The Elixir

by George Willson

  “Of course, John,” Van Helsing said. “My apologies. I trust, David, that when I am gone, you will do your job and protect them. I would hate for my trust in you to have the trend I’ve witnessed before.”

  “I am more than capable,” David said. “Please note that I am not the child I was back then. I’ve made a lot of mistakes, yes, but I’ve grown from them.”

  “And yet, none of this would have happened if not for you,” Van Helsing said.

  “I had no way of knowing,” David said. “We took every precaution. Who would have guessed that Karian would take a boat here?”

  “You should have guessed that,” Van Helsing said. “You knew how intelligent he was. You should have known what he was capable of.”

  “But a Mutation on a boat?” David asked.

  “All right,” Van Helsing said. “I have to admit that it seems like a long shot even for Karian.”

  “Mrs. Harker,” David said turning back to her, “I thank you for this insight to your family history.”

  “No, thank you,” Mina said. “I honestly had no idea that the story was true, and now to meet people who have lived through it – who were part of it.”

  “Dr. Van Helsing,” Arthur said, unintentionally interrupting them, “your cab has arrived.”

  “Excellent,” Van Helsing said, “Mr. Stoker, are you ready?”

  Stoker joined Van Helsing as they left the asylum and walked to the cab waiting at the curb. Van Helsing glanced down the street in the direction of the Abbey and spotted two people standing on the far side of the road. They were dressed in a manner that fully covered their bodies which led Van Helsing to suspect them as Fempiror. The pair turned to look at Van Helsing and Stoker as they approached their cab.

  Once they were on their way, Stoker leaned in to Van Helsing. “Who do you think they are?”

  “Couldn’t say for certain,” Van Helsing replied, looking behind them, “but one of them is pretty effortlessly jogging behind us.”

  “Are we in danger, you think?” Stoker asked.

  “I think it’s more or less a matter of keeping track of the activity going on around the Abbey,” Van Helsing said. “We know they’re watching that location in waiting for David and Voivode to return, but it is possible they’re keeping an open mind about the neighboring property. I’d say if that person took a couple of solid sprints, they’d catch right up to us.”

  “So once we leave you at the market, I’ll head straight on to the Lyceum to get it ready,” Stoker said.

  “I suspect our separation will be good for our follower,” Van Helsing.

  “I’ll tell the driver to take the long way around just in case,” Stoker said.

  “You might walk the last couple of blocks as well,” Van Helsing suggested. “Just so they can’t interview the cabbie about where he took you.”

  The cab came to a stop at the market where Van Helsing opened the door.

  “I will see you in a few hours,” Van Helsing said. “Be careful.”

  “You too,” Stoker replied.

  Van Helsing left the cab and closed the door behind him. As the cab rattled away, he entered the marketplace while keeping one eye on the runner who followed them. Rather than follow the cab, the person watched Van Helsing for a moment before leaving him alone. He knew there would be two more cabs to leave the asylum this evening, and if the Tepish were already keen enough to follow the first, the later ones would not stand a chance. He only prayed David would be successful in protecting them.

  * * * * * * * * * *

  Vladimir looked up to see Adelaide Bartlett enter his living room where he impatiently awaited any word from the watch Adelaide had been keeping with George Dyson outside the Carfax Abbey. It had been several hours since he had returned from the unsuccessful raid, and he was growing weary of waiting so he hoped this would be good news. However, one look at Adelaide’s face indicated anything but good news.

  “Say what you have to say and be quick about it,” Vladimir snapped.

  “My lord, there has been no activity at the Abbey,” Adelaide reported.

  He puzzled over why they were not there. The place was recently furnished with old pieces of furniture, and it seemed to be actively lived in. Nothing would have tipped them off to Vladimir’s arrival last night, and everything he found led him straight there. They would not have logically moved on so quickly.

  “Then why are you here?” Vladimir asked.

  “Simply that the asylum next door to the Abbey appears to have a great deal of activity surrounding it,” Adelaide said.

  “It’s a prison for the insane,” Vladimir said, interrupting her. “Of course there is going to be a lot of activity. They call it a hospital, but a hospital for loons has always been a joke.”

  He glanced at her face, and noted that she had more to say about this. He considered the possibility of the head of the asylum being involved in this affair, but that would mean that David had willingly allied himself with humans. Given the boy’s history, he doubted David would do this.

  “Finish your report,” Vladimir said.

  “My lord, two people left the asylum a short while ago in a cab,” Adelaide continued. “I followed them for a time to see where they would go, and they parted company at a market. The one who stayed in the cab was a well-dressed, but stocky, man with a beard. The one who went to the market was also well-dressed, but his clothing, while stylish, appeared to have been selected in order to deflect the sun. I doubt anyone other than those who know the Fempiror weakness would even notice.”

  “This possible Fempiror,” Vladimir said. “What did he look like?”

  “He was the one we saw outside Highgate,” Adelaide said with a smile. “Red hair. Chiseled face.”

  “Abraham again,” Vladimir said. “It must be. Is George still standing guard?”

