little sack time with the Vampire, but because she feels the way she does about herself,” she explained. “Did you hear what she said to Franklin?”
“What did she say?” asked God Speed.
“That knowing her name would not make him any less dirty and she feel….she doesn’t finish her sentence, but she seems to be really down on herself and her value. Franklin sees this and he can use it to his advantage, of course, but the fact she says this to him. You know Tara is hurting,” said Lina.
“Interesting,” said the Viking. Eric often feigned sympathy for other people in the world of Bon Temps. Primarily for us, so we would move forward in our thought processes, but there was no doubt in my mind that he could care less unless he could use the situation to his advantage. This detail, though, was connected to another person in Bon Temps he did take an interest in, and that was Lafayette Reynold.
Lafayette had been under the Vampire Sheriff of Area Five’s thumb for some time and he was genuinely interested in him. Otherwise, he would not have given him that very beautiful and expensive car. He made Lafayette a Godfather like proposition.
“Eric, are you trying to woo Lafayette into becoming a Vampire?” asked Scarlett. Eric smiled at her. He would not reveal all his hopes for Lafayette to us.
“Let’s just say Lafayette intrigues me. He does have a great mind for business if he can just see the endless possibilities that lie before him. He has charisma and a great sense of money,” said Eric. “It surprises me, but he reminds me a bit of myself. He just needs a little push.”
This was a revelation to me. It simply never dawned on me that Eric might admire a human like that, or see parts of himself in a human so his opposite. But then it made sense because say what you will about the short order cook/ road crew member/ prostitute/ V dealer, he had the same streak of self preservation, ingenuity, and ruthlessness that Eric has. When the world handed these two boys lemons, they made…well, certainly not lemonade, but they made something out of their difficult and dangerous lives.
“And then of course we have Jason,” said Renee. We all laughed. If we thought from time to time Sookie suffered from terminal blondness, Jason was permanently and totally afflicted. He was apparently flitting from flower to proverbial flower again. As my grandmother, may she rest in peace, was fond of saying, flit from flower to flower and you will land in pile of shit. Speaking of which.
“If Bud Dearborn quits, who will be sheriff?” asked Fairy. “Would Andy become the sheriff?”
“Sure until official elections. He would have to be confirmed by the mayor and the town council first, but imagine this would be easily done,” said Barrister. “But he was certainly at his wit’s end when he quit.”
“And we know now, for sure who moved the body,” said Vi. “And of course that is just one more thing Franklin has in his arsenal. He can intimidate Jessica.” Jessica shifted around uncomfortably. She was a very young Vampire and though she was stronger than any human, any older Vampire was dangerous to her. Unfortunately for her, Jessica had the worst maker in Vampire-dom...Bill Compton. Love him, I very much do, suffer for him, absolutely…but he will never hear me say he is a good maker. Bill may be good at many things but being a responsible parent he is not. And now, he was gone and Jessica was really in trouble.
“Plus Tara…” I shook my head. My mother watched that scene and snorted, she said Tara has invited every imaginable thing into Sookie’s house; it would look as if she would invite Mr. Clean to come in. Sookie would approve of that. “She is now under Franklin’s glamour…Poor Tara, if this does not make her a member of the Fellowship of the Sun, I don’t know what will.” Tara had after all, been under the control of a maenad, now under the glamour of a Vampire who could do her a great deal of harm. I sighed.
“But what I want to know is this, what was Sookie thinking? Did she really think she could wander into that werewolf bar and get some crazy were to tell her stuff? And why didn’t you tell her about some stuff Alcide?” I asked, looking at the handsome were.
“I have not been closely associated with the Jackson pack in some time,” he said. “We are in the middle of a power struggle between more reasonable elements of the pack and this bunch in a huddle with Russell Edgington.”
“Sookie knows these Werewolves are wrong,” said Eric. “She knows they are using Vampire blood and she should have been more careful. “
“She did it the only reasonable way she could,” said Alcide. “Coming on like a really stupid girl was a good way to get some information.”
“It was also a good way to get her killed,” said Eric. “You had better make sure she doesn’t.” Eric’s threat to Alcide’s life was obvious. I had watched Eric kill before and he was very efficient and messy. I chuckled and shook my head. “You find that amusing, Aslinn?”
“No, Eric,” I said. “Something else just floated into my head and right back out…I am sorry.”
So now we were ready to speak of Bill. Excusing the final scenes, Bill had been through a lot in his existence as Vampire. His losses were so great they would have left a hole in anyone, Vampire or not. I hurt for him and I know many of us did.
“Poor Bill,” said Jen. “He just could not stay away, could he?”
Violet was nodding. “Yeah, if there was one thing Lorena told him that was true, Bill should have left well enough alone and never gone back to his house in Bon Temps. Seeing his son…” Vi fought the shaking of her voice, the quivering of her mouth. Eric was looking at her and he could see her fighting to control herself and there was a look of pride on the Viking’s face. “Seeing his son,” she continued. “Dead of the small pox.”
“Bill looked as though he would have been content to lie down in his son’s grave and rest there,” said Linzy. “And then having Caroline shrink away in horror when she realized she had let a Vampire in her house, that Bill was no longer…human.”
“Imagine what that would be like,” said Raki. “You assume your husband is dead after the Civil War and you open your door to find him standing there and then you discover he is…wrong.”
“Not only wrong, but in the company of Lorena,” said Minnie. “But we have to give credit where credit is due, she did allow Bill to glamour her instead of killing her.”
“Yes, for whatever reasons, and as much as we do hate her, we have to admit she loves Bill,” I said. “She is a laughing stock in the Vampire world, chasing after Bill that way. And because she knows she is a joke among her own kind, she uses it to hurt Bill by ridiculing him for loving a human.”
“And Bill has switched alliances,” said Dude. “He is doing it for political reasons, of course. He is doing everything he can think of to keep Sookie out of harm’s way. But Sookie is determined.”
“Determined to get herself killed,” said Alcide.
“Well done everyone,” said Pam, ending our meeting.
Long after the other members were gone and the parlor was quiet, I sat on the couch. Barrister was at the computer, working on something for Eric and I was alone in my head with my own thoughts. I got up and went to the sink and washed up the few wine glasses, rinsed out a Tru:Blood bottle and put it in the recycler and straightened things up. I was surprised when Eric came back in the parlor.
“Something we can do for you Eric?” I asked. He shook his head. “Hungry? Want another Tru:Blood?” He shook his head again. “Well, I hope you don’t think I am being nosy, but why are you here?”
“I want to ask you something,” he said. “About Bill.”
“Okay,” I said. I hopped up on a stool and Eric stood in front of me, looming over me. “Eric, can you step back about a half foot, you make me dizzy and a little claustrophobic when you do that.”
“Sorry,” he said. He pulled out a stool and pulled it in front of me, and sat down. “Do you think Bill would betray me?”
“Well, you two don’t like one another, and he has changed allegiances. But he also knows you are a very powerful person in your world, not just politically, but physically and whether he likes it or not, he knows you would protect Sookie, either because of her value as a telepath or your personal interest in her. I don’t think he would do anything to endanger you unless he absolutely had to. Lorena, on the other hand, I believe would tell Russell everything she knows. She knows you are interested in Sookie too. You tipped your hand when you called her in on Bill in Dallas, big fellah,” I said lightly.
“Yes, that was a mistake on my part,” he said. “She has become a fly in my ointment now.”
“Could you do me a great big hairy favor Eric?” I asked. Eric leaned back a little and crossed his arms in front of him.
“You may ask,” he said.
Would you please bring our Vampire home alive?” I asked the Viking.
“Dearest, Bill and I are dead,” he said.
“Well…bring him home animated?” I said. “Please?” I rolled my eyes around to try to keep from crying and I bit my jaw and for good measure my tongue, before the inner smart ass in me said something that would piss off the Viking. He looked at me and seemed to make up his mind.
“My inner self says to leave Bill Compton to rot. I think I would be able to win some of you for myself if he were gone permanently. But, I also know a couple of you…” and he leaned in a bit and looked at me then leaned back. “…Would be terribly upset with me if I allowed Mr. Compton to be seriously harmed or finally dead. So, I will try very, very hard, to do what you ask.”
I swallowed hard. “Thank you Eric, I appreciate it,” I said.
And just like that, Eric was gone again, the parlor door closing behind him.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
You're So Cruel
I disappeared in you,
You disappeared in me
U2- So Cruel
Don't believe what you hear, don't believe what you see
U2-Acrobat
I was crying in the parlor. Sean was patting me and Renee and Vi and Westexan and Bella, Bill’s sister wives. He was handing out Vi’s tissues and consoling us the best he could and when the sun went down he placed a discrete call. About an hour later, Eric came into the parlor when the tears were winnowed down to sniffles and we sipped the aforementioned Vampire’s Napoleon brandy in Waterford snifters. He stood there, his arms folded across his chest, looking at us with our red watery eyes and stuffy noses.
“What is he doing here,” I said.
“I thought he could help,” said Barrister. I turned my back on the Viking, curling up into the corner of the couch, refusing to look at Eric and his cold, but somehow smug look on his face. Renee got up to busy herself in the kitchen but the Viking put his arm out to stop her and he gently motioned for her to sit down.
“Ladies,” said Eric. “Whatever is the matter here?”
“Go away,” I said. “I don’t know why you thought he could help.”
“He is a Vampire,” said Barrister. “And a man. Won’t you please turn around and speak to him.”
“He is not Bill and right now, that is who I want to talk to,” I said. Though I could not see them, Renee, Westexan and Vi were nodding their heads.
“What would you say to Bill if you had him in front of you?” asked Eric.
“What the hell were you thinking, Bill?” said Vi. “Have you lost it all together?”
“Why didn’t you just kill her,” said Renee. “Why did you have to do all that?”
“Why are you risking your humanity when you fought so hard to get it back,” said Bella.
“What would you ask him Aslinn?” asked Eric.
“All those things,” I said. “Doesn’t he realize he is playing into her hands…he acted the way she wanted him to, to lose himself in the savagery that he fought to leave behind.”
“So romantic,” said Eric, sitting down in the chair, his hands resting on the arms of the chair. I turned to look at the beautiful, regal, smug face. I made to hurl myself at him, my teeth bared to him. I didn’t know what I would do with that face if I got my hands on him, but I wanted him. I wanted to make him feel what we felt. Barrister held on to me.
“Retract your fangs at me Aslinn… The more I know you the more convinced I am you would be a good Vampire,” he said, looking steadily and calmly at me. I tried to get away from his cool expression but Barrister held me fast. I sat down but pushed Barrister’s hands away. I wanted the Viking to feel my anger, not the subsiding of my emotions.
“If you will calm yourself, I will tell you a few things,” said Eric. “I did not mean to imply there is anything wrong with the way you are feeling.” I said nothing, but I looked away. “Lorena is Bill’s maker.”
“Boy, thanks for clearing that up, I would have been puzzled about that one. That was a real head scratcher. You are a genius Eric,” I said sarcastically.
“Are you finished?” he said pointedly. “You know, I almost sent Pam to see you, and she has fewer feelings about Bill than I do, but I decided to come. I know what you are feeling.”
I said nothing. I was being unfair to Eric. But I hurt deep in my soul, and I know the other wives were confused and hurt. Bella was crying again and Eric reached for the tissues this time and gave them to the most faithful of Bill’s wives. She took them and dabbed her tears and blew her nose.
“One’s relationship with their maker is very complex. You see this as a failing on his part, I see it another way,” said Eric, finally, letting us calm down. “Bill has done something extraordinary and I can’t believe you have turned a blind eye to it. You are so perceptive most of the time.”
“What do you mean?” asked Westexan.
“He has stricken his maker. He has drank from her and overpowered her,” said Eric. “Come, see it with your heads and not your hearts.”
“Did drinking from her make a difference?” asked Westexan.
“Aslinn, does having my blood in you make a difference from having Bill’s blood?” he asked.
“Of course it does, you are older,” I said.
“Bill’s drinking Lorena’s blood resulted from two things: his natural instinct in battle. Vampires always bite whomever they fight with. And his over whelming anger. Vampires have a built in rage. It really is barely in check, even among the oldest of us. It the nature of our being, the animal, the brute,” said Eric. “And it did two things for Bill. It empowered him and gave him power through her blood, which is older.”
“So, why the other stuff? Why did he have sex with her?” I asked.
“You know the answer to that, Aslinn, you have been with men before,” said Eric. I looked up to look at his face. It was blameless. “He had been the one overpowered for so long. Now he overpowered her. He brutalized her the way she brutalized him.”
“Is she dead Eric?” asked Westexan.
“That I do not know. It would be quite something in the annals of Vampire lore. There are instances where Vampires have killed their makers, but this is unique. Bill’s motivations are not as clear. Oh, they seem that way, he simply hates her, but there are other things deep inside Bill Compton’s psyche that has motivated him,” said Eric.
“What will happen to him now?” asked Vi.
“Do you mean to his soul? That Human Soul you all believe we will be resurrecting?” asked Eric. She nodded. “Violet, I simply don’t know. I could not tell you if Bill will be the same Vampire he was when he left. I do not know if he will be able to feel the same way as he has about his chances as a Vampire mainstreaming. I do not know if he will love again. For your sakes I hope it is so.”
“Do you really Eric?” I said.
“Of course,” he said. “You write so eloquently of the Vampire soul. And Bill seems to be an example of that. And you are searching for my soul, even more than I am, but I suppose I too am on that path, it is a path I am resisting, but I find myself asking questions, particularly with the death of my maker.”
“If Bill fails, will you give up your search?” I asked.
“You think very little of Bill if you think he will give up. Vampires are very stubborn, we like having our own way and if that way includes finding a soul, then we will do to it until we are in final death,” said Eric. “As for me, I love a challenge. I crave it. So whether it is battle with another creature or a battle within me, I look forward to it.” He looked thoughtfully. “You know, you are overlooking something very crucial here. Again, I am surprised you have not realized it yet.”
“What?” asked Barrister.
“She could have overpowered him. She is the elder Vampire here,” said Eric smoothly. “If she really wanted to stop him, she could have.”
I sat there for a moment. I had not thought of that. I sat up and dried my face. “Are you hungry Eric? I could fix you a Tru:Blood?”
“That would be delightful,” he said.
You disappeared in me
U2- So Cruel
Don't believe what you hear, don't believe what you see
U2-Acrobat
I was crying in the parlor. Sean was patting me and Renee and Vi and Westexan and Bella, Bill’s sister wives. He was handing out Vi’s tissues and consoling us the best he could and when the sun went down he placed a discrete call. About an hour later, Eric came into the parlor when the tears were winnowed down to sniffles and we sipped the aforementioned Vampire’s Napoleon brandy in Waterford snifters. He stood there, his arms folded across his chest, looking at us with our red watery eyes and stuffy noses.
“What is he doing here,” I said.
“I thought he could help,” said Barrister. I turned my back on the Viking, curling up into the corner of the couch, refusing to look at Eric and his cold, but somehow smug look on his face. Renee got up to busy herself in the kitchen but the Viking put his arm out to stop her and he gently motioned for her to sit down.
“Ladies,” said Eric. “Whatever is the matter here?”
“Go away,” I said. “I don’t know why you thought he could help.”
“He is a Vampire,” said Barrister. “And a man. Won’t you please turn around and speak to him.”
“He is not Bill and right now, that is who I want to talk to,” I said. Though I could not see them, Renee, Westexan and Vi were nodding their heads.
“What would you say to Bill if you had him in front of you?” asked Eric.
“What the hell were you thinking, Bill?” said Vi. “Have you lost it all together?”
“Why didn’t you just kill her,” said Renee. “Why did you have to do all that?”
“Why are you risking your humanity when you fought so hard to get it back,” said Bella.
“What would you ask him Aslinn?” asked Eric.
“All those things,” I said. “Doesn’t he realize he is playing into her hands…he acted the way she wanted him to, to lose himself in the savagery that he fought to leave behind.”
“So romantic,” said Eric, sitting down in the chair, his hands resting on the arms of the chair. I turned to look at the beautiful, regal, smug face. I made to hurl myself at him, my teeth bared to him. I didn’t know what I would do with that face if I got my hands on him, but I wanted him. I wanted to make him feel what we felt. Barrister held on to me.
“Retract your fangs at me Aslinn… The more I know you the more convinced I am you would be a good Vampire,” he said, looking steadily and calmly at me. I tried to get away from his cool expression but Barrister held me fast. I sat down but pushed Barrister’s hands away. I wanted the Viking to feel my anger, not the subsiding of my emotions.
“If you will calm yourself, I will tell you a few things,” said Eric. “I did not mean to imply there is anything wrong with the way you are feeling.” I said nothing, but I looked away. “Lorena is Bill’s maker.”
“Boy, thanks for clearing that up, I would have been puzzled about that one. That was a real head scratcher. You are a genius Eric,” I said sarcastically.
“Are you finished?” he said pointedly. “You know, I almost sent Pam to see you, and she has fewer feelings about Bill than I do, but I decided to come. I know what you are feeling.”
I said nothing. I was being unfair to Eric. But I hurt deep in my soul, and I know the other wives were confused and hurt. Bella was crying again and Eric reached for the tissues this time and gave them to the most faithful of Bill’s wives. She took them and dabbed her tears and blew her nose.
“One’s relationship with their maker is very complex. You see this as a failing on his part, I see it another way,” said Eric, finally, letting us calm down. “Bill has done something extraordinary and I can’t believe you have turned a blind eye to it. You are so perceptive most of the time.”
“What do you mean?” asked Westexan.
“He has stricken his maker. He has drank from her and overpowered her,” said Eric. “Come, see it with your heads and not your hearts.”
“Did drinking from her make a difference?” asked Westexan.
“Aslinn, does having my blood in you make a difference from having Bill’s blood?” he asked.
“Of course it does, you are older,” I said.
“Bill’s drinking Lorena’s blood resulted from two things: his natural instinct in battle. Vampires always bite whomever they fight with. And his over whelming anger. Vampires have a built in rage. It really is barely in check, even among the oldest of us. It the nature of our being, the animal, the brute,” said Eric. “And it did two things for Bill. It empowered him and gave him power through her blood, which is older.”
“So, why the other stuff? Why did he have sex with her?” I asked.
“You know the answer to that, Aslinn, you have been with men before,” said Eric. I looked up to look at his face. It was blameless. “He had been the one overpowered for so long. Now he overpowered her. He brutalized her the way she brutalized him.”
“Is she dead Eric?” asked Westexan.
“That I do not know. It would be quite something in the annals of Vampire lore. There are instances where Vampires have killed their makers, but this is unique. Bill’s motivations are not as clear. Oh, they seem that way, he simply hates her, but there are other things deep inside Bill Compton’s psyche that has motivated him,” said Eric.
“What will happen to him now?” asked Vi.
“Do you mean to his soul? That Human Soul you all believe we will be resurrecting?” asked Eric. She nodded. “Violet, I simply don’t know. I could not tell you if Bill will be the same Vampire he was when he left. I do not know if he will be able to feel the same way as he has about his chances as a Vampire mainstreaming. I do not know if he will love again. For your sakes I hope it is so.”
“Do you really Eric?” I said.
“Of course,” he said. “You write so eloquently of the Vampire soul. And Bill seems to be an example of that. And you are searching for my soul, even more than I am, but I suppose I too am on that path, it is a path I am resisting, but I find myself asking questions, particularly with the death of my maker.”
“If Bill fails, will you give up your search?” I asked.
“You think very little of Bill if you think he will give up. Vampires are very stubborn, we like having our own way and if that way includes finding a soul, then we will do to it until we are in final death,” said Eric. “As for me, I love a challenge. I crave it. So whether it is battle with another creature or a battle within me, I look forward to it.” He looked thoughtfully. “You know, you are overlooking something very crucial here. Again, I am surprised you have not realized it yet.”
“What?” asked Barrister.
“She could have overpowered him. She is the elder Vampire here,” said Eric smoothly. “If she really wanted to stop him, she could have.”
I sat there for a moment. I had not thought of that. I sat up and dried my face. “Are you hungry Eric? I could fix you a Tru:Blood?”
“That would be delightful,” he said.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Party at Fangtasia
No basement action, but some musical accompaniment if you care for it....hehehhehehe
Fangtasia was bustling and loud, the music pounding out hot electronica. It was a bit too early for strippers but the go-go dancers, a couple of good looking Vampires, were gyrating in ways I could only admire. If I tried to move like that, I would throw my hip out. As it was, I was dancing with Barrister, one of his arms around my waist as we bumped against one another to the rhythm of the music. He had made it back home from an assignment in England for Eric. That was just one more things for me to resent about the Viking, that another disturbing dream. And this time I knew it was a dream…a consequence of the blood.
Speaking of Eric, he was pressed against Raki, moving his hips in an obvious imitation of his basement activities. Pam and Scarlett were dancing together. I admired Vampires. Even in the warmest conditions, they were sweat free. I was soaking wet, my tank top clung to me and while I enjoyed dancing with my honey, I would be happy when the music ended and I could get a cold beer and take a long pull off it and then rub the cold bottle on my neck and chest.
We were blowing off steam. We seemed to need to. The things we were experiencing in our adventures with Sookie and co. were making us tense. There is nothing like visiting a Vampire bar to work out your tensions. I sat at the bar, my back against it, looking at the crowd. Eric was racking it in. I counted around 10 Vampires that I did not know. There was a new Vampire in Bon Temps too, but I only wanted to know what he was up to.
We had invited Alcide Herveaux to come to Fangtasia, but he declined. I understood. He was getting ready to meet Sookie and make a plan of sorts to investigate Bill’s disappearance. I missed Bill, and I know Renee and Westexan and Bella missed him too. We were still working on his house. Jessica was telling the Kid about the room we were getting ready to give the light tight treatment to. She was talking about the paint she had chosen and the wall paper borders she wanted and the bed linens. Dad had stripped and stained the doors and they were given all new hinges and the old brass door knob and lock faces and the dead bolts inside were cleaned and polished and now gleamed.
The boys decided to fix up the hidey hole in case there were times other Vampires had to stay in the house. They had poured concrete and built wooden walls and covered them in sheet rock and painted them a plain crème color. A couple of those thin space mattresses covered in some sort of canvas were laid on opposite ends of the space and an indoor outdoor rug and Bill had a Vampire guest room.
Barrister had taken Renee out on the dance floor and Pam sidled up to me to let Scarlett cool off and have a drink. She looked great in her Vampire costume, a leather mini skirt to show off her beautiful long legs with her feet in improbable high heels. Her gauzy black blouse showed off a beautiful bra, black with red roses embroidered on it.
“I love your bra,” I said to the pretty Vampire.
“Thank you,” she said. “Are you enjoying yourself?”
“I am,” I said. “We needed to blow off some steam.” I was watching God Speed dancing with Jessica while Eric danced with Jen.
“Eric is full of joy this evening,” she said. “He was surprised when you called and said the group was coming to dance and drink.”
“Well, when we party, we really want to break loose and party,” I said. When the music ended, Eric kissed Jen and came up to me and his child. He was looking really fine this evening, in black jeans and a black tank top and black boots.
