inherit the earth

by Hunter

  Saraceno had been staying on the top floor of the hotel. When Van Wyk stepped out into the corridor, he saw that someone had knocked the door to the prince’s luxury suite off its hinges. It had fallen inward.

  The doctor looked at Wilson. “I assume you did that. ”

  The other human nodded. “I was standing guard out here in the corridor, and I was supposed to make sure Mr. Saraceno was out and about by eight. When I yelled and pounded and he didn’t answer, I got a bad feeling and kicked down the door. Then I found him in the bedroom. ” He grimaced at the picture in his mind. “Then evidently you didn’t have a key. ” “Nobody did. Mr. Saraceno was kind of paranoid about his personal security. He said that was how he’d survived this long. ”

  They walked on into a large sitting room opulently furnished with antiques. What might well be an original Matisse hung on the wall, and a beautiful Chinese porcelain vase sat on a marble-topped stand. Tucked away in one corner in the midst of all the elegance and taste was a collection of medieval torture implements, including thumbscrews, barbed whips, and even a half-open iron maiden, the tips of the spikes brown and rusty.

  Van Wyk looked about for a moment, taking in the details of the scene, and then his investigator’s intuition whispered that he ought to look at the interior face of the fallen door.

  He pointed “Could someone please lift that up? ’ “No problem, ” Polly said. She hoisted it effortlessly, with one hand.

  Van Wyk’s eyes narrowed. “There are locks here that can only be opened from the inside, and

  which were engaged when, you, Mr. Wilson, battered down the door. Is there another way in? ” “Not as far as I know, ” Rand replied, “and I think I would. We Ven—, that is to say, my faction built and owns the hotel. ”

  Van Wyk walked to one of the windows. It was locked, and it, too, could only be opened from the inside. He would examine all the others, but already sensed he would find them in the same condition.

  A locked room and a guard, he thought grimly. Those must be the “peculiar” features to which Rand had alluded.

  “Let’s inspect the bedroom, ” the doctor said. The spacious sleeping room was as handsomely appointed as the rest of the suite, but with odd, heavy black drapes covering the window. Van Wyk took note of the fact as evidence that vampires truly couldn’t bear sunlight. But most of his attention fixed on the gory tableau in the center of the room.

  Anthony Saraceno’s body lay in bed beneath blood-soaked covers. From the looks of things, his killer had crouched over him and pressed a strange blade with a wooden handle at each end into his neck. The vampire prince had grabbed hold of it, and, heedless of the cuts he was inflicting on his hands, tried to shove it away. Van Wyk knew because the dead creature was still clutching the weapon. Unfortunately, struggling hadn’t done Saraceno any good. The edged steel had sheared completely through his spinal column.

  His chestnut-haired, brown-eyed head had tumbled off the bed onto the floor, where it lay on one ear staring glassy-eyed at the intruders in the doorway.

  Marvin made a little choking sound of revulsion.

  As he moved into the room, Van Wyk kept his eyes on the floor, trying not to step on any pieces of evidence. That, of course, was assuming he would know them if he saw them. Actually, he had exaggerated his qualifications as a sleuth. He was entirely competent to perform an autopsy, but less so to evaluate every element of a crime scene. Well, he would simply have to do the best he could.

  Bending down, he gazed closely at the murder weapon. “This a strange-looking implement. Has anyone ever seen it, or one like it, before? ” Evidently no one had, or at least he wasn’t admitting it.

  Van Wyk peered at the raw stump that had been Saraceno’s neck. “This weapon could have been used to saw or chop through your prince’s neck, but I can tell from the appearance of the wound that it wasn’t. Someone pushed it through all at once, like a guillotine blade, while Mr. Saraceno tried vainly to hold it back. ”

  “That would require prodigious strength, ” said Rand, “which, as you observed, is not an advantage we ‘Executives’ possess. ”

  “I told you, ” Polly said, “you aren’t pinning this on us. ”

  As the two squabbled, Van Wyk continued his examination of the corpse. After a while, he noticed that the blade had nearly cut Saraceno’s hands in two as well. He touched the edge with the utmost gentleness and still bloodied the tip of his finger.

