"I'm not asking you to believe me." Laurie was almost on her tip-toes trying to stare back at the vampire. She had no intention of backing down, she had nothing to lose, she was, after all, already on his dark side. When she had returned from the last war, LaCroix had made it quite clear that he was displeased with her performance and the seriousness of her defection to the Ravens. But, fool hearty, she never learn to take Uncle's threats seriously, which eventually led to the confrontation before her.
"Oh? Then what ARE you asking?" LaCroix did admire the brash attitude she displayed as long as she didn't push it too far.
"I am only asking that you watch and judge for yourself." Laurie slowly settled back down on her heals; her calf muscles were starting to ache from the strain. "I'm going away this weekend to visit Janette's premiere Ravenette and I have also learned that one of Natalie's most ardent followers will be there too. It should make for an interesting couple of days."
"And?"
"And if you wish to know my true loyalties, I suggest you hang around and watch." Laurie's head was bowed as she momentarily looked at the small cracks in the sidewalk. Then, ever so slowly with a most snide little grin on her face that was most befitting a true follower of LaCroix, she continued, "Janette knows nothing about this weekend and neither does Nick. No one knows. I have told no one of my intentions. For all those concerned it will start out as just another fun weekend. Well, fun for me that is. I can't speak for the others." Her small smile broadened into a most insidious grin.
LaCroix smiled. "Very well, I will watch." The pause was long and cold. "Don't disappoint me again."
It was Laurie's turn to smile. "Actions always speak louder than words."
But the phone rang just as she shoved Gus out of the way with her foot and
opened the door. He hissed and spat at her, then laid into her leg with
his teeth and clawless front paws like the demon cat from hell that he
was.
Sharon thought seriously about ignoring it. It was probably her mother,
calling to remind her that her birthday was coming up soon. Or worse yet,
she was planning a visit to New York...
Closing the door with a sigh, she dropped her bag and went over to the
phone and switched it on.
"Sharon? Hi, it's Nat."
"Hey, Natalie," she replied, relieved that it wasn't her mother for a
change. "You just caught me. I was on my way out the door."
"I won't keep you too long. I was just wondering if you'd heard about the
gorilla twins that were born at the Bronx Zoo? There's a story about it in
the paper, and I thought of you."
"Yeah, I did. I was just reading about it on Primate-Talk this morning.
This makes six sets of gorilla twins born in captivity now."
"Cool. Well, you're probably on your way to work. I'll give you call
sometime this weekend when you have more time."
"Oh, I'm going away this weekend," Sharon replied. "Won't be back until
Monday."
She heard Natalie laugh. "Ooo, hot date?"
Sharon chuckled. "I wish, but hardly. I don't think Susan Garrett and
Laurie Salopek count in this case."
"Susan Garrett? Have I met her?"
"Yep. During the last war. She's the one who threatened to burn all the
potential cures that people sent in the mail."
"Oh," Natalie said flatly. "Well, it wouldn't have mattered. None of them
did much except make Nick suffer."
"Susan seems to have a penchant for doing that," Sharon said dryly.
"And Laurie," Nat said, and there was no way to mistake the undercurrent
of bitterness in her voice. "I definitely remember Laurie."
Sharon was at a loss for words. To say that Natalie was not fond of Laurie
was a complete understatement, after what Laurie had done to Nick, and by
extension to Natalie herself, during the first war. Laurie had replaced
all of Nick's cow blood with human blood, undoing months of hard work and
incurring the wrath of even LaCroix.
"Yeah," Sharon said quietly.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?"
"What? This weekend? Because of Laurie?"
"Remember what happened during the last war," Natalie reminded her softly.
"He wanted you back. If Betsy hadn't shown up with those fish tapes..."
Trying to keep the hurt from her voice, Sharon was quick to reassure
Natalie. "Don't worry. I definitely learned my lesson. And Susan's pretty
solid--it's not like it's going to suddenly be two against one. As much as
I like the bar scene at times, I'd make a lousy Ravenette, which Susan
knows. And there's a very important reason for me to go."
"What's that?"
"All of Susan's beta readers. If she gets caught up in another war, or
worse, gets converted, we'll all be left hanging until who knows when. But
I really think you're overreacting. This is just for fun."
"I don't like the sound of it. Will you just promise to be careful?"
"I'll be careful. If this is a war, at least we're starting out the right
way. These things always start for me with a phone call from you. Listen,
I've got to get to work. I'll talk to you later."
She dropped the phone back into the cradle, grabbed her bag, shoved Gus
out of the way again, and was out the door and on her way.
Arsinoe raised her furry head in alarm from the tangled blankets on the
floor, where she had just succeeded in snaring her brother Ptolemy so that
she could jump on his head and bite his ear with impunity. She knew her
person was a bit strange, but the spectacle of Tanaquil banging her head
repeatedly on the keyboard was a new one.
"Inconceivable!" squawked the computer several times in an annoying nasal
voice, and then flashed a dialog box: "Unfortunately, no one is listening
to keystrokes at the moment. You may as well stop typing." Tanaquil
ignored it and continued to whimper.
"This can't be happening," she was muttering. "Not just when I was finally
pulling out of that post-orals slump and really getting some work done.
Not when I have a chapter due in less than two months. I can't, I
can't..." She refused to even think about the four-figure Visa bill.
But the e-mail on the screen, now plastered over with a sample of one of
Eudora's insufferably cute dialog boxes, refused to go away:
From: lambert@morgue.toronto.gov
Just thought I ought to warn you that you might want to be in contact with
Valerie and Sharon. It looks as if the Cousins may be starting another
war.
I don't know where Janette's people fit into this, but you know she was
none too happy about your part in the last war. Stay on your guard--but
this time, skip the Mata Hari bit, OK? Janette's been warming up to me
lately, and I don't want to end up back at square one.
And whatever you all do, keep my Sydney out of it!
Natalie
With a deep sigh, Tanaquil chose "New Message" from the Message menu.
From: sarajnsn@violet.berkeley.edu
Rumor has it that another war is afoot. Is this true?
And should I be worried about trouble visiting my house???
My new kittens are pros at shredding four-year-old avocado trees and
chewing through walkman cords, but they haven't had much practice at
fending off human malefactors. Let alone vampires. What's going on?
Help!!
