In the Blood (15 page)

Benedict grinned at me—a familiar grin, passed down, I wondered, over how many generations—and handed me a series of parcels. ‘Cold venison and tomato chilli satay,’ he said. ‘A loaf of parsnip and caraway bread.’

‘And very good it is too,’ said Dr Meredith.

‘Date and macadamia loaf, and Steve fixed the coffee dispenser in your floater.’

I wondered exactly what they had been doing with the floater when they discovered the dispenser was broken. A standard security check? It seemed best not to ask.

Dr Meredith saw us to the door. ‘I’d say pop in next time you’re passing,’ she said. ‘But of course no one ever does pass this way. One of the reasons I chose it. But still,’ the charcoal eyes met mine, ‘you are always welcome to call in.’

‘Thank you,’ I said, and meant it.

‘One more thing.’ She frowned. ‘It came to me just now in the kitchen…perhaps I am getting old you know, because it had quite slipped my mind.’

‘Yes?’ said Neil.

‘Vampires. I said I had only created one vampire. But there was another request—he was a City trader with a lot of money and enough sense to get out before the pandemics really hit. He came to me with several requests, none of which I felt like taking on. Let’s just say he had a taste for the exotic. I very rarely feel total antipathy to anyone. But I did to him.’

‘So you refused him,’ said Neil.

‘I refused him. Others might not have. This was all nearly a century ago, you see…’

‘But you have his coordinates in your records?’

She shook her head. ‘I never took him as a client and, anyway, in those days we rarely used coordinates. But his place was up north, a little inland from the coast, and it was quite unmistakable. I’m sure there are still records of it.’

‘Why?’ asked Neil. ‘It was a long time ago.’

‘Because it was built like a medieval castle,’ said Dr Meredith dryly. ‘I am quite sure you can find some mention of it.’

‘And he wanted to fill it with Draculas?’ I asked.

‘And Igors and, for all I know, Frankenstein’s monsters too. But docile ones. That was one of the parameters he gave me. They should do what he told them to. Even Frankenstein, if I remember, didn’t ask that of his monster. Anyway, it might just possibly be worth looking into. But as I said, I suspect the answer to your problem doesn’t lie with engineering.’

She stood on tiptoe and kissed my cheek. She smelt of flour and smoked turkey and essence of roses. ‘Take care Danielle Forest. I hope I see you again.’ She pulled Neil’s shoulder down so she could reach his cheek too. ‘Take care of her,’ she instructed him.

‘That’s why I came,’ said Neil.

I heard the door close behind her as we walked back down the path to our floater. ‘I thought you came to find out who murdered Doris,’ I said.

‘That too,’ said Neil equably.

‘I don’t need protection, you know,’ I said.

‘I know,’ agreed Neil.

‘But you said back there…’

‘I said I’d come to look after you. I didn’t say you needed it. I take it you want me to do a search for this castle?’

It was an obvious change of subject, but on reflection a welcome one.

‘Yes,’ I said.

I
t isn’t difficult to find a castle.

I asked Neil to look up the tourist brochures from just before the Decline. He found a mention of the castle almost straightaway, which gave us a vague location, if not the coordinates.

Theoretically, it should be easy to find any place in a floater—just keep hovering until you find it. In reality, your way is blocked by trees or rocks and you soon lose all sense of direction. I have a feeling that locating places was easier back in the old days when every dwelling had to connect with a road.

Theoretically too, you should be able to stop and ask directions. But since the Decline you can travel for days without coming across a community, especially if you don’t have its coordinates.

It was good country up here—if you happened to be a cow, at any rate. The grass was tough and green and spiky, and evidently too thick for tree seedlings to invade, except on rocky ridges where the soil was too thin for grass to thrive.

We’d been travelling for about two hours when we saw the first sign of people: a herd of brown and blue UV-stabilised cattle confined in a paddock with split-log rail fences. And a little way along, a huddle of buildings made of split logs, so weathered that the plasticrete dome to one side looked all the more startling in its cream and whiteness.

‘Cheese factory,’ said Neil

‘How can you tell?’

‘What else would they do with all the milk? Those are dairy cows. High protein grass too.’

The dome door opened. A large woman in a faded unidress watched us, as though unsure whether to wave.

‘Should we stop?’

I shrugged. ‘May as well see if she knows the place.’

The air felt thick and hot and sweating green as soon as I opened the door, like in an Amazon Virtual I’d taken years before as part of my research for the new City beach project, three floors of surf and sand and underwater caves. (I’d finally chosen a warm temperate climate and palm trees instead.) The tough grass seemed to grip the soil like a corset.

‘Hello,’ called Neil.

The woman approached, smiling tentatively. She looked even larger close up, with a long drooping jaw and too wide mouth. I wondered suddenly if she might not have Horse genes somewhere in her ancestry. ‘You’re wanting cheese?’ she asked.

‘No, just directions. We’re looking for the castle.’

Immediately the horse-jawed face went blank. ‘Go back to the river,’ she said. ‘And follow it up. You’ll see the castle on the ridge about twenty kloms up.’