  He cleared his throat to draw his companions’ attention. “You made a reasonable inference, Mr. Rand, but in fact, the killer didn’t need superhuman strength. This blade is amazingly sharp, keener than the finest Japanese katanas. Tell me, is there actually such a thing as a ‘magic’ weapon7’ “Yeah, ” Polly said. “They’re rare, but they’re out there. Of course, guys with a whole lot of money are the ones who can usually get their hands on them. Isn’t that right, Rand? ”

  “You and your kind may enjoy the bohemian life, “ the Executive replied, “but I’m reasonably certain you have your own wealth socked away somewhere. The criminal enterprises you control must turn a healthy profit. ”

  Van Wyk observed that Saraceno’s skin was purplish, and his nails, white. The eyes in the severed head had begun to flatten. However, there was no sign as yet of rigor mortis. If a vampire corpse deteriorated in the same manner as a human one — a tenuous assumption, he realized — the prince had apparently been dead at least thirty minutes and probably less than four hours.

  The doctor completed his investigation of the crime scene without turning up anything else of interest. Under normal circumstances, the next step would be to look for fingerprints, but he didn’t have the equipment and was reasonably certain that a killer clever enough to enter and depart the suite unobtrusively would have had the sense to wear gloves anyway.

  “Now I’ll need to question people, ” he said. “I suppose there’s no reason why I shouldn’t conduct the interviews right here in this sitting room. Mr. Wilson, if you’ll please stay, I’ll begin with you. ”

  Polly chuckled. “I can’t remember the last time I let a mortal tell me to get lost. But anything for you, Doc. Send for me when you need me. ” She and Rand took their leave.

  In the sitting room, Van Wyk settled himself in a velvet-upholstered wingchair. Marvin flopped down on a hassock. Wilson remained standing until the doctor waved him toward the couch. Then he perched on the front of the cushion, his back so straight that he might have been standing at attention.

  “I need some background, ” said Van Wyk. “What, exactly, was the nature of your relationship with Mr. Saraceno and his kind? ”

  Wilson hesitated. “I’m not sure how much I’m allowed to tell you. ”

  “I understand your dilemma. But if you had regard for Mr. Saraceno, your best hope of seeing his killer unmasked is to speak candidly. ” “Besides, ” Marvin chimed in unexpectedly, “you know that the other vamps probably won’t let the doc walk out of here alive, no matter what they promised. Got to maintain that first tradition. ”

  Wilson’s mouth tightened. “Yeah, okay, I’ll answer your questions. Unless you ask about some secret that I’m sure I’m not supposed to talk about. ” Van Wyk said, “Fair enough. ”

  “I worked for Mr. Saraceno, but it was more than just a job. There’s a… perk that vampires can give to their mortal helpers. ” To Van Wyk’s surprise, he detected a hint of shame in Wilson’s voice, as if the tough bodyguard were revealing an unusual sexual proclivity. “It keeps you from getting old. Believe it or not, I was bom in 1923. I don’t know where I’m going to get my treatments now. ” Van Wyk had had no idea that individuals like Wilson existed. He was accumulating a wealth of new data, information of use to any hunter, and he hoped that he wouldn’t die before he could pass it along. “You stood guard outside Mr. Saraceno’s door. When did you come on duty? ” “Three o’clock. Hours before dark. Before any of the vampires should have been up and moving around. ”

  ‘You’re assuming another
vampire killed him. ” Wilson cocked his square, crew cut head. “Naturally. Trust me, no mortal has what it took to do the job, or to get into the suite without me spotting him”

  “Did anyone come up to this floor while you were on duty? ”

  “No. ”

  “Did you 9ee or hear anything out of the ordinary? ’ “No. ”

  “I’ll be frank with you, Mr. Wilson. I don’t necessarily agree that only a vampire could have killed

  your employer. I could conjecture that you kicked down the door, did the deed, retired to some refuge to wash off and exchange your bloody clothes for clean ones, and then sought out Mr. Rand to report Mr. Saraceno’s demise. Given that scenario, it’s no longer necessary to explain how the murderer got in and out without disturbing the locks and without you noticing anything amiss. ”