“Good evening Aslinn,” he said, kissing me lightly on the cheek. Even though he had been dancing for better than a half hour, his lips were cool on my skin.
“Evening Eric,” I said, patting him on the shoulder. “You are in fine form tonight.”
“I was hoping you would watch me,” he said. “I like it when the ladies watch me.”
“Haven’t you gathered enough flowers in your romantic garden? You have such a collection of sister wives, they mope and groan because there are not enough nights in the week for you to visit with them,” I said. “No wonder so many of them are sneaking peeks at someone else.”
“You like to stick me, don’t you?” he said.
“Sure Eric, I stay up all night trying to think of ways to stick you,” I said.
“Funny, I do the same thing,” he said, giving me a vulgar leer. I rolled my eyes. “Are you enjoying having Barrister home?”
“I am and I would appreciate it if he stays home for a while,” I said.
“He will be,” said Eric. Barrister had come out of the men’s room and walked up to the bar. Chow reached out a cold lager to him.
“Eric, you have a male Vampire feeding off something in the loo. The back stall,” said Barrister.
“Damn,” cursed Eric, something he did so seldom. He looked at Pam and she nodded and headed toward the men’s room at Vampire speed. They did their best to keep down that sort of activity. Still, it happened sometimes.
Fairy came up and claimed her Vampire lover for a dance and he happily obliged her. It was his favorite song, Closer by Nine Inch Nails. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVgBuwM9zcQ I shook my head. Why doesn’t he just strip down and solve the mystery for everyone whether they wanted to or not the way he behaved on the dance floor. When Eric dirty dances, he really dirty dances. I turned around and Barrister leaned against the end of the bar, his elbows on the bar top. A Vampire came up to Bella. I could hear him in a heavily accented voice ask her if she was a donor, pointing to the last Bill bite on her neck, now healing to almost nothing. She told him no, and when he persisted, Chow leaned over the bar and gave him a look that said fuck off. This Vampire must be some younger because you could see his apprehension of the bartender’s look.
Pam finally emerged from the men’s room. She was talking to herself in that way you do when you are completely exasperated. She sat back down and watched Scarlett dancing with Jessica. “I don’t get it, what part of no do they not understand?” she complained.
“Well, that is sort the allure of you guys, it is erotic to have the forbidden fruit in a forbidden place,” I said. “Humans do that all the time, I imagine it makes our heart beat race for you guys to be doing something that is not only physically dangerous but somehow breaking the rules.”
“See, I always think with skepticism when Eric says you would be a good Vampire, but then you say something like that, and I can see the allure,” said Pam.
“I would not make a good Vampire,” I said. “Besides, I would never be a Vampire if I could not have my Barrister with me. And I don’t think Bill would like me much as a Vampire.”
“True, he likely would not,” said Pam. Pam loved being a Vampire. Whatever Pam’s history may have been, for that was unclear, she would have had a hard life as a human in her time. Women had no real rights when she was turned and she would have never been able to explore her other nature if she had remained a human. Being omnisexual was not the norm in her time.
Barrister and Linzy headed out to the dance floor and Eric came and claimed me. I let him lead me out into the packed dance floor and I slid one arm up to his shoulder and one arm hung down. He slid his arm around my waist. It was nice to be held against him because he was so cool and the dance floor was a hot sweaty place to be.
“Think Renee will allow me to dance with my dear Chris?” he asked, as he pressed himself against me.
“Let the light shine between the two of you and she will be fine,” I said. “And pay attention to the song. I doubt Renee would appreciate you dancing with her daughter to Closer.”
“You watched me dancing to that song?” he asked.
“You should really get it over with and jump on the stage and take it all off, you leave so little to the imagination,” I said.
“Did you like what you saw?” he asked.
“Sure,” I said. “You aren’t hard on the eyes.”
“You should really let me keep you company,” he said. “I think you love Bill for his fangs anyhow. I have nice…big…fangs.” Eric then proceeded to rub what exactly was big about him against me and it was not his fangs, though they were fully extended.
“That is not the only thing I love about Bill. Besides, I have a man other than Bill and I don’t think he would appreciate me entertaining you. Among Vampires, I am Bill’s,” I told him.
“Well, you can’t blame me for trying,” he said. “But consider it an open invitation.”
“Don’t hold your breath for my RSVP, Eric,” and then I realized what I had just said. “Sorry.” Eric laughed.
“I shall never forgive you Aslinn, you always treat me disrespectfully,” he said, feigning aggravation.
“Only because I like you. If I didn’t I would not speak to you at all,” I said.
“How much do you like me?” he asked, as the music faded out and another song started. He walked me to the bar where Barrister was chatting with God Speed.
“Ask me around dawn and will tell you Mr. Northman,” I said.
He smiled his lop sided smile and grabbed Chris for a dance before her mother could issue a warning. Now the DJ was playing Sexy Back… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcbS2PDHOko The Eric Northman National Anthem. I rolled my eyes at Barrister who looked to see Renee’s expression. She was not amused as she watched him dancing close with her little girl. Watch out Eric, she has a whip and she knows how to use it.
The Eurithmics Sweet Dreams http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhwad0jEZYU&feature=related came on and Pam and Scarlett grabbed me. This was a great song and it made me give a rebel yell. When the song was over, I came back to the bar and that is when Butter came in, a little late but pretty and preggers. The DJ took a pause for the cause, primarily to get himself a fresh Tru:Blood and stretch his legs. He was almost as interesting to look at as Lafayette, swishy and face painted. He winked at the male go-go dancer and got a T:B and sat down in the booth just past Eric’s booth. Pam and Scarlett and Jessica and Chris were sitting there. Eric took Butter’s arm and led her carefully through the crowd, which parted like Moses and the Red Sea to allow the Viking and his spirit wife walk unimpeded to the booth. I saw two Vampires look at Butter and lick their lips and Eric saw it too because he stood over them and bared his fangs at them and they shrunk away.
WDED, the Vampire station in Shreveport was providing the music so we scattered to booths ourselves. Eric was in seventh heaven with his table full of his wives and his minions. I missed one particular minion in particular. Bill was not here. I sighed and sipped my fresh bottle of bud. There was nothing to be done about it as it was. I did not feel lonely for long because suddenly, I noticed another Vampire. Franklin Mott was there. He was looking at Eric and after a moment, he realized we were looking at him. He nodded in our direction for a second and with Vampire speed, he was gone. I looked at Barrister. What was that all about?
I looked around and saw Pam walk by.
“Pam,” I said to the table. She heard me over the din and came over. “That new Vampire was just here. He left when he saw us looking at him.” Pam nodded and walked away toward the front door. I figured she would sort it out and let it go. We would know soon enough what his game was.
If we were rowdy, no one cared. In fact a couple of Vampires suggested we come around more often and inject the place with new blood. (Hardy Har Har) If we were drunk, no one minded, in fact I saw our Vampires escort one of us away from time to time for a little cocktail of their own. But towards two am, we were feeling the sins of the evening weighing on us. Barrister and I drove Renee and Jess and Chris and Westexan back to Bill’s. We would spend the night there, sleeping off the rambunctious night in Bill’s house and then get ready for the adventures tomorrow night. I sighed. It was going to be a hell of a ride.
Fangtasia was bustling and loud, the music pounding out hot electronica. It was a bit too early for strippers but the go-go dancers, a couple of good looking Vampires, were gyrating in ways I could only admire. If I tried to move like that, I would throw my hip out. As it was, I was dancing with Barrister, one of his arms around my waist as we bumped against one another to the rhythm of the music. He had made it back home from an assignment in England for Eric. That was just one more things for me to resent about the Viking, that another disturbing dream. And this time I knew it was a dream…a consequence of the blood.
Speaking of Eric, he was pressed against Raki, moving his hips in an obvious imitation of his basement activities. Pam and Scarlett were dancing together. I admired Vampires. Even in the warmest conditions, they were sweat free. I was soaking wet, my tank top clung to me and while I enjoyed dancing with my honey, I would be happy when the music ended and I could get a cold beer and take a long pull off it and then rub the cold bottle on my neck and chest.
We were blowing off steam. We seemed to need to. The things we were experiencing in our adventures with Sookie and co. were making us tense. There is nothing like visiting a Vampire bar to work out your tensions. I sat at the bar, my back against it, looking at the crowd. Eric was racking it in. I counted around 10 Vampires that I did not know. There was a new Vampire in Bon Temps too, but I only wanted to know what he was up to.
We had invited Alcide Herveaux to come to Fangtasia, but he declined. I understood. He was getting ready to meet Sookie and make a plan of sorts to investigate Bill’s disappearance. I missed Bill, and I know Renee and Westexan and Bella missed him too. We were still working on his house. Jessica was telling the Kid about the room we were getting ready to give the light tight treatment to. She was talking about the paint she had chosen and the wall paper borders she wanted and the bed linens. Dad had stripped and stained the doors and they were given all new hinges and the old brass door knob and lock faces and the dead bolts inside were cleaned and polished and now gleamed.
The boys decided to fix up the hidey hole in case there were times other Vampires had to stay in the house. They had poured concrete and built wooden walls and covered them in sheet rock and painted them a plain crème color. A couple of those thin space mattresses covered in some sort of canvas were laid on opposite ends of the space and an indoor outdoor rug and Bill had a Vampire guest room.
Barrister had taken Renee out on the dance floor and Pam sidled up to me to let Scarlett cool off and have a drink. She looked great in her Vampire costume, a leather mini skirt to show off her beautiful long legs with her feet in improbable high heels. Her gauzy black blouse showed off a beautiful bra, black with red roses embroidered on it.
“I love your bra,” I said to the pretty Vampire.
“Thank you,” she said. “Are you enjoying yourself?”
“I am,” I said. “We needed to blow off some steam.” I was watching God Speed dancing with Jessica while Eric danced with Jen.
“Eric is full of joy this evening,” she said. “He was surprised when you called and said the group was coming to dance and drink.”
“Well, when we party, we really want to break loose and party,” I said. When the music ended, Eric kissed Jen and came up to me and his child. He was looking really fine this evening, in black jeans and a black tank top and black boots.
“Good evening Aslinn,” he said, kissing me lightly on the cheek. Even though he had been dancing for better than a half hour, his lips were cool on my skin.
“Evening Eric,” I said, patting him on the shoulder. “You are in fine form tonight.”
“I was hoping you would watch me,” he said. “I like it when the ladies watch me.”
“Haven’t you gathered enough flowers in your romantic garden? You have such a collection of sister wives, they mope and groan because there are not enough nights in the week for you to visit with them,” I said. “No wonder so many of them are sneaking peeks at someone else.”
“You like to stick me, don’t you?” he said.
“Sure Eric, I stay up all night trying to think of ways to stick you,” I said.
“Funny, I do the same thing,” he said, giving me a vulgar leer. I rolled my eyes. “Are you enjoying having Barrister home?”
“I am and I would appreciate it if he stays home for a while,” I said.
“He will be,” said Eric. Barrister had come out of the men’s room and walked up to the bar. Chow reached out a cold lager to him.
“Eric, you have a male Vampire feeding off something in the loo. The back stall,” said Barrister.
“Damn,” cursed Eric, something he did so seldom. He looked at Pam and she nodded and headed toward the men’s room at Vampire speed. They did their best to keep down that sort of activity. Still, it happened sometimes.
Fairy came up and claimed her Vampire lover for a dance and he happily obliged her. It was his favorite song, Closer by Nine Inch Nails. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVgBuwM9zcQ I shook my head. Why doesn’t he just strip down and solve the mystery for everyone whether they wanted to or not the way he behaved on the dance floor. When Eric dirty dances, he really dirty dances. I turned around and Barrister leaned against the end of the bar, his elbows on the bar top. A Vampire came up to Bella. I could hear him in a heavily accented voice ask her if she was a donor, pointing to the last Bill bite on her neck, now healing to almost nothing. She told him no, and when he persisted, Chow leaned over the bar and gave him a look that said fuck off. This Vampire must be some younger because you could see his apprehension of the bartender’s look.
Pam finally emerged from the men’s room. She was talking to herself in that way you do when you are completely exasperated. She sat back down and watched Scarlett dancing with Jessica. “I don’t get it, what part of no do they not understand?” she complained.
“Well, that is sort the allure of you guys, it is erotic to have the forbidden fruit in a forbidden place,” I said. “Humans do that all the time, I imagine it makes our heart beat race for you guys to be doing something that is not only physically dangerous but somehow breaking the rules.”
“See, I always think with skepticism when Eric says you would be a good Vampire, but then you say something like that, and I can see the allure,” said Pam.
“I would not make a good Vampire,” I said. “Besides, I would never be a Vampire if I could not have my Barrister with me. And I don’t think Bill would like me much as a Vampire.”
“True, he likely would not,” said Pam. Pam loved being a Vampire. Whatever Pam’s history may have been, for that was unclear, she would have had a hard life as a human in her time. Women had no real rights when she was turned and she would have never been able to explore her other nature if she had remained a human. Being omnisexual was not the norm in her time.
Barrister and Linzy headed out to the dance floor and Eric came and claimed me. I let him lead me out into the packed dance floor and I slid one arm up to his shoulder and one arm hung down. He slid his arm around my waist. It was nice to be held against him because he was so cool and the dance floor was a hot sweaty place to be.
“Think Renee will allow me to dance with my dear Chris?” he asked, as he pressed himself against me.
“Let the light shine between the two of you and she will be fine,” I said. “And pay attention to the song. I doubt Renee would appreciate you dancing with her daughter to Closer.”
“You watched me dancing to that song?” he asked.
“You should really get it over with and jump on the stage and take it all off, you leave so little to the imagination,” I said.
“Did you like what you saw?” he asked.
“Sure,” I said. “You aren’t hard on the eyes.”
“You should really let me keep you company,” he said. “I think you love Bill for his fangs anyhow. I have nice…big…fangs.” Eric then proceeded to rub what exactly was big about him against me and it was not his fangs, though they were fully extended.
“That is not the only thing I love about Bill. Besides, I have a man other than Bill and I don’t think he would appreciate me entertaining you. Among Vampires, I am Bill’s,” I told him.
“Well, you can’t blame me for trying,” he said. “But consider it an open invitation.”
“Don’t hold your breath for my RSVP, Eric,” and then I realized what I had just said. “Sorry.” Eric laughed.
“I shall never forgive you Aslinn, you always treat me disrespectfully,” he said, feigning aggravation.
“Only because I like you. If I didn’t I would not speak to you at all,” I said.
“How much do you like me?” he asked, as the music faded out and another song started. He walked me to the bar where Barrister was chatting with God Speed.
“Ask me around dawn and will tell you Mr. Northman,” I said.
He smiled his lop sided smile and grabbed Chris for a dance before her mother could issue a warning. Now the DJ was playing Sexy Back… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcbS2PDHOko The Eric Northman National Anthem. I rolled my eyes at Barrister who looked to see Renee’s expression. She was not amused as she watched him dancing close with her little girl. Watch out Eric, she has a whip and she knows how to use it.
The Eurithmics Sweet Dreams http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhwad0jEZYU&feature=related came on and Pam and Scarlett grabbed me. This was a great song and it made me give a rebel yell. When the song was over, I came back to the bar and that is when Butter came in, a little late but pretty and preggers. The DJ took a pause for the cause, primarily to get himself a fresh Tru:Blood and stretch his legs. He was almost as interesting to look at as Lafayette, swishy and face painted. He winked at the male go-go dancer and got a T:B and sat down in the booth just past Eric’s booth. Pam and Scarlett and Jessica and Chris were sitting there. Eric took Butter’s arm and led her carefully through the crowd, which parted like Moses and the Red Sea to allow the Viking and his spirit wife walk unimpeded to the booth. I saw two Vampires look at Butter and lick their lips and Eric saw it too because he stood over them and bared his fangs at them and they shrunk away.
WDED, the Vampire station in Shreveport was providing the music so we scattered to booths ourselves. Eric was in seventh heaven with his table full of his wives and his minions. I missed one particular minion in particular. Bill was not here. I sighed and sipped my fresh bottle of bud. There was nothing to be done about it as it was. I did not feel lonely for long because suddenly, I noticed another Vampire. Franklin Mott was there. He was looking at Eric and after a moment, he realized we were looking at him. He nodded in our direction for a second and with Vampire speed, he was gone. I looked at Barrister. What was that all about?
I looked around and saw Pam walk by.
“Pam,” I said to the table. She heard me over the din and came over. “That new Vampire was just here. He left when he saw us looking at him.” Pam nodded and walked away toward the front door. I figured she would sort it out and let it go. We would know soon enough what his game was.
If we were rowdy, no one cared. In fact a couple of Vampires suggested we come around more often and inject the place with new blood. (Hardy Har Har) If we were drunk, no one minded, in fact I saw our Vampires escort one of us away from time to time for a little cocktail of their own. But towards two am, we were feeling the sins of the evening weighing on us. Barrister and I drove Renee and Jess and Chris and Westexan back to Bill’s. We would spend the night there, sleeping off the rambunctious night in Bill’s house and then get ready for the adventures tomorrow night. I sighed. It was going to be a hell of a ride.
June 17
I was so thankful Bill’s kitchen was already done. The dining room was cleared out and we were busy scraping and filling the walls. We were planning to paint the walls a rich dark red. Dad was sanding those oak doors of Bill’s and they were surprisingly beautiful underneath. I could not wait to see them stained and varnished.
But now I was miserable. Barrister was in England on assignment for Eric and Bill was gone. This had been the first Tuesday in a long time I had not spent with Bill and I was sad. Jessica could even feel my sadness as I drove to the meeting. After a long quiet spell, she spoke.
“You do know Bill will be alright, don’t you?” she said with a confidence I wished I felt.
“Sure,” I said.
“And you do know Barrister will be back very soon,” she said. That I had more confidence in and I nodded.
“So, do you think the weres are Nazis for real?” asked Jessica.
“I don’t know if they are for real…” I said. “You know how Hell’s Angels got started?”
“The motorcycle gang? Isn’t that all they ever were?” she asked.
“Well, yeah. They were all WWII survivors and they liked the freedom of the road, the freedom to do as they pleased and not answering to anyone or anything. They said they were going to heaven because they had already been to hell, so they called themselves the Hell’s Angels,” I said, watching the dark road. “But today’s Hell’s Angels is nothing like that now, they are just outlaws who sell drugs and strong arm people. Do murder. So I think this Nazi thing is a holdover of that. It’s like they liked the name and the legend so when they took over the club they took over the image because it made them more than what they are, thugs.”
“What do you think Eric will do to them?” asked Jessica.
“I don’t know, it makes me fearful. Eric is one of those Vampires who never forgets, he won’t let anything interfere with his hatred. It may sit on the back burner, but he will gladly take up the issue when the situation presents itself,” I said. “You scared to be on your own without Bill?”
“A little,” she said. “I know I am a Vampire and all, but I don’t really know how to be one.”
I didn’t go any further. I was not sure how to talk to Jessica about her Vampire life. I knew things in an academic way, but not in a practical way. I hoped things would work out.
We walked into the parlor, filled with food and friends. I hugged Scarlett, who brought me a cold beer and Jess a warm Tru:Blood. I sat down by Renee and Westexan who had been helping me at Bill’s house. We were all tired to the bone. Dude had stopped by and he and God Speed even discussed a coat of paint on the exterior of Bill’s house. Working hard from one part of the adventure to the next seemed to keep us going. Eric was looking at me. I knew the Viking wanted to talk to me, but I was ignoring him. He sat there though with Fairy and Butter. She was drawing close to delivering and the Viking was relishing the feel of the baby inside her. Minnie and Lina and Linzy were talking to Alcide. I had a chat with the werewolf earlier and I liked him. Though I knew Eric was merely tolerating Alcide, and strangely enough not because he was a Were, but because he was a potential rival for the affections of his sister wives and for Sookie, I felt that if he was to be a part of our group we may as well get to know him.
I ate with the others and after we cleaned up the kitchen and set the dishwasher to humming, we sat down for our meeting to discuss what we had seen. Sugar and Aolani and Bella and Dude were sitting on the other couch and Jen and God Speed were on the stool behind me. I sat back against the front of the couch near Scarlett. I felt her hand on my shoulder and I passed her my smokes and she lit one. Pam was sitting by her. I got to admire Pam’s shoes close up. I would break my leg trying to do anything in those things.
“There were a lot plots laid out this Sunday, “said the Sheriff of Area Five. “How do you feel about that?”
“Eric, who is Franklin Mott?” asked God Speed.
“That I do not know,” said the Viking.
“Aren’t new Vampires required to report to you?” asked Dude.
“They are indeed, but he has not,” said Eric.
“Is he working for the Queen?” asked Bella. She rarely addressed Eric because she was a Bill Girl, so this surprised me and Eric.
“I would have known him if he had, just as I knew Bill, but I suspect he may belong to another member of royalty,” he said.
“The King of Mississippi,” said Scarlett.
“Precisely,” he said.
“Is he really that old?” asked Minnie.
“He is, and very powerful,” said Eric. “Bill must be very careful. You understand, though Bill may seem old to you, Bill is actually very young to us, and Jessica is a new born. Bill may be able to wiggle out of this by being clever, but if he has brought Lorena to deal with Bill, a woman who knows all of Bill’s weaknesses, then he is in very grave danger.”
“Like final death danger,” said Renee. Eric nodded to her. Everyone thought of that and I shivered at the thought. I felt a squeeze on my shoulder and realized it was Pam. I looked up at her and she gave me what she hoped (maybe) was a confident smile, meant to bolster my resolve, but as she was sitting by Scarlett, and her fangs were out, it unnerved me a little.
“So,” said Westexan, “We don’t know who Franklin is, we don’t know who his working for but we are pretty sure it is not the queen. What does he want with Tara?”
“Leverage,” said Jen. “If he can make Tara an ally, someone he can gain some confidence with, he has a foot hold in Bon Temps. He can then learn about Sookie and Bill.”
“Apparently, he knows now Bill was there for a reason,” said Fairy. “I mean we know those things right, we know that Bill originally came to Bon Temps for a reason, but things changed for him, and he could not carry out the mission.”
“Yes, he does know that,” I said. There was no reason to beat around the bush. We knew this detail about Bill. Still it did not change the fact that Bill was different now. “So Franklin knows about this, and he is going to tell whoever he is working for that Bill was in Bon Temps for more than just reclaiming the family house and trying to live mainstream. But my question is who cares? I mean, the obvious thing is, the knowledge there was some sort of plan has been found and they might what? Use it as leverage to blackmail Bill into doing something for another Vampire?”
“That is something being repeated over and over to Bill: We know you love her, we know you care for her, we know you are obsessed with her, we know you want to protect her…now, tell us what you know or we tell Sookie everything,” said Alcide.
“You think it will work that way?” asked Lina.
“I would if I were holding Bill. And Lorena, she wants Bill to do more than spill his guts, I think love is definitely turned to hate here and I think she would love to do the worst thing to Bill he could imagine. She wants to kill Sookie in front of him, and then kill him in the slowest way possible,” said Alcide.
