“Because, Paa, you reject it out of fear of change. The world is growing around us and if we are to survive in it ...”
“No,” Tamu interrupted. Persi could see she stretched her body to stand tall as she threw back her chin.
Apparently this rabbit is tired of being insignificant, Persi thought.
“No, not survive.” Tamu continued. “I don’t want to simply survive, out on the fringes. We are a great and ancient people and I want to thrive.”
“Yes, thrive,” repeated Aiyana, “and to do that, we need to find a way to coexist with the humans. There is a place for us in this new world.”
“The counsel does not disagree with this, in principle, but you know we have ... responsibilities, that cannot be disregarded.”
John stepped away from the others. “The Nos must be ...”
“John,” the woman said, “you know the rules. There are things we must not speak of, things that ...
“Yes, Mother, but as you can see, and you are the one with the skill to do so, you can see that these humans are of a noble cast.”
“Yes, agreed,” said Paa, “but ...
John interrupted, “Paa, we agree the Nos must be watched and controlled, true, but this could be done with reservations. This should not interfere with ...”
“John,” Paa’s voice boomed. It seemed to Persi that she hadn’t actually raised her voice but the word exploded, vibrating through her as a clap of thunder. “Your thinking is too far ahead, analyze what will happen when the humans learn of the Nos. They will not discuss setting aside land and promoting reservations, they will want genocide.”
“Hello,” Persi said, feeling it was time she inserted herself, raised her left hand while using her right to slide the knife back into her belt. “Perhaps I could introduce myself and my associate?”
The entire gathering stopped to look at her.
“Yes, hello,” she said again, stepping between Aiyana and John, and outside the protective circle, “I am Ms. Persi Shuttleworth, and this is my fellow agent, Mr. Boots Beacon.”
Boots touched his brow in salute, then holstered his gun.
Paa sniffed the air and turned to a man near her. He nodded. “You share a bed, you and this associate?”
Persi blushed. “Well, not to put too fine a point on it, yes. He is in fact my husband.” Persi reconsidered and tried again “My mate.”
Paa smiled wryly and shook her head. “The Nightwalkers know the meaning of the word husband. In fact, many of us know the word in several languages.”
“Yes, of course. It was not my intent to ... I mean, you are my first vampires after all, but back to the matter at hand. Will you allow your ...” John’s use of the word, ‘mother’ had not escaped her. “children, to attempt this? If we allow them to lift with us, what will you do?”
“We have nothing against you, your ship or you crew. You may leave when you wish, though we request you stay in this guarded clearing, for your own safety. However, these thirteen will not be going with you.”
This caused a huge uproar with the thirteen who began protesting all at once, at least until a small, wiry, semi-human form crashed into the clearing. The thing was very pale with wispy strands of hair on its head. Its ears were large and pointed, as were the teeth in its wide mouth. It was naked but sexually ambiguous and bore gashes several inches long over most of its body. It wore a buckskin garment, like a cloak, around its neck, and though its form was human-like, from Persi’s perspective, it was a hideous nightmare.
Paa spoke, “What is it, Ethan?”
Both agents looked at Paa, then back to the creature. It had moved into a brighter area of the clearing, and where Persi and Boots had both seen a hellish creature, there now stood a very handsome well-proportioned man, pinning the buckskin that had once hung around his neck, around his waist.
“Oh,” Persi said, stepping back. “You shapeshift quickly.”
The man looked at Persi then questioningly at Paa who only shook her head.
“It is the Nos, they are coming.” Ethan said. “They will be here in several minutes.” He paused to take in Persi and Boots, as well as the airship moored several feet away, then shook his head vigorously. “Paa, the Nos are in frenzy.”
Chapter 19 – The Nosferatu Attack.
These words created a background noise of whispers as the new arrivals spoke to each other.
Persi felt that she was missing a significant change in the happenings, and after all, this had been her party. “Yes, uhm, could someone tell me about these, ‘Nos’ and explain to me the importance of ‘frenzy’ that seems to have animated you all?”