Tanaquil
Natalie didn't have to waste her breath warning Tanaquil not to attempt
another foray on the Raven. Apart from the fact that Janette already knew
her one ridiculous disguise, the fall semester was well underway.
Tanaquil's advisor might be in Minnesota, but daily Hebrew classes, a very
much unwritten dissertation, a non-existent bank balance and a demanding
pair of four month old kittens would keep her firmly in Berkeley this
time, thank you very much.
Tanaquil resolutely repressed the unwelcome image of Cousins, Ravenettes,
NatPackers and Knighties cavorting around the Berkeley campus, collected
her Hebrew books and headed for a cafe. This definitely called for a
double cappucino.
She'd do what she could to help from the sidelines, but at least this time
the war wouldn't affect her life much. Right?
I parked my car along a side street, yet the almost hidden location did
not go unnoticed by the sharp eyes of Susan Garrett. She joyously bounced
out from her apartment door and greeted me with a warm embrace. Scary,
considering her allegiance to the darkly tailored vampire that she so
adored. I managed to stay on guard and soften her suspicions with a myriad
of gifts. Both small and large, the gifts were intended to catch the
Ravenette off guard. Call then Trojan horses, call them what you like, but
that do serve their purpose. Trojan horses, yes, that is what they are,
all dressed in facades of innocence, masquerading an aura of deceit. The
old legends will serve me well this weekend, if only I can manage to keep
the stealth look of unknowing about my face, I will be safe; I will secure
my mission under the eyes of Uncle and return to my true place by his
side.
Our chatter was light until around 6:30pm when we left to pick up the
third member of this weekend delight. Unfortunately, Sharon's bus was
late. No doubt, she was delayed by a phone call from the strong yet ill
focus emotions from the coroner in Toronto. Somehow, Natalie seemed to
sense the unending turns of our, the cousins, different missions to turn
her followers away from their useless mortality and relish the strength of
the loyalty bestowed from Uncle.
With a Ravenette in the front seat and a NatPacker in the back, I took
advantage of the extra horsepower that the fuel injection of my car
afforded me and proceeded to stretch the limits of the car's performance.
After all, toying with the limits of law and mortality is one way to bring
those outside of the fold into place. But, they took it in stride, even
with a cousin at the wheel. I parked again along the side street. It was
going to be a long weekend.
"So, the Archivist is HERE," Romulus (known on the Net by the moniker of
Ron the Enforcer) said to himself smiling slightly. "I thought getting
even with LaCroix felt good. Carving Dorian a new asshole will feel OH SO
WONDERFUL!"
"Now, why would you want to do that?" a familiar voice inquired in a
curious tone from over Romulus s shoulder.
Romulus turned to see Dragutin, his mage friend and occasional adventuring
companion, standing at his elbow. He looked more human than usual, clad
as he was in a fisherman's sweater and loose fitting black trousers and
his long hair pulled back into a simple ponytail. Dragutin saw the posting
from Cousin Karin that Romulus had been reading and shook his head.
"You cannot challenge the Archivist," he told his friend. "I know you
were able to resist the Interview--a feat you share in common with
LaCroix--but, although the Enforcers no longer support him, the Ancients,
their Masters, do. Although this is not known widely in the Community,
Dorian is protected by the Ancients. If you were to harm him without just
cause, you'd incur the wrath of many people--including your beloved
Lavinia."
"Lavinia hates Dorian as much as I do."
"True, but she will not support you in all the others were to turn in
concert against you. Romulus, you are very old and powerful, no one can
deny that, but you would not last long if EVERY Ancient was to focus their
immortal energies against you. Especially the ones who are members of the
Order of Hermes. You know what I am capable of but my power is but a drop
of water compared with the lake my Master has at his command."
"Have YOU ever been Interviewed, Dragutin?"
"No," the mage-vampire replied quietly. "But, then again, I am a bit
young for that. I m less than four centuries old."
"Yeah, you re not at the spewing dust stage like I am," Romulus replied
grinning. Dragutin smiled slightly and Romulus continued, "I was invited
to that party Sunday at Susan G's. I've been writing to her over the Net
and we actually met face-to-face at a Renfaire. I was wearing my old great
kilt and looked like something the cat dragged in but, once we got to
talking, it was cool. She s an awesome lady!"
"For a mortal."
"Look, I *DO* have mortal friends. My friend Ed, he's in your Order but
belongs to the Chantry house here in Jersey, and I hang out all the time
when I m not working. He's coming to the party with me."
"And you'll be getting there by car?"
"Yeah. It s not every Mage that can do Correspondence!"
Dragutin chuckled softly. "True, he agreed," then added, "I know Ed. His
talents lie in other Spheres, but he is not to be underestimated. Besides,
if Dorian does show up to Interview Ms. Garrett, it will be to her benefit
to have both you, the Enforcer at Large, and a member of the Order of
Hermes there to protect her. I wish I could assist, but I'm afraid my
duties to the Chantry will be keeping me quite occupied all weekend."
"I know. You've been so busy since we got back from Toronto that it's like
I hardly know you anymore!"
"I do regret that," Dragutin admitted. "I enjoy your company, when you're
not sharpening your claws on some living tissue, but I feel it's time you
got out and made yourself some new friends. You've been living like a
hermit since John went back to pursue his studies at the University in New
Mexico. He was a medical student, right?"
"Yes, and we managed to get his schedule arranged so that his
condition wouldn't interfere with his studies much. I'll work with
him on his Disciplines between semesters. It's not critical he learns
everything now. He's got eternity to master his craft. Besides,
considering how he was Brought Across, I think he should spend some time
with you. You did say you saw some mystic potential in him."
"Yes, a bit. But in my travels, I saw the Potential in another. Her
natural Quintessance was very strong."
"Who is this person?"
"Valerie Meachum. I saw her in that Scottish Play a while back.
Talented...and beautiful."
"And engaged," Romulus said and he was sure he caught a look of
disappointment on his friend's face. The Enforcer grinned adding, "Hey, I
thought you had a policy that you didn't screw your students."
"My god, man, sometimes you can be so incredibly vulgar!" Dragutin stated
and Romulus just laughed. "You are NOT amusing!" Romulus was still
chuckling softly when Dragutin finished saying, "I know I don't....have
relations with students. But I still have eyes and they do appreciate
beauty. I am capable of looking and enjoying without touching, unlike some
men I know!"