“When do you meet Sookie?” asked Eric.
“I am just waiting for your nod,” said the were. You could tell Alcide did not like saying that, but he did it anyway.
“Consider it given,” said Eric.
“Poor Tara,” said Linzy. “Do you think Franklin will make her happy for a while?”
“I think Franklin will make her happy for a while. He has shown that he is interested in her; he took her part in the fight and encouraged her by holding the red neck and going all fangy on her behalf. But I would be careful about doing that too much,” said Sal.
“You would? Why?” asked Pam.
“Because it might remind her of Mary Ann. Mary Ann used violence to control Tara. Remember, after Bill and Sookie helped Tara remember, she could not do her maenad glamour thing and control her, but she hit her and she went all bug-eyed zombie on her. If Franklin does a lot of that response to violence thing and gets all fangy all the time, she may back off from him,” said Sal.
“Excellent point,” said Sugar. “And Tara is not that friendly to Vampires. She has not learned about Vampire behavior. Franklin has play Tara really careful.”
“And Lafayette, do you all know anything about Jesus?” I said, looking at the Vampires.
“We do not, and all I am interested in from the short order cook is he sell the V,” said Eric.
“So you are going to go on with that plan?” asked Tiff.
“I am,” he said. “I have no choice really.”
“I liked the way we were introduced to Hot Shot,” said Raki. “I don’t care so much to see it sort of a meth den, but I am excited to see it. Alcide, do you think there could be anything to the idea that Sam’s brother could be a dog fighter…you know, as his shift?”
“I could see that happening. As to Hot Shot, our people, whether we are werewolves or shifters we are a minority, we know what is likely to happen to us if people know what we are,” said Alcide. “So, we close ourselves off and we make a living the best way we can. Drugs, pit fighting as our animal selves, are all ways to make money capitalizing on our uniqueness.”
“How terrible for you,” I said. “Speaking of minorities…Eric, were there many Vampires actually involved with the Nazis?”
“You have to understand the way we see humans. The way we have always seen humans up to now: We do not see you as any particular race or creed, you simply are humans and humans were food and sources of pleasure. Now that we are in your society, those of us who are mainstreaming are seeing the potential of having feelings for humans, but before, it was a rare Vampire who fell in love with a human. As I have said to Sookie, when was the last time you fell in love with a rare steak and the trimmings,” he said. I could take this one of two ways. I could either be totally creeped out or shiver in my shoes at the thought the three Vampires sitting with us were in their equivalent of a McDonalds and we were all just Happy Meals on feet, or I could accept it for what it was really meant to be, but Eric’s attempt at honesty. Creepy honesty, but honesty none the less, so I chose the latter.
“So you were never a part of the Final Solution?” I asked. And this is what I really wanted to know. I could forgive Eric anything, but I could not forgive him for that, if that was what he was doing.
“No,” he said. “I did not do anything to change the outcome, but I was not a part of the madness that passed for a plan in Hitler’s brain. I was involved in the war for other reasons.”
“This revenge plot,” said Scarlett.
“Exactly,” he said.
“Eric, tell us about your blood, that is Vampire blood,” said Aolani.
“Eric,” said Pam. Eric looked at her.
“They should know something about it,” said Eric. “To a Vampire, all blood is sacred, it is food, and it is life. Human wars do nothing but destroy the blood and so we see human conflict as a waste. But for Vampires, the most sacred blood is the Vampire’s own blood. My blood, Pam’s blood, Bill’s blood, even Jessica’s blood, is sacred. It causes immortality and passes on great strength and abilities. To use that blood for anything, even healing a human, is an anathema. It is permissible to give small amounts of blood to bond ourselves to useful humans and to heal those humans if they are very useful, but it is thought a sacrilege to merely waste it. The most important use for the blood is to make other Vampires. We see that the same way you see Holy Communion. Since we cannot make children of our own biologically the way humans can, we see the act of making as a sacred duty.”
“So that is why you guys got all zony when Bill was making Jessica,” said God Speed. “You were in ecstasy.”
“Not terribly different when a child is born and the family weeps and celebrates with the birth and the mother forgets her pain,” said Eric, caressing Butter’s belly.
“Jason is going to have an interesting adventure,” said Linzy.
“If he doesn’t get killed first,” said Lina. “That boy flits from flower to flower, he never knows one day to the next who he is and what he is doing. I think this whole thing is going to be a real test for him.”
We talked more about Sam. In the privacy of our own counsels and with the older Vampires, we discussed Jessica. They tolerated the younger Vampire because she was one of them, but they did not like having the responsibility of teaching her to be Vampire. Part of it I think was to torment Bill, but in doing so they really did her a disservice by abandoning her. I hoped good things for Jessica and hopefully Hoyt, but I sort of doubted it. Still I could hope.
The meeting broke up after a while and folks began to meander into the forum, make their ways home, and get ready for lives outside the parlor despite its allure. Soon I was alone with Eric. He sat there quietly, watching me work on the database.
“Are you going to speak to me?” he said finally.
“What are you talking about,” I said. “I spoke to you.”
“You aren’t sleeping much,” he said. “You smell tired.”
“Sorry,” I said, “I am just keeping busy. I miss my Barrister and I miss Bill, and I am worried about him.”
Eric sighed impatiently. I looked at Eric. I said nothing.
“I read your father’s day story Aslinn,” he said finally.
“Yeah,” I said.
“It was interesting,” he said. He sat there motionless looking at me.
“I just wrote what I thought it might have been like, that’s all,” I said.
“Nothing personal?” he said. It wasn’t really a question but a statement that sounded like one.
“Whatever a person does should begin with being personal, in business or pleasure, it should always be personal,” I said. “When I write about you or anyone, I want it to be personal.”
“Why?” he asked. This was a question.
“Because if you take the time to write, to tell a story or create a scene or give information, it should be a part of you, otherwise it just words on paper. When you tell the story of a person’s life, it should make you feel as if you are there, that you can see it. You should smell and taste the things on the page. If I write about a kiss, I want them to feel their lips being pressed, the taste of the other person’s mouth, the smell of them. If I write about being struck, I want them to feel the blow, feel the skin go numb and then begin to swell and throb. If I write about the blood, I want to…” I stopped there.
“Taste it?” he said. “You know very well about the blood, Aslinn.” He got up and walked away out the parlor door and into the night.
“Mr. Last word,” I muttered and went back to work.
But now I was miserable. Barrister was in England on assignment for Eric and Bill was gone. This had been the first Tuesday in a long time I had not spent with Bill and I was sad. Jessica could even feel my sadness as I drove to the meeting. After a long quiet spell, she spoke.
“You do know Bill will be alright, don’t you?” she said with a confidence I wished I felt.
“Sure,” I said.
“And you do know Barrister will be back very soon,” she said. That I had more confidence in and I nodded.
“So, do you think the weres are Nazis for real?” asked Jessica.
“I don’t know if they are for real…” I said. “You know how Hell’s Angels got started?”
“The motorcycle gang? Isn’t that all they ever were?” she asked.
“Well, yeah. They were all WWII survivors and they liked the freedom of the road, the freedom to do as they pleased and not answering to anyone or anything. They said they were going to heaven because they had already been to hell, so they called themselves the Hell’s Angels,” I said, watching the dark road. “But today’s Hell’s Angels is nothing like that now, they are just outlaws who sell drugs and strong arm people. Do murder. So I think this Nazi thing is a holdover of that. It’s like they liked the name and the legend so when they took over the club they took over the image because it made them more than what they are, thugs.”
“What do you think Eric will do to them?” asked Jessica.
“I don’t know, it makes me fearful. Eric is one of those Vampires who never forgets, he won’t let anything interfere with his hatred. It may sit on the back burner, but he will gladly take up the issue when the situation presents itself,” I said. “You scared to be on your own without Bill?”
“A little,” she said. “I know I am a Vampire and all, but I don’t really know how to be one.”
I didn’t go any further. I was not sure how to talk to Jessica about her Vampire life. I knew things in an academic way, but not in a practical way. I hoped things would work out.
We walked into the parlor, filled with food and friends. I hugged Scarlett, who brought me a cold beer and Jess a warm Tru:Blood. I sat down by Renee and Westexan who had been helping me at Bill’s house. We were all tired to the bone. Dude had stopped by and he and God Speed even discussed a coat of paint on the exterior of Bill’s house. Working hard from one part of the adventure to the next seemed to keep us going. Eric was looking at me. I knew the Viking wanted to talk to me, but I was ignoring him. He sat there though with Fairy and Butter. She was drawing close to delivering and the Viking was relishing the feel of the baby inside her. Minnie and Lina and Linzy were talking to Alcide. I had a chat with the werewolf earlier and I liked him. Though I knew Eric was merely tolerating Alcide, and strangely enough not because he was a Were, but because he was a potential rival for the affections of his sister wives and for Sookie, I felt that if he was to be a part of our group we may as well get to know him.
I ate with the others and after we cleaned up the kitchen and set the dishwasher to humming, we sat down for our meeting to discuss what we had seen. Sugar and Aolani and Bella and Dude were sitting on the other couch and Jen and God Speed were on the stool behind me. I sat back against the front of the couch near Scarlett. I felt her hand on my shoulder and I passed her my smokes and she lit one. Pam was sitting by her. I got to admire Pam’s shoes close up. I would break my leg trying to do anything in those things.
“There were a lot plots laid out this Sunday, “said the Sheriff of Area Five. “How do you feel about that?”
“Eric, who is Franklin Mott?” asked God Speed.
“That I do not know,” said the Viking.
“Aren’t new Vampires required to report to you?” asked Dude.
“They are indeed, but he has not,” said Eric.
“Is he working for the Queen?” asked Bella. She rarely addressed Eric because she was a Bill Girl, so this surprised me and Eric.
“I would have known him if he had, just as I knew Bill, but I suspect he may belong to another member of royalty,” he said.
“The King of Mississippi,” said Scarlett.
“Precisely,” he said.
“Is he really that old?” asked Minnie.
“He is, and very powerful,” said Eric. “Bill must be very careful. You understand, though Bill may seem old to you, Bill is actually very young to us, and Jessica is a new born. Bill may be able to wiggle out of this by being clever, but if he has brought Lorena to deal with Bill, a woman who knows all of Bill’s weaknesses, then he is in very grave danger.”
“Like final death danger,” said Renee. Eric nodded to her. Everyone thought of that and I shivered at the thought. I felt a squeeze on my shoulder and realized it was Pam. I looked up at her and she gave me what she hoped (maybe) was a confident smile, meant to bolster my resolve, but as she was sitting by Scarlett, and her fangs were out, it unnerved me a little.
“So,” said Westexan, “We don’t know who Franklin is, we don’t know who his working for but we are pretty sure it is not the queen. What does he want with Tara?”
“Leverage,” said Jen. “If he can make Tara an ally, someone he can gain some confidence with, he has a foot hold in Bon Temps. He can then learn about Sookie and Bill.”
“Apparently, he knows now Bill was there for a reason,” said Fairy. “I mean we know those things right, we know that Bill originally came to Bon Temps for a reason, but things changed for him, and he could not carry out the mission.”
“Yes, he does know that,” I said. There was no reason to beat around the bush. We knew this detail about Bill. Still it did not change the fact that Bill was different now. “So Franklin knows about this, and he is going to tell whoever he is working for that Bill was in Bon Temps for more than just reclaiming the family house and trying to live mainstream. But my question is who cares? I mean, the obvious thing is, the knowledge there was some sort of plan has been found and they might what? Use it as leverage to blackmail Bill into doing something for another Vampire?”
“That is something being repeated over and over to Bill: We know you love her, we know you care for her, we know you are obsessed with her, we know you want to protect her…now, tell us what you know or we tell Sookie everything,” said Alcide.
“You think it will work that way?” asked Lina.
“I would if I were holding Bill. And Lorena, she wants Bill to do more than spill his guts, I think love is definitely turned to hate here and I think she would love to do the worst thing to Bill he could imagine. She wants to kill Sookie in front of him, and then kill him in the slowest way possible,” said Alcide.
“When do you meet Sookie?” asked Eric.
“I am just waiting for your nod,” said the were. You could tell Alcide did not like saying that, but he did it anyway.
“Consider it given,” said Eric.
“Poor Tara,” said Linzy. “Do you think Franklin will make her happy for a while?”
“I think Franklin will make her happy for a while. He has shown that he is interested in her; he took her part in the fight and encouraged her by holding the red neck and going all fangy on her behalf. But I would be careful about doing that too much,” said Sal.
“You would? Why?” asked Pam.
“Because it might remind her of Mary Ann. Mary Ann used violence to control Tara. Remember, after Bill and Sookie helped Tara remember, she could not do her maenad glamour thing and control her, but she hit her and she went all bug-eyed zombie on her. If Franklin does a lot of that response to violence thing and gets all fangy all the time, she may back off from him,” said Sal.
“Excellent point,” said Sugar. “And Tara is not that friendly to Vampires. She has not learned about Vampire behavior. Franklin has play Tara really careful.”
“And Lafayette, do you all know anything about Jesus?” I said, looking at the Vampires.
“We do not, and all I am interested in from the short order cook is he sell the V,” said Eric.
“So you are going to go on with that plan?” asked Tiff.
“I am,” he said. “I have no choice really.”
“I liked the way we were introduced to Hot Shot,” said Raki. “I don’t care so much to see it sort of a meth den, but I am excited to see it. Alcide, do you think there could be anything to the idea that Sam’s brother could be a dog fighter…you know, as his shift?”
“I could see that happening. As to Hot Shot, our people, whether we are werewolves or shifters we are a minority, we know what is likely to happen to us if people know what we are,” said Alcide. “So, we close ourselves off and we make a living the best way we can. Drugs, pit fighting as our animal selves, are all ways to make money capitalizing on our uniqueness.”
“How terrible for you,” I said. “Speaking of minorities…Eric, were there many Vampires actually involved with the Nazis?”
“You have to understand the way we see humans. The way we have always seen humans up to now: We do not see you as any particular race or creed, you simply are humans and humans were food and sources of pleasure. Now that we are in your society, those of us who are mainstreaming are seeing the potential of having feelings for humans, but before, it was a rare Vampire who fell in love with a human. As I have said to Sookie, when was the last time you fell in love with a rare steak and the trimmings,” he said. I could take this one of two ways. I could either be totally creeped out or shiver in my shoes at the thought the three Vampires sitting with us were in their equivalent of a McDonalds and we were all just Happy Meals on feet, or I could accept it for what it was really meant to be, but Eric’s attempt at honesty. Creepy honesty, but honesty none the less, so I chose the latter.
“So you were never a part of the Final Solution?” I asked. And this is what I really wanted to know. I could forgive Eric anything, but I could not forgive him for that, if that was what he was doing.
“No,” he said. “I did not do anything to change the outcome, but I was not a part of the madness that passed for a plan in Hitler’s brain. I was involved in the war for other reasons.”
“This revenge plot,” said Scarlett.
“Exactly,” he said.
“Eric, tell us about your blood, that is Vampire blood,” said Aolani.
“Eric,” said Pam. Eric looked at her.
“They should know something about it,” said Eric. “To a Vampire, all blood is sacred, it is food, and it is life. Human wars do nothing but destroy the blood and so we see human conflict as a waste. But for Vampires, the most sacred blood is the Vampire’s own blood. My blood, Pam’s blood, Bill’s blood, even Jessica’s blood, is sacred. It causes immortality and passes on great strength and abilities. To use that blood for anything, even healing a human, is an anathema. It is permissible to give small amounts of blood to bond ourselves to useful humans and to heal those humans if they are very useful, but it is thought a sacrilege to merely waste it. The most important use for the blood is to make other Vampires. We see that the same way you see Holy Communion. Since we cannot make children of our own biologically the way humans can, we see the act of making as a sacred duty.”
“So that is why you guys got all zony when Bill was making Jessica,” said God Speed. “You were in ecstasy.”
“Not terribly different when a child is born and the family weeps and celebrates with the birth and the mother forgets her pain,” said Eric, caressing Butter’s belly.
“Jason is going to have an interesting adventure,” said Linzy.
“If he doesn’t get killed first,” said Lina. “That boy flits from flower to flower, he never knows one day to the next who he is and what he is doing. I think this whole thing is going to be a real test for him.”
We talked more about Sam. In the privacy of our own counsels and with the older Vampires, we discussed Jessica. They tolerated the younger Vampire because she was one of them, but they did not like having the responsibility of teaching her to be Vampire. Part of it I think was to torment Bill, but in doing so they really did her a disservice by abandoning her. I hoped good things for Jessica and hopefully Hoyt, but I sort of doubted it. Still I could hope.
The meeting broke up after a while and folks began to meander into the forum, make their ways home, and get ready for lives outside the parlor despite its allure. Soon I was alone with Eric. He sat there quietly, watching me work on the database.
“Are you going to speak to me?” he said finally.
“What are you talking about,” I said. “I spoke to you.”
“You aren’t sleeping much,” he said. “You smell tired.”
“Sorry,” I said, “I am just keeping busy. I miss my Barrister and I miss Bill, and I am worried about him.”
Eric sighed impatiently. I looked at Eric. I said nothing.
“I read your father’s day story Aslinn,” he said finally.
“Yeah,” I said.
“It was interesting,” he said. He sat there motionless looking at me.
“I just wrote what I thought it might have been like, that’s all,” I said.
“Nothing personal?” he said. It wasn’t really a question but a statement that sounded like one.
“Whatever a person does should begin with being personal, in business or pleasure, it should always be personal,” I said. “When I write about you or anyone, I want it to be personal.”
“Why?” he asked. This was a question.
“Because if you take the time to write, to tell a story or create a scene or give information, it should be a part of you, otherwise it just words on paper. When you tell the story of a person’s life, it should make you feel as if you are there, that you can see it. You should smell and taste the things on the page. If I write about a kiss, I want them to feel their lips being pressed, the taste of the other person’s mouth, the smell of them. If I write about being struck, I want them to feel the blow, feel the skin go numb and then begin to swell and throb. If I write about the blood, I want to…” I stopped there.
“Taste it?” he said. “You know very well about the blood, Aslinn.” He got up and walked away out the parlor door and into the night.
“Mr. Last word,” I muttered and went back to work.
Father to a Son
From a Father to his Son
From father to son, in one life has begun
A work that's never done, father to son.
Dirty Day-U2
The valley was covered in snow and the lodges of the people of Ulfrick’s clan were quiet and all were snuggled in their bed robes, warm and safe. The hunts of the summer had been fruitful and the clan was well fed. The store houses of smoked meat and fish and the root vegetables and dried fruit and clay jars of honey and skin sacks of mead were waiting to be enjoyed. They had just celebrated Yule and welcomed the spirit of Woden into their homes and now were waiting for the coming of spring and the planting of the crops and the plans for hunting and raiding.
Barely 20, this ancient Norseman was a seasoned and respected chieftain. He was married and had one strong son and his wife was taken this night into the women’s lodge to bear his second child. He prayed to the All Father and to Freya and Frigg that she would be safe and the child would be healthy. He paced in front of the women’s house and could hear the sounds of women working with his wife and her muffled cries. She was a strong, brave woman from a clan nearby.
He was tall, blond, with a full blond beard. His hair was dark now, like rich honey his wife poured over the little cakes she baked on the hearth. He had broad shoulders and long thick legs, now covered in the heavy fur and woolen cloak his wife had made for him. He squinted his eyes against the cold wind in them, but anyone who looked into his eyes saw the stormy grey eyes there, light grey with a dark ring making them seem brighter. His thick blond lashes and brows held tiny snowflakes that melted with the heat of his body. His skin was pale now that he did not go out in the sun shirtless to work in the fields or to fish or hunt. In the summer he was golden and his hair flaxen.
He was a man used to hard work and hard fighting and the champion of many a campaign. He had won the honor of chieftain and had awakened to find his sword, the sword of legend in his scabbard when he woke the morning after he was made chief and it rested now against his hip and long thigh. The months of winter were long and dark, but in the company of his clan, he knew the warmth of kinship and now, again, the warmth of fatherhood.
Being a father was as important as being chieftain. He must teach his sons the ways and customs of the people, to hunt and fight. The world was treacherous, a dangerous place to be. Nature was as much as challenge as an opposing clan. He already had his older son wielding a wooden sword, showing him how to stand, how to measure a man’s strengths and weaknesses. He was still a little young to hunt, but he could throw the small spear he had made for him with accuracy. In a year or so, he would go off in small bands with boys his age and hunt for small animals that would be cleaned and cooked and made a part of the family meal. He would make a great deal of the small rabbit or bird that his son would present his mother and pronounce it the making of the feast. Thus it was in his boy hood. He remembered there were sometimes all the food had by a family was food the younger sons brought in during their hunting expeditions. Everything was precious. Everyone was sacred.
The clan may be one people or under one chieftain, but each lodge was a nation all its own. The man was the chieftain in his own lodge and he sat there in the company of his wife and children and slaves (if he had any) and he would decide what would happen. A father was godlike in the lives of his children, and they were small suppliants to the house god, seeking his favor. Most times they got it, for a Norse father knows that his life will end and the only thing that remains are his children, the only things that will see him and his blood into the future. A man realizes his duty to that future the first time a child is laid across his knees. And a true man embraces that duty, cherishes it, because it makes a man what he is. Even his god is a father.
So, Ulfrick paces. He looks at his lodge. He knows his oldest son is sleeping and he knows the slave women are looking after him. The lodge is in the center of the village and he can see the soft golden light of a lamp glowing around the cracks of the windows and doors covered by shutters and a hide over the hole. He turns back to the women’s lodge. The Shaman was outside the walls, walking around, intoning the magik to protect the woman and to scare the child from the dark warm sleeping world of the womb to the wilder, brighter world of the waking world. There was a loud cry from his wife and the warbling wail of his child, free of its mother’s body.
The midwives would be bathing his wife’s genitals with warm wine and herbs to bring down the baby’s pouch and to heal her tissues. They would be massaging her belly, their warm hands gently kneading her flesh. Another midwife would be bathing his child in the same concoction mixed with water from the sword maker’s well, checking the child’s feet and hands for deformity. They would peer into its eyes at make sure it could see. They would clap their hands to ensure it could hear. The babe was still crying, a good healthy cry. Lusty. He wanted to go into the lodge, but no man went into the women’s lodge. It was the place of mystery, the place where one life becomes two, separate but dependant. They would lay the babe on her breast and she would feed it with the milk of her body. Was it a boy or a girl? A warrior or weaver? It did not matter. A girl child would be welcome in his lodge though he knew his wife wanted another son. A female would grace his home, she would be his pride, she would be strong and handsome like his wife and when she was of an age, he would find her a fine man to be mated with and strengthen the family and the clan.
The snow was falling now, and the moon was full. The Shaman was now standing at the door of the women’s house and he was handed the placenta in a bowl. That which remains would be examined and the runes cast upon it and the sign of the child’s birth, the mark of Iss, would be entered on the Shaman’s skins, and when the child was named, his name would be marked as well. The child would not be named for a month, but his wife had been thinking about the names of her child. Aerideth if it was a girl…her husband’s father’s name if it was a boy.