‘You wouldn’t happen to know the coordinates?’ I asked. If we had the coordinates we could look it up, and perhaps get some data on the inhabitants.

The woman shook her head. ‘No.’ She turned and trudged back into the cheese factory, if that’s what it was. I heard her shouting, ‘Harry! Harry!’, before the door shut behind her.

‘Friendly type,’ I said.

Neil stared at the shut door. ‘She was friendly enough till you mentioned the castle. Well, at least we know how to find it, if you still want to.’

‘Yes, I think I do,’ I said slowly.

‘Are you sure?’

I looked at him in surprise. ‘Yes, of course. We’ve come this far. Why, don’t you want to?’

Neil climbed slowly back into the floater, then held the door for me as I climbed in too. ‘No.’

‘Why not?’

‘I just don’t see much point. Meredith was right. Anyone could have killed Doris.’

‘Meredith didn’t see her injuries. But look, if you want to go home to your apple trees, that’s fine by me. I’ll drop you off and come back again.’

Neil shrugged and set the floater moving again, back the way that we’d come. ‘No. I’ll come with you.’

‘There’s really no need.’

‘I said I’d come with you,’ said Neil, even more shortly.

‘Neil, what’s the matter?’

‘Nothing’s the matter. Shush. I’m trying to run this thing on manual.’

‘Yes, there is.’

‘Really? All right then, I’m sick of that look on your face.’

‘What look?’

‘The one that says you’re thinking of Michael. That you’re back in your bloody Forest and I can’t get near.’

‘I wasn’t thinking of Michael,’ I said blankly. ‘I was wondering whether that woman had Horse genes, if you want to know the truth. Why on earth would I think of Michael?’

‘I thought that, maybe last night you felt that…’ Neil looked hurt, angry and embarrassed all at the same time.

‘That I felt what? For heaven’s sake Neil, I can’t read your mind.’

‘Exactly,’ said Neil, steering carefully around a mob of cows.

‘Shit, shit, shit. Neil, for God’s sake stop this thing.’

‘Why?’

‘Because I can’t talk to you when you’re steering around cows.’

The river glinted suddenly in front of us. The floater settled onto a flat piece of grass and cow dung. Neil turned to face me. ‘Well?’ he asked.

‘Shit,’ I said again. I sought desperately for the words I wanted to say. But what
did
I want to say?

‘Kiss me, you fool,’ I said.

‘What?’ said Neil.

‘Theda Bara, ancient actress, famous movie line. Neil, I don’t know what to say to you. I don’t even know what I feel, much less what to say. But I wasn’t thinking of Michael back then. I didn’t want Michael in my bed last night, or any of the other Forest for that matter. I don’t want them in my bed tonight either. But I do want you to kiss me. All right?’

‘All right,’ said Neil.

We found the castle about two hours later.

I had expected a bad copy of a medieval castle, Normal English perhaps, or even one similar to the fortified structures on the Rhine. This was a castle in spirit as well as function, but without the constraints of medieval architecture. The massive and smoothly inward-sloping StrongBond walls were windowless and simple to defend. The only true castle features were the
moat and drawbridge, and what looked like bats flying around the central peak.

‘Except they can’t be,’ said Neil.

‘Why not?’

‘Bats don’t fly in daylight. Besides, why would they bother?’

‘Don’t ask me,’ I said, stretching luxuriously as I got out of the floater. The last two hours had almost convinced me to give up the search for the increasingly improbable vampire and to head back to Faith Hope and Charity. Only the uncertainty about what I wanted to happen when we got back there stopped me from suggesting it.

‘I don’t like it,’ said Neil.

‘I thought you didn’t believe in vampires?’ I said.

‘That’s not it. I just don’t like the whole setup,’ said Neil. ‘It feels wrong.’

I looked at him in surprise. ‘It’s over the top, I admit. But what’s so wrong about it?’

‘No orchard,’ said Neil.

I grinned at him. ‘Not everyone shares your passion for fruit.’

‘No vegetable garden either. No stock. What do they eat in that place?’

‘Ah, the blood of virtuous young maidens,’ I said, then remembered Doris, her white face and the blood on her wrists, and wished I hadn’t. ‘Maybe they trade with someone, or order concentrates from the City.

Neil shook his head. ‘I’ve never known anywhere in the Outlands that didn’t grow at least some of its food,’ he said. He hesitated. ‘Look, I’m going to send a message back home. I’d feel happier if someone at least knew where we were.’

‘Fine by me,’ I said.

While he Linked, I sat on the floater step and looked at the castle. Neil was right. It did seem odd—not just the absence of orchards and gardens, but the total absence of any sign of human life. Not even washing on the line.

But, of course, a castle wouldn’t have a washing line outside, I told myself. It wouldn’t fit the image. You didn’t put deckchairs on battlements either, or a satellite dish on a turret. All these things would be there somewhere, but would be disguised.

‘I left a message for Theo,’ said Neil. ‘All right, shall we try it?’

