twenty two years. My
son would be a full grown vampire now. When I was exiled here, they
would not let them come with me.”
“I didn’t know that,” Mr. Slang said looking
at the address and seeing it was a village in the U.R.R.K. “Many
unfortunate things happened back then, the country was in much
turmoil.”
“Since you’ve been here, have you heard any
about what happened here just a few weeks ago?” Krakov asked.
“Jack the Ripper?”
“Yes,” Krakov said. “He had a plan to escape
to Earth.”
“Damn clever plan,” Mr. Slang said. “And you
were planning on going there with him?”
“Yes, but for my own reasons.”
“What?”
“A loophole.”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you know which realm a vampire would go
to next if he was to die here in Britannia?”
“I haven’t any idea,” Mr. Slang said.
“Nobody does,” Krakov said shaking his head.
“But do you know which realm they send a Russian vampire to, if
they die on Earth?”
“The U.R.R.K.,” Mr. Slang realizing then why
Krakov had wanted to escape to Earth.
“That’s right,” Krakov said. “Could I ask
one last favor?”
“Certainly.”
“If things do go badly. I’ve asked my
brother to approach the U.R.R.K. delegation and ask that my body be
returned home. I don’t know if you could do anything to see to it
that his request is granted, but if you could, I would appreciate
it.”
“I don’t know that I could do anything,” Mr.
Slang told him.
Chapter 14
The death threat and witch’s permit form did
not seem to be written by the same hand. Pandora’s writing showed
no sign of the Russian lettering that appeared on the death threat.
Tom walked over to Red as he finished his conversation with
Sergeant Hightower.
“There’s been a sighting of Stone in town,”
Red told him.
“I don’t think Pandora wrote this,” he said
handing Red the death threat back. “The writing does not match the
form she filled out when she applied for a permit.”
“Maybe she was trying to mislead us,” Red
said.
“Maybe we should ask Count Vasili if he
provided Pandora a ticket?”
“I suppose we should,” Red said.
Tom looked for Count Vasili as they came
back in the ballroom. He spotted him on his way out the room with
Colonel Popov and stepped in front of him.
“Can I have a word?” he asked.
Count Vasili shot Red a look like he should
not let one of his junior officers bother him. “I’m on my way to
meet the princess. I’m going to escort her into the ballroom,”
Count Vasili said trying to brush past Tom.
“Did you invite Pandora to this ball
tonight?”
Colonel Popov looked at Count Vasili. “Did
you?” he asked.
“No,” Count Vasili said like the idea was
preposterous. “The prince and princess are waiting,” he said
starting away again.
Tom watched Count Vasili walk away. “That
seem odd to you?” he asked Red.
“It did,” Red said. “Maybe it would be a
good idea if I asked the head waiter not to turn the lights down
when the fireworks start. If anything was to happen we don’t need
it going dark in here.”
“I’m going to talk to Miss Wembley,” Tom
said starting back toward their table.
“How about going for a little walk with me,”
Tom asked as he pulled Miss Wembley up out of her chair, causing
her to spill champagne down her chin and onto her dress.
“Tom you are being rude,” Rebecca told
him.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I just need her for a
moment,” he said dragging her away. “Would you recognize Pandora if
you saw her?”
“Oh certainly.”
“Let’s look for her then,” he said as he led
Miss Wembley through the crowd. “Do you see her?” he asked a moment
later as they went up the right side of the room.
“No,” Miss Wembley said. “There are so many
people.”
“Keep looking,” Tom said as a member of the
U.R.R.K. entourage, the royal butler, came to the head of the dance
floor and motioned for the orchestra to stop playing.
“Please
son would be a full grown vampire now. When I was exiled here, they
would not let them come with me.”
“I didn’t know that,” Mr. Slang said looking
at the address and seeing it was a village in the U.R.R.K. “Many
unfortunate things happened back then, the country was in much
turmoil.”
“Since you’ve been here, have you heard any
about what happened here just a few weeks ago?” Krakov asked.
“Jack the Ripper?”
“Yes,” Krakov said. “He had a plan to escape
to Earth.”
“Damn clever plan,” Mr. Slang said. “And you
were planning on going there with him?”
“Yes, but for my own reasons.”
“What?”
“A loophole.”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you know which realm a vampire would go
to next if he was to die here in Britannia?”
“I haven’t any idea,” Mr. Slang said.
“Nobody does,” Krakov said shaking his head.
“But do you know which realm they send a Russian vampire to, if
they die on Earth?”
“The U.R.R.K.,” Mr. Slang realizing then why
Krakov had wanted to escape to Earth.
“That’s right,” Krakov said. “Could I ask
one last favor?”
“Certainly.”
“If things do go badly. I’ve asked my
brother to approach the U.R.R.K. delegation and ask that my body be
returned home. I don’t know if you could do anything to see to it
that his request is granted, but if you could, I would appreciate
it.”
“I don’t know that I could do anything,” Mr.
Slang told him.
Chapter 14
The death threat and witch’s permit form did
not seem to be written by the same hand. Pandora’s writing showed
no sign of the Russian lettering that appeared on the death threat.
Tom walked over to Red as he finished his conversation with
Sergeant Hightower.
“There’s been a sighting of Stone in town,”
Red told him.
“I don’t think Pandora wrote this,” he said
handing Red the death threat back. “The writing does not match the
form she filled out when she applied for a permit.”
“Maybe she was trying to mislead us,” Red
said.
“Maybe we should ask Count Vasili if he
provided Pandora a ticket?”
“I suppose we should,” Red said.
Tom looked for Count Vasili as they came
back in the ballroom. He spotted him on his way out the room with
Colonel Popov and stepped in front of him.
“Can I have a word?” he asked.
Count Vasili shot Red a look like he should
not let one of his junior officers bother him. “I’m on my way to
meet the princess. I’m going to escort her into the ballroom,”
Count Vasili said trying to brush past Tom.
“Did you invite Pandora to this ball
tonight?”
Colonel Popov looked at Count Vasili. “Did
you?” he asked.
“No,” Count Vasili said like the idea was
preposterous. “The prince and princess are waiting,” he said
starting away again.
Tom watched Count Vasili walk away. “That
seem odd to you?” he asked Red.
“It did,” Red said. “Maybe it would be a
good idea if I asked the head waiter not to turn the lights down
when the fireworks start. If anything was to happen we don’t need
it going dark in here.”
“I’m going to talk to Miss Wembley,” Tom
said starting back toward their table.
“How about going for a little walk with me,”
Tom asked as he pulled Miss Wembley up out of her chair, causing
her to spill champagne down her chin and onto her dress.
“Tom you are being rude,” Rebecca told
him.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I just need her for a
moment,” he said dragging her away. “Would you recognize Pandora if
you saw her?”
“Oh certainly.”
“Let’s look for her then,” he said as he led
Miss Wembley through the crowd. “Do you see her?” he asked a moment
later as they went up the right side of the room.
“No,” Miss Wembley said. “There are so many
people.”
“Keep looking,” Tom said as a member of the
U.R.R.K. entourage, the royal butler, came to the head of the dance
floor and motioned for the orchestra to stop playing.
“Please
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