The Shaman was walking away from the lodge with the bowl. The tissue was steaming in the cold air and Ulfrick could smell the blood and tissue. The Shaman was already looking at it.
“Does it seem well to you Shaman?” he asked.
“It seems well, and smells of a man child,” he said to the chief and walked away to his hut to do the magikal work while the full moon was high. “All the signs are a sign of great portent my lord. I predict a long life for the child of Ulfrick.” Ulfrick gave the Shaman a piece of gold for his work and the old man, the speaker to the gods, who gave him the strength of the bear in battle, nodded his thanks.
The child of Ulfrick. Ulfrick’s child. A being brought into the world with the joining of his body and his wife’s. When had it happened? Was it on one of the nights in the early spring, when he took her into his arms and slid into her like his sword slides into the scabbard? Or was it a bright day when they had worked in the fields and walked to the spring to bathe and when they were undressed and he had her there in the grass and sun, her arms around him her mouth whispering the prayers every woman recites for successful coupling that would result in a child. That was it…he was sure of it in his heart. It was the wonderful sunlit day when he brought this child into being. Prayer and coupling is the blessing of the gods. Their act of loving was as sacred as a Shaman’s ritual to the All Father on his throne.
Lost in his memories of he and his wife on the grass, the midwife came out and in her arms was a large bundle, covered in reign deer hides and lined in the skins of minks. He could hear the snuffling cries. He followed her into his lodge, out of the cold where he had been standing and into the comfort and heat of his home. The midwife was a middle aged woman, small, red and thick with good food and knowledge of all things of life. It was said she could lay her hands on a woman and heal her with a touch, a murmuring to the gods.
“Is all well? Is my wife safe?” demanded the chieftain. So many women died of child birth, in blood and screaming. His own mother had in his delivery.
“She is well, my lord. Please sit and let me present this child upon your knees,” she said. Presenting the child to its father was the momentous time. This act made the child a member of the family, a member of the clan. It also marked the bargain between the father and the gods that he would care for the child.
“Is it whole? Is it a man or a girl child?” he demanded, circling the midwife as she moved into the room.
“Sit and you will know,” she said.
He sat down and she laid the babe in his arms. He shifted it to lay it along his large muscled thighs and unwrapped the sleeping pink creature. He figured it to be about 20 inches long, about eight pounds. It was blond, its head covered already in thick blond curls. Its eyes were squinched closed and its tiny tongue peeked between its lips. A couple of layers later, he could see the child’s sex, a man child. With his huge hard hands, Ulfrick picked the baby up under the arms and held him up. The baby’s legs drew up to his belly and he began to wail because someone had so rudely disturbed his rest. Ulfrick’s eyes drank the sight of the boy like he would drink a cup of mead. The firelight made him golden. The baby kicked out and complained louder and that was when he looked at his father.
There is nothing like the moment a child looks into the eyes of his maker. Ulfrick’s heart swelled and felt as though it would burst with pride. A Father’s pride is a pride a man feels his whole life. If a man does not feel that pride and does not do all he can to care for his children is not a man. He is cursed by the gods and by his children so long as they walk upon the earth.
“He has old eyes my lord,” said the midwife. “He has the wisdom of the ages in him already. Perhaps he will be a Shaman?”
“He shall be a warrior, and he will be beloved by the gods,” he said. His first son sat up.
“What is it papa?” he called.
“Come and see your brother, my son,” he said to the young boy. He pulled the sleeping robes down and slid from his bed. The child was around six or seven and already tough and strong. He stood by his father and put his hand on his shoulder. “You will have to help me teach him my son, so he will be as strong and as clever as you.”
“I will father,” he said solemnly. “He is so small.”
“Right now, but he will grow and be a great warrior,” he said, cuddling the child in his arms. “You must help me, so that when you become a father, you will know how to raise a son.”
“What about mother?” he asked. “Will she not raise him as well?”
“She will, but she will raise him to be a human being, the first thing all of us learn to be, but we must teach him to be a man. It will be the greatest task any man undertakes,” he said. The boy was nodding and he rubbed the baby’s head. “Go back to bed now son. We will be seeing this little man for some time to come.” The boy went back to his bed and covered up and went back to sleep. The midwife was waiting to take the child back to the women’s lodge where he would live for seven days with his mother to feed and sleep and his mother to heal and grow strong.
He laid the baby back on the robes and wrapped his son carefully. The baby grunted in his sleep and Ulfrick laughed under his breath. He reluctantly handed the child back to the midwife.
“What name will you give him when the time comes,” asked the midwife.
“We shall call him Eric,” said the chieftain.
From father to son, in one life has begun
A work that's never done, father to son.
Dirty Day-U2
The valley was covered in snow and the lodges of the people of Ulfrick’s clan were quiet and all were snuggled in their bed robes, warm and safe. The hunts of the summer had been fruitful and the clan was well fed. The store houses of smoked meat and fish and the root vegetables and dried fruit and clay jars of honey and skin sacks of mead were waiting to be enjoyed. They had just celebrated Yule and welcomed the spirit of Woden into their homes and now were waiting for the coming of spring and the planting of the crops and the plans for hunting and raiding.
Barely 20, this ancient Norseman was a seasoned and respected chieftain. He was married and had one strong son and his wife was taken this night into the women’s lodge to bear his second child. He prayed to the All Father and to Freya and Frigg that she would be safe and the child would be healthy. He paced in front of the women’s house and could hear the sounds of women working with his wife and her muffled cries. She was a strong, brave woman from a clan nearby.
He was tall, blond, with a full blond beard. His hair was dark now, like rich honey his wife poured over the little cakes she baked on the hearth. He had broad shoulders and long thick legs, now covered in the heavy fur and woolen cloak his wife had made for him. He squinted his eyes against the cold wind in them, but anyone who looked into his eyes saw the stormy grey eyes there, light grey with a dark ring making them seem brighter. His thick blond lashes and brows held tiny snowflakes that melted with the heat of his body. His skin was pale now that he did not go out in the sun shirtless to work in the fields or to fish or hunt. In the summer he was golden and his hair flaxen.
He was a man used to hard work and hard fighting and the champion of many a campaign. He had won the honor of chieftain and had awakened to find his sword, the sword of legend in his scabbard when he woke the morning after he was made chief and it rested now against his hip and long thigh. The months of winter were long and dark, but in the company of his clan, he knew the warmth of kinship and now, again, the warmth of fatherhood.
Being a father was as important as being chieftain. He must teach his sons the ways and customs of the people, to hunt and fight. The world was treacherous, a dangerous place to be. Nature was as much as challenge as an opposing clan. He already had his older son wielding a wooden sword, showing him how to stand, how to measure a man’s strengths and weaknesses. He was still a little young to hunt, but he could throw the small spear he had made for him with accuracy. In a year or so, he would go off in small bands with boys his age and hunt for small animals that would be cleaned and cooked and made a part of the family meal. He would make a great deal of the small rabbit or bird that his son would present his mother and pronounce it the making of the feast. Thus it was in his boy hood. He remembered there were sometimes all the food had by a family was food the younger sons brought in during their hunting expeditions. Everything was precious. Everyone was sacred.
The clan may be one people or under one chieftain, but each lodge was a nation all its own. The man was the chieftain in his own lodge and he sat there in the company of his wife and children and slaves (if he had any) and he would decide what would happen. A father was godlike in the lives of his children, and they were small suppliants to the house god, seeking his favor. Most times they got it, for a Norse father knows that his life will end and the only thing that remains are his children, the only things that will see him and his blood into the future. A man realizes his duty to that future the first time a child is laid across his knees. And a true man embraces that duty, cherishes it, because it makes a man what he is. Even his god is a father.
So, Ulfrick paces. He looks at his lodge. He knows his oldest son is sleeping and he knows the slave women are looking after him. The lodge is in the center of the village and he can see the soft golden light of a lamp glowing around the cracks of the windows and doors covered by shutters and a hide over the hole. He turns back to the women’s lodge. The Shaman was outside the walls, walking around, intoning the magik to protect the woman and to scare the child from the dark warm sleeping world of the womb to the wilder, brighter world of the waking world. There was a loud cry from his wife and the warbling wail of his child, free of its mother’s body.
The midwives would be bathing his wife’s genitals with warm wine and herbs to bring down the baby’s pouch and to heal her tissues. They would be massaging her belly, their warm hands gently kneading her flesh. Another midwife would be bathing his child in the same concoction mixed with water from the sword maker’s well, checking the child’s feet and hands for deformity. They would peer into its eyes at make sure it could see. They would clap their hands to ensure it could hear. The babe was still crying, a good healthy cry. Lusty. He wanted to go into the lodge, but no man went into the women’s lodge. It was the place of mystery, the place where one life becomes two, separate but dependant. They would lay the babe on her breast and she would feed it with the milk of her body. Was it a boy or a girl? A warrior or weaver? It did not matter. A girl child would be welcome in his lodge though he knew his wife wanted another son. A female would grace his home, she would be his pride, she would be strong and handsome like his wife and when she was of an age, he would find her a fine man to be mated with and strengthen the family and the clan.
The snow was falling now, and the moon was full. The Shaman was now standing at the door of the women’s house and he was handed the placenta in a bowl. That which remains would be examined and the runes cast upon it and the sign of the child’s birth, the mark of Iss, would be entered on the Shaman’s skins, and when the child was named, his name would be marked as well. The child would not be named for a month, but his wife had been thinking about the names of her child. Aerideth if it was a girl…her husband’s father’s name if it was a boy.
The Shaman was walking away from the lodge with the bowl. The tissue was steaming in the cold air and Ulfrick could smell the blood and tissue. The Shaman was already looking at it.
“Does it seem well to you Shaman?” he asked.
“It seems well, and smells of a man child,” he said to the chief and walked away to his hut to do the magikal work while the full moon was high. “All the signs are a sign of great portent my lord. I predict a long life for the child of Ulfrick.” Ulfrick gave the Shaman a piece of gold for his work and the old man, the speaker to the gods, who gave him the strength of the bear in battle, nodded his thanks.
The child of Ulfrick. Ulfrick’s child. A being brought into the world with the joining of his body and his wife’s. When had it happened? Was it on one of the nights in the early spring, when he took her into his arms and slid into her like his sword slides into the scabbard? Or was it a bright day when they had worked in the fields and walked to the spring to bathe and when they were undressed and he had her there in the grass and sun, her arms around him her mouth whispering the prayers every woman recites for successful coupling that would result in a child. That was it…he was sure of it in his heart. It was the wonderful sunlit day when he brought this child into being. Prayer and coupling is the blessing of the gods. Their act of loving was as sacred as a Shaman’s ritual to the All Father on his throne.
Lost in his memories of he and his wife on the grass, the midwife came out and in her arms was a large bundle, covered in reign deer hides and lined in the skins of minks. He could hear the snuffling cries. He followed her into his lodge, out of the cold where he had been standing and into the comfort and heat of his home. The midwife was a middle aged woman, small, red and thick with good food and knowledge of all things of life. It was said she could lay her hands on a woman and heal her with a touch, a murmuring to the gods.
“Is all well? Is my wife safe?” demanded the chieftain. So many women died of child birth, in blood and screaming. His own mother had in his delivery.
“She is well, my lord. Please sit and let me present this child upon your knees,” she said. Presenting the child to its father was the momentous time. This act made the child a member of the family, a member of the clan. It also marked the bargain between the father and the gods that he would care for the child.
“Is it whole? Is it a man or a girl child?” he demanded, circling the midwife as she moved into the room.
“Sit and you will know,” she said.
He sat down and she laid the babe in his arms. He shifted it to lay it along his large muscled thighs and unwrapped the sleeping pink creature. He figured it to be about 20 inches long, about eight pounds. It was blond, its head covered already in thick blond curls. Its eyes were squinched closed and its tiny tongue peeked between its lips. A couple of layers later, he could see the child’s sex, a man child. With his huge hard hands, Ulfrick picked the baby up under the arms and held him up. The baby’s legs drew up to his belly and he began to wail because someone had so rudely disturbed his rest. Ulfrick’s eyes drank the sight of the boy like he would drink a cup of mead. The firelight made him golden. The baby kicked out and complained louder and that was when he looked at his father.
There is nothing like the moment a child looks into the eyes of his maker. Ulfrick’s heart swelled and felt as though it would burst with pride. A Father’s pride is a pride a man feels his whole life. If a man does not feel that pride and does not do all he can to care for his children is not a man. He is cursed by the gods and by his children so long as they walk upon the earth.
“He has old eyes my lord,” said the midwife. “He has the wisdom of the ages in him already. Perhaps he will be a Shaman?”
“He shall be a warrior, and he will be beloved by the gods,” he said. His first son sat up.
“What is it papa?” he called.
“Come and see your brother, my son,” he said to the young boy. He pulled the sleeping robes down and slid from his bed. The child was around six or seven and already tough and strong. He stood by his father and put his hand on his shoulder. “You will have to help me teach him my son, so he will be as strong and as clever as you.”
“I will father,” he said solemnly. “He is so small.”
“Right now, but he will grow and be a great warrior,” he said, cuddling the child in his arms. “You must help me, so that when you become a father, you will know how to raise a son.”
“What about mother?” he asked. “Will she not raise him as well?”
“She will, but she will raise him to be a human being, the first thing all of us learn to be, but we must teach him to be a man. It will be the greatest task any man undertakes,” he said. The boy was nodding and he rubbed the baby’s head. “Go back to bed now son. We will be seeing this little man for some time to come.” The boy went back to his bed and covered up and went back to sleep. The midwife was waiting to take the child back to the women’s lodge where he would live for seven days with his mother to feed and sleep and his mother to heal and grow strong.
He laid the baby back on the robes and wrapped his son carefully. The baby grunted in his sleep and Ulfrick laughed under his breath. He reluctantly handed the child back to the midwife.
“What name will you give him when the time comes,” asked the midwife.
“We shall call him Eric,” said the chieftain.
June 16
Wednesday, June 16,2010
I was late getting to the parlor for our meeting. We had worked steadily on Bill’s living room, hanging the curtains and waxing the floors and the ornate fireplace mantel. The carved mantel clock, I discovered, did not work but after a few calls, I found someone who would repair the clock and even repair the chimes so it would go off every hour on the hour. The next room we were tackling was the grand foyer. We were planning to paint it a warm cream color and clean his windows flanking each side of the double doors and hang up lace panels. Barrister and my dad had offered to take the double doors down and strip them of the white paint and stain and varnish them.
We worked steadily through the day, taking off as much of the wall paper as we could in the foyer and up the stairs and on the second floor gallery. We patched the walls and primed them and painted them, a real job because we had to use a scaffold to get to the ceiling which we also painted cream. The base boards and the stairs we painted a bright white.
Finally I got into the shower and showered up. Renee, Vi, Bella, and Westexan were already gone to the meeting. I stood in the shower and cried. I didn’t like to think of Bill where he was going to end up, perhaps having that defeated feeling in his heart and then to see his betrayal and torture. Finally I composed myself and finished my shower and got ready for the meeting. I was stopping by Merlotte’s to pick up a batch of chicken strips to bring to the parlor. The sun was down before we left and Jessica begged a ride from us to the meeting.
We walked into Merlotte’s. Sam was behind the bar and he smiled a genuine smile at me. Sookie was working hard, her eyes drawn down. She saw me.
“Have you seen or heard from Bill?” she asked.
“No, Sookie, I haven’t,” I said. “Have you?”
“No,” she said. “I have spoken to Eric, have you?”
“I have,” I said.
“Will you call me if you hear from Bill?” she asked.
“Sure,” I said. She wrote her number on a napkin and I put it in my purse. Tara came to the bar from the kitchen through window where I could see Lafayette and Terry and Big John working in the kitchen. Arlene looked unhappy. Tara did too. She had our to go order ready.
I paid for the food and we went out. Jessica had stayed in the car.
“Damn, “ I said.
“What sweetheart?” asked Barrister.
“I should have gotten Jessica a Tru:Blood,” I said.
“I’m alright,” she said from the car. “I’ll have one at the meeting.”
“Okay, “ I said. I felt sorry for Jessica. I worried about what was going to happen to her. Bill was not going to be here for her either.
“I really like the house,” said Jessica.
“Well, we want you to pick out a room so we can fix it to be light tight,” I said. “That way you won’t have to sleep in that cubby hole and you have your own space.”
“Are you going to help them Barrister?” she asked. Barrister, my human lover, was Jessica’s lover as well. God Speed was his spirit brother in this arrangement along with Sal. Scarlett was their spirit sister in this arrangement as well. Which was fine for all involved.
“Of course, and God Speed is too, when the time comes,” he said.
“Do I get to pick my own colors and everything?” she asked, excited like any teenager, but you had to remind yourself she was no longer that, but a lost Vampire. Without her maker, Jessica was very vulnerable. And dangerous.
“Absolutely,” I said.
“Awesome!!” she said. “I wonder why Bill never fixed up his house and made himself a light tight place?”
“Well, sweetie, Bill was turned during a time when Vampires didn’t live out in the open,” I said, turning to look at her. “He really doesn’t know what he is doing as a mainstreaming Vampire and he really doesn’t know how to be your maker. He means well, but he is clueless.”
“Boy is he ever,” said Jessica. “But you guys are nice.”
“Well, we like you Jessica,” I said.
“Do you really?” she asked.
“Of course,” I said.
The parlor was crowded when we came in. Butter and Fairy and Eric were talking to Chris and he was having a Tru:Blood. Renee and Vi and West and Scarlett was there talking to Pam. Scarlett got up to warm a Tru:Blood for Jess. Aolani and Linzy and Lina and Body Guard was there talking to Alcide. I noticed Eric casting glowing eyes at the were but he turned back to say something to Fairy. I walked into the kitchen area and Barrister went over to chat with God Speed and his wife Jen. I unpacked the containers of chicken strips and a big order of deep fried onion rings and deep fried pickles. I set them out with the other snacks and goodies brought by the members of the Council. Dude came in with a case of Bud Light.
“Ooooo give me one of those,” I said to Dude. He sat the case down and opened it and gave me a long neck bottle. I twisted off the cap and took deep swallows of the cold beer. “I needed that.”
“So how is the work going on Bill’s house?” he asked.
“Not bad,” I said. “It is hard work, but it is coming along nicely. You should come see.”
“You might put me to work,” he said.
“I might at that,” I said. Eric loomed over me like a big vulture and I ignored him while I got myself something to eat. He then turned and left me be to sit down next to Butter and rub her tummy, which was enormous with baby. He leaned over and kissed her gently.
Raki and Minnnie and Sweet and Wild came in and made themselves a plate and sat down. We were all excited because this was the first meeting of the new adventure. And was there a lot to talk about.
I sat down on a stool and sat my plate on the coffee table. I chatted with whoever came to sit near me. After we finished, we settled down for our meeting. Alcide was paying close attention. This was his first meeting of True Blood Anonymous.
“So, what was your reaction to Sunday’s adventures?” asked Pam.
“Well, “ began Westexan. “I was surprised with Sookie, really. She picked up right away that something had happened to Bill and he didn’t just stomp off and be mad because she was not sure she was going to marry him.”
“I was surprised too, to tell you the truth,” said God Speed. “Really, I sort expected her to have a trade mark Sookie snit.”
“But she went right to work on what happened to Bill,” said Westexan. “Notice she even called Isabelle?”
“Yes,” said Scarlett. “She did, she is trying to get any foot hold in the Vampire world she can to help her. But is that such a wise thing to do? She has just let a Vampire in another area know there is a Vampire missing under Eric’s watch.”
“She has,” I said. “So, it was good to hear that though you intended to kidnap Bill yourself, Eric, you were not successful. Frankly, I wish you had. You may have kept him subdued, but you would not have let him be harmed by drainers, regardless of their species.”
“No, I would not have harmed Bill, merely kept him out of the way,” he said.
“Even from us?” asked Renee. Eric nodded.
“Even from you,” he said. “It is nothing personal, you understand, it would have been something I simply would have done for his own, and my own protection.” That Eric admitted that was a big deal.
“So what happens now?” asked Dude. “How deep in the shit are you with the Queen?”
“Up to my nose,” he said.
“Then keep your mouth shut,” said Body Guard.
“Amen,” said Pam.
“Did I ask either of you for your counsel?” he said cooly.
“No, Eric,” said Pam. Body Guard shrugged, not easily flustered
“But you are correct, I need to focus on the road ahead,” he said.
“Body Guard, Alcide, what do you know about these weres?” asked Barrister.
“Well, Aslinn may be on to something in her mythology thread about the implications of some sort of neo-Nazi affiliation,” said Alcide. “See, we feel even more like a minority than the Vampires do because we are still closeted so to speak.” Body Guard was nodding.
“It really has little to do with human Nazism,” said Body Guard. “But it is about species rather than race or religion. They have simply embraced some of the basic teachings. Supreme race teachings.”
“Well, Adolf means ‘Father Wolf’,” said Vi. “And Hitler was into the occult. He even planned to reinvent his vision of the Norse religion.”
“Yes, and Aslinn wrote about the Werewolves, the paramilitary group that did a lot on the local level so to speak,” said Minnie.
“It makes me wonder…since Vampires exist, and werewolves exist, if Hitler wasn’t a were,” I said.
“We have heard rumors that he was,” said Body Guard. “But there is little proof of that.”
“So, why would Weres team up with Vampires?” asked Linzy. “Vampires have no love for Weres and Weres have no love for Vampires for that matter.”
“Well, I think it is likely, the Weres we are meeting now are hoping to have a little power behind them with the Vampires being in the open. Eventually though, they are gonna fight,” said Alcide.
“What side will you be on?” asked Lina.
“Neither. I am doing this because I owe Eric something,” said Alcide. “But I have no stand on a struggle, and I could care less what happens to those weres in Mississippi.”
“So they are using V too,” said Scarlett. “That was terrible to watch them do that to Bill.”
“It was almost like rape,” I said, shivering. Renee nodded, squeezing a pillow to her chest.
“Jessica,” said Eric. “You should see Pam about your little predicament.”
“I planned on it,” she said. “It’s just that….there are so many things I don’t know about being a Vampire, since Bill wants me to be ‘mainstream’.” Jessica said the word as if she were describing a terrible intestinal condition.
“What about Jason?” said Butter.
“Kel, men dum.” said Eric in Swedish. We knew what he said and snickered. He smiled his lopsided grin.
“Sort of poetic justice, don’t you think?” I said. “In the first adventure, Jason is the hotsy totsy sex machine and has Maudette hanging from the rafters of her apartment, then last adventure, he is a boy trying to get a handle on his piety rather than his peter, and then this adventure, he is impotent.”
Eric smiled, laughing softly at the references to Jason’s sex abilities. Now it was the Big Viking who was the star of the sexcapades. I saw the glow of lust on his wives faces and I laughed, the first time I had laughed with the Sheriff in a while. In a sort of reverse mirroring, Eric began as a peripheral character, grew into a character of emotional upheaval and was just now revealing an earthier facet to his being. Such is life. God Speed rolled his eyes. I shook my head slightly.