Romulus colored slightly, knowing Dragutin was referring to the Enforcer's
stolen night of passion with Natalie Lambert. Dragutin had been incensed
that Romulus, who had been disguised as Nick Knight at the time, had
tricked the good coroner into allowing him to pleasure her in a way she
had always dreamed Nick would. Natalie s memory of the event was
shifted--at Dragutin's insistence, for the mage was certain Nick never
intended to make Natalie his lover--so she would recall it as a dream
only. So, the friendship was preserved and only Romulus and Dragutin knew
what really happened that night....
"So, is Valerie your newest apprentice?"
"No...not yet anyway," Dragutin said. "I intend to speak to her about it
but I have a feeling she is soon going to be, ah, otherwise engaged."
"Yeah," Romulus agreed a wicked grin crossing his angular face. "Looks
like there is going to be another War!"
"I think I'm going to be making myself scarce," the Mage stated, clearly
not at all thrilled by what is about to transpire. "Well, I know how much
you enjoy a good fight. Just...watch yourself."
Romulus nodded, well aware of what his old friend was implying with his
warning, but the old vampire had a feeling that the party at Susan G.'s on
Sunday was going to be far more than just a party.
"Ground Zero, here I come!" the Enforcer exulted.
I thought I'd never get out of the city. This had been the week from hell,
and Nat seems to think I'm heading into the weekend from hell.
It wouldn't have been quite so bad had a bus not broken down in the south
terminal of Port Authority, holding up inbound and outbound traffic for
nearly half an hour. It hadn't helped that I was too afraid of missing the
bus when it did leave to get off line to call Susan to tell her I'd be
late. It hadn't helped that I'd rushed down here at the last minute, after
my #@$$%& programmer declared my program too impossible and too problem
ridden to deal with on a friday afternoon, plus which he had to go meet
his girlfriend down in the village anyway.
So if a Cousin is planning any traps, confrontations, or attempted
conversions, this weekend, let her. I'm more than ready.
A flashy red sports car, the realization that Cousin Laurie thinks "Oh,
yield!" works best as an afterthought, and a dinner at Denny's later we
arrived at Casa Garrett.
Diego and all of Susan's wonderful toys were waiting. I wonder if Laurie
really knows what she's gotten herself into.
FK has started airing. And it's not Jennise's alternate season. I'm really
glad I did my part in that.
As for Jennise, I've forgiven her. She still has to proofread all this
fiction I've neglected writing and revising. And she's happier now that I
got rid of the blond vampire. Of course, I don't mind that I've
gotten rid of him. He started getting ideas about bringing me across. I
don't see why LaCroix brought across someone so insane.
Of course, dear Uncle is undoubtedly up to something quite nasty. I'm
quite happy to be uninvolved with his schemes. I wonder when he's going to
start trying for new Cousins again.
I wonder if he'll try for me again. I was a Cousin, for one glorious week,
before I switched to NatPack. And I made a very lousy Cousin, if I do say
so myself. But then, Nick makes a very lousy vampire, and LaCroix hasn't
stopped trying to set him straight either. So I do not have much hope.
At least if he tries anytime soon, Hilary will be quite out of his reach.
She's travelling, trying to get all over the US and Canada in one month.
And she's more vulnerable than me, since she's a Knightie. There's one
good thing about being in the NatPack, there are two other ex-cousins in
here.
Well, I need to go. Catch you later (can you tell I've been with a bunch
of Starman fans the last two days? Details tomorrow).
Selma
"As long are there are NO LOOPS!"
"I don't think this one has loops," I said as I carefully nudge her
through the entrance gate.
"I don't like being shaken from side to side. And besides, someone fell
out of one of those things head first." There it was, those little defiant
intonations that defined a Ravenette.
It wasn't until we were done weeding our way through the maze of railings
and were heading down the long covered corridor, that the thunderous noise
from overhead yanked her back to reality and the realization that she was
trapped.
Susan looked out at the twisted metal tubing that supported the corkscrew
loops at the end of the ride.
"It has LOOPS!" Her face first drained and the contorted into a furious
facade of facial frenzy.
"I know," I said with a deep cousin purr.
"No! No way!" Susan growled.
"Too late," I said and smiled.
Sharon was waiting for us as we walked backed from the ride. Well, I
walked, Susan staggered. Sharon looked over at Susan as she tried to pass
by without crashing into the trash barrel.
"There's a bench over there if you want to sit down," Sharon said.
"I don't want to sit down, I want to kill," Susan muttered as she twirled
around the trash container and landed on the bench.
"Are you ok?" Ok, maybe it was a dumb question, but it was a cousin kind
of question where the subtext of the words act like the final thrust of a
stiletto after the major blow has been struck.
Susan glared at me through the narrow slits between her eyelids. "You will
pay for this," she said.
I wasn't worried much, the sight of Susan staggering off the ride after
seconds of monstrous screaming that almost left her voice dry and cracked
was well worth the price.
"Where do you guys want to go next?" Sharon asked.
"Doesn't matter to me." I was quite content with my recent trickery.
"Well, the flume rides should be open by now." Susan was regaining
consciousness.
"Sounds good to me," Sharon said.
"I'll watch you guys, I really don't want to get this sweater wet."
"Flume it is," Susan replied a tad too cheery. As we walked away from The
Great American Scream, my mind pondered other avenues of torture for the
duo that accompanied me.
Big, hulking wooden monstrosities held together by chewing gum and bailing
wire--no problem. Large, boat type adventures with unexpected splashes and
big waves--everybody dries off eventually. And though she might enjoy
being shaken and stirred, dropped from great heights, thrown from side to
side, and being made seriously wet...being turned upside down was never
any part of a ticket purchase.
Which was why she was still staggering as the trio of FK fans made their
way across the vast commercial enterprise, past fake cobwebs and really
cool orange and black fans, and out of Frontierland. Susan knew that many
opportunities would present themselves to exact revenge for this cousinish
deed, it was only a matter of figuring out what would be a) most
appropriate and b) most damaging.
The problem was that Laurie was a Cousin. And Cousins, by their nature,
were daring. They tried anything. Twice, if they liked it.