“Yes, I agree,” Boots added, “When you say it, the words seem to take on a tumultuous quality.”
The thirteen moved away from the center and back into the darkness of the woods. They shimmered and when the wavering light dissipated, the other form of the Nightwalker remained, crouching. The elder Nightwalkers also shifted, their clothes sliding from their smaller forms. In seconds, only Tamu was left looking as she had when she had arrived. “The Nosferatu are our,” the woman raised her eyes as if thinking, “charges, might be the best word.”
“You have a responsibility to them?” Boots offered.
She nodded, “Yes, they are a wilder, non-civilized form of the Nightwalkers.”
Persi spoke, a quality of excitement in her voice laced with a tinge of concern, “And this, frenzy?”
Tamu dropped her head as if embarrassed by the question. “Frenzy is a Nosferatu state of mind,” she said, “usually brought on by the smell and sight of blood. We sometimes call it ‘blood lust.’ What little intelligence they have is gone and they are pure animal killing machines. You must get on your ship and lift, at least fifty feet above the tallest tree.”
Captain Grimm arrived at Boots elbow unnoticed, causing Boots to jump when he spoke. “We seem to have drawn the crowd,” he said, looking at all the forms crouched in the darkness.
“Yes, and we are about to get more visitors, an unsavory sort.” Boots said, “We are boarding the ship. You will raise the ramp, and lift two-hundred feet. Please tell the engineer.”
“Yes, sir,” the Captain said, turning.
Suddenly there was a shriek from the woods and a small human form launched itself from the darkness with both feet and hands pointing forward, each finger and toe was tipped with long claws. As it dropped toward him, Boots’ hand slid to his holster but he knew he did not have the time needed to draw and aim.
Boots saw Persi hitch up her dress and thrust her hand toward the pistol strapped to her calf. Boots pistol cleared its holster, but was too late to aim as the monster hurdled at him, mere inches from his face. An explosion sounded from the direction of the ship, a hiss of air passed by his left ear and the vampire, changed course with a jerk and fell to the ground.
With only seconds to glance at the fallen vampire, and the black blood seeping from the huge red hole in its chest, Boots grabbed Persi, and half pulled, half dragged her to the ship. He saw each Nightwalker engaged with multiple Nosferatu.
“Time to go,” he said. “Our new friends seem more capable of handling this than we. He placed Persi at the bottom of the ramp and smacked her on the posterior, as one might a horse.
“Really, husband. Not in public,” she said, moving quickly up into the ship.
Boots smiled, and ran to the stern to help Joseph unhook the mooring cable. Finished there, and without gathering the line, moved quickly forward and unhooked the bow cable. Joseph paused suddenly looking at the lines laying abandoned on the ground, as if he were forced to leave a wounded comrade in a foxhole, but the ship began to lift and in seconds they both stood on the bottom of the ascending ramp.
Boots saw several vampires huddled in the center of the clearing. As the fighting raged around them, and though he could not hear their speech, their hand gestures and body language seemed to indicate an impassioned debate. Without warning, a wall of pale human-like creatures crashed i
nto the clearing, their terrible high-pitched screams stabbed through the dark causing Boots to shiver.
Suddenly the debate was over and four Nightwalkers broke away from the group and ran toward the ship. As the vampires’ feet hit the ramp, now a foot from the earth, their bodies shimmered and they changed into their human shape and continued into the ships hold. Aiyana, then John, then another woman he had not seen previously. The forth Nightwalker, still several feet away, changed and Boots recognized Tamu, but before she could leap onto the ramp, now hovering a good three feet from the ground, the white growling form of a Nos shot from the dark and tackled her.
“No,” Boots yelled, pulling his gun and moving to jump to the ground. Hands grabbed his arm. “You cannot help, there.” Aiyana said, standing naked in human form.