“Do you think Tara will pull out of this?” asked Sal.
“I honestly don’t know,” said Jen. “But if her mother thinks making the moves on the Rev will help her daughter, she is sorely mistaken. It will just make Tara see her mother as a hypocrite she has been accusing her mother of being all along.”
“That is so true, and poor Lafayette, he has troubles galore, what with Pam and Tara to deal with,” said Sweet and Wild.
“Do you think he will get all that blood sold?” asked Dude.
“I have no idea,” said Pam. “But he better.”
“You know, I would not be surprised if he calls his contact in Dallas…the mysterious Pussy Lover,” I said.
“I had not thought of that, Aslinn,” said Eric. “Did you ever get a response to emails with that address?”
“No, I never did,” I said. I had tried since last season to reach out to pussylover9@shemail.com. I had tried all the variants of the name, even some creative spellings, but no luck, the response was the same, that the message could not be delivered.
“That may be something to consider,” said Eric.
“Eric, your plaything, Yvetta, can you really trust her?” asked Butter.
“I do not trust her,” said Eric. “She is not your equal dearest, therefore, I do not trust her.”
“Keep an eye on her though,” said Dude. “We were not above sending in our Crimson Siren, she would not be above sending in her own Mata Hari to hurt you.”
“I will take that under advisement,” he said darkly.
“And Sam, poor Sam,” said Linzy. “He is discovering that his family is quite a rowdy bunch.”
“Whisky Tangos, you mean,” said Barrister. “Yeah, they are trouble, and Sam should proceed with extreme prejudice.”
“I like that,” said Pam. “Extreme prejudice.”
“When the time comes, Eric, will you help Tara in her predicament?” asked Minnie.
“If I can help her, and by doing so, help Sookie, I will be happy to help her,” said Eric, smiling his lopsided smile.
“I hope so, and help Bill,” said Violet.
“Don’t worry too much about Bill Compton,” he said. “There will be troubles enough for all of us when the time comes.”
“Can we help in some way?” asked Renee.
“No, you stay out of this, there is nothing you can do to help anyone in this situation,” said Pam. “Least of all Bill. Let Eric and Sookie handle it.”
“Do not under estimate Bill’s cleverness, or his will to survive, it is very strong. That is one thing Lorena passed on to her child. He will do whatever he must to get out of his situation,” said Eric. “So don’t do anything to jeopardize yourselves, or you might get yourselves killed.”
“Well, excellent meeting, well done,” said Pam.
I was late getting to the parlor for our meeting. We had worked steadily on Bill’s living room, hanging the curtains and waxing the floors and the ornate fireplace mantel. The carved mantel clock, I discovered, did not work but after a few calls, I found someone who would repair the clock and even repair the chimes so it would go off every hour on the hour. The next room we were tackling was the grand foyer. We were planning to paint it a warm cream color and clean his windows flanking each side of the double doors and hang up lace panels. Barrister and my dad had offered to take the double doors down and strip them of the white paint and stain and varnish them.
We worked steadily through the day, taking off as much of the wall paper as we could in the foyer and up the stairs and on the second floor gallery. We patched the walls and primed them and painted them, a real job because we had to use a scaffold to get to the ceiling which we also painted cream. The base boards and the stairs we painted a bright white.
Finally I got into the shower and showered up. Renee, Vi, Bella, and Westexan were already gone to the meeting. I stood in the shower and cried. I didn’t like to think of Bill where he was going to end up, perhaps having that defeated feeling in his heart and then to see his betrayal and torture. Finally I composed myself and finished my shower and got ready for the meeting. I was stopping by Merlotte’s to pick up a batch of chicken strips to bring to the parlor. The sun was down before we left and Jessica begged a ride from us to the meeting.
We walked into Merlotte’s. Sam was behind the bar and he smiled a genuine smile at me. Sookie was working hard, her eyes drawn down. She saw me.
“Have you seen or heard from Bill?” she asked.
“No, Sookie, I haven’t,” I said. “Have you?”
“No,” she said. “I have spoken to Eric, have you?”
“I have,” I said.
“Will you call me if you hear from Bill?” she asked.
“Sure,” I said. She wrote her number on a napkin and I put it in my purse. Tara came to the bar from the kitchen through window where I could see Lafayette and Terry and Big John working in the kitchen. Arlene looked unhappy. Tara did too. She had our to go order ready.
I paid for the food and we went out. Jessica had stayed in the car.
“Damn, “ I said.
“What sweetheart?” asked Barrister.
“I should have gotten Jessica a Tru:Blood,” I said.
“I’m alright,” she said from the car. “I’ll have one at the meeting.”
“Okay, “ I said. I felt sorry for Jessica. I worried about what was going to happen to her. Bill was not going to be here for her either.
“I really like the house,” said Jessica.
“Well, we want you to pick out a room so we can fix it to be light tight,” I said. “That way you won’t have to sleep in that cubby hole and you have your own space.”
“Are you going to help them Barrister?” she asked. Barrister, my human lover, was Jessica’s lover as well. God Speed was his spirit brother in this arrangement along with Sal. Scarlett was their spirit sister in this arrangement as well. Which was fine for all involved.
“Of course, and God Speed is too, when the time comes,” he said.
“Do I get to pick my own colors and everything?” she asked, excited like any teenager, but you had to remind yourself she was no longer that, but a lost Vampire. Without her maker, Jessica was very vulnerable. And dangerous.
“Absolutely,” I said.
“Awesome!!” she said. “I wonder why Bill never fixed up his house and made himself a light tight place?”
“Well, sweetie, Bill was turned during a time when Vampires didn’t live out in the open,” I said, turning to look at her. “He really doesn’t know what he is doing as a mainstreaming Vampire and he really doesn’t know how to be your maker. He means well, but he is clueless.”
“Boy is he ever,” said Jessica. “But you guys are nice.”
“Well, we like you Jessica,” I said.
“Do you really?” she asked.
“Of course,” I said.
The parlor was crowded when we came in. Butter and Fairy and Eric were talking to Chris and he was having a Tru:Blood. Renee and Vi and West and Scarlett was there talking to Pam. Scarlett got up to warm a Tru:Blood for Jess. Aolani and Linzy and Lina and Body Guard was there talking to Alcide. I noticed Eric casting glowing eyes at the were but he turned back to say something to Fairy. I walked into the kitchen area and Barrister went over to chat with God Speed and his wife Jen. I unpacked the containers of chicken strips and a big order of deep fried onion rings and deep fried pickles. I set them out with the other snacks and goodies brought by the members of the Council. Dude came in with a case of Bud Light.
“Ooooo give me one of those,” I said to Dude. He sat the case down and opened it and gave me a long neck bottle. I twisted off the cap and took deep swallows of the cold beer. “I needed that.”
“So how is the work going on Bill’s house?” he asked.
“Not bad,” I said. “It is hard work, but it is coming along nicely. You should come see.”
“You might put me to work,” he said.
“I might at that,” I said. Eric loomed over me like a big vulture and I ignored him while I got myself something to eat. He then turned and left me be to sit down next to Butter and rub her tummy, which was enormous with baby. He leaned over and kissed her gently.
Raki and Minnnie and Sweet and Wild came in and made themselves a plate and sat down. We were all excited because this was the first meeting of the new adventure. And was there a lot to talk about.
I sat down on a stool and sat my plate on the coffee table. I chatted with whoever came to sit near me. After we finished, we settled down for our meeting. Alcide was paying close attention. This was his first meeting of True Blood Anonymous.
“So, what was your reaction to Sunday’s adventures?” asked Pam.
“Well, “ began Westexan. “I was surprised with Sookie, really. She picked up right away that something had happened to Bill and he didn’t just stomp off and be mad because she was not sure she was going to marry him.”
“I was surprised too, to tell you the truth,” said God Speed. “Really, I sort expected her to have a trade mark Sookie snit.”
“But she went right to work on what happened to Bill,” said Westexan. “Notice she even called Isabelle?”
“Yes,” said Scarlett. “She did, she is trying to get any foot hold in the Vampire world she can to help her. But is that such a wise thing to do? She has just let a Vampire in another area know there is a Vampire missing under Eric’s watch.”
“She has,” I said. “So, it was good to hear that though you intended to kidnap Bill yourself, Eric, you were not successful. Frankly, I wish you had. You may have kept him subdued, but you would not have let him be harmed by drainers, regardless of their species.”
“No, I would not have harmed Bill, merely kept him out of the way,” he said.
“Even from us?” asked Renee. Eric nodded.
“Even from you,” he said. “It is nothing personal, you understand, it would have been something I simply would have done for his own, and my own protection.” That Eric admitted that was a big deal.
“So what happens now?” asked Dude. “How deep in the shit are you with the Queen?”
“Up to my nose,” he said.
“Then keep your mouth shut,” said Body Guard.
“Amen,” said Pam.
“Did I ask either of you for your counsel?” he said cooly.
“No, Eric,” said Pam. Body Guard shrugged, not easily flustered
“But you are correct, I need to focus on the road ahead,” he said.
“Body Guard, Alcide, what do you know about these weres?” asked Barrister.
“Well, Aslinn may be on to something in her mythology thread about the implications of some sort of neo-Nazi affiliation,” said Alcide. “See, we feel even more like a minority than the Vampires do because we are still closeted so to speak.” Body Guard was nodding.
“It really has little to do with human Nazism,” said Body Guard. “But it is about species rather than race or religion. They have simply embraced some of the basic teachings. Supreme race teachings.”
“Well, Adolf means ‘Father Wolf’,” said Vi. “And Hitler was into the occult. He even planned to reinvent his vision of the Norse religion.”
“Yes, and Aslinn wrote about the Werewolves, the paramilitary group that did a lot on the local level so to speak,” said Minnie.
“It makes me wonder…since Vampires exist, and werewolves exist, if Hitler wasn’t a were,” I said.
“We have heard rumors that he was,” said Body Guard. “But there is little proof of that.”
“So, why would Weres team up with Vampires?” asked Linzy. “Vampires have no love for Weres and Weres have no love for Vampires for that matter.”
“Well, I think it is likely, the Weres we are meeting now are hoping to have a little power behind them with the Vampires being in the open. Eventually though, they are gonna fight,” said Alcide.
“What side will you be on?” asked Lina.
“Neither. I am doing this because I owe Eric something,” said Alcide. “But I have no stand on a struggle, and I could care less what happens to those weres in Mississippi.”
“So they are using V too,” said Scarlett. “That was terrible to watch them do that to Bill.”
“It was almost like rape,” I said, shivering. Renee nodded, squeezing a pillow to her chest.
“Jessica,” said Eric. “You should see Pam about your little predicament.”
“I planned on it,” she said. “It’s just that….there are so many things I don’t know about being a Vampire, since Bill wants me to be ‘mainstream’.” Jessica said the word as if she were describing a terrible intestinal condition.
“What about Jason?” said Butter.
“Kel, men dum.” said Eric in Swedish. We knew what he said and snickered. He smiled his lopsided grin.
“Sort of poetic justice, don’t you think?” I said. “In the first adventure, Jason is the hotsy totsy sex machine and has Maudette hanging from the rafters of her apartment, then last adventure, he is a boy trying to get a handle on his piety rather than his peter, and then this adventure, he is impotent.”
Eric smiled, laughing softly at the references to Jason’s sex abilities. Now it was the Big Viking who was the star of the sexcapades. I saw the glow of lust on his wives faces and I laughed, the first time I had laughed with the Sheriff in a while. In a sort of reverse mirroring, Eric began as a peripheral character, grew into a character of emotional upheaval and was just now revealing an earthier facet to his being. Such is life. God Speed rolled his eyes. I shook my head slightly.
“Do you think Tara will pull out of this?” asked Sal.
“I honestly don’t know,” said Jen. “But if her mother thinks making the moves on the Rev will help her daughter, she is sorely mistaken. It will just make Tara see her mother as a hypocrite she has been accusing her mother of being all along.”
“That is so true, and poor Lafayette, he has troubles galore, what with Pam and Tara to deal with,” said Sweet and Wild.
“Do you think he will get all that blood sold?” asked Dude.
“I have no idea,” said Pam. “But he better.”
“You know, I would not be surprised if he calls his contact in Dallas…the mysterious Pussy Lover,” I said.
“I had not thought of that, Aslinn,” said Eric. “Did you ever get a response to emails with that address?”
“No, I never did,” I said. I had tried since last season to reach out to pussylover9@shemail.com. I had tried all the variants of the name, even some creative spellings, but no luck, the response was the same, that the message could not be delivered.
“That may be something to consider,” said Eric.
“Eric, your plaything, Yvetta, can you really trust her?” asked Butter.
“I do not trust her,” said Eric. “She is not your equal dearest, therefore, I do not trust her.”
“Keep an eye on her though,” said Dude. “We were not above sending in our Crimson Siren, she would not be above sending in her own Mata Hari to hurt you.”
“I will take that under advisement,” he said darkly.
“And Sam, poor Sam,” said Linzy. “He is discovering that his family is quite a rowdy bunch.”
“Whisky Tangos, you mean,” said Barrister. “Yeah, they are trouble, and Sam should proceed with extreme prejudice.”
“I like that,” said Pam. “Extreme prejudice.”
“When the time comes, Eric, will you help Tara in her predicament?” asked Minnie.
“If I can help her, and by doing so, help Sookie, I will be happy to help her,” said Eric, smiling his lopsided smile.
“I hope so, and help Bill,” said Violet.
“Don’t worry too much about Bill Compton,” he said. “There will be troubles enough for all of us when the time comes.”
“Can we help in some way?” asked Renee.
“No, you stay out of this, there is nothing you can do to help anyone in this situation,” said Pam. “Least of all Bill. Let Eric and Sookie handle it.”
“Do not under estimate Bill’s cleverness, or his will to survive, it is very strong. That is one thing Lorena passed on to her child. He will do whatever he must to get out of his situation,” said Eric. “So don’t do anything to jeopardize yourselves, or you might get yourselves killed.”
“Well, excellent meeting, well done,” said Pam.
June 14- A visit to Fangtasia
Monday, June 14, 2010
I was relieved to be coming into Fangtasia after a long day at Bill’s house. With Bill now gone, the sister wives and I had thrown ourselves into working on his house. The first room was the living room. We had taken everything off the walls, rolled up the rug, pushed all the furniture in the middle of the room and had filled and sanded the walls to prime and paint. The walls were now a solid medium blue, a half shade lighter than they were before, which actually brightened up the room considerably and the windows and base boards had been cleaned and we were waiting for the walls to be good and dry before we hung new curtains in a federal cream color, just this side the color of vanilla ice cream. We had other things to brighten up the room but they would have to wait til we moved the furniture out, cleaned the floors and laid the new gold area rug and threw down the bright jewel colored pillows onto the red velvet couches.
After that, we spent a few hours working on the database in the kitchen. Subsequent to that I went and had a shower and changed clothes and drove over to Shreveport to Fangtasia. Renee was going stop over later to bring Eric a disc of the work Chris had been doing for him and say a few choice words to the Viking. That was going to be fun.
Anyway, that is how I came to be there rather early that evening. Not too early to see Pam and Chow. He was at the bar, warming Tru:Bloods in the big warmer. Pam was at the door.
“Hello Aslinn, you look yummy,” she said, eyeballing me in the red dress with spaghetti straps and red silk slippers. “Are you here to see Eric?”
“Not if he is in his basement,” I said pointedly. I’d seen the shenanigans he’d been up to down there.
“He’s not,” she said. “He is in his office.”
“Well, I am here to meet Barrister,” I said. “He said he had some stuff for Eric to look over.”
“He is there now,” said Pam. “He is very yummy.” Pam had that look in her eyes like if she couldn’t shag him she could fang him.
“Don’t let me find any strange fangs on him Pam,” I said.
“You are so greedy,” she said and smiled her sardonic grin.
“That’s me, greedy,” I said.
“How are you holding up without Bill?” she asked.
“Don’t ask,” I said. I walked over to the bar. “Evenin’ Chow.”
“Black stuff?” he asked, grabbing a pint glass.
“House red,” I said. He moved to get me a Tru:Blood, then grinned. “Funny Chow.” I said, getting out my cigarettes.
“When are you gonna let my boss make you?” he asked.
“In the morning, around sun up,” I said. I could feel my inner smart ass coming out and Chow gave me a toothy grin when he brought over the glass of cold red wine. I sipped it and sucked on the taste a little.
“See , you already have the Vampire sip down,” said Chow. I showed Chow my favorite finger and he winked at me.
“Anytime my dear,” he said. Vampires…they are always on the make…literally. I heard voices and Sean and Eric came out of his office. Eric looked good standing there with Barrister. He was wearing a pair of black leather pants and heavy boots and a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up three quarter length. Sean was in jeans and a white dress shirt, rolled up the same way. Eric moved with Vampire speed and took my hand to kiss but I snatched it away.
“Oooooo Aslinn was not pleased with my performance Sunday night,” he said.
“Eric, aren’t you afraid of getting diseases?” I asked.
“You know Vampires can’t get diseases from humans we have sex with,” he said smoothly.
“Hey Eric, I don’t care about your…manhood…Wanna know what really bothered me?” I asked.
“Were you jealous dearest…Barrister would not mind if we went downstairs for a bit,” he said.
“Barrister would mind…and no, I was not jealous. I was appalled,” I said. “There you were, in that dungeon with your catamount, and you were down there in your bare feet!!!! Your big naked Viking feet flapping and slapping around on that nasty assed concrete floor. Aren’t you afraid of getting hook worms or something doing that?” Eric looked at me.
“You were not jealous of the human I was having sex with, but you were concerned over my…hygiene?” he asked.
“Yeah, Eric, I was,” I said. “Whatever you like to do for recreation is up to you, I don’t care what your particular twist is, but please, be hygienic.”
Eric burst out laughing. Unlike Bill, Eric had a great sense of humor and a real take on the ridiculous. That he laughed did not insult me in the least. He leaned over and kissed me feather light on the cheek.
“You are very funny my dear and I will keep your observation in mind the next time I conduct my…affairs down there. Will that make things better for you?” he shook hands with Barrister. “Take her to Deux Poissons, my treat.”
“I will Eric, thank you,” he said.
“Have you been working on Bill’s database?” asked Eric, serious now.
“I have been yes,” I said. “Bill has done his work well. He had many names that were in the books already.”
“As is his duty,” he said. He’d never give Bill his due.
“ERIC NORTHMAN!!!!” said a voice like the wrath of God. I turned to see Renee coming our way.
“Good luck with that Eric,” I said as I finished my wine in a gulp and grabbed Barrister’s hand to get out of the way.
“Renee, my dearest almost mother in law,” said the Viking, his arms open as though to embrace her.
“I want to have some four letter words with you,” she said.
“Go, I am all yours Renee. Do with me what you will,” he said insincerely. He crossed his arms and welcomed her wrath.
Renee proceeded to handle language that would either make a longshoreman blush with embarrassment or swell with pride. She called Eric everything but a Viking in her long list of disparaging remarks. She enumerated the various and sundry forms of torture she would employ if he even breathed heavy in her daughter’s direction, much less laid a hand on her. Then she promised that Ivan, her human husband and father of said daughter, was not afraid to go back to prison.
“Good evening to you, too, Renee, would you like a cold drink?” he asked. He nodded at Chow who proceeded to make Renee a tall cold something alcoholic. Renee snatched up the drink from the bar and swigged it back. “Feel better now?”
“I do, thank you Eric,” she said. “But I mean what I say…one finger, one wrong look, and I will nip you where the queen grabbed you.” She finished the drink handed Eric the disc and took off in a huff. Eric looked at her figure as she retreated.
“Now she would make an excellent Vampire, boss,” said Chow.
“Yes she would,” said Eric, grinning his lopsided grin.
I was relieved to be coming into Fangtasia after a long day at Bill’s house. With Bill now gone, the sister wives and I had thrown ourselves into working on his house. The first room was the living room. We had taken everything off the walls, rolled up the rug, pushed all the furniture in the middle of the room and had filled and sanded the walls to prime and paint. The walls were now a solid medium blue, a half shade lighter than they were before, which actually brightened up the room considerably and the windows and base boards had been cleaned and we were waiting for the walls to be good and dry before we hung new curtains in a federal cream color, just this side the color of vanilla ice cream. We had other things to brighten up the room but they would have to wait til we moved the furniture out, cleaned the floors and laid the new gold area rug and threw down the bright jewel colored pillows onto the red velvet couches.
After that, we spent a few hours working on the database in the kitchen. Subsequent to that I went and had a shower and changed clothes and drove over to Shreveport to Fangtasia. Renee was going stop over later to bring Eric a disc of the work Chris had been doing for him and say a few choice words to the Viking. That was going to be fun.
Anyway, that is how I came to be there rather early that evening. Not too early to see Pam and Chow. He was at the bar, warming Tru:Bloods in the big warmer. Pam was at the door.
“Hello Aslinn, you look yummy,” she said, eyeballing me in the red dress with spaghetti straps and red silk slippers. “Are you here to see Eric?”
“Not if he is in his basement,” I said pointedly. I’d seen the shenanigans he’d been up to down there.
“He’s not,” she said. “He is in his office.”
“Well, I am here to meet Barrister,” I said. “He said he had some stuff for Eric to look over.”
“He is there now,” said Pam. “He is very yummy.” Pam had that look in her eyes like if she couldn’t shag him she could fang him.
“Don’t let me find any strange fangs on him Pam,” I said.
“You are so greedy,” she said and smiled her sardonic grin.
“That’s me, greedy,” I said.
“How are you holding up without Bill?” she asked.
“Don’t ask,” I said. I walked over to the bar. “Evenin’ Chow.”
“Black stuff?” he asked, grabbing a pint glass.
“House red,” I said. He moved to get me a Tru:Blood, then grinned. “Funny Chow.” I said, getting out my cigarettes.
“When are you gonna let my boss make you?” he asked.
“In the morning, around sun up,” I said. I could feel my inner smart ass coming out and Chow gave me a toothy grin when he brought over the glass of cold red wine. I sipped it and sucked on the taste a little.
“See , you already have the Vampire sip down,” said Chow. I showed Chow my favorite finger and he winked at me.
“Anytime my dear,” he said. Vampires…they are always on the make…literally. I heard voices and Sean and Eric came out of his office. Eric looked good standing there with Barrister. He was wearing a pair of black leather pants and heavy boots and a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up three quarter length. Sean was in jeans and a white dress shirt, rolled up the same way. Eric moved with Vampire speed and took my hand to kiss but I snatched it away.
“Oooooo Aslinn was not pleased with my performance Sunday night,” he said.
“Eric, aren’t you afraid of getting diseases?” I asked.
“You know Vampires can’t get diseases from humans we have sex with,” he said smoothly.
“Hey Eric, I don’t care about your…manhood…Wanna know what really bothered me?” I asked.
“Were you jealous dearest…Barrister would not mind if we went downstairs for a bit,” he said.