  “He is,” Adelaide confirmed.

  “Return at once with a cab and keep it on standby,” Vladimir said. “I want you to follow anyone who leaves the asylum. Stay with them at all costs.”

  “Yes, my lord,” Adelaide said, and she left.

  Vladimir figured that the building, being as old as it was, likely had some kind of secret exit that Voivode was able to use to escape. He managed to run next door to the asylum where who should await him but Abraham? Was Abraham working with Voivode then? It seemed unlikely given that he had already confirmed David’s involvement, and he knew enough of their history to suspect that Abraham and David would not likely be willing workmates.

  He considered whether he should simply go to the asylum and raid it as well, but it was much more of a maze than the Abbey. In addition, with all of the lunatics stored there, it would get complicated in a hurry. It would be far better to track their movements and attack from a position of power rather than risk whatever horrors are in the asylum. Patience was one of the Fempiror hallmarks that Vladimir held in short supply, but in this case, he decided to practice it, no matter how difficult it was.

  CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

  David stood at one of the windows of the asylum overlooking the road that led down to the Abbey. He watched as Abraham left with Stoker and noted that one of the robed figures across the street who had been watching followed them on foot. Getting away was not going to be easy.

  He had asked Arthur when to expect the coaches he had requested, and Arthur indicated that they should arrive in thirty minute intervals in an effort to mask their escape, but David wondered if they should have had them all arrive at once and then leave in three directions at the same time. It certainly would have confused their watchers.

  As it is, with one leaving and time between them, David was afraid it might tip them off that something was going on and give them time to prepare. They had discussed at length who should travel together, and they unanimously decided that Jonathan and Mina would travel in one while David and Voivode would travel in the other. This left Arthur and Seward to decide which of the pairs they would prefer to ride with.

&
nbsp; Arthur decided to go with the Harkers since he was considered family by Mina anyway, which left Seward to travel with David and Voivode. Seward was fine with this arrangement, since he felt it would be fascinating to talk with the Fempiror as they waited and traveled.

  David also realized that his cloak was at the Abbey, and leaving in the daylight, he and Voivode would need something to protect themselves. Fortunately, Seward said that the asylum had some cloaks with hoods in its storeroom where the patient belongings were stored, and that they would be sure to stop by there once it was their time to go.

  At almost exactly thirty minutes following the departure of Van Helsing and Stoker, the second coach arrived. The person across the street regarded it with great interest as Arthur and the Harkers boarded the coach and left, but rather than give chase, he stood his ground. David could see his anxiety as the cab left, and it was only a few minutes later that another cab arrived, but on that side of the street.

  The passenger of that cab was a woman, and when she got out, they appeared to be discussing the cab that had just left the asylum. He could not hear them, of course, but from her gestures, she appeared to be rather upset. He could see that the new cab was intended to follow whoever left, so as far as they knew, they could have missed their chance. Then again, they would have seen the three people who left were all human, so they were not likely to have followed them anyway. Their watchers would be looking for Fempiror.

  “Still down there, are they?” Seward asked.

  “Well, now they have a cab of their own,” David said.

  “That should make leaving interesting,” Seward noted.

  “We’ll definitely have company,” David said. “I wonder how fast the cabbie will be willing to drive.”

  “Cabbies can be downright reckless at times,” Seward said. “Our guy might welcome the challenge.”

  David chuckled. “A Levi-Cart would really help out right about now.”

  “A what?” Seward asked.

  “It’s a sort of flying vehicle,” David said.

  “You have achieved flight?” Seward asked. “What else could we learn from you?”

  “The Fempiror have a very strict policy to not share its technology with mankind,” David said. “Call it conceit or what have you, but they won’t do it. I would imagine they’ve progressed significantly since I last saw them.”

  “How long has it been?” Seward asked.

  “Seventy years,” David said. “It seems to be a popular figure lately. 1819 was a pretty significant year for us.” He looked at Seward who only listened patiently. David sighed.

  “Abraham has gone out of his way to make you all keenly aware of my lapses in judgment, but it really needs to be said that these lapses happened over a hundred years ago. I’ve had some bad decisions here and there, but everything he holds against me is that old. That’s like not allowing an old man to sit on your furniture because he soiled himself regularly as an infant. Or not allowing a doctor to diagnose a patient because he destroyed his sister’s dolls.

  “In no way do I wish to demean the significance of my actions, because what I’ve done has had far more serious consequences than a dirty diaper or broken toys. People have died because of me, and I have to live with that forever. It’s the reason I don’t know what’s going on in the Fempiror world. I decided I was a danger to those around me, and I left.”

  “While I can understand why Dr. Van Helsing is angry at you,” Seward said, “as a doctor of psychology, I do believe it is high time he move past that and heal the relationship with what I understand to be the only relative he has.”

  “Now if you could only make him understand that,” David smiled. “The Fempiror are able to progress so far beyond humanity because we live long enough to fully develop our ideas, and we don’t spend time fighting each other all the time. Or so they say. That’s the reason I’ve always been given. The last major conflict the Fempiror had back in 1785 brought their development to a standstill and I saw our technology suffer for it. I guess there is something to it.”