  “I get that, ” Wilson replied, “but I didn’t do it. I had no reason to. Mr. Saraceno treated me okay, and like I told you, he was my ticket to eternal life. Besides, I couldn’t do it even if I wanted. My treatments affected my mind. They made me completely, unconditionally loyal. ”

  “I see, ” replied Van Wyk noncommittally. “Then who, in your opinion, would have wanted to kill Mr. Saraceno? ”

  Wilson snorted. “Who wouldn’t? Vampires are always plotting against each other, settling old scores, jockeying for power. Sometimes it winds up with one of them dead. But my money’s on one of Polly’s gang. They’re rebels and troublemakers by nature, and they never wanted to accept the prince’s authority over the whole quad-city area, them included. And when they took the youngsters in, that was defying him outright. Maybe they figured they needed to murder him before he got around to punishing them. ”

  “Who are these youngsters? ” asked Van Wyk. Marvin brushed a strand of his long, unruly hair out of his pale blue eyes. “Saraceno turned a lawyer named Jonathan Billings into a vampire. Afterwards,

  Jonathan was supposed to obey his sire, the prince — in this case, the same dude — and the traditions — the laws—just like the rest of us. One of the rules says you can’t make a new vampire without permission. But as a mortal, Jonathan had a girlfriend named Elaine, and he didn’t want her to get old and kick, so he turned her without Saraceno’s okay.

  “When the prince found out about it, ” the skinny vampire continued, “Jonathan and Elaine ran away to Polly, and her people took them in. As you can guess, after Saraceno found out about that, he was even more pissed. The factions were going to meet her tonight to discuss if the runaways would be handed over to their elder, if the two sides would go to war, or what. ”

  “Interesting, ” said Van Wyk. “That’s all for now, Mr. Wilson. Please find Polly and send her up. ” “You got it, ” Wilson said.

  Once the servant had gone, Marvin said, “Do you really think you can pull this off? ”

  At the best of times, Van Wyk hesitated to confide his personal feelings to others. He certainly had no inclination to engage in idle chitchat with one of his captors. Despite his sad sack appearance, Marvin was a predator on humanity, just like his fellows. But the doctor hoped it would benefit him to ingratiate himself with his guard. “According to you, it doesn’t matter. You people are going to kill me regardless. ”

  The vampire blinked. “Uh, I shouldn’t have said that. I mean, I just said it to convince Wilson to open up. I’m sure they’ll let you go if you crack the case. ”

  “I’m glad to hear it, ” said Van Wyk, pretending to believe him.

  “So, do you think you can figure it out? ”

  “I hope so. ”

  “I guess you don’t have some weird power that will point to the killer. ”

  ‘Alas, no. Or if I do, I haven’t discovered it yet. The truth is, I’m only just beginning to explore these abilities. I don’t fully understand their uses and limitations. Occasionally, I forget I even have them. ”

  Marvin nodded. “Turning into a vampire is the same way. Some of it comes naturally, but a lot of it you have to learn. ”

  “You don’t seem to be quite the same sort of vampire as any of the others. ”

  “No, ” the creature replied with a bitter smile. “I’m what they call a caitiff. Thin, dirty blood. No heritage. I’m lucky Saraceno even made a place for me in his family, even though I’m at the absolute bottom of the pecking order. Rand probably picked me to help you because I can’t give away any of his special secrets, or because he figures a mortal doesn’t deserve quality help. ”

  Despite himself, Van Wyk felt a vague pang of empathy. As a bookish, introverted child, he had learned early on what it was like not to fit in. “Should I believe Mr. Wilson’s assertion that he was constrained from harming Mr. Saraceno under any circumstances whatsoever? ”

  Marvin frowned as he pondered the question. “I’m pretty sure you can, but there’s never

  anything one hundred percent certain where vampires are concerned. You’ve got all these different powers that can work against each other. Of course, Wilson himself isn’t a vampire. ” “Definitely not, ” drawled a throaty feminine voice. Startled, Van Wyk nearly jerked in his chair, but managed to maintain his composure and turn slowly. Polly was standing in the doorway.

  “Didn’t take you long to call me back up here, ” she continued, sauntering to the couch. “You got the hots for me, or am I your number one suspect? ” “Neither, ” said Van Wyk, automatically rising for her as he would for any woman. It cost him a twinge. At his age, he was still fit enough to dash frantically about for a while, but he stiffened up badly afterwards.

