Anno Dracula - Kim Newman [174]
VARDALEK
Comrades, my friends... there is a mistake, Prince Dracula could not...
The dawn breaks. KOSTAKI, HENTZAU and the CARPATHIANS step back into the shadows. Sunlight falls on VARDALEK, and his face begins to smoulder and bubble. He screeches and hangs limply in the cage. He shrivels and blackens, screams fading to whimpers. Chunks of sloughed skin fall to the cobbles and sputter in the sunlight like cooking bacon. From the mouth of the alley, KOSTAKI and HENTZAU look up at VARDALEK. The crowd has backed away. HENTZAU rolls up the proclamation.
HENTZAU (sub-titled Romanian)
A job well done, lads.
KOSTAKI (sub-titles)
It is a mistake to let them know we can suffer and die. The Prince has made a mistake.
HENTZAU (sub-titles)
Vardalek was a fucking monster, Kostaki. Out of control. Ravening. There’s only room for one such.
They look up at VARDALEK. We follow their gaze, passing the faces of OLIVER, KATE, DIARMID, JAGO, CATHY, MARY, the CHINESE GIRL§. LESTRADE hurries up and is shown HENTZAU’s warrant. VARDALEK, still feebly struggling, is not truly dead. He is in despair. We climb up, to look down on VARDALEK. Everyone looks up at the rising sun. A shadow falls on them all, huge and batwinged. JAGO crosses himself. HENTZAU salutes.#
* * *
ABOVE LONDON. EXT. DAWN.
We fly over the city on huge batwings.
GYMNASIUM. INT. DAY.
The Victorian equivalent of a squash club. Young men in pairs fence, heavily masked and padded. Servants bear refreshments on trays. ARTHUR, in white fencing clothes, waits, hefting a foil, piercing imaginary opponents. CHARLES arrives, similarly dressed, late.
CHARLES
My apologies, Art. I didn’t make it to bed until nearly dawn.
ARTHUR
Vampire hours, old man. Penny tells me you’re quite the rake, mysteriously absent at all hours.
CHARLES
Duty, I’m afraid.
ARTHUR
Duty. Can’t be doing with it.
They face each other on a mat. A few of the others break off to watch this bout. CHARLES swishes his foil and reaches for a face-mask.
ARTHUR
Mind if we have a bash without the masks, Charles? They get infernally in the way.
CHARLES (not sure)
If you insist.
ARTHUR
I do. Now, defend your lady’s honour...
Before CHARLES is quite ready, ARTHUR slashes at him. CHARLES parries, awkwardly but effectively.
ARTHUR
Very neat, Charles.
ARTHUR tries another attack. CHARLES strains to fend him off. The match continues. ARTHUR is all effortless moves and confidence, making comments. CHARLES is stretched, silent, concentrating: outclassed by the vampire, but determined to give a good account of himself.
ARTHUR
I hear tell you’re involving yourself in this Ripper business. (CHARLES grunts.) Nasty affair. No credit in it. Do you have any ideas?
CHARLES (warding off an especially underhand thrust)
Not as yet.
ARTHUR
Pity. The PM would be grateful for a speedy conclusion.
CHARLES
So would some other scoundrels I met with last night.
ARTHUR
You are seen too much with scoundrels. Penny is beginning to tire of it. (He deliberately scrapes CHARLES’s face.) Sorry, old man. Very careless of me.
With cold determination, CHARLES does not lose his temper. He out-fences ARTHUR and touches him with sword-point several times on the torso.
ARTHUR
I say, you’re ahead, aren’t you.
ARTHUR moves inhumanly fast, pinning CHARLES to the wall, foil-edge at his throat. His fangs are extruded. CHARLES’s sword arm is held, gripped at the wrist.
ARTHUR
That about settles it, though.
ARTHUR licks the trickle of blood from CHARLES’s cheek, and lets him go. Servants arrive with drinks. ARTHUR has a goblet of blood, CHARLES orange juice.
ARTHUR
You’re still a better fencer than I, Charles. But you