Phobias were out--lots of lovely fake Halloween spiders in sight, but not
a darned cockroach. Susan was briefly considering trying to find caramel
popcorn, watching Laurie stuff herself full (she was drawn to it like
metal filings to a magnet), and then steering her toward the Batman
ride....
But they found themselves wandering among the Rivers of the World flume
section. And after brief concerns about the small flume, Laurie agreed
that they should go on the adventure rapids.
Sharon, of course, had remained silent, still stunned by the loss of her
Swiss Army knife at the front gate--she had to be bodily restrained at
times to prevent her from going back and checking on it--and had only
ventured one opinion...that she was hungry and wanted to eat soon. Even
she, however, was willing to brave the rapids.
In full accordance with her luck so far that day (Bugs Bunny wasn't out in
his Dracula outfit and Susan--being the rabid character addict that she
was--was very disappointed that she couldn't have her picture taken with
Bugsula), Susan bought the big one first, in a mighty splash that came up
over the back of the raft. Sharon and Laurie enjoyed this immensely.
There was no way to make the raft move one way or the other--the course
through the rapids was haphazard and the raft, being round, spun on a whim
or random bump from the siding of the ride. All Susan could do was to
trust to the luck of Ravenettes and the logistics of ride builders
everywhere.
Luck came through. Toward the end of the ride, as they neared the
waterfall, the BIG rapids hove into view. Susan grinned, knowing the
Laurie and Sharon couldn't see--because they had their backs to their
impending doom--but in all fairness kindly pointed out that they were
about to meet their watery makers.
They did. The water hit between the seats, drenching Sharon and Laurie to
their shorts (and other unmentionables). The wave was enough to cast some
scattered water over Susan, but she didn't mind because the music of the
water-logged damned (which sounded quite a bit like the screeches of a cat
having fallen into a swimming pool) was glorious.
It was as they dripped their way off the ride, just pleasantly soaked but
not quite completely drenched, that Susan had another idea. "There's
another flume over here," she said. "As long as we're wet--"
"We can dry off while we're eating, afterwards," agreed Sharon.
But Laurie, who had worn a sweater instead of a t-shirt, was watching the
sag of the fibers. The holes were growing progressively larger as gravity
took over the water-weighted material. "But this is my favorite sweater!"
protested Laurie, in a voice filled with dismay. "You guys go, I'll just
watch."
That's when Susan realized that her revenge had just been handed to her on
a rather wet cotton-and-acrylic platter. "Oh, it's not really a flume,"
said Susan, steering them around the back of the ride, so they couldn't
see what happened. "More like a short rollercoaster that goes through
water."
Laurie seemed unconvinced as they headed around the Ferris wheel and into
the wooden railings that led to the ride. "The line isn't very long," she
announced aloud. She seemed to take some comfort from this--as long lines
usually indicated a high percentage of fear/wetness/death-defyingness for
a ride.
Susan kept quiet. And Sharon, who was still somewhat concerned about her
Swiss Army knife and her inability to compensate for the loss with food,
hesitated only briefly when they got into the car. She looked down at the
very wet seat, then into the car behind her where Susan and Laurie sat.
But in true NatPacker fashion, she decided to stay out of this particular
engagement.
The ride was a rollercoaster of sorts. As they started up the
incline, the car screaming down the drop not 100 feet on the other side of
them hit the water with a splash that managed to reach their car. Laurie
groaned, suddenly realizing just how wet this was going to be. And Susan
chuckled and held on for dear life.
The drop was steep. When the car hit the bottom, a wall of water rose
before them, white blanking out the sky, surrounding them in a limbo of
eternal water. The screams broke after that awe-filled silence, followed
by whoops and cheers. For a moment, Susan was too overcome by the
experience to do more than bounce up and down in her seat, screaming,
"Again! Again!" Then she looked at the Cousin beside her.
Laurie was drenched. Her sweater hung low and was sinking fast, the speed
of the downward spiral only to be matched by her mood. Laurie was
not happy.
But the best was yet to come. As they squished their way off the ride,
Susan deftly led Laurie past the immediate exit ramp and up to the bridge.
She'd noticed that after the wall of water, they'd been dripped on from
above. And she had a feeling that standing on the observation bridge might
just do the trick.
"Come on," she told Laurie cheerfully, "you can watch someone else get
it."
Laurie's mood improved somewhat and she hurried her pace so they could
catch the bridge before the next car went down the drop. It was perfect
bait, for no Cousin could resist watching somebody else 'get it.' Sharon
sloshed behind, more than up for the adventure. She met Susan's eyes,
letting her know that Laurie would be trapped between them and was well
aware of what that 'observation' bridge was for.
Standing with a few other thrill-seekers, the trio watched the car drop
down the incline, the passengers shrieking. The car hit the wall of water,
which rose like a tsunami--
And headed directly for them.
Cousin Laurie emitted a strangled yelp and tried to escape, but with Susan
on one side and Sharon on the other, she was trapped. The water hit with
just enough force to knock them back a step, soaking them completely from
head to toe, plastering down what few dry hairs remained, drenching them
down to their skins, and even penetrating the water-proofing on Sharon's
oh-so-practical water-proofed hiking boots.
Another moment of stunned awe followed. Susan looked at Sharon and they
grinned foolishly, enjoying the spectacle, because Laurie's sweater had
grown at least another half a foot and was rapidly stretching its way into
a fishing net.
Cousin Laurie was less than amused. She stomped her way down the exit
platform, grabbing bits of her sweater not only to wring them out, but to
keep them from stretching so that they would trail behind her. Even her
open shoes squished, leaving little puddles behind as she sailed off in
Rhine-Maidenish splendor.
Susan decided the cost of wet sneakers and water-logged socks (she'd wring
them out later) had not been too high. Following Sharon off the ride, she
wondered what other deviltry the Cousin might attempt to perpetrate and
was content in knowing that she'd match Laurie, loop for loop, drop for
drop, and splash for splash.
And now Laurie was steering her toward the Batman Returns ride. Sharon had
spent the better part of the wait for the water rapids gazing up somewhat
morosely at the huge black steel coils several yards away. It should have
looked like any standard amusement park ride, with loops and drops. But
for some reason, it looked ominous to her. Maybe it was the fact that it
was black. Maybe it was the fact that the screams from the riders echoed
throughout the park as they spun around. Maybe it was because Laurie was
anticipating her ride on it with such obvious delight.