Something uncontrollable came over him. It affected him physically, like lust, but there were qualities in the emotions he felt went beyond sexuality. He remembered having a similar feeling as he gazed up at Michelangelo’s frescos in the Sistine Chapel. It was like he understood how the beauty of a Greek woman named Helen could start a war.
A hiss of steam erupted and he regained his thoughts. “What the devil,” Boots growled as the ramp began to rise. “Who ...” he turned to see Persi, her hand on the lever that controlled the ramp.
“She is right, my love, you can do nothing now. They are far better evolved, equipped and experienced to handle this situation.” she said, handing a blanket to the ravishingly beautiful naked form of Aiyana. Now, Boots faced a new set of emotions, embarrassment and guilt. He loved Persi, and from their very first meeting he had not thought of another woman in the ways he had been thinking about Aiyana. He found himself suspicious and knew he must find a way to ask John some pointed questions. He would also speak with Grimm. Perhaps he should brief the men so there would be no misunderstandings, or deaths.
Even after the ramp shut and he knew they must be at least fifty feet above the landing area, the ramp door sounded with thumps and scratches as the Nos jumped against it, trying to gain access. Faint shots came from above. “I must go, my love,” Boots said looking at his wife. Stay and see that our guests are taken care of.”
“Yes, dear,” Persi said immediately and without her characteristic argument.
Boots ran up the stairs to the second deck, then aft and up the ladder to the observation deck where he found the stewards and Captain Grimm firing upon Nos who appeared from the dark forest below, as if flying. They hit the sides of the wooden gondola, sunk their claws in and began a slow climb toward the deck above. Fortunately, the crew had been able to knock them from the ship with shots to the hands and head.
“They are terrible fighting machines are they not? Captain Grim asked.
“Yes, Captain, they certainly are,” Boots said, walking to the rail and shooting a Nos ascending rather quickly toward them. The beast fell and disappeared into the darkness. “It is a shame we must kill them.”
“You are not,” said a voice from behind. They turned to see the woman Nightwalker with blanket wrapped around her, Persi following. Boots noted that she had not been with the original group. “Unless you are using sundowner ammunition of course. You are not using these are you?”
Boots looked at the men who all shook their heads. “No, regular lead,” he said, “Except the first shot that hit the one attacking me. That was a steal-cased round from the mounted .50 caliber.” He pointed to a chair where large rifle was mounted. The chair was affixed to a steel arm that swiveled out over the edge of the deck. He turned to look at Nicholas. “Good shooting, by the way.”
The sooty, nodded and turned away to obscure the reddening of his cheeks barely visible in the glow of the deck lanterns.
Persi assessed the woman. Her ‘dress’ exposed more shoulder than was acceptable, all of her shoulders in fact, and none of her arm, but it did cover her ankles which somehow seemed to put everything into a kind of balance.
The woman extended her hand. “I am Jane.”
Persi slowly reached out, curious about the European name. She knew the Nightwalkers acquired new members through various means, but most were acquired from native peoples.
Persi’s apprehension caused Jane to smile. “I know I do not look like the Original People but I am an elder. I am of European descent and was brought into the tribe in 1785 after being left for dead by my husband as we travelled from Virginia to find a place to settle.
Persi spoke, “Then you are around 120 years old, though you seem to be in your twenties. Amazing.”
“I am 124 human years, but I am still rather young compared to the Ancients, which is what we call our true elders. They are many times older than me. To clarify, the term ‘elder’ to us does not indicate only age. It is a position of authority, obtained through giving good counsel and the wise use of knowledge.”
“Hmm ...” was all Persi could think to say.
“I will retire below in a minute,” she continued, “but we are guests and I needed to ask if there is a special area in which you wanted us to locate.”
“We only have two available guest rooms, but they are yours,” Persi said. “Is John a mate of either you or Aiyana? Or is – cohabitating not an issue for the Nightwalkers?”