  Polly half sat, half reclined on the sofa, legs akimbo, in a provocative and unladylike pose.

  “I don’t have a ‘number one suspect’ as yet, ” the doctor reiterated, “but according to Mr. Rand, your faction did have a good reason to kill Mr. Saraceno. ”

  “Sure. We didn’t like taking his orders. ” ‘Then why accept his authority, even grudgingly? “ She grinned. With her fangs retracted, it was a fetching smile. “Power. He was the toughest mosquito in town, and that’s how you declare yourself prince and make it stick. ”

  “I gather that your relationship, never amicable, had deteriorated of late. ”

  “Uh huh, because we took in those fugitives. Not the brightest move I ever made. It gave him an excuse either to declare war on us or go bitch about us to some old timers even more powerful than he was. But I sympathi2ed with the kids, and I never was able to pass up a chance to give Saraceno the finger.

  “But, ” she continued, “I didn’t kill him. When I agreed to this meeting, I also agreed to a truce, and I don’t break promises. I may not give a damn about laws or authority, but I’ve got honor up the wazoo. You understand the difference? ”

  “I do. Nonetheless, I must ask you where you were between sundown and, say, eight fifteen. ” Polly chuckled. “Mostly I was playing tag with you. You almost put a bullet in me. ”

  “Given the protracted nature of the pursuit, and the way we ranged all over the hotel, you could easily have absented yourself long enough to commit the murder. ”

  “Maybe, but I couldn’t have gotten past those locks without busting something. My ‘subspecies’ has disciplines — powers — that are good for beating the crap out of people. We’re not big on subtlety. We’re also too savvy about fighting to use a blade like the one that cut Saraceno’s head off. I don’t care if it is magic, I never saw such a clumsy, stupidly designed weapon in my life. A grip on each end? The killer would have been ten times better off with a machete or an ax. ”

  “That had occurred to me as well. But leaving it aside for the moment, let’s consider this. If you didn’t murder Mr. Saraceno, perhaps it was someone else from your group, someone whose notion of honor diverges from yours. A rebel against your authority. ”

  She shrugged. “I’ve got no problem believing that one of them would want to do it. But you still have to explain the locked door and the moronic weapon. ”

  “True. ”

  Polly smiled. “D
oc, I get the feeling you’re not even close to an answer. But maybe you can still survive past dawn. I could drain you but then bring you back as one of us. You’re smart enough to be useful, and you’re kind of cute. ”

  Van Wyk couldn’t tell if she was serious. “Please don’t do that. I don’t want to be a vampire. ” A flash of knowledge came to him then, as had occasionally happened ever since the day he discovered that the world of the supernatural was horribly real, and that he had somehow acquired uncanny abilities himself. “Even if I did, I can’t be transformed. ”

  “But I’ll bet you can still be eaten. ” She grinned, and this time her glistening fangs were extended. “You might even like it. You got any other questions for me? ”

  “Not at this time. Could you please ask Mr. Rand to come see me. ”

  “Sure. ” She exited the room, hips swaying. “Hope she didn’t get you worked up, ” said Marvin, a hint of laughter in his voice. “That slut routine is all an act, to lure in the prey. Vampires don’t have a sex drive. Just the thirst. ” Van Wyk was taken aback. Could Polly actually flaunt herself so brazenly, and yet have no

  genuine erotic feelings at all? It was strange, somehow disturbing, and another piece of precious information to file away.

  “Was she telling the truth about the extent of her powers? ” the doctor asked. “Could she have changed into a vapor and flowed under the door, or bypassed it in some equally exotic way? ”

  “I doubt it. ”

  “Could Mr. Rand, or a member of his faction? “

  “No. Their powers are all about messing with your head. Like mine, as far as I even have any. Except… ”

  “Except what? ”

  “There is a discipline that lets vampires change form. It usually belongs to guys from one particular group, but once in a while, a power can manifest in a vamp from a bloodline that isn’t supposed to have it. So there’s a chance, just a tiny one but still, that Polly or Rand or one of their followers can turn to mist, and just never let anybody know. ”