Whatever the reason, it didn't look safe.
But she'd promised. Laurie had gotten wet. Very wet, then whined until she
got ten bucks out of each of them for a dry shirt. And somewhere in there
she'd wrung a promise out of Sharon to ride the Batman Returns ride.
If truth be told, Sharon would rather have something to eat, but Laurie
warned her that it probably wouldn't be a good idea to eat beforehand,
and Sharon had to agree.
So they got in line. Susan, having had her fill of rollercoasters with
loops, emphatically declined Laurie's invitation to join them. She made no
move to intervene on Sharon s behalf. Unlike what had happened to her
earlier, the NatPacker knew exactly what she was getting into, and if she
still wanted to go through with it because of some misguided sense of
honor, well that was fine by her. She'd be waiting at the exit.
The trip through the semi-long line was silent. Sharon had given Susan her
mother's phone number in case anything bad happened, and she was quietly
contemplating her last moments, realizing that an understanding of the
laws of probability, so helpful when teaching college statistics, was
suddenly a curse right now.
Every once in a while Laurie would grin up at her and Sharon again thought
of all those people spinning helplessly around, sitting on little tiny
seats, their legs dangling free in the air.
It definitely didn t look safe.
But now it was too late. They were here. She'd managed to steer Laurie
away from the line for the front seat. This was going to be bad enough
without having a spectacular and unimpeded view of the entire park and the
sky scrolling wildly in front of her eyes as they went.
Once they were strapped in, Sharon went strangely numb. It actually wasn't
so bad. She felt very safe, or as safe as one could feel in this
situation. She heard the attendant say "Dispatch! Enjoy your ride!" and
they were off!
It was over almost too quickly. Sharon grinned wildly as she staggered out
of her seat, nearly clipping her shoulder on the edge of the doorway.
"That was very life-affirming," she said above the roar of the music and
the crowd. "I'd definitely go on it again! It was great! I loved it! But
you know, it was a little too short."
Behind her, Laurie struggled to maintain her balance, frowning slightly.
Sharon could have sworn she heard her say "Damn! I wish I'd brought my
vertigo pills."
She didn't. Work had been very nuts, and it was impossible to log in even
on her mostly nonexistent lunch hours these days. And but two weeks
remained before the Wild and Woolly Witch Workout, known to less-informed
souls as Macbeth, had to be ready for public consumption,
which meant long and tiring rehearsals. Which meant no time for a bloody
WAR!
But, alas, such things could not be chosen. Nat's information had been
sketchy, but it seemed the Cousins were mobilizing. It had only been a
matter of time, really; she was surprised they had taken so long, though
July seemed like yesterday in some ways.
She really wasn't sure if she was ready for this. She really wasn't sure
what she could do. But she had to be there, ready for anything, lend
whatever hand was needed. That's what NatPackers do.
She only hoped the hand wouldn't get bitten off...
I will be leaving her shortly to traverse the wide black highway home to
State College. Fortunately, all my brethren are reachable by e-mail.
Sharon will head back to New York and start collecting the rest of the
NatPackers for the final blow with Susan and the rest of the Ravenettes as
assistants.
It was not a surprise that the clueless uncalculating Knightie's
convoluting and cacophony of convalescing cacca was only muffled by the
meandering menace of the mangles of meaningless peach fuzz on Nick chin.
If he shaved it, Janette may just relent and give him another clue to
spend for an episode.
Last and least are the FoDs who can organize themselves but only when the
potential food in front of them is free; thick groups of pompous poetic
pigs whose main interest are the potential smorgasbord laid before them on
laminated liaisons of previously lose libations of lethargic legume. No
reason to waste brain cells on the thoughts of their threats.
Still I must not let my guard down. I must not relent (even if no factions
posse a threat on the horizon of my victory). I leave before noon
tomorrow.
It was not a surprise that the clueless uncalculating
Knightie's convoluting and cacophony of convalescing cacca was only
muffled by the meandering menace of the mangles of meaningless peach fuzz
on Nick chin..
Translation: Nick's peached fuzzed chin is equivalent to Cacca.
Last and least are the FoDs who can organize themselves
but only when the potential food in front of them is free; thick groups of
pompous poetic pigs whose main interest are the potential smorgasbord laid
before them on laminated liaisons of previously lose libations of
lethargic legume.
Translation: FoDs eat regurgitated plastic leaves.
Thank You for you attention.
I've written back to Sharon, and I've also dropped a note to Valerie.
So, in consideration, I prepared my own offenses and defenses. Since my
dear psychotic vampire, Vince, decided to pop by again, I sent him to see
if he could dig up what LaCroix and the cousins were up to. He wasn't too
happy, but I wouldn't be either with LaCroix as my master.
At first he was demanding that in return for the information that I'd
consent to being brought across. I refused to, and he let it pass, at
least for now. Basically I told him that if I was brought across in any
shape, way, or form, my first action would be to drag both of us into the
sunlight. He mumbled something about Jennise that I didn't quite catch.
So he's cooperating for the moment. For all I know, he could be cutting a
deal with LaCroix. But I don't think he's stupid enough to do that.
Well, now all I have to do is wait for everyone to answer my email and for
dear Vince to return.
Selma
The weekend at Susan's had been almost too much. Her digestive tract would
take weeks to recover, she was certain, although she was thankful she
wasn't suffering any ill effects from Saturday's drenching, although
watching Laurie get soaked from head to toe would have made it all worth
it, she thought to herself as she strolled out of the front of her
building. And things seemed to have calmed down, too.
There were no cars parked in front of her bulding at the moment. The
residents who were home for the day were out driving around until the
street cleaners came by, then they'd all come rushing back to get spots in
front of the building a little later this afternoon. Sharon was glad she
didn't own a car--"opposite side of the street parking" was something she
suspected she'd never get the hang of.
She smiled at the Stoop Queen who was in her favorite spot smoking a
cigarette. The Stoop Queen ignored her--Sharon hadn't given her any fodder
for juicy gossip in the last several months and because of that, she was
beneath contempt.
As she turned and headed for the Greek coffee shop located just around the
corner for her morning coffee and donut, an unfamiliar copper colored car
screeched to a halt in front of her building. The occupants of that car,
however, were all too familiar.
Susan and Laurie.