“Barrister would mind…and no, I was not jealous. I was appalled,” I said. “There you were, in that dungeon with your catamount, and you were down there in your bare feet!!!! Your big naked Viking feet flapping and slapping around on that nasty assed concrete floor. Aren’t you afraid of getting hook worms or something doing that?” Eric looked at me.
“You were not jealous of the human I was having sex with, but you were concerned over my…hygiene?” he asked.
“Yeah, Eric, I was,” I said. “Whatever you like to do for recreation is up to you, I don’t care what your particular twist is, but please, be hygienic.”
Eric burst out laughing. Unlike Bill, Eric had a great sense of humor and a real take on the ridiculous. That he laughed did not insult me in the least. He leaned over and kissed me feather light on the cheek.
“You are very funny my dear and I will keep your observation in mind the next time I conduct my…affairs down there. Will that make things better for you?” he shook hands with Barrister. “Take her to Deux Poissons, my treat.”
“I will Eric, thank you,” he said.
“Have you been working on Bill’s database?” asked Eric, serious now.
“I have been yes,” I said. “Bill has done his work well. He had many names that were in the books already.”
“As is his duty,” he said. He’d never give Bill his due.
“ERIC NORTHMAN!!!!” said a voice like the wrath of God. I turned to see Renee coming our way.
“Good luck with that Eric,” I said as I finished my wine in a gulp and grabbed Barrister’s hand to get out of the way.
“Renee, my dearest almost mother in law,” said the Viking, his arms open as though to embrace her.
“I want to have some four letter words with you,” she said.
“Go, I am all yours Renee. Do with me what you will,” he said insincerely. He crossed his arms and welcomed her wrath.
Renee proceeded to handle language that would either make a longshoreman blush with embarrassment or swell with pride. She called Eric everything but a Viking in her long list of disparaging remarks. She enumerated the various and sundry forms of torture she would employ if he even breathed heavy in her daughter’s direction, much less laid a hand on her. Then she promised that Ivan, her human husband and father of said daughter, was not afraid to go back to prison.
“Good evening to you, too, Renee, would you like a cold drink?” he asked. He nodded at Chow who proceeded to make Renee a tall cold something alcoholic. Renee snatched up the drink from the bar and swigged it back. “Feel better now?”
“I do, thank you Eric,” she said. “But I mean what I say…one finger, one wrong look, and I will nip you where the queen grabbed you.” She finished the drink handed Eric the disc and took off in a huff. Eric looked at her figure as she retreated.
“Now she would make an excellent Vampire, boss,” said Chow.
“Yes she would,” said Eric, grinning his lopsided grin.
More thoughts June 13
So here we are boys and girls, the time is ticking down and we are coming closer to the moment we will hear Jace Everette crooning Bad Things and we will be driving down the heat wavy bayou roads through that mythic parish where Vampires and Werewolves and Shapeshifters roam. Place where authority comes in the form of a thousand year old Viking Vampire burning down the road in a blood red corvette.
Your neighbor is the boy next door, that is if the boy next door is 175 years old and fought in the Civil War and remembers when women wore petticoats. He looks handsome and young and has the prettiest blue eyes you have ever seen.
Maybe you would be interested in local commerce. See that youngish feller there? He owns a bar and is really quite successful. And he is just the boy to roll over and let you pat his belly. He's so playful that way.
But be careful. Be were, because some of the things that roam the night might come on like wonderful folks but turn into something else...wearing sheep's clothing of course.
So come on down to Bon Temps and let it roll. Set your self down and have a cold one and just watch.....
You could be astonished by what you see.
Your neighbor is the boy next door, that is if the boy next door is 175 years old and fought in the Civil War and remembers when women wore petticoats. He looks handsome and young and has the prettiest blue eyes you have ever seen.
Maybe you would be interested in local commerce. See that youngish feller there? He owns a bar and is really quite successful. And he is just the boy to roll over and let you pat his belly. He's so playful that way.
But be careful. Be were, because some of the things that roam the night might come on like wonderful folks but turn into something else...wearing sheep's clothing of course.
So come on down to Bon Temps and let it roll. Set your self down and have a cold one and just watch.....
You could be astonished by what you see.
Meanderings on June 12
So here we are, 1 day, 6 hrs from the premier of True Blood. I walked around the parlor, smelling of Vampire and coffee and turkish cigarettes. I have been checking the forum and feeling that creeping feeling, that itchy, jonesy feeling I have felt off on through our hiatus. I know we have had some great times spying on the queen, camping out with Minnie in her back garden, going on adventures to England, Ireland and Sweden, but really, that feeling has stayed with me, that yummy feeling of anticipation.
I don't know what to do with myself. I look at all the news, read all the articles, watch HBO between the movies and programs to catch the promos and the teasers and it isn't enough. It is never enough. I still feel that restlessness and I know you feel it too.
And it will not get better as the time gets closer. I know I will be thinking: "How much longer?" I will check the portal and I will sigh, because even the digital countdown will slow down and I will scream with frustration like a woman with an ill adept lover. Because I'm a junkie. And so are you. Admit it!!! Confess!!!
Hello, my name is Aslinn and I am addicted to True Blood.
I love Vampires, I love Werewolves (but you gotta be-were), I love Shifters, I love Telepaths and bad tempered spunky bartenders and PTSD ridden cooks and cooks who have porn sites and men who have sex-ablities but low IQs and other denizens of the sleepy little back water we travel to every Sunday night at 9 pm.....
I'm strung out. I can't even look at other shows. They don't hold up. All of those Joss Wheadon Vampires with their contact lenses and cheap fang effects and no class and no libido. I know, it is for public broadcast, but it is sort of like slimfast...there you go...why eat hamburger when there is steak at home?
So I wait, but I am not patient about it....Are you?
I don't know what to do with myself. I look at all the news, read all the articles, watch HBO between the movies and programs to catch the promos and the teasers and it isn't enough. It is never enough. I still feel that restlessness and I know you feel it too.
And it will not get better as the time gets closer. I know I will be thinking: "How much longer?" I will check the portal and I will sigh, because even the digital countdown will slow down and I will scream with frustration like a woman with an ill adept lover. Because I'm a junkie. And so are you. Admit it!!! Confess!!!
Hello, my name is Aslinn and I am addicted to True Blood.
I love Vampires, I love Werewolves (but you gotta be-were), I love Shifters, I love Telepaths and bad tempered spunky bartenders and PTSD ridden cooks and cooks who have porn sites and men who have sex-ablities but low IQs and other denizens of the sleepy little back water we travel to every Sunday night at 9 pm.....
I'm strung out. I can't even look at other shows. They don't hold up. All of those Joss Wheadon Vampires with their contact lenses and cheap fang effects and no class and no libido. I know, it is for public broadcast, but it is sort of like slimfast...there you go...why eat hamburger when there is steak at home?
So I wait, but I am not patient about it....Are you?
June 9
Wednesday, June 9th, 2010
The parlor was busy and we were excited. Being home and in the parlor was a sweet, safe place to be after the last three weeks. I missed my Barrister who called me all the time to let me know he was safe and sound. I knew he was still doing things for Eric on the quiet. The werewolves of London had told him the King and Queen of Vampire Britain was holed up in their palace under the topside palace of Balmorals in Scotland, licking their wounds. There was talk among some of the Scottish Vampire nobles this might be an excellent opportunity to have a coup and take the throne back. If that happened, Liam explained, that might make things very different for relations between the Sheriff of Area Five and his European counterparts.
Whatever it was, I really didn’t want to know too much about. Vampire business is very dangerous, and after learning so many of the European Vampires were afflicted as a result of interbreeding before they were made and Hep D and Sino-AIDS later after they were made really made them unappealing to me. Thank God Eric had come to America relatively sooner. It probably saved his afterlife. Had he not, he might have ended up the world’s tallest q-tip.
Said Sheriff of Area Five was asleep on the couch. Pam was in the coffin. It would be a while before sundown, so I just covered him up with a blanket and went about my chores, namely dusting and watering the plants and fluffing up the pillows and setting out chicken to fry and potatoes to peel and beans to snap. Green beans, fried chicken and mashed potatoes. Westexan was bringing a chocolate on chocolate cake.
This was the last meeting Bill would attend for a while. The adventures started Sunday night and we were excited about that. What would we learn? Who was involved? How would everything come about? The tension was thick in the air, even as I worked alone. I gave the room one more sweep of the eye and sat down at the kitchen table to snap my beans.
Scarlett came in. She had just a trace of a black eye and she said her ribs didn’t ache when she took a deep breath. She’d gotten pretty bruised up when she fought alongside Bill to kill a fairy oracle on our latest adventure. She sat and snapped beans with me and smoked cigarettes and drank a Mountain Dew with me. I rubbed my shoulder. I had blood from Bill to help finish healing me, but sometimes if I overworked it felt tired. I set the beans to cook and I peeled and cubed my potatoes and set them in a pot with water to boil a little later when I fried my chicken.
“It is so funny to cook food with them here,” she said looking over at the couch where Eric was sleeping. “Do they like the smells do you think?”
“Bill seems to, but he probably remembers a little bit from his human days,” I said a little sadly. I fought tears when I thought about Bill and his coming absence.
“Have you been to Bill’s to look at those books?” asked Scarlett.
“Oh yeah, there is nearly five hundred years of Vampires registered in those books. I suppose some of them are dead, a lot of them are here and already in Bill’s database,” I said. “It will take time to enter them.”
“So, what do you think this meeting will be like?” asked Scarlett.
“Excited, a bit sad on account of Bill, but I wonder if this is the meeting we meet Alcide, or are we meeting him after the first night?” I said.
“I don’t know,” she said. “Well, I better go back to work.”
“Go, do, work,” I said. “Bring your appetite.”
“I will,” she said. She got up and leaned down and gave me a peck and bounded off back to the grind.
Chris was next to visit with me. She was a little fascinated with the sleeping Viking but she sat and worked on her stuff for Eric, asking me questions from time to time. She was taking this very seriously, which was good. Eric was paying her and putting some money aside for her for a rainy day. I knew she was bonded with the handsome Vampire lying there in his day sleep.
Renee joined us, then God Speed and Jen. Aolani and Body Guard came in with Vi and Westexan.
“You providing the protection over that cake Body Guard?” I asked.
“I am,” he said, hugging his wife.
Lina and Linzy came in, with Raki who brought us some cloud berry wine. Eric would go insane when he smelled that on our breaths. Butter and Fairy and Sweet and Wild and Minnie came in. Minnie brought in some fresh rolls and some brownies to add to the supper. Everyone by now had heard of our adventures and they were all talking about it. I mashed the potatoes and added milk and butter. Scarlett came back and she watched me as I fished the last bit of chicken out of the hot skillet and placed it on a heaping plate with a paper towel underneath it. I checked the chicken gravy and Scarlett licked her lips. Fairy came in and brought me a big glass of the cloud berry wine. I sipped it and loved the sweet citrus taste of it. I sat it down and got out the condiments to set on the table and everyone began lining up to fill up their plates.
I got my plate last and sat at the bar with Scarlett. There was something satisfying about feeding people and I was satisfied beyond measure. I had been in the thick and the thin and I had gone from the blue into the black with them. They were my family. I could not wait until July when Barrister would be with us. That would help me somewhat with Bill’s absence.
I took a sip of wine and was a little startled at Eric’s presence behind me. He leaned forward and sniffed my mouth.
“What are you drinking?” he asked.
“Back up a bit Eric,” I said, pushing him back. “Raki brought us some cloud berry wine.” I offered him the glass and he sniffed it like I had seen vinophiles do at wine tastings.
“That is lovely,” he said. He went to Raki and sniffed at her and then kissed her, tasting the wine on her lips. He went to Fairy and repeated the process.
“Hey Eric, God Speed has been drinking a little of that wine, you gonna kiss him, too?” asked Body Guard. Eric gave him a loveless look and we all laughed.
Pam woke up and came out of the coffin and Scarlett went to heat her a bottle. Fairy had heated Eric’s and retrieved it. They chatted with us about nothing really, just passing the time of day. It was interesting to watch them. We were so casual and friendly with them, they seemed to relax. I wondered if this was a good thing for them. Would they be careless?
Bill and Jessica came in, bringing another person with them. He was not Vampire, but he was something else. Bill came up to me.
“Hungry Bill?” I asked.
“No, I had a bottle before I left,” he said.
“Who is that?” I asked.
“You will know in just a bit, when we get the meeting started,” he said.
“Okay,” I said.
“Come and get some dessert,” said Westexan, slicing the cake into sizable chunks. After dessert, we cleaned up the kitchen and put the dishes in the dish washer to chug away quietly. We made our way to the sofas and chairs, refilled wine glasses in our hands.
“I would like you to meet someone,” said Eric. “This is Alcide Herveaux. I thought this would be a good time for everyone to meet him.”
“Hey, nice to meet you all,” said the handsome werewolf.
The parlor was busy and we were excited. Being home and in the parlor was a sweet, safe place to be after the last three weeks. I missed my Barrister who called me all the time to let me know he was safe and sound. I knew he was still doing things for Eric on the quiet. The werewolves of London had told him the King and Queen of Vampire Britain was holed up in their palace under the topside palace of Balmorals in Scotland, licking their wounds. There was talk among some of the Scottish Vampire nobles this might be an excellent opportunity to have a coup and take the throne back. If that happened, Liam explained, that might make things very different for relations between the Sheriff of Area Five and his European counterparts.
Whatever it was, I really didn’t want to know too much about. Vampire business is very dangerous, and after learning so many of the European Vampires were afflicted as a result of interbreeding before they were made and Hep D and Sino-AIDS later after they were made really made them unappealing to me. Thank God Eric had come to America relatively sooner. It probably saved his afterlife. Had he not, he might have ended up the world’s tallest q-tip.
Said Sheriff of Area Five was asleep on the couch. Pam was in the coffin. It would be a while before sundown, so I just covered him up with a blanket and went about my chores, namely dusting and watering the plants and fluffing up the pillows and setting out chicken to fry and potatoes to peel and beans to snap. Green beans, fried chicken and mashed potatoes. Westexan was bringing a chocolate on chocolate cake.
This was the last meeting Bill would attend for a while. The adventures started Sunday night and we were excited about that. What would we learn? Who was involved? How would everything come about? The tension was thick in the air, even as I worked alone. I gave the room one more sweep of the eye and sat down at the kitchen table to snap my beans.
Scarlett came in. She had just a trace of a black eye and she said her ribs didn’t ache when she took a deep breath. She’d gotten pretty bruised up when she fought alongside Bill to kill a fairy oracle on our latest adventure. She sat and snapped beans with me and smoked cigarettes and drank a Mountain Dew with me. I rubbed my shoulder. I had blood from Bill to help finish healing me, but sometimes if I overworked it felt tired. I set the beans to cook and I peeled and cubed my potatoes and set them in a pot with water to boil a little later when I fried my chicken.
“It is so funny to cook food with them here,” she said looking over at the couch where Eric was sleeping. “Do they like the smells do you think?”
“Bill seems to, but he probably remembers a little bit from his human days,” I said a little sadly. I fought tears when I thought about Bill and his coming absence.
“Have you been to Bill’s to look at those books?” asked Scarlett.
“Oh yeah, there is nearly five hundred years of Vampires registered in those books. I suppose some of them are dead, a lot of them are here and already in Bill’s database,” I said. “It will take time to enter them.”
“So, what do you think this meeting will be like?” asked Scarlett.
“Excited, a bit sad on account of Bill, but I wonder if this is the meeting we meet Alcide, or are we meeting him after the first night?” I said.
“I don’t know,” she said. “Well, I better go back to work.”
“Go, do, work,” I said. “Bring your appetite.”
“I will,” she said. She got up and leaned down and gave me a peck and bounded off back to the grind.
Chris was next to visit with me. She was a little fascinated with the sleeping Viking but she sat and worked on her stuff for Eric, asking me questions from time to time. She was taking this very seriously, which was good. Eric was paying her and putting some money aside for her for a rainy day. I knew she was bonded with the handsome Vampire lying there in his day sleep.
Renee joined us, then God Speed and Jen. Aolani and Body Guard came in with Vi and Westexan.
“You providing the protection over that cake Body Guard?” I asked.
“I am,” he said, hugging his wife.
Lina and Linzy came in, with Raki who brought us some cloud berry wine. Eric would go insane when he smelled that on our breaths. Butter and Fairy and Sweet and Wild and Minnie came in. Minnie brought in some fresh rolls and some brownies to add to the supper. Everyone by now had heard of our adventures and they were all talking about it. I mashed the potatoes and added milk and butter. Scarlett came back and she watched me as I fished the last bit of chicken out of the hot skillet and placed it on a heaping plate with a paper towel underneath it. I checked the chicken gravy and Scarlett licked her lips. Fairy came in and brought me a big glass of the cloud berry wine. I sipped it and loved the sweet citrus taste of it. I sat it down and got out the condiments to set on the table and everyone began lining up to fill up their plates.
I got my plate last and sat at the bar with Scarlett. There was something satisfying about feeding people and I was satisfied beyond measure. I had been in the thick and the thin and I had gone from the blue into the black with them. They were my family. I could not wait until July when Barrister would be with us. That would help me somewhat with Bill’s absence.
I took a sip of wine and was a little startled at Eric’s presence behind me. He leaned forward and sniffed my mouth.
“What are you drinking?” he asked.
“Back up a bit Eric,” I said, pushing him back. “Raki brought us some cloud berry wine.” I offered him the glass and he sniffed it like I had seen vinophiles do at wine tastings.
“That is lovely,” he said. He went to Raki and sniffed at her and then kissed her, tasting the wine on her lips. He went to Fairy and repeated the process.
“Hey Eric, God Speed has been drinking a little of that wine, you gonna kiss him, too?” asked Body Guard. Eric gave him a loveless look and we all laughed.
Pam woke up and came out of the coffin and Scarlett went to heat her a bottle. Fairy had heated Eric’s and retrieved it. They chatted with us about nothing really, just passing the time of day. It was interesting to watch them. We were so casual and friendly with them, they seemed to relax. I wondered if this was a good thing for them. Would they be careless?
Bill and Jessica came in, bringing another person with them. He was not Vampire, but he was something else. Bill came up to me.
“Hungry Bill?” I asked.
“No, I had a bottle before I left,” he said.
“Who is that?” I asked.
“You will know in just a bit, when we get the meeting started,” he said.
“Okay,” I said.
“Come and get some dessert,” said Westexan, slicing the cake into sizable chunks. After dessert, we cleaned up the kitchen and put the dishes in the dish washer to chug away quietly. We made our way to the sofas and chairs, refilled wine glasses in our hands.
“I would like you to meet someone,” said Eric. “This is Alcide Herveaux. I thought this would be a good time for everyone to meet him.”
“Hey, nice to meet you all,” said the handsome werewolf.
June 5-8
Saturday, June 5, 2010
We all stood and Eric moved faster than a human eye could see and joined us. He looked at Bill and Pam in a meaningful way and Renee made to ask Bill where Chris was but Eric leaned forward and said something to her and she looked at him and nodded.
Victoria and Albert had been a true royal love affair. I could hardly wait to hear the story how they became Vampires. I could see a young man walking behind them who could only be Albert Victor, the grandson, who many Ripperologists consider to be the man who killed six prostitutes and became the first serial killer of the modern age.
I could see the weres making their way toward us in such a way that did not seem to obvious. Something was about to happen. I squeezed Barrister’s hand and he squeezed mine back. Bill looked at me with a fleeting look of warning and made myself still, trying to settle my heartbeat.
“Welcome guests,” said the Queen Victoria, still stout and proud and regal, looking very much as she always had except for those fangs. “Let the dancing begin.” A giant were came and claimed Fairy. She looked at Eric.
“Go,” he said. Fairy slid away from the table and into the embrace of the were who immediately began to waltz with her.
“What is going on?” she said, barely a whisper.
“Your Vamp and my packmaster says we are to literally waltz you humans out of here,” he said. “If you don’t go, I won’t fight with you, but you best be going ‘cuz this is going to get messy.”
“How?” said Fairy.
“You and your Vamps crossed the line on Markingham,” he said.
“I have to go to the bathroom,” she said. “Please, I’m going to be sick.”
“Hold on,” he said. He danced her toward the ladies room and let her go in and Fairy went in and took out her phone and called a number.
I was standing by Barrister. I was watching my friends, one by one being claimed by werewolf partners. My phone buzzed. I opened it. Fairy was texting me. Eric is getting rid of us…big trouble…what will we do? I showed it to Barrister. Eric was beside me before he could speak.
“Do not think you will not leave this place. You will dance with a werewolf who will get you out of here,” said Eric.
“No, that isn’t going to happen Eric,” I said.
“Aslinn,” said Bill. “You and the other girls have to get out of here.”
“Bill, don’t boss me around,” I said quietly. He grabbed me and pulled me out onto the dance floor and began to waltz with me.
“You will do precisely as I say,” he said, his voice low, his eyes trying to hold mine in his gaze.
“Stop trying to glamour me Bill,” I said. “I won’t go without you and I won’t go without Barrister.”
“Please, Aslinn, just leave,” he begged.
“No,” I said. “You are hurting my hand Bill.” I said calmly. He loosened his grip and looked at me. I looked around. I saw the were who had been dancing with Fairy dancing with Raki. Renee was gone, so was Scarlett. Aolani was gone as was Linzy.
Minnie, Vi, Bella, Westexan, Lina, Jen and myself were the only girls I could see. Barrister, Body Guard and God Speed were sitting at the table they were talking quietly with Eric and Pam and Liam.
“Bill, whatever happens, we want to be here, with you and Eric and Pam,” I said. “This was no pleasure trip but I would not have missed it for the world. I have seen a world that makes the mundane world rather lusterless. If we make it back, we will have a great story to tell. If we don’t, I’ll have had the time of my life.”
Bill said nothing but he was not a happy Vampire.
Too bad.
When the waltz ended, the Queen motioned to the were who had announced the royal couple and she whispered to him, glancing at Eric. Liam looked at Eric.
“We were too late,” said Liam. “Not all of your people got out.”
“When the fight begins, cover them as long as you can,” said Eric. “Try and get some of them out during the battle.”
“We shall do our best,” said Liam, standing up. “I am being summoned.” Liam walked over to the Vampire Queen.
“My Lady?” he said.
“Who is the Vampire you are conversing with?” she asked.
“Eric Northman, from America,” said Liam.
“He is the one who killed Lord Edward Markingham?” she asked.
“Yes, my lady,” he said.
“And are all of his friends here?” asked the Queen.
“Yes my lady, two other Vampires and a few of their blood companions,” he said. “You should let the tarts go my lady.”
“Oh no, some of them engaged in the massacre of Vampires at Lesnes Abbey,” said the Queen. She motioned to the dark haired were again. “Summon them forth.”
“Will Eric Northman and his cortege please present yourselves to Queen Victoria,” he announced.
“Aslinn, if we don’t make it out, I love you and all my sister wives,” said Bill.
“We love you too, Bill,” I said.
“Stand with Barrister behind us, if we can attack, you might be able to escape,” he said grimly. “We should have let you be.”
“Too late, no sense in crying over spilled…blood,” I said, smiling at him.