  The third cab arrived in front of the building, and David moved away from the window. He walked to Voivode who rested on a couch in the living room.

  “Voivode, it is time to go,” David said. “If you’ll forgive me, I feel like we’ll need to move quickly, so I believe it would be best to carry you.”

  “I understand,” Voivode said. “Do what you have to do.”

  Seward led the way through the asylum to a room full of clothing, and he was able to find two cloaks with hoods. David asked if there might be a pair of gloves for him in case he has to fight, and Seward produced a pair for him. With their skin protected, Seward led the way out the front door of the facility to the waiting coach.

  As he carried Voivode to the cab, David spared a glance for their pair of guardians. As soon as they had left the asylum, the pair down the street climbed into their cab so David knew they would be right on their tail.

  He placed Voivode in the seat and made sure the cloak was blocking the incoming sunlight. Seward jumped in and told the driver to make for the Waterloo Bridge with all haste. As the coach took off down the street, Seward sat across from David and Voivode.

  “How far is the Waterloo Bridge from our destination?” David asked.

  “It’s about a block away,” Seward said, “but near enough. I figured it would be a good idea not to get too close just in case we were unable to shake them when they follow us.”

  “I’m going to make sure we’re clear,” David said.

  The coach clattered over the road toward central London, and their pursuers easily kept their place behind. Seward leaned out and asked the driver to pick up the speed and make it difficult for their pursuers to keep up, which he did immediately. Even so, their followers had just as skilled a driver that was able to keep close to them as they traveled.

  Seward encouraged more speed, which their cabbie happily provided taking turns and alleys with the skill of a man who knows his city, but even at the risk to the pedestrians who shook their fists as they passed, their pursuers maintained their tail on them.

  “This is not going to work,” David said. “Make sure he gets to the meeting place safely. I’ll find my way when I’ve dealt with these people.”

  “I will,” Seward promised.

  “Be careful,” Voivode said.

  David nodded in response and climbed onto the outside of the cab. He turned to the driver, “Find me a secluded alley, but don’t stop. I’ll be getting off.”

  The cabbie nodded and turned down a narrow, empty road between two tall buildings. David let go of the speeding cab and ran a few steps to bring himself to a stop. Their pursuers were there in seconds. David jumped onto the wall of the building for a slight boost and then landed himself on the roof of the coach, much to the surprise of the driver.

  Without wasting a second, David jumped past the driver and snatched the reins from his hands before landing on the horse. He steered the speeding cab away from Seward and Voivode and stopped it in a narrow byway. As his pursuers jumped out of the cab with their swords drawn, the cabbie jumped down and ran.

  David drew his sword, and the man and woman who were tailing him attacked together. As the man swung his sword, the woman ducked past him and tried to attack from behind. David pushed away the first hit, and quickly blocked the second only to have to maneuver his way out of that hit to block the man again. David was barely able to keep up with them, and could not land a blow on them at all since he spent all of his energy defending against them.

  As he blocked another hit from the man, David kicked him away, and then he did the same to the woman, which gave him precious seconds to reposition himself to a stronger position. The pair attacked together again with the man landing the first hit, and the woman attempting to take up a rear position. Before she could duck past him, David kicked her away again, but this time, he kicked with enough force to throw her well away from them.

  The man, who did not
expect David to kick his partner away so hard, let his guard down for only a second, which gave David the opening he needed to withdraw his sword from the block and run his opponent through. The woman, holding her gut as she struggled to her feet, looked up in time to see David’s sword protruding from her partner’s back. David withdrew his blade, and the man fell to the ground, dead.

  David advanced upon the lone woman who held her sword before her, not so confidently as she had before. She clearly wanted to face him alone, but could not do it. Her fear got the better of her, and she ran before David could get too close. He had no desire to chase her. She did not know where they were going, and she was not going to attack him again.

  He never enjoyed taking anyone’s life, and if a target ceased to be a threat, he willingly let them go. He suspected that if she were to return to Vladimir after losing her charges and her partner, she would have enough to answer for.

  * * * * * * * * * *

  Adelaide moved quickly through the city after losing her partner to this David Taylor person. She was supposed to be strong. She was supposed to be a warrior. At the end of it all, she felt like a helpless child.

  She loved George, though. She had risked everything to be with him, and when they had been offered near immortality, she jumped on it. She had married him as soon as the trial was over, and then Vladimir had trained them to fight together and given them strategies they could use. This was never supposed to happen.

  She stopped running after awhile and sat down on the side of the road out of the sun. She dropped her sword and hid her face as she cried. Not only was her husband dead, but she had lost the people Vladimir had told her to follow.

  She wondered if she should run. She thought about getting away from London entirely and making her way to somewhere else in the world – somewhere that she could start over. She knew that could not happen though. She was a freak. Vladimir said that Fempiror never fared well in human society because of fear. She had no choice. She had to return to him and face the consequences of losing Vladimir’s prey as well as the long term emotional consequences of her personal loss.