Susan and Laurie? Sharon frowned and slowly approached the car which was
still rocking uneasily from its abrupt halt. What in the hell were Susan
and Laurie doing here?
"Wait, wait, wait!" Sharon said, holding up her hand for Laurie to stop.
"You mean to tell me that Nick and LaCroix are on the same side here? That
Dorian was coming to interview Susan? And everyone wants control of
Susan's fiction? And by extension, since she's the Empress of FKFIC, the
fiction list? Plus, you think Nick is setting LaCroix
up?"
"That's about it," Laurie said.
"And now you, a Cousin, and you, a Ravenette," Sharon said, indicating
each of them in turn, "come to me, a NatPacker, for safety?"
Laurie smiled nervously while Susan dropped her head into her hands.
"What's wrong with this picture?" Sharon said, nodding. She still wasn't
sure she believed this story. Susan seemed sincerely distressed at all the
attention, but as it was with Cousins, it was always hard to trust the
sometimes petulant nature of Ravenettes. Still, she'd learned enough about
Laurie from the last couple of wars and over the weekend to know that the
Cousin was more than capable of defying LaCroix if she thought the
situation warrented it.
Abruptly, she stood up and began pacing her living room. "But," she said
thoughtfully, "you did the right thing. Of course we'll help. Who know's
what kind of propoganda we'll get if the other groups get control of it.
People have a right to write whatever kind of fiction they want. They
shouldn't be dictated to." As she spoke, her voice became firmer and more
confident. "I mean, the only other group you could turn to are the FoD's.
But while I'm sure they would love for Susan to write a really good
Schanke story, but they aren't losing their appetites waiting for it.
Which basically translates into no sense of urgency. But we can probably
still count on them. Dorian's going to be a big problem, though."
She looked hastily around the apartment, then down at her watch. "We can't
stay here."
"Why not?"
"A, it's a mess. B, people know where I live. My address was on the survey
that barely anyone filled out. C, Sandye and LaCroix probably know how you
think, Laurie and will figure out where you've gone, helped by the fact
that we just spent the weekend together at Susan's."
"So, where do we go?" Susan asked.
"Well," Sharon said. "That's a good question. Maybe we should just drive,
without a plan really, until we figure out what to do. Valerie lives in
Ohio. Selma's in California I think, and Jennie's in Illinois. I know we
can count on them. There are lots of places. We need time to figure out
how to get out of this one."
As she spoke she stuffed a few pieces of clothing into her duffle bag,
then stopped suddenly, her face brightening. "Hey! Do you think we should
wear disguises?"
It was a Quality Inn. It was night. Laurie's car was at the service
station next door. And they were hip-deep in it.
That's really all Susan knew. She opened her eyes and stared at the
stained tiles of the hotel room ceiling, wondering what on earth had
gotten into her. After all, how bad could it be? All she'd gotten was that
message, telling her that Dorian, the Archivist of the vampires, was
coming to interview her. And then Karin's friend had shown up and tailored
her for that dress.
It was a nice dress. And when you only have three to begin with,
you don't turn down a new dress out of hand.
Then Laurie had thrown rocks at her bedroom, gotten her up just before
dawn, and off they'd gone to Sharon's in the Bronx, without a plan. They'd
headed south, gotten as far as Maryland, and then Laurie's car had
developed an sudden case of not-workingness.
Which meant they were stuck in this motel room until the shop opened and
the car could be fixed. And then go...where?
There was no where she could go--Dorian would find her. She knew a
little of the vampire Code, knew that they took this interview stuff very
seriously. If she was caught with her friends, they might get into some
serious trouble. Not to mention what would happen to her....
Susan had a feeling there was a way out of this--despite the fact that
Janette had decided to pretend that she didn't exist. She was good at
loopholes. It was only a matter of getting information and starting to go
through it, which was why she needed Ron's help. If you want to look at
the Code, you get an Enforcer. And Ron was very Enforcer.
But she was without her laptop and that was her only way to contact Ron,
to see if he'd found anything. Her laptop was in Toms River, in her
apartment, being watched by vampires--well, they were her friends by they
were still vampires. The fact that Karin and Jennise were involved, not to
mention the dress nonsense, meant they had something up their sleeves.
Maybe it would be better to get back to Toms River, and her laptop.
Besides which, her dog had to be walked....
That decided her. Susan rolled out of bed and crept into the bathroom.
After she'd watched and dressed, she headed out of the darkened room,
toward the door.
That's when she noticed the chair by the window was empty. Sharon was
sound asleep in the other bed, but Laurie was gone.
Laurie was gone.
Checking the lock on the door, Susan noticed that the deadbolt--only
lockable from inside--was off. Which meant Laurie had left. For the soda
machine? For a candy bar?
It gave her pause. LaCroix and Nick were also supposedly on their way to
talk with her about her stories. Nick--heck, he wasn't much of a problem.
But LaCroix...you could never be certain what that ex-albino psychopath
was up to.
And Laurie was a Cousin. She might be meeting LaCroix. Or she might be
bringing LaCroix back with her.
Guessing that Sharon would be safe enough if she wasn't there, she ripped
a piece of paper from the hotel pad, scribbled 'Susan isn't here, go
away!' in block letters, and used a piece of bubblegum to attach it to the
outside of the door as she left. She'd owe Sharon big time for this
one.
Susan decided that it was too bad, really, this having to leave in the
middle of the night, as she headed for the payphone to call a car service
to the Amtrak station. There were some really neat amusement parks in
Virginia, which was just around the corner.
And she was desperately in need of another flume ride.
And she was fuming. A family of four, stranded between trains, had been
dozing when she'd come in. Now the older boy was sitting up, his eyes
sparkling over some of the colorful language Sharon was using in
describing Laurie, Susan, Dorian, Nick, LaCroix and Janette, no doubt
cataloging it for future reference. The father had also woken up, and he
kept clearing his throat and casting reproachful looks her way. Sharon
glared back at him and launched into another string of adjectives, getting
quite creative this time. Finally, he'd woken up his wife and other son
and they'd gone to wait outside on the platform, the older boy tailing
along reluctantly.
She'd thought it was over and done with after the Great Adventure fiasco.
She thought they were all safe. She'd said so, put her credibility on the
line by sending out a general stand down email.