Jane laughed. “None of us is mated ... at least as you would understand, but in any case, this is not a problem, in fact, we would rather not be confined to a room. When time, we curl up in an unoccupied nook. If this is agreeable, we ask only that you inform your crew that they may stumble upon us. We don’t wish to startle them.”
“Won’t the noise and activity bother you?” Captain Grimm asked, “My men have work, especially now with the repairs we must complete before tomorrow afternoon.”
“No. With the promise of safety, we will place ourselves in a state of hibernation. You will not bother us, and we will sense danger if it comes so you have no need to concern yourselves with us.” Jane sighed. “Now, I will retire. Thank you for your hospitality.”
“Certainly. Do you have any particular dietary requirements we could prepare for you?” asked Boots.
Jane smirked.
“Other than the obvious ones?” Boots followed up quickly.
“No, thank you,” she said. “We have recently fed and will not need to do so for the next few days.” With no warning she turned and moved across the deck. They could see her feet move, and they seemed to touch the deck but there was a perception of gliding, as if her walking motion was a mere affectation to calm the humans. Before descending the stairs, she stopped and turned. “We will speak further of our plans tonight?” she asked.
Persi nodded. “Absolutely.”
She disappeared down the stairs and Boots looked at Persi and answered the question on her face. “I have no idea if this was the right course of action.”
They were quiet for a minute, staring into the dark forest beneath, seeing only the occasional pale forms of the Nos launching themselves from the tops of the trees. “From a strategic perspective,” Persi said, “the Nightwalkers would be an incredible addition to our national security. Imagine them as intelligencers, or even on the battlefield?”
Boots placed an arm around her waist and leaned his head against her back. “Can of worms my dear. I see a can of worms.”
She smiled. “There is that. Shall why we retreat to our cabin? I am weary, let’s retire and prepare ourselves for the next part of our excursion.”
Persi turned, her arm stuck through his, then she stopped suddenly. “Boots my dear, you did not actually tell our guests that they must not find their ‘nooks’ in cabins other than those available. We will need to clarify for them when they awaken. Until then, please check ours well before we retire.”
Boots smiled and patted her arm. “Yes, dear.”
Chapter 20 – There is Reason Behind Mr. Shipley Madness
As Boots had predicted, Engineer Parry had the Daedalus repaired and ready to lift shortly before noon. His engineering staff, including the sootys we
nt to their bunks for a few hours of sleep, after Boots altered his float time from 2 PM, to 3 PM.
Persi and Boots had scheduled a meeting with senior crew for breakfast and were the first to arrive. Steward Morris stood near the starboard side railing and lifted the lid of a wooden deck box. He pulled a lever and a hiss of steam erupted from a port in the deck. A four-foot diameter disk (one of seven) detached itself from the deck and rose two feet before stopping. Morris positioned four wooden folding chairs around its parameter before disappearing down the stairs.
Captain Grimm was next on deck, sauntering across to meet them at the rail. Together, all three looked over the edge to the ground below but seeing nothing of the vicious battle of the previous night.
“They seem to clean their battle fields after a fight, how nice,” Persi said.
“Never leaving the man behind, yes?” Grimm said.
“Or, perhaps it is self-protection,” Boots suggested. “I suspect they want to keep all such violence hidden from humankind. They seem to be very keen on this.”
While they had been speaking, Steward Morris set the table, placing several steaming trays of food in the center. Morris cleared his throat and drew attention to the table. “Breakfast, Captain.”
Captain Grimm nodded and held his arm out, directing Persi and Boots to the meal.
Boots looked over the dishes and his stomach growled. There was a large platter of pancakes, another platter of fried eggs, a third held rashers of bacon, and there was a bowl filled with a white creamy mixture, dotted with black pepper and topped with several pats of butter.
“Master Morris, once again you have shown your resourcefulness and skill,” Boots said.
The young man nodded as he helped Persi into her chair.
“This white paste,” Persi pointed to the bowl, “surely not potatoes?”
“No ma’am. It is a dish from the south, and southwest to some extent. It is called, grits.”
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