T
he moat had grass growing in it, the drawbridge looked splintery. The castle doors were grey, like the walls. I raised my hand to knock and they opened.

‘They forgot to creak,’ remarked Neil.

‘Pressure sensitive,’ I said.

We stepped inside and stopped.

‘My God,’ said Neil under his breath.

We were in a hall: stone floor, arched ceiling, the walls covered with tapestries in lovely muted, faded shades. The only furnishings were the rugs on the floor and a long banqueting table on the dais by the fireplace that took up a third of the far wall. The only light was from the skylights far above and the orange flames that flickered across the walls.

‘I’ve never seen anything like it,’ said Neil reverently.

‘I have,’ I said.

‘Have you? Where?’

‘Archives. This is a Nelson-Haberdsley design from about, oh, ninety years ago. Note the subtle diffusion of light from the fire and the way the tapestries glow.’

‘Design? You mean this isn’t real? It’s holo?’

I nodded, and reached to touch one of the tapestries. My fingers went through the cloth and onto some smooth substance—certainly not stone—behind.

‘But…but I can feel the heat from the fire,’ objected Neil. ‘And smell it too.’

‘Shit,’ I said. ‘It’s not just holo then. They’re using
wideband Virtual projection too. I can’t sense a thing.’ For the first time I was almost grateful to be shut off.

‘Then what is really here?’ asked Neil slowly.

I shrugged without answering and stepped further into the room. ‘Hello! Is anybody here?’ My voice echoed back to me: ‘here here here…’

‘It sounds as though the room is large, at any rate,’

said Neil.

‘Not necessarily. It’s an easy enough effect to imitate. I’ve used it myself—in fact, there’s every reason to think it’s a small room not a big one.’

‘Why?’

‘Easier to project an illusion in a small space. Lower power requirements, fewer variables. Also security—if this place was built during the troubles before the Decline, then it would almost certainly have some defences built in, like an antechamber where guests could be inspected before they were let into the building proper.’

‘So what do we do now?’

‘Pretend it’s real.’

‘But…’

‘If it’s a good illusion—and the Nelson-Haberdsley designs were—then any likely movements will have been allowed for.’

‘You mean if we walk forwards we won’t run into a brick wall?’

‘Exactly. My guess is they didn’t expect visitors to go round the walls inspecting the tapestries. They expect us to either head for the fire to warm ourselves, or to head for that door over there.’

‘So?’

‘So we head for the door.’

‘At least there wasn’t an Igor to meet us. Or a vampire.’

I shivered. ‘Neil…’

‘Mmm?’

‘I keep forgetting it’s real. There
is
a vampire. Someone who sucked that poor child’s blood right out of her. Whenever I think of it, I feel sick.’

‘Then stop thinking about it. Let’s go see who’s home.’

We crossed the hall, our feet clinking on the stone or muffled by the carpets, then through the doorway at the other side.

We were now in a hallway, long—or apparently long—with a ceiling lower than the hall behind us, and tall, dark doors on either side interspersed with more of the tapestries. There was no obvious source of light. The hall was gloomy, but it was still possible to make out each detail. ‘Clever,’ I muttered.

‘What was that?’

‘The lighting. It’s brilliant. Nelson-Haberdsley were experts at light effects. I wish I knew how they did this one.’

‘I…’ began Neil, and then he stopped. He turned to the doorway on our right. His face changed: a look of half shock, or even awe, and half pleasure, with a touch of something I couldn’t read. ‘Er…good morning. I mean afternoon,’ he said. He cocked his head as though he was listening. ‘I’m Neil,’ he said. His smile was rich and happy and seemed aimed at the wall beyond.

‘Neil, what on earth?’

‘Her name is Danielle Forest.’ He turned back to me ‘Why don’t you say something?’ he urged in a whisper.

‘Who to?’

Neil shook his head again. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘We’ve had a long day. Danielle’s just…yes, of course.’ The smile grew even wider. He took two steps towards the still shut door before I grabbed him. ‘Neil, there’s no one there!’

‘What? Of course there is!’

It’s illusion, like I told you!’

‘But…’ Again he turned his head away and listened. ‘Her name is Brunni. She says she wants us to—’

‘To follow her! Neil, she isn’t there!’

‘But…’ He looked from me to where the illusory Brunni presumably stood. ‘But even if she’s not real, surely we should follow her.’ He turned and in three steps had gone through the door.

‘Shit,’ I said again.

This was no time to explain to him the games a good illusionist could play: the lighting that plays on your emotions, the pheromone enhancement pulsed directly to your mind, the tone of voice in just the right range to be compelling, the subliminals like scent and sub-auditory suggestion pulsed into your mind…It’s illegal to use these to any great extent in the City, but all artists made use of what they could get away with. And there has always been a market among the young with plenty of credit for illicit Virtuals—a leisure market with a touch of risk and illegality to add spice to an already seductive package. And out here…

I shut my eyes, to make it easier to accept the door wasn’t there, and plunged through and after him.