“Aslinn, you are such a smart ass,” said Eric as he walked by me.
“That’s what you like about me,” I said back.
“I don’t like you that much right now,” he called back softly. He stopped in front of the throne. Pam joined him and so did Bill. The rest of us lined up behind them.
Back at the car, Aolani and Renee and Linzy and Scarlett were arguing. Jessica had left with Chris and Butter as instructed and three weres were trying to convince them to at least get inside the limo. They were refusing.
“My husband and my lover are in there,” argued the witch. “My husband is one of you.”
“Lady,” said the big blond were, nearly as big as Eric. “Your man and Vampire have dragged you out in the middle of a shite storm. Now you get in the car and sit still, or we will drag you into the car.”
“Hey buddy, we signed up for this shit storm, so quit bossing us around,” said Aolani. “Or I will turn you into something, you got that?”
“Figures that Viking would line up with a witch,” said the were.
“Who is still in there?” asked Renee.
“Lina, Westexan, Fairy, Aslinn, Bella, Vi, Jen and Minnie, God Speed, Body Guard, Barrister and Pam and Bill and Eric,” said Linzy.
“We have to help them,” said Scarlett.
“How will we be able to get back in?” asked Renee.
“Oh no, you are not going back in the Tower. You are going to the Midnight Garden and get ready to haul ass out of London,” said the were.
“No we aren’t,” said Scarlett. She pulled up the skirt of her dress and brought out the silver knife. “Our friends are in there and we are not leaving without them.”
“Not even the manners to bow,” said Victoria.
“I am an American,” said Eric. “I bow to no queen but my own.”
“Do you Northman?” asked Victoria. “I understand you revolting against your queen, who as a sister sovereign I should be contacting her about your rebellious ways.”
“Go ahead,” said Eric.
“Willful, obstinate,” said Victoria, fairly trembling with her rage. “Why did you kill one of my subjects?”
“Your subject was in the human trafficking business,” said Barrister, speaking up. “And according to Elizabeth II the trafficking of humans by Vampires is punishable by eternity in a box. I think we did him an unforeseen favor.”
“You are a Britisher and you speak that way to me?” she asked.
“I am the QC for Queen Elizabeth II and as such, I have made it my duty to report to her special minister for Vampire affairs about the nefarious dealings of your treasured subject,” said Barrister. “He was also holding the Vampire progeny of Mr. Northman, Miss Pam Ravencroft, who is British born from a prominent family, hostage and was torturing her. I think you will agree that this is an egregious act in any Vampire court in the world. The only Vampire who has the right to decease a Vampire’s child is the maker except when being dealt with by a king or queen of a given kingdom, with direct permission of the ruling queen. That means that before anything happens, you have to contact Queen Sophie Anne Leclerc before destroying her at least.”
“Do not presume human to tell me what I may or may not do with a Vampire in my kingdom, whether he is my citizen or not. Vampires are beholden to the ruler in whose area they are in,” said Victoria. “From what I understand Viking, your child was his long before she was yours and it was you who stole her. That means he had a right by family blood to dispose of her as he wished.”
I looked at the old queen. She was a bit younger than Bill, but because she was the Queen, the hierarchy would not work. I cursed the Vampire tradition. It complicated everything. I was watching Albert Victor, the mad son of the Queen of England. You could tell he had been badly turned. His eyes were strange and rolled around in their orbits like a couple of flies in a jar. He must have been turned when he was in the grips of the syphilis that would otherwise have killed him. I looked away when he felt my stare. I didn’t want the crazy bastard who butchered Mary Kelly looking at me. I could feel the phone in my pocket buzzing but I could not look at it. I knew Fairy or perhaps one of the others was trying to get to me.
“Dammit!!!” cursed Scarlett. “She won’t pick up.”
“Perhaps she can’t,” said Renee.
“Don’t say that,” said Scarlett.
“No, I mean, she can’t answer the phone just yet,” said Renee. “Please mister, get us back into the Tower!!!”
“Nope, we won’t get paid if we do,” said the were.
“C’mon now girls,” said one of the other weres. “Let’s get us in the limo.”
“You give us no recourse Viking. We require that you and your Vampires die and your humans be made Vampire,” said Victoria. “They will replace the Vampires we lost and give us the justice you seek.”
I lifted my foot and reached down and unsnapped the blade I had strapped to my ankle. It was not long but it was silver and it would go deep enough to pierce a Vampire’s heart. I held it along my arm. Barrister pulled his pistol and held it down to his side. He looked at Body Guard. The were was tense with the desire to change. God Speed had both hands full with a stiletto switchblade and pistol. Vi had her fists covered with a pair of silver knuckles with sharp nobs on them. Lina had her pistol pulled as did Minnie. I could not see Westexan but I knew she was packing a gun loaded with silver bullets. Jen slid out of her high heels and I did as well. You never get to wear steel toes boots to formal parties.
“I will tell you, your majesty, what will happen. My friends and I will walk out of here and we will collect our friends and we will leave your forsaken country and your sick Vampires,” said Eric. “And we will do this one of two ways: With or without your blood on our clothes, your choice my lady.” Eric said that last with a sarcastic twist.
Our Vampires began to back up. Barrister and Body Guard and God Speed turned around and we girls did the same. It felt like the world had slowed down and everything was moving underwater. I watched as weres in the back of the room began to tear off their clothes to prepare for the change and Body Guard was doing the same.
“Body Guard?” said God Speed.
“Yeah GS?” he said.
“I have seen you naked one time too many as it is,” said God Speed.
“Well, I never was that shy,” said Body Guard. In the time it takes to blink a huge black wolf had taken Body Guard’s place.
Liam laughed loudly. “Fuck this shit lads, let’s do something about these pale bastards what have been pulling their heels on us and takin’ what’s ours for too God-damned long. Eric, you are going to owe us big time!!!”
“Get ready,” said Eric. “Here it comes.”
Vampires flew out of every corner. Barrister raised his arm and shot a Vampire in the face and he melted into a puddle. I raised my arm with the knife and slashed another in the throat and God Speed shot her in the heart. Minnie squatted down over Body Guard’s puddle of clothes and picked up his pistol and shoved the barrel into a Vampire’s mouth and pulled the trigger. Lina and Jen stood side by side and shot two Vampires in the chest.
Vi was astride a Vampire who must have been quite young and she pounded on his face with her silver knuckles. His face was burning and she was damaging him faster than he could heal. Suddenly a long arm thrust into the Vampire’s chest came out full of heart. Eric picked her up and kissed her on the mouth. “I knew you were no shrinking Violet, dearest,” said the Viking, laughing, pushing her behind him.
The weres were fighting as well. They were brutal. I watched with fascination while one literally dug its way through a Vampire’s chest until the black rotting thing was mush. It howled savagely. I snapped out of it long enough to shoot a Vampire in the head, her mouth wide open.
I turned around and saw the Duke of Windsor grab Westexan. She struggled against him as he filled his hand with her hair and he yanked her head back and bit down into her throat. A were jumped on Albert Victor’s back and pulled him off and another were pulled Westexan away and under a table. I ran toward her and slid under the table.
“Oh shit West,” I said. “Hold it together, I’ll get Bill.” I looked around and looked for Bill. He had just twisted the head off a Vampire. He looked around. “Bill!”
He was there before I could blink. “West has been mauled by a Vampire,” I said. He pulled her out and looked at her.
“I do not have time to heal her yet,” he said. He reached down for the skirt of her gown and tore off a strip and wrapped the wound very snuggly. “Leave her under there; we will come back for her.” He pulled me out from under the table. “Aslinn grab one of the girls and begin to make your way out.”
“But West?” I said.
“I will take care of her,” he said. “Go!” he pushed me toward the little tangle of our group. I sidled up to Vi.
“Bill wants us to start moving out of the room and heading toward the exit. You and Lina go together,” I said. I looked around. I could not see where the prince was and it didn’t look like he was deceased. Suddenly, I saw him, mad with rage. He was standing on the dais, where Victoria and Albert had been sitting. He had jumped up to the wall and grabbed a huge spear with a bronze tip. Ornamental it may have been meant to be, but it made a formidable weapon. He was aiming at Eric’s broad back, the one with the target on it.
Time slowed down as I watched the crown prince draw his arm back and throw the spear. I made a leap of faith and screamed like a banshee. Eric turned and his pale eyes were huge. The only thing I could feel was his huge hands catching me around the waist, but I did not feel the spear break my collar bone and embed its self deep into my shoulder.
“No!” screamed Bill. He rushed with Vampire speed and pulled the spear out of me and turned to the crown prince.
“Sorry old chap to kill your pet that way,” he said. I felt Barrister picking me up and Eric and Bill were turned toward the man who was Jack the Ripper.
“She won’t die,” said Eric.
“She’ll bleed to death before you get her out of this room,” he laughed, his crazy eyes rolling around in his head.
“Bill, shall we?” asked Eric lazily.
“I thought you would never ask,” he said. The two Vampires grabbed the crown prince by an arm.
“Make a wish Bill,” said Eric. It did not take long to tear Albert Victor apart. Once they had stretched out his arms tight, they both drove their fists into his chest. There was an audible and sickening ripping noise as both Vampires ripped his chest open clear to the back bone. He was collapsing, like a wax statue left in the sun too long and Minnie and Lina and God Speed watched as the prince tore from his chest to his shoulder and his black guts spilled out on to the dais. Bill and Eric were covered in the thick gelatinous blood of the Vampire, the semi coagulated blood hung like ropes from their arms.
They stopped and body sagged between them. “Well, Bill,” said Eric. “Looks like you got the bigger half of the wish bone.”
“Could you two Vampires stop congratulating yourselves and heal my fiancée please,” said Barrister.
“Let’s move,” said Eric.
The rest of the Vampires were standing there in shock and blood and watched as Bill went to Westexan and pulled her from under the table and picked her up effortlessly. They walked out, God Speed, Lina and Bella and Vi and Minnie covering us. Body Guard walked in front of us, with Pam, growling at any who pretended they might move a muscle. The werewolves of London took up the rear.
I was semi conscious; I could feel pain now, a deep excruciating pain.
“It’s okay, they will fix you up,” said Barrister.
The others were still standing outside waiting. They had heard the screams and the sounds of battle. Scarlett looked over at the group emerging from the Tower. “Oh shit!” she cried. “Get into the cars, hurry!” she said.
They got in and made room for the injured. Barrister and I were put into the limo with Eric and Bill and Westexan were in the other. The others split up to get into the limos themselves.
“Turn on the lights,” said Eric. I was lying in the floor of the limo. Eric got in the floor with me and propped me up against him.
“Your blood Eric?” I said weakly. “I don’t think so.”
“Shut up Aslinn,” he said. He pulled at his clothes to bare his arm and he bit into it and held it to my mouth. “Do it or Barrister will hold your head and I will force it down.” I acquiesced. I drank Eric’s blood for what seemed a long time and then I went to sleep.
Bill did the same with Westexan. The savage bite was nearly gone before we got to the hotel. The limos went down into the service parking area and we were taken up in the heavy duty lift.
Barrister brought me into our suite. I knew very little. I felt hands undressing me and then being bathed. I looked up into Pam’s blue eyes as she held me while someone else bathed me.
“Thank you Pam,” I said.
“Well, it is the least I could do, you saved Eric,” she said.
I woke again, being settled into bed, sheets and blankets being pulled up around me.
“She should drink some Tru:Blood,” said Pam. “When she wakes up.”
“Okay,” said Barrister. “Thank you Pam.”
“Not a problem,” she said.
I slept all day and until sundown. I felt someone lying next to me in the bed. I looked over and saw Bill’s bright blue eyes looking down at me. I felt someone’s cool hand holding mine. I looked over at the Viking.
“Praying for me, now Viking?” I asked.
“Sure, why not,” he said. He leaned forward. “That was a very brave and foolish thing you did for me and I am in your debt.”
“Think nothing of it,” I said.
“Here, babe, you should drink this,” said Barrister. He handed me a warm bottle of Tru:Blood, O-.
“How many do I have to drink?” I asked.
“Two, at least,” said Bill. He helped me prop up.
“Oh man,” I moaned. Jessica laughed.
“Now you know how I feel Aslinn,” she said. “Drink up, every drop.” She shook her finger at me as I had on many an occasion. I drank some of it and I gagged.
“Oh yuck,” I said. Bill got up from the bed.
“Make sure she finishes,” said Bill to his protégée. She gave him a salute and sat down on the bed.
“How is Westexan?” I asked.
“Her throat is a little sore, but she will be okay,” said Eric.
“Are we safe?” I asked.
“Yes, but we are to leave the country as soon as our wounded can move,” he said.
“Tell me about Albert and Victoria,” I said. “It will get my mind off the blood.”
“Albert, the King of England became Vampire first. He was given a mock crown funeral with all the trimmings, but he stayed hidden,” explained the Viking. “The second member of the family was Albert Victor.”
“Was he Jack the Ripper?” I asked.
“Yes,” said Eric. “He began to kill the women when he contracted syphilis. For revenge. All that misinformation about it being the royal physician or it being a Masonic plot, or the work of a sailor was designed to hide the true culprit. Mary Kelly, the last one, was the straw that broke the camel’s back. But Albert Victor was quite damaged by the syphilis, increasing his fury. He was dying by the time he killed Mary Kelly though he did not fully realize it. As the story goes, Albert, his grandfather, then turned him Vampire, healing him of the syphilis but not being able to undo the damage it had already done to his brain. He was a mad Vampire when he was turned, but the family kept him in control and later faked his death as well. When Victoria finally was ready to be turned, she was made Vampire by a friend of ours.”
“Let me guess, Markingham,” I said, slugging back the Tru:Blood, finishing my first bottle. Fairy brought me another one.
“Yes,” he said. “They knew that if Albert made Victoria Vampire, they would not be able to stay together, so Markingham made the Queen a Vampire and left her under the care of her husband. They over threw the ruling Vampire King of England.”
“Who was that?” I asked.
“James I, “said Eric.
“The one who commissioned the King James Edition of the Bible?” I said.
“Yes,” said Eric. “It was quite a coup and they became the first reigning royal couple in Vampire History.”
“So, is Barrister safe to stay here?” I asked.
“He should be, for the time being,” said Eric.
“So now I have big old heaping helping of Viking blood in my veins, just swimming around, giving me dreams, connecting the two of us,” I said.
“It was necessary,” he said. “Bill can give you blood later to counter the effects of my blood, to weaken it,” he said. “But tell me Aslinn, is it all that bad, having me inside you?” I rolled my eyes at his double entendre. “My blood, that is,” he amended quickly.
“I have two men in my life already, I don’t need a third,” I said.
“Well, it will fade eventually,” said the Viking. “Keep drinking Aslinn, you are almost through.”
“Man I can’t wait to eat something else,” I said, slugging back another big swallow. “A big cheese burger with fries.”
“Well, tomorrow morning you will be taking us all home,” said Eric.
“The world will never look quite the same again, will it?” I asked.
“No, it won’t. But really Aslinn, isn’t this why you like being in this in world, to escape from the everyday and go into the everynight?” he said, smiling his lop sided grin.
“Yeah, but I really need to take a couple of nights off and work on my tan,” I said.
Eric laughed at me and looked at Barrister. “Order this woman a meal,” he said. “She deserves it.”
To be Continued.
Sunday June 6, 2010
The flight had been uneventful and we were exhausted by the time we made it back to Fangtasia. The Anubis people would come back at sundown to pick up the travel coffins, but as it was, they were laid carefully on the dance floor of Eric’s club. Ginger was excited and a little fuddled at our appearance though she knew damned well we were coming. She was glad that Eric was back, she had been unhappy under the thumb of Chow and now things would be back to normal.
I was not so sure, and I knew the others felt the same way. They were tired, they were worried. Everything that happened us would somehow connect with the adventures and how the situation would spell itself out. The only exception would be the fae. We knew from the Connection the fae would not appear until a bit later but in the world of the Source, it was hard to say. Whatever happened, we would be there. I just hoped that everything would be sorted out.
I kissed Barrister goodbye this morning, holding him tightly as I could with my one arm, the other still stiff and sore but otherwise healed. I did not even scar. That was one nice thing about Eric’s ancientness, his blood was powerful. Still, I was not sure that I liked it and I looked forward to it fading back to a level of toleration. Barrister had asked me why I got in front of the spear heading for Eric.
Eric represented to me that touch of glamour to the adventures. I was fascinated he was so old and there had been many times I sat with him in the parlor and asked him questions about history, things he had seen, the people he had known, the world of the everynight. He was handsome and mercenary and very funny, a good companion all the way around. There was also a vulnerability. He was who he was and could handle most situations, but there were little quirks about the human world he was moving openly in now that he did not understand. He was sometimes a wonderfully fuddled foreigner, a stranger in a strange land and he was trying to learn the nuances of things he never bothered to learn before because he was not in the open. If he had died that night, the glamour would have died and we would have been poorer for it. So, I suppose my actions were like the actions of conservationists who risk their lives in Japanese waters to save the whales. They know if the whales die, the seas would become huge, lonely places without their songs.
We used the Fangtasia phone and ordered food to be delivered and we answered Ginger’s questions with noncommittal responses. She did not need to know we had been in three major situations and the Vampires had been in jeopardy as well as us. I wondered what exactly would have happened to Fangtasia had Eric and Pam died.
The huge po’boy sandwiches arrived and we had bottles of cold beer. Afterwards, I settled back with Renee and Scarlett and I smoked a cigarette. It was one of those nice Turkish blends, a pack of which I found in Eric’s office. I noticed the office was cleaned within an inch of its life. A wonderful gesture, but I am sure that he really would not like it. Like anyone else, he knew where everything was and now that it had been cleaned, he would be clueless. Hopefully, he would not be too angry with Ginger.
Pam was the first Vampire to raise up from her coffin. She looked ready for the evening, rising fully clothed. She was greeted with a warm bottle of Tru:Blood and she immediately logged on to the computer driven till and checked the receipts for the three weeks they had been gone. She did not seem unpleased. Chow would get a very big bonus, but Ginger would get a bonus too, though not what she would like.
Bill was up next. He sat up and stretched and climbed out of the coffin. He was given a Tru: Blood and he immediately checked on me and Westexan. He was concerned that I was still sore.
“Would you like some more blood?” he asked.
“I would,” I said. “On Tuesday night.” I mentioned my date night with my lovely Vampire husband. It would be the last date before the adventures and sadly the last date any of us would have until he was freed or escaped from his kidnappers. It made me a little sad.
Jessica rose from her day sleep and was given a warm bottle. I stuck my tongue out at her as she grimaced. “Hey I choked it down and I am not even a Vampire,” I reminded her. Chow arrived and called Anubis for them to come for the travel coffins. Eric would be up by the time they arrived. I watched Fairy and Ginger jockeying for position. Of course Fairy would trump her and be able to present the Viking with his meal being the lead wife.
When Eric finally leisurely rose, Chris and Jessica was on the stage with one of the dancers who was showing them how to use the dance pole. I don’t think Renee appreciated it much, stripper was not high on her list for professions for Chris, but the Viking was enjoying it. The Anubis people came soon after and picked up the coffins and Eric tendered them a check with a generous bonus. He also gave us checks. His wives of course demurred, and I hesitated when he handed me my check.
“I can’t take all of this Eric,” I said.
“Yes you can,” he said. “I am still indebted you, and to all of you, but to you particularly. I would like it very much if you would burn me a disc of the new information you glean from the records we sent to Bill’s.”
“I don’t see why not,” I said. “Eric, you will do whatever you can to rescue Bill, won’t you?”
“You shall just have to wait and see,” he said casually as he walked away.
Finally, we started going out to our cars. I would be bringing Renee and Chris with me and we would be driving to Fairy’s tonight, God Speed and Jen following behind in their truck and we would stay the night with her, then God Speed and Jen would travel up with us as far as their house. We would stop somewhere along the way and Renee and Chris would stop at my house and spend the night and fly up from there to her home in the Great White North.
Scarlett and Vi and Minnie and Aolani and Body Guard and Westexan would be convoying together. They would drop Butter on their way. Others would be heading to their own routes as well. I was standing outside, Bill was saying good bye to Vi and Westexan and Bella. He kissed them gently. Vi was to meet Bill for their date tomorrow. As I said before, it would be bittersweet.
He came over and said goodbye to Renee and then he came to me.
“Get well,” he said.
“I will,” I said.
“Rest and relax as much as you can,” he said.
I will,” I said. He pulled me gently to him and kissed me. “Take care of yourself.”
“I’ll try,” he said.
Eric, Pam and Jessica appeared to be having similar conversations. There was a mixture of excitement and anxiety for us as the final week was upon us. We would see visions of loveliness and desire and visions of despair and pain. We would laugh and cry and be angry and hurt and amazed and we wanted it all. God help us, we really were junkies.
So we headed out, traveling through the night, the road a coal black ribbon before us and many more adventures ahead and miles to go before we sleep.
We all stood and Eric moved faster than a human eye could see and joined us. He looked at Bill and Pam in a meaningful way and Renee made to ask Bill where Chris was but Eric leaned forward and said something to her and she looked at him and nodded.
Victoria and Albert had been a true royal love affair. I could hardly wait to hear the story how they became Vampires. I could see a young man walking behind them who could only be Albert Victor, the grandson, who many Ripperologists consider to be the man who killed six prostitutes and became the first serial killer of the modern age.
I could see the weres making their way toward us in such a way that did not seem to obvious. Something was about to happen. I squeezed Barrister’s hand and he squeezed mine back. Bill looked at me with a fleeting look of warning and made myself still, trying to settle my heartbeat.
“Welcome guests,” said the Queen Victoria, still stout and proud and regal, looking very much as she always had except for those fangs. “Let the dancing begin.” A giant were came and claimed Fairy. She looked at Eric.
“Go,” he said. Fairy slid away from the table and into the embrace of the were who immediately began to waltz with her.
“What is going on?” she said, barely a whisper.
“Your Vamp and my packmaster says we are to literally waltz you humans out of here,” he said. “If you don’t go, I won’t fight with you, but you best be going ‘cuz this is going to get messy.”
“How?” said Fairy.
“You and your Vamps crossed the line on Markingham,” he said.
“I have to go to the bathroom,” she said. “Please, I’m going to be sick.”
“Hold on,” he said. He danced her toward the ladies room and let her go in and Fairy went in and took out her phone and called a number.
I was standing by Barrister. I was watching my friends, one by one being claimed by werewolf partners. My phone buzzed. I opened it. Fairy was texting me. Eric is getting rid of us…big trouble…what will we do? I showed it to Barrister. Eric was beside me before he could speak.
“Do not think you will not leave this place. You will dance with a werewolf who will get you out of here,” said Eric.
“No, that isn’t going to happen Eric,” I said.
“Aslinn,” said Bill. “You and the other girls have to get out of here.”
“Bill, don’t boss me around,” I said quietly. He grabbed me and pulled me out onto the dance floor and began to waltz with me.
“You will do precisely as I say,” he said, his voice low, his eyes trying to hold mine in his gaze.
“Stop trying to glamour me Bill,” I said. “I won’t go without you and I won’t go without Barrister.”
