Vampirates 5: Empire of Night by Justin Somper Page B
Authors: Justin Somper
Tags: Fiction, General, Action & Adventure, Horror, Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy & Magic, Brothers and sisters, Twins, Vampires, Horror & Ghost Stories, Pirates, Seafaring life
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meticulously planned, and for which praise had been heaped so lavishly upon both Cheng Li and her crew, was now revealed to be a failure. Connor frowned. His own actions had deprived Cheng Li of twenty-four hours of valuable thinking time.
Suddenly she stood up and reached for her satchel. Was that it? Was she leaving already?
"I'm really sorry," he repeated.
"Do stop apologizing," Cheng Li said, lifting her satchel over her shoulder. "And wipe that sad look off your face. The nature of this mission is constant flux, Connor. This was inevitable. We are not dealing with any regular enemy."
Connor was puzzled by her balanced reaction. "What will you tell them?" he asked.
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"I don't know," Cheng Li said, pushing open the cabin door. "You can help me work that out on the way."
Suddenly, the penny dropped. "You want me to come with you to your meeting?"
"Try eating fish for breakfast, Connor," said Cheng Li. "It should make you sharper in the mornings. Come on, we're now officially ten minutes late. This taxi sailor had better be on top of his navigation."
As the taxi boat skimmed the ocean, Connor found himself calmed by the small craft's smooth and rapid motion and its proximity to the water. It was a warm morning, and the ocean spray was refreshing on his face and arms. He and Cheng Li were sitting at the opposite end of the vessel to the driver, where they could talk further without being overheard. Nevertheless, for the first part of the journey, both passengers were silent, as if they had all the time in the world simply to enjoy the scenery and mull over their private thoughts.
"So"--Cheng Li broke the silence--"this invitation from Sidorio and Lady Lola. Are you thinking of accepting it? Is that why you kept it to yourself?"
Connor shook his head. "No," he said honestly. "No, it's the last place I want to go, and they're the very last people I want to spend time with."
Cheng Li lifted her sunglasses for a moment. "Don't be
125
too hasty, Connor. There are no rights or wrongs here. After what we discovered about your parentage, I'd say that both of us, but you especially, are sailing in uncharted waters."
Connor frowned. She could have picked another time to be so uncharacteristically understanding. What he needed from her now was the typical Cheng Li response, full of certainties--do this, don't do this--not this new, hippy-dippy laissez-faire attitude. If anything made him feel he was in uncharted waters, it was this.
"I know Sidorio is my blood father," Connor said. "And I know that that makes me different. I'm not happy about it--far from it--but I'll work through it. Whatever--and however long--it takes. I'm so grateful for your support. I don't want to enter into their world. I want to be here. Surrounded by my friends and comrades, in the world I know."
"Hmm." Cheng Li slipped down her shades and considered his words. "The thing is, Connor, you really are between Scylla and Charybdis. I hear what you are saying about your friends and comrades, but the fact is we are on a mission to destroy the Vampirates--at least the renegade Vampirates, including Sidorio, Lola, and Stukeley. You have to think through whether you can still be part of that mission, when your loyalties may be divided and your effectiveness compromised."
Connor felt his blood rise. "My loyalties aren't divided," he said angrily. "Not one bit. They mean nothing to me.
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Less than nothing. I want them destroyed every bit as much as you do. Probably more." He stared Cheng Li directly in the eyes. "I'm ready to see the destruction of every last Vampirate and to play my part in it. You have to believe me."
"I do believe you," Cheng Li said, reaching out her hand to his shoulder, and lowering her voice. "But you need to be clear about this. Even if our mission is successful and we take out every last one of them, that won't change your genetic makeup, Connor. You will still be a dhampir--as will Grace--and Sidorio will still be your
Suddenly she stood up and reached for her satchel. Was that it? Was she leaving already?
"I'm really sorry," he repeated.
"Do stop apologizing," Cheng Li said, lifting her satchel over her shoulder. "And wipe that sad look off your face. The nature of this mission is constant flux, Connor. This was inevitable. We are not dealing with any regular enemy."
Connor was puzzled by her balanced reaction. "What will you tell them?" he asked.
124
"I don't know," Cheng Li said, pushing open the cabin door. "You can help me work that out on the way."
Suddenly, the penny dropped. "You want me to come with you to your meeting?"
"Try eating fish for breakfast, Connor," said Cheng Li. "It should make you sharper in the mornings. Come on, we're now officially ten minutes late. This taxi sailor had better be on top of his navigation."
As the taxi boat skimmed the ocean, Connor found himself calmed by the small craft's smooth and rapid motion and its proximity to the water. It was a warm morning, and the ocean spray was refreshing on his face and arms. He and Cheng Li were sitting at the opposite end of the vessel to the driver, where they could talk further without being overheard. Nevertheless, for the first part of the journey, both passengers were silent, as if they had all the time in the world simply to enjoy the scenery and mull over their private thoughts.
"So"--Cheng Li broke the silence--"this invitation from Sidorio and Lady Lola. Are you thinking of accepting it? Is that why you kept it to yourself?"
Connor shook his head. "No," he said honestly. "No, it's the last place I want to go, and they're the very last people I want to spend time with."
Cheng Li lifted her sunglasses for a moment. "Don't be
125
too hasty, Connor. There are no rights or wrongs here. After what we discovered about your parentage, I'd say that both of us, but you especially, are sailing in uncharted waters."
Connor frowned. She could have picked another time to be so uncharacteristically understanding. What he needed from her now was the typical Cheng Li response, full of certainties--do this, don't do this--not this new, hippy-dippy laissez-faire attitude. If anything made him feel he was in uncharted waters, it was this.
"I know Sidorio is my blood father," Connor said. "And I know that that makes me different. I'm not happy about it--far from it--but I'll work through it. Whatever--and however long--it takes. I'm so grateful for your support. I don't want to enter into their world. I want to be here. Surrounded by my friends and comrades, in the world I know."
"Hmm." Cheng Li slipped down her shades and considered his words. "The thing is, Connor, you really are between Scylla and Charybdis. I hear what you are saying about your friends and comrades, but the fact is we are on a mission to destroy the Vampirates--at least the renegade Vampirates, including Sidorio, Lola, and Stukeley. You have to think through whether you can still be part of that mission, when your loyalties may be divided and your effectiveness compromised."
Connor felt his blood rise. "My loyalties aren't divided," he said angrily. "Not one bit. They mean nothing to me.
126
Less than nothing. I want them destroyed every bit as much as you do. Probably more." He stared Cheng Li directly in the eyes. "I'm ready to see the destruction of every last Vampirate and to play my part in it. You have to believe me."
"I do believe you," Cheng Li said, reaching out her hand to his shoulder, and lowering her voice. "But you need to be clear about this. Even if our mission is successful and we take out every last one of them, that won't change your genetic makeup, Connor. You will still be a dhampir--as will Grace--and Sidorio will still be your
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