Transylvania Towers II
I suppose the others thought it was quaint fun. They all looked lively and well-rested. Morris provided them with period costumes—Leah looked vivid in her crimson pant-suit. She insisted on not wearing a dress, even though she was a lady, because it would make her Professor Van Helsing more personally liberated than the period would allow.
The Banquet Hall had been transformed since the morning; instead of overhead fluorescent lights, there were crystal chandeliers with hundreds of burning oil lamps hanging from the ceiling. The light threw monstrous shadows of the guests against the wall. I watched Christa closely as she moved from place to place, serving water and wine. Her body laid no recognizable shadow against the wall—it rose and fell erratically in sharp blocks, like the heartbeat of a dying man.
I don’t remember what I wore—it was some sort of black opera suit with a cape. The collar felt constricting around my neck and more than once Leah looked over at me when I fidgeted and mouthed “are you ok?” to me. Each time, I wanted to shake my head no but my body would freeze and my head would nod yes. After a few minutes, I gave up on making myself comfortable and endured the itching.
At least the writing had been helpful for helping me to review the script—I had memorized the opening speech in a matter of minutes. It was pure pulp. I prattled on for several minutes about the books in my library and how everyone present would make a fine addition to my personal affairs staff. Van Helsing gave me appropriate looks of horror at the right times—for she was a smart cookie and knew I was a vampire—and I threw in an extra pun about the difficulties of “accounting” for the activities of my wife. Christa scowled from the end of the table. Van Helsing suppressed a groan that sounded not unlike a chuckle.
Then I raised my glass—which was empty—and proposed a toast to the new partnerships. Jonathan came right on cue and asked if I would like something to drink, to which I replied, “I don’t drink…wine.” Another groan from Van Helsing.
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