Then Laurie and Susan had suddenly appeared at her doorstep with some
convoluted tail involving Nick and LaCroix, and Dorian, the Archivist.
And stupidly she'd agreed to help. So they'd gotten into Laurie's car and
drove, drove until the car broke down. Then they'd found a motel. And at
one am this morning she'd awakened to find the room empty and a note
pinned to the door that read `Susan isn't here, go away!' Both she and
Laurie had flown the coop. And stuck her with the hotel bill in the
process. When she'd gone to check out they'd informed her that the credit
card Laurie had used the night before, the one she'd bragged about getting
from LaCroix, was no good. So Sharon had used the last of her cash, then
walked nearly three miles to a cash machine so that she could get home.
Well she had had it. Susan could fight he own battles. And as for
Laurie... But that phone kept catching her eye. It kept urging her to call
Natalie, to tell her about Dorian. But Sharon scowled at it, and turned
away, telling herself that she was going to make her way back to New York,
curl up in front of the television and let them duke this out with their
friends, pets, allies, whatever. She'd watch from the sidelines this time,
thank you very much.
Thirteenth pass. Nope, not going to do it, she thought to herself, turning
sharply and walking out onto the platform. The family was there, the kids
just dozing off again, and she saw the father groan to himself when he
caught sight of her. Making a face at him, she went back into the station
and passed the phone for the fourteenth time.
But another thought was nagging at her. If Dorian was calling for
Susan's interview, were any of them really safe? And just who had ratted
on Susan in the first place? It certainly wasn't Natalie. Janette had cut
Susan off without a second thought once she'd found out about Dorian and
the interview. Nick would probably never do something like that, although
he might go along with it once it became fact. She wouldn't put it past
LaCroix, but what purpose could it possibly serve?
And who was Dorian going to want to interview once he was finished with
Susan?
As she passed the phone for the sixteenth time, Sharon came to a decision
and pulled out her calling card. It was 5am--Nat was probably not going to
be happy about being woken up, but there seemed to be a lot of that going
on right now. Natalie had to know about Dorian, not to mention the fact
that Nick and LaCroix might be involved in some kind of conspiracy against
list members.
The phone rang four times before Natalie picked up. "Doctor Lambert," she
said in a clear voice.
"Nat? It's me, Sharon."
"Sharon? What time is it?" She heard Natalie fumbling around, looking for
a clock. Then she heard a little gasp of exasperation before Nat said,
"Oh, this better be good. My alarm isn't set to go off for another two
hours." There was a slight pause, then Nat added in a tentative voice, "Is
everything OK?"
"Well," Sharon said, her tone slightly bitter. "I've been better."
"Where are you? It sounds like you're standing in a tunnel."
"I'm in Maryland."
There was another pause while Natalie digested this information. "Okay.
Why?"
Sharon proceeded to pour out the story of how Laurie and Susan had
abandoned her, managing to include a good portion of her descriptive
adjectives that the young boy had overheard earlier.
Nat was quiet through most of it, although she did make a few sympathetic
noises. Finally, when Sharon paused to take a breath Nat broke in.
"But...why did you go with Susan and Laurie in the first place? I thought
you said everything was fine after the Great Adventure weekend."
Sharon took a deep breath. "That's sort of why I called you," she said.
"There's something you should know."
"What?"
"Laurie said something about Nick working with LaCroix."
"Well, I find that hard to believe."
"That's not all," Sharon continued in a small voice.
"I can hardly wait," Nat said, her voice tinged with sarcasm.
Sharon parted her lips, hesitated for a second, then mouthed the word
"Dorian." Embarrassed, she cleared her throat, having meant to speak the
word aloud but suddenly giving in to slight panic.
"What?" Natalie said, her voice suddenly serious. "Did you just say
something?"
Sharon cleared her throat and tried to speak again, this time
successfully. "I said...Dorian." She didn't need to be in the room with
Natalie to know that the silence on the other end was due to complete
shock. She didn't want to think about the expressions that were running
across Nat's face right now.
After several seconds of complete, tense silence, Nat spoke. "What...what
about Dorian?" Her voice sounded tight, controlled, neutral.
"He wants to interview Susan."
"But Susan's mortal!"
"I know that!" Sharon said, a nervous giggle rising to her lips. She
managed to fight it down just in time. "Apparently there's some special
section of the code that allows it."
"But...why? And who told him about it?"
"Laurie seemed to think that it was LaCroix. And that Nick is going along
with it."
She heard Nat mumble something to herself, swearing she caught the word
"brick" in there somewhere. Then Nat asked, "What about Janette?"
"What about Janette. She's cut Susan off."
"Just like that?"
"Just like that."
She heard Natalie sigh. "All right. Go on home. I'm going to talk to
Janette. If I can I'll try to get to the bottom of this. If Dorian's
suddenly decided to go after mortals on the list I'll need your help."
"Oh, no way!" Sharon exploded. "After what I've been through tonight! I
don't think so!"
"Hey! Hey!" Natalie admonished, gently. "This isn't like you!"
"Yeah, well right now my better nature is on vacation!"
"Oh yeah!" Nat challenged. "Then why'd you even bother to call me?"
"Because," Sharon said, then hesitated. "Because...because I just thought
you should know, that's all. Now I'm going home to work on my
dissertation."
"And just leave Susan to fend for herself?"
"Gee, you mean like she did to me?"
"Well, OK, that was kind of shitty, but have you thought of this? Maybe
she was trying to protect you by leaving you behind."
"Yeah, well..." she started to say belligerently, then she paused because
she realized Natalie had a point. "I--!" She opened and closed her mouth
twice, then sighed and said "Oh, hell!"
"I'll be in touch," Nat said, breaking the connection just as Sharon heard
the train to New York roll noisily into the station.
Natalie didn't want to think about Dorian right now, but she knew she had
no choice. She had to get to the bottom of this, as she'd promised
Sharon. And if Nick was involved, then she'd need a little more
information before telling him. Besides, she wouldn't put it past him to
fly off in a huff and just throttle Dorian himself when he found out, and
she knew she didn't want that.
Which meant that Janette was her only option, and Natalie didn't think
that was much of an option at all. To say that her few dealings with
Janette had been tense would be an understatement. During their last
encounter she'd felt like a toy caught in the claws of a leisurely and
somewhat sadistic cat. And Natalie definitely had not liked the
feeling.