“Please, Aslinn, just leave,” he begged.
“No,” I said. “You are hurting my hand Bill.” I said calmly. He loosened his grip and looked at me. I looked around. I saw the were who had been dancing with Fairy dancing with Raki. Renee was gone, so was Scarlett. Aolani was gone as was Linzy.
Minnie, Vi, Bella, Westexan, Lina, Jen and myself were the only girls I could see. Barrister, Body Guard and God Speed were sitting at the table they were talking quietly with Eric and Pam and Liam.
“Bill, whatever happens, we want to be here, with you and Eric and Pam,” I said. “This was no pleasure trip but I would not have missed it for the world. I have seen a world that makes the mundane world rather lusterless. If we make it back, we will have a great story to tell. If we don’t, I’ll have had the time of my life.”
Bill said nothing but he was not a happy Vampire.
Too bad.
When the waltz ended, the Queen motioned to the were who had announced the royal couple and she whispered to him, glancing at Eric. Liam looked at Eric.
“We were too late,” said Liam. “Not all of your people got out.”
“When the fight begins, cover them as long as you can,” said Eric. “Try and get some of them out during the battle.”
“We shall do our best,” said Liam, standing up. “I am being summoned.” Liam walked over to the Vampire Queen.
“My Lady?” he said.
“Who is the Vampire you are conversing with?” she asked.
“Eric Northman, from America,” said Liam.
“He is the one who killed Lord Edward Markingham?” she asked.
“Yes, my lady,” he said.
“And are all of his friends here?” asked the Queen.
“Yes my lady, two other Vampires and a few of their blood companions,” he said. “You should let the tarts go my lady.”
“Oh no, some of them engaged in the massacre of Vampires at Lesnes Abbey,” said the Queen. She motioned to the dark haired were again. “Summon them forth.”
“Will Eric Northman and his cortege please present yourselves to Queen Victoria,” he announced.
“Aslinn, if we don’t make it out, I love you and all my sister wives,” said Bill.
“We love you too, Bill,” I said.
“Stand with Barrister behind us, if we can attack, you might be able to escape,” he said grimly. “We should have let you be.”
“Too late, no sense in crying over spilled…blood,” I said, smiling at him.
“Aslinn, you are such a smart ass,” said Eric as he walked by me.
“That’s what you like about me,” I said back.
“I don’t like you that much right now,” he called back softly. He stopped in front of the throne. Pam joined him and so did Bill. The rest of us lined up behind them.
Back at the car, Aolani and Renee and Linzy and Scarlett were arguing. Jessica had left with Chris and Butter as instructed and three weres were trying to convince them to at least get inside the limo. They were refusing.
“My husband and my lover are in there,” argued the witch. “My husband is one of you.”
“Lady,” said the big blond were, nearly as big as Eric. “Your man and Vampire have dragged you out in the middle of a shite storm. Now you get in the car and sit still, or we will drag you into the car.”
“Hey buddy, we signed up for this shit storm, so quit bossing us around,” said Aolani. “Or I will turn you into something, you got that?”
“Figures that Viking would line up with a witch,” said the were.
“Who is still in there?” asked Renee.
“Lina, Westexan, Fairy, Aslinn, Bella, Vi, Jen and Minnie, God Speed, Body Guard, Barrister and Pam and Bill and Eric,” said Linzy.
“We have to help them,” said Scarlett.
“How will we be able to get back in?” asked Renee.
“Oh no, you are not going back in the Tower. You are going to the Midnight Garden and get ready to haul ass out of London,” said the were.
“No we aren’t,” said Scarlett. She pulled up the skirt of her dress and brought out the silver knife. “Our friends are in there and we are not leaving without them.”
“Not even the manners to bow,” said Victoria.
“I am an American,” said Eric. “I bow to no queen but my own.”
“Do you Northman?” asked Victoria. “I understand you revolting against your queen, who as a sister sovereign I should be contacting her about your rebellious ways.”
“Go ahead,” said Eric.
“Willful, obstinate,” said Victoria, fairly trembling with her rage. “Why did you kill one of my subjects?”
“Your subject was in the human trafficking business,” said Barrister, speaking up. “And according to Elizabeth II the trafficking of humans by Vampires is punishable by eternity in a box. I think we did him an unforeseen favor.”
“You are a Britisher and you speak that way to me?” she asked.
“I am the QC for Queen Elizabeth II and as such, I have made it my duty to report to her special minister for Vampire affairs about the nefarious dealings of your treasured subject,” said Barrister. “He was also holding the Vampire progeny of Mr. Northman, Miss Pam Ravencroft, who is British born from a prominent family, hostage and was torturing her. I think you will agree that this is an egregious act in any Vampire court in the world. The only Vampire who has the right to decease a Vampire’s child is the maker except when being dealt with by a king or queen of a given kingdom, with direct permission of the ruling queen. That means that before anything happens, you have to contact Queen Sophie Anne Leclerc before destroying her at least.”
“Do not presume human to tell me what I may or may not do with a Vampire in my kingdom, whether he is my citizen or not. Vampires are beholden to the ruler in whose area they are in,” said Victoria. “From what I understand Viking, your child was his long before she was yours and it was you who stole her. That means he had a right by family blood to dispose of her as he wished.”
I looked at the old queen. She was a bit younger than Bill, but because she was the Queen, the hierarchy would not work. I cursed the Vampire tradition. It complicated everything. I was watching Albert Victor, the mad son of the Queen of England. You could tell he had been badly turned. His eyes were strange and rolled around in their orbits like a couple of flies in a jar. He must have been turned when he was in the grips of the syphilis that would otherwise have killed him. I looked away when he felt my stare. I didn’t want the crazy bastard who butchered Mary Kelly looking at me. I could feel the phone in my pocket buzzing but I could not look at it. I knew Fairy or perhaps one of the others was trying to get to me.
“Dammit!!!” cursed Scarlett. “She won’t pick up.”
“Perhaps she can’t,” said Renee.
“Don’t say that,” said Scarlett.
“No, I mean, she can’t answer the phone just yet,” said Renee. “Please mister, get us back into the Tower!!!”
“Nope, we won’t get paid if we do,” said the were.
“C’mon now girls,” said one of the other weres. “Let’s get us in the limo.”
“You give us no recourse Viking. We require that you and your Vampires die and your humans be made Vampire,” said Victoria. “They will replace the Vampires we lost and give us the justice you seek.”
I lifted my foot and reached down and unsnapped the blade I had strapped to my ankle. It was not long but it was silver and it would go deep enough to pierce a Vampire’s heart. I held it along my arm. Barrister pulled his pistol and held it down to his side. He looked at Body Guard. The were was tense with the desire to change. God Speed had both hands full with a stiletto switchblade and pistol. Vi had her fists covered with a pair of silver knuckles with sharp nobs on them. Lina had her pistol pulled as did Minnie. I could not see Westexan but I knew she was packing a gun loaded with silver bullets. Jen slid out of her high heels and I did as well. You never get to wear steel toes boots to formal parties.
“I will tell you, your majesty, what will happen. My friends and I will walk out of here and we will collect our friends and we will leave your forsaken country and your sick Vampires,” said Eric. “And we will do this one of two ways: With or without your blood on our clothes, your choice my lady.” Eric said that last with a sarcastic twist.
Our Vampires began to back up. Barrister and Body Guard and God Speed turned around and we girls did the same. It felt like the world had slowed down and everything was moving underwater. I watched as weres in the back of the room began to tear off their clothes to prepare for the change and Body Guard was doing the same.
“Body Guard?” said God Speed.
“Yeah GS?” he said.
“I have seen you naked one time too many as it is,” said God Speed.
“Well, I never was that shy,” said Body Guard. In the time it takes to blink a huge black wolf had taken Body Guard’s place.
Liam laughed loudly. “Fuck this shit lads, let’s do something about these pale bastards what have been pulling their heels on us and takin’ what’s ours for too God-damned long. Eric, you are going to owe us big time!!!”
“Get ready,” said Eric. “Here it comes.”
Vampires flew out of every corner. Barrister raised his arm and shot a Vampire in the face and he melted into a puddle. I raised my arm with the knife and slashed another in the throat and God Speed shot her in the heart. Minnie squatted down over Body Guard’s puddle of clothes and picked up his pistol and shoved the barrel into a Vampire’s mouth and pulled the trigger. Lina and Jen stood side by side and shot two Vampires in the chest.
Vi was astride a Vampire who must have been quite young and she pounded on his face with her silver knuckles. His face was burning and she was damaging him faster than he could heal. Suddenly a long arm thrust into the Vampire’s chest came out full of heart. Eric picked her up and kissed her on the mouth. “I knew you were no shrinking Violet, dearest,” said the Viking, laughing, pushing her behind him.
The weres were fighting as well. They were brutal. I watched with fascination while one literally dug its way through a Vampire’s chest until the black rotting thing was mush. It howled savagely. I snapped out of it long enough to shoot a Vampire in the head, her mouth wide open.
I turned around and saw the Duke of Windsor grab Westexan. She struggled against him as he filled his hand with her hair and he yanked her head back and bit down into her throat. A were jumped on Albert Victor’s back and pulled him off and another were pulled Westexan away and under a table. I ran toward her and slid under the table.
“Oh shit West,” I said. “Hold it together, I’ll get Bill.” I looked around and looked for Bill. He had just twisted the head off a Vampire. He looked around. “Bill!”
He was there before I could blink. “West has been mauled by a Vampire,” I said. He pulled her out and looked at her.
“I do not have time to heal her yet,” he said. He reached down for the skirt of her gown and tore off a strip and wrapped the wound very snuggly. “Leave her under there; we will come back for her.” He pulled me out from under the table. “Aslinn grab one of the girls and begin to make your way out.”
“But West?” I said.
“I will take care of her,” he said. “Go!” he pushed me toward the little tangle of our group. I sidled up to Vi.
“Bill wants us to start moving out of the room and heading toward the exit. You and Lina go together,” I said. I looked around. I could not see where the prince was and it didn’t look like he was deceased. Suddenly, I saw him, mad with rage. He was standing on the dais, where Victoria and Albert had been sitting. He had jumped up to the wall and grabbed a huge spear with a bronze tip. Ornamental it may have been meant to be, but it made a formidable weapon. He was aiming at Eric’s broad back, the one with the target on it.
Time slowed down as I watched the crown prince draw his arm back and throw the spear. I made a leap of faith and screamed like a banshee. Eric turned and his pale eyes were huge. The only thing I could feel was his huge hands catching me around the waist, but I did not feel the spear break my collar bone and embed its self deep into my shoulder.
“No!” screamed Bill. He rushed with Vampire speed and pulled the spear out of me and turned to the crown prince.
“Sorry old chap to kill your pet that way,” he said. I felt Barrister picking me up and Eric and Bill were turned toward the man who was Jack the Ripper.
“She won’t die,” said Eric.
“She’ll bleed to death before you get her out of this room,” he laughed, his crazy eyes rolling around in his head.
“Bill, shall we?” asked Eric lazily.
“I thought you would never ask,” he said. The two Vampires grabbed the crown prince by an arm.
“Make a wish Bill,” said Eric. It did not take long to tear Albert Victor apart. Once they had stretched out his arms tight, they both drove their fists into his chest. There was an audible and sickening ripping noise as both Vampires ripped his chest open clear to the back bone. He was collapsing, like a wax statue left in the sun too long and Minnie and Lina and God Speed watched as the prince tore from his chest to his shoulder and his black guts spilled out on to the dais. Bill and Eric were covered in the thick gelatinous blood of the Vampire, the semi coagulated blood hung like ropes from their arms.
They stopped and body sagged between them. “Well, Bill,” said Eric. “Looks like you got the bigger half of the wish bone.”
“Could you two Vampires stop congratulating yourselves and heal my fiancée please,” said Barrister.
“Let’s move,” said Eric.
The rest of the Vampires were standing there in shock and blood and watched as Bill went to Westexan and pulled her from under the table and picked her up effortlessly. They walked out, God Speed, Lina and Bella and Vi and Minnie covering us. Body Guard walked in front of us, with Pam, growling at any who pretended they might move a muscle. The werewolves of London took up the rear.
I was semi conscious; I could feel pain now, a deep excruciating pain.
“It’s okay, they will fix you up,” said Barrister.
The others were still standing outside waiting. They had heard the screams and the sounds of battle. Scarlett looked over at the group emerging from the Tower. “Oh shit!” she cried. “Get into the cars, hurry!” she said.
They got in and made room for the injured. Barrister and I were put into the limo with Eric and Bill and Westexan were in the other. The others split up to get into the limos themselves.
“Turn on the lights,” said Eric. I was lying in the floor of the limo. Eric got in the floor with me and propped me up against him.
“Your blood Eric?” I said weakly. “I don’t think so.”
“Shut up Aslinn,” he said. He pulled at his clothes to bare his arm and he bit into it and held it to my mouth. “Do it or Barrister will hold your head and I will force it down.” I acquiesced. I drank Eric’s blood for what seemed a long time and then I went to sleep.
Bill did the same with Westexan. The savage bite was nearly gone before we got to the hotel. The limos went down into the service parking area and we were taken up in the heavy duty lift.
Barrister brought me into our suite. I knew very little. I felt hands undressing me and then being bathed. I looked up into Pam’s blue eyes as she held me while someone else bathed me.
“Thank you Pam,” I said.
“Well, it is the least I could do, you saved Eric,” she said.
I woke again, being settled into bed, sheets and blankets being pulled up around me.
“She should drink some Tru:Blood,” said Pam. “When she wakes up.”
“Okay,” said Barrister. “Thank you Pam.”
“Not a problem,” she said.
I slept all day and until sundown. I felt someone lying next to me in the bed. I looked over and saw Bill’s bright blue eyes looking down at me. I felt someone’s cool hand holding mine. I looked over at the Viking.
“Praying for me, now Viking?” I asked.
“Sure, why not,” he said. He leaned forward. “That was a very brave and foolish thing you did for me and I am in your debt.”
“Think nothing of it,” I said.
“Here, babe, you should drink this,” said Barrister. He handed me a warm bottle of Tru:Blood, O-.
“How many do I have to drink?” I asked.
“Two, at least,” said Bill. He helped me prop up.
“Oh man,” I moaned. Jessica laughed.
“Now you know how I feel Aslinn,” she said. “Drink up, every drop.” She shook her finger at me as I had on many an occasion. I drank some of it and I gagged.
“Oh yuck,” I said. Bill got up from the bed.
“Make sure she finishes,” said Bill to his protégée. She gave him a salute and sat down on the bed.
“How is Westexan?” I asked.
“Her throat is a little sore, but she will be okay,” said Eric.
“Are we safe?” I asked.
“Yes, but we are to leave the country as soon as our wounded can move,” he said.
“Tell me about Albert and Victoria,” I said. “It will get my mind off the blood.”
“Albert, the King of England became Vampire first. He was given a mock crown funeral with all the trimmings, but he stayed hidden,” explained the Viking. “The second member of the family was Albert Victor.”
“Was he Jack the Ripper?” I asked.
“Yes,” said Eric. “He began to kill the women when he contracted syphilis. For revenge. All that misinformation about it being the royal physician or it being a Masonic plot, or the work of a sailor was designed to hide the true culprit. Mary Kelly, the last one, was the straw that broke the camel’s back. But Albert Victor was quite damaged by the syphilis, increasing his fury. He was dying by the time he killed Mary Kelly though he did not fully realize it. As the story goes, Albert, his grandfather, then turned him Vampire, healing him of the syphilis but not being able to undo the damage it had already done to his brain. He was a mad Vampire when he was turned, but the family kept him in control and later faked his death as well. When Victoria finally was ready to be turned, she was made Vampire by a friend of ours.”
“Let me guess, Markingham,” I said, slugging back the Tru:Blood, finishing my first bottle. Fairy brought me another one.
“Yes,” he said. “They knew that if Albert made Victoria Vampire, they would not be able to stay together, so Markingham made the Queen a Vampire and left her under the care of her husband. They over threw the ruling Vampire King of England.”
“Who was that?” I asked.
“James I, “said Eric.
“The one who commissioned the King James Edition of the Bible?” I said.
“Yes,” said Eric. “It was quite a coup and they became the first reigning royal couple in Vampire History.”
“So, is Barrister safe to stay here?” I asked.
“He should be, for the time being,” said Eric.
“So now I have big old heaping helping of Viking blood in my veins, just swimming around, giving me dreams, connecting the two of us,” I said.
“It was necessary,” he said. “Bill can give you blood later to counter the effects of my blood, to weaken it,” he said. “But tell me Aslinn, is it all that bad, having me inside you?” I rolled my eyes at his double entendre. “My blood, that is,” he amended quickly.
“I have two men in my life already, I don’t need a third,” I said.
“Well, it will fade eventually,” said the Viking. “Keep drinking Aslinn, you are almost through.”
“Man I can’t wait to eat something else,” I said, slugging back another big swallow. “A big cheese burger with fries.”
“Well, tomorrow morning you will be taking us all home,” said Eric.
“The world will never look quite the same again, will it?” I asked.
“No, it won’t. But really Aslinn, isn’t this why you like being in this in world, to escape from the everyday and go into the everynight?” he said, smiling his lop sided grin.
“Yeah, but I really need to take a couple of nights off and work on my tan,” I said.
Eric laughed at me and looked at Barrister. “Order this woman a meal,” he said. “She deserves it.”
To be Continued.
Sunday June 6, 2010
The flight had been uneventful and we were exhausted by the time we made it back to Fangtasia. The Anubis people would come back at sundown to pick up the travel coffins, but as it was, they were laid carefully on the dance floor of Eric’s club. Ginger was excited and a little fuddled at our appearance though she knew damned well we were coming. She was glad that Eric was back, she had been unhappy under the thumb of Chow and now things would be back to normal.
I was not so sure, and I knew the others felt the same way. They were tired, they were worried. Everything that happened us would somehow connect with the adventures and how the situation would spell itself out. The only exception would be the fae. We knew from the Connection the fae would not appear until a bit later but in the world of the Source, it was hard to say. Whatever happened, we would be there. I just hoped that everything would be sorted out.
I kissed Barrister goodbye this morning, holding him tightly as I could with my one arm, the other still stiff and sore but otherwise healed. I did not even scar. That was one nice thing about Eric’s ancientness, his blood was powerful. Still, I was not sure that I liked it and I looked forward to it fading back to a level of toleration. Barrister had asked me why I got in front of the spear heading for Eric.
Eric represented to me that touch of glamour to the adventures. I was fascinated he was so old and there had been many times I sat with him in the parlor and asked him questions about history, things he had seen, the people he had known, the world of the everynight. He was handsome and mercenary and very funny, a good companion all the way around. There was also a vulnerability. He was who he was and could handle most situations, but there were little quirks about the human world he was moving openly in now that he did not understand. He was sometimes a wonderfully fuddled foreigner, a stranger in a strange land and he was trying to learn the nuances of things he never bothered to learn before because he was not in the open. If he had died that night, the glamour would have died and we would have been poorer for it. So, I suppose my actions were like the actions of conservationists who risk their lives in Japanese waters to save the whales. They know if the whales die, the seas would become huge, lonely places without their songs.
We used the Fangtasia phone and ordered food to be delivered and we answered Ginger’s questions with noncommittal responses. She did not need to know we had been in three major situations and the Vampires had been in jeopardy as well as us. I wondered what exactly would have happened to Fangtasia had Eric and Pam died.
The huge po’boy sandwiches arrived and we had bottles of cold beer. Afterwards, I settled back with Renee and Scarlett and I smoked a cigarette. It was one of those nice Turkish blends, a pack of which I found in Eric’s office. I noticed the office was cleaned within an inch of its life. A wonderful gesture, but I am sure that he really would not like it. Like anyone else, he knew where everything was and now that it had been cleaned, he would be clueless. Hopefully, he would not be too angry with Ginger.
Pam was the first Vampire to raise up from her coffin. She looked ready for the evening, rising fully clothed. She was greeted with a warm bottle of Tru:Blood and she immediately logged on to the computer driven till and checked the receipts for the three weeks they had been gone. She did not seem unpleased. Chow would get a very big bonus, but Ginger would get a bonus too, though not what she would like.
Bill was up next. He sat up and stretched and climbed out of the coffin. He was given a Tru: Blood and he immediately checked on me and Westexan. He was concerned that I was still sore.
“Would you like some more blood?” he asked.
“I would,” I said. “On Tuesday night.” I mentioned my date night with my lovely Vampire husband. It would be the last date before the adventures and sadly the last date any of us would have until he was freed or escaped from his kidnappers. It made me a little sad.
Jessica rose from her day sleep and was given a warm bottle. I stuck my tongue out at her as she grimaced. “Hey I choked it down and I am not even a Vampire,” I reminded her. Chow arrived and called Anubis for them to come for the travel coffins. Eric would be up by the time they arrived. I watched Fairy and Ginger jockeying for position. Of course Fairy would trump her and be able to present the Viking with his meal being the lead wife.
When Eric finally leisurely rose, Chris and Jessica was on the stage with one of the dancers who was showing them how to use the dance pole. I don’t think Renee appreciated it much, stripper was not high on her list for professions for Chris, but the Viking was enjoying it. The Anubis people came soon after and picked up the coffins and Eric tendered them a check with a generous bonus. He also gave us checks. His wives of course demurred, and I hesitated when he handed me my check.
“I can’t take all of this Eric,” I said.
“Yes you can,” he said. “I am still indebted you, and to all of you, but to you particularly. I would like it very much if you would burn me a disc of the new information you glean from the records we sent to Bill’s.”
“I don’t see why not,” I said. “Eric, you will do whatever you can to rescue Bill, won’t you?”
“You shall just have to wait and see,” he said casually as he walked away.
Finally, we started going out to our cars. I would be bringing Renee and Chris with me and we would be driving to Fairy’s tonight, God Speed and Jen following behind in their truck and we would stay the night with her, then God Speed and Jen would travel up with us as far as their house. We would stop somewhere along the way and Renee and Chris would stop at my house and spend the night and fly up from there to her home in the Great White North.
Scarlett and Vi and Minnie and Aolani and Body Guard and Westexan would be convoying together. They would drop Butter on their way. Others would be heading to their own routes as well. I was standing outside, Bill was saying good bye to Vi and Westexan and Bella. He kissed them gently. Vi was to meet Bill for their date tomorrow. As I said before, it would be bittersweet.
He came over and said goodbye to Renee and then he came to me.
“Get well,” he said.
“I will,” I said.
“Rest and relax as much as you can,” he said.
I will,” I said. He pulled me gently to him and kissed me. “Take care of yourself.”
“I’ll try,” he said.
Eric, Pam and Jessica appeared to be having similar conversations. There was a mixture of excitement and anxiety for us as the final week was upon us. We would see visions of loveliness and desire and visions of despair and pain. We would laugh and cry and be angry and hurt and amazed and we wanted it all. God help us, we really were junkies.
So we headed out, traveling through the night, the road a coal black ribbon before us and many more adventures ahead and miles to go before we sleep.
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