‘I’m sure she would have been a figure of calm and fortitude in our time of need,’ Sir William said.
Liz laughed. ‘Though I doubt she would have taken too kindly to hanging off a rope above the House of Lords.’
‘Or being half drowned in a tunnel full of vampires,’ George said. His arm was tight round Liz’s shoulder, as if he was still afraid to let go. ‘Though I suppose that was my own fault.’
‘Gawd help us,’ Eddie said, grinning at his friends. ‘I’d fancy a medal if there’s one going, but you’d better not tell Queen Vic what really happened here.’
‘You think not, young man?’ the Prime Minister said. ‘Why is that?’
Eddie looked him square in the eye. ‘Cos she’ll think we’re all bats, that’s why.’
A pale gas lamp glowed through the foggy night on the other side of the Thames. Beneath it, a figure stood looking out across the river, watching the dark shapes of the last few bats circling over the Palace of Westminster.
She still stood there, unmoving, as the first streaks of sunlight painted the sky. Then at last she turned, her long black hair spilling over the scarlet cloak she was wearing, and walked away. Until she was swallowed up by the morning fog.
Also by Justin Richards
The Death Collector
The Chaos Code
Copyright © 2008 by Justin Richards
All rights reserved. You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages
First published in Great Britain in 2008 by Faber & Faber Ltd Published in the United States by Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children’s Books 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10010
Electronic edition published in October 2011
www.bloomsburykids.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Richards, Justin.
The parliament of blood / by Justin Richards. — 1st U.S. ed.
p. cm.
“First published in Great Britain by Faber & Faber.”
Summary: In Victorian London, after discovering that vampires really do exist and plot to end the human race, friends George, Liz, and Eddie join Sir William Protheroe in an increasingly desperate effort to find ways to stop them from overthrowing Parliament and, eventually, taking over the world.
ISBN: 978-1-59990-883-0 (ebook)
[1. Vampires—Fiction. 2. Horror stories.
3. London—History—19th century—Fiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.R386Par 2008 [Fic]—dc22 2008012245
The Parliament of Blood Page 27