As if reading her mind, Sydney came over and arched his back along her
shins. She bent down and scooped him up, heading for the kitchen to start
her morning coffee.
And then there was all that business during the last war, when some of her
more enthusiastic friends had staged an all out attack on the Raven and
Janette herself. While she'd publicly asked them to stop and frowned upon
it, she had secretly delighted in nearly every score they'd managed
against Janette.
But then she remembered Janette's words to her at the end of the last
war, just after they'd finished negotiating for Sydney's return, just
before Nick and LaCroix had appeared out of nowhere to teach Janette a
lesson. Janette had said that the two of them should make more of an
effort to get along, but had quickly recanted, saying it was too late.
But Natalie had replied fiercely that it was never too late.
Which meant that now was the time to take her own advice. She glanced
over at the phone, wondering if Janette was still up, and figuring that
she probably was. Dropping Sydney to the floor, she picked up the phone
and dialed the number for the Raven. The phone was answered almost
immediately by a male with a heavy accent which Natalie guessed was
European.
"May I speak with Janette please," she said, trying to keep her voice
firm. She wondered briefly if the person answering the phone was mortal
or vampire.
"Who's calling, please," the voice asked.
"Natalie Lambert."
"One moment please." The line went momentarily dead as she was put on
hold, then there was a click followed by Janette's familiar, amused
tones.
"Doctor Lambert," Janette said. "This is a surprise." Natalie
could just picture her with a small smile on her face, blowing cigarette
smoke into the air.
"Janette," Natalie replied. She was surprised by the edge in her voice,
but decided that it was necessary for now. "We need to talk."
Janette's soft laugh irritated her, but Natalie bit back any comment. "So,
you've finally decided that it's time for a little girl talk. How nice.
But I'm afraid I don't really have time right now. There is another
matter that demands my attention."
Natalie took a deep breath. "That other matter wouldn't
involve...Dorian, would it?" She cursed silently to herself at the
hesitation in her voice.
And by the silence on the other end of the line she was sure it hadn't
been lost on Janette either.
"Well now...what about Dorian? You seem to know him so much better
than I." Janette's voice hardened as she said the words. "Did Nicholah
tell you this?"
After a moments' pause, during which Natalie weighed whether or not she
should say yes or no she said "As a matter of fact, I heard it from a
friend of Susan Garrett's. You remember Susan, don't you?" She didn't
bother masking the sarcasm or slight accusation in her voice.
The hard edge in Janette's voice hinted at her annoyance. "The affairs of
my followers are none of your concern."
Natalie had had enough. "Fine, fine," she said flatly. "I just
thought--" She stopped. "Never mind."
She was about to hang up when Janette spoke again, her voice deliberate.
"But then again, we may be able to...work something out, exchange
information. Something to our mutual benefit perhaps? Nicholah can be
so...short-sighted at times, don't you agree?" Natalie didn't hang up, as
she was tempted to, but she didn't say anything either. After a time,
Janette continued. "Tomorrow night. At my club. Bring your followers,
or friends, or...whatever, if you like."
"I don't think--" Natalie started to protest.
"Doctor Lambert, I give you my word. We will meet and talk. You will
enjoy my hospitality--and you're friends will behave themselves,
hmmm?. That is all. If you would prefer not..."
"No. The Raven is fine," Natalie agreed, reluctantly.
"Good. Oh, and Doctor Lambert, one more thing."
"Yes."
"Do make sure that they, and you, are appropriately attired. If you'd
like--"
Natalie didn't hear the rest of it because she dropped the receiver back
into its cradle, and muttered a few choice adjectives. She didn't much
trust Janette, but at the moment it seemed the only good way to get the
answers she needed. And the fact that Janette had agreed to a meeting
suggested that there was something going on. They'd meet and talk.
And if anything suspicious happened, they could always back out.
Pouring herself a cup of coffee she began making phone calls. She still
wasn't sure it was fair of her to disrupt the lives of her friends on such
short notice, but she knew she didn't want to face down Janette or a horde
of Ravenettes by herself. Sharon would be home at about 10am. It's be a
rush but she'd make it to Toronto by tonight, Natalie was sure. Now it
was time to see about the rest of her friends.
Saturday, October 15, 1994
By Sharon Himmanen
By S. Tanaquil Johnson
To: sarajnsn@violet.berkeley.edu
Subject: War: what is it good for?
To: vmeachum@freenet.scri.fsu.edu,
Subject: War????
By Laurie M. Salopek
By Ronni Katz
By Sharon Himmanen
By Selma McCrory
By Laurie M. Salopek
By Susan Garrett
By Sharon Himmanen
Monday, October 17, 1994
By Valerie Meachum
By Laurie M. Salopek
Tuesday, October 18, 1994
By Sharon Himmanen
To: Natalie <lambert@morgue.toronto.gov>
Valerie
Selma
Jennie Hayes
From: Sharon Himmanen
Subj: The party's over
Just returned from my weekend at Susan's. Natalie, you were right to be a
bit worried, although things didn't work out quite as Cousin Laurie
planned I think. She pulled a few Cousin-ish tricks, involving amusement
park rides, and is now claiming that the weekend ended in a stalemate.
Actually things are a little better than that for our side. Not only did
her torment of me completely backfire because I liked the Batman
ride (it was really cool!), but we made her really work to get ten bucks
from each of us for a dry shirt. Later that evening, I got ten bucks out
of each of them for a stuffed monkey without any effort at all. In
fact, they were only too glad to throw money down for me! All I had to
say was, "Gee, I'd really like a stuffed monkey."
Plus, I think Laurie was a little impressed that I actually went on the
Batman ride with her. Definite points there.
So, I think this had the potential to develop into something ugly, but it
was suitably defused this weekend. Maybe Susan and I were the test case
for something bigger. Maybe Laurie was just trying to amuse herself for a
while. Who knows. In any case, she'll need time to dry out and try to
figure out just what went wrong this weekend.
I think this basically means everything's back to normal. Or at least as
"normal" as they can be.
Cheers,
Sharon
By Selma McCrory
Wednesday, October 19, 1994
By Sharon Himmanen
Sunday, October 23, 1994
By Susan Garrett
By Sharon Himmanen
By Sharon Himmanen
END PART ONE