bl.necroscope2-第34节

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　flesh。　And　that　which　was　within　him　couldn't　have　grown　very　large　in　so　short　a　time。　Unlike　the　Other；　which　had　had　plenty　of　time。
　Yulian　had；　of　course；　experimented　with　the　Other。　His　experiments　had　told　him　very　little；　but　it　was　better　than　nothing。　According　to　the　fiction；　vampires　were　supposed　to　succumb　to　the　sharpened　stake。　The　Other　ignored　the　stake；　seemed　impervious　to　it。　Trying　to　stake　it　was　like　trying　to　leave　an　imprint　on　water。　The　Other　could　be　solid　enough　at　times：　it　could　form　teeth；　rudimentary　hands；　even　eyes。　But　in　the　main　its　tissues　were　protoplasmic；　gelatinous。　And　as　for　putting　a　stake　through　its　〃heart〃　or　cutting　off　its　〃head〃　。
　And　yet　it　wasn't　indestructible；　it　wasn't　immortal。　It　could　die；　could　be　killed。　Yulian　had　burned　part　of　it　in　an　incinerator　down　there　in　the　cellars。　And　by　God…if　there　was　a　God；　which　Yulian　doubted…it　hadn't　liked　that！　He　was　perfectly　sure　that　he　wouldn't　have　liked　it　either。　And　that　was　a　thought　which　occasionally　worried　him：　if　ever　he　were　discovered；　if　men　found　out　what　he　was；　would　they　try　to　burn　him？　He　supposed　they…would。　But　who　could　possibly　find　him　out？　And　if　someone　did；　who　would　believe　it？　The　police　weren't　much　likely　to　listen　to　a　story　about　vampires；　now　were　they？　On　the　other　hand；　what　with　the　local　〃satanic　cult〃；　maybe　they　were！
　Again　he　smiled　his　awful　smile。　It　was　funny　now；　but　it　hadn't　been　at　all　funny　when　the　police　came　knocking　at　the　door　the　day　after　George　came　back。　He　had　very　nearly　made　a　serious　mistake　then；　had　gone　too　quickly　on　his　guard；　on　the　defensive。　But　of　course　they'd　put　his　nervousness　down　to　the　recent　loss　of　his　〃uncle〃。　If　only　they'd　been　able　to　know　the　truth；　that　in　fact　George　Lake　was　right　under　their　feet；　whining　and　shivering　in　the　cellars。　And　even　so；　what　could　they　have　done　about　it？　It　was　hardly　Yulian's　fault　that　George　wouldn't　lie　still；　was　it？
　And　that　was　another　part　of　the　legend　which　was　a　fact：　that　when　a　vampire　killed　a　victim　in　a　certain　way；　then　that　victim　would　return　as　one　of　the　undead。　Three　nights　George　had　lain　there；　and　on　the　fourth　he'd　clawed　his　way　out。　A　mere　man　buried　alive　could　never　have　done　it；　but　the　vampire　in　him　had　given　George　all　the　strength　he　needed　and　more。　The　vampire　which　had　been　part　of　the　Other；　which　had　put　one　of　its　pseudohands　into　him　and　stopped　George's　heart。　The　Other　which　had　been　part　of　Yulian；　in　fact　Yulian's　tooth。
　What　a　torn　and　bloodied　state　George　had　been　in　when　Yulian　opened　the　door　to　him　that　night。　And　how　the　house　had　rung　to　his　demented　sobbing　and　shrieking；　until　Yulian　had　grown　angry　with　him；　told　him　to　be　quiet　and　locked　him　in　the　cellar。　And　there　he'd　stayed。
　Yulian　watched　the　silver　light　of　the　moon　creeping　through　a　crack　in　his　curtains；　channelled　his　thoughts　anew。　What　had　he　been　recounting？　Ah；　yes；　the　police。
　They　had　e　to　report　a　shocking　crime；　the　illegal　opening　of　George　Lake's　grave　by　person　or　persons　unknown；　and　the　theft　of　his　corpse。　Was　Mrs　Lake　still　residing　at　Harkley　House？
　Why；　yes　she　was；　but　she　was　still　suffering　from　the　shock　of　her　husband's　death。　If　it　wasn't　absolutely　necessary　that　they　see　her；　Yulian　would　prefer　to　break　the　news　to　her　himself。　But　who　could　be　responsible　for　so　despicable　a　crime？
　Well；　sir；　we　do　believe　we've　got　one　of　them　there　cults　at　work　in　these　here　parts；　despoiling　graveyards　and　the　like　and　holding；　er；　sabbats？　Druids　or　some　such。　Devil　worshippers；　you　know？　But　this　time　they've　gone　too　far！　Don't　you　worry；　sir；　we'll　get　〃em　in　the　end。　But　do　break　it　easy　to　his　missus；　all　right？
　Of　course；　of　course。　And　thank　you　for　bringing　us　this　news；　terrible　though　it　is。　I　certainly　don't　envy　you　your　job。
　All　in　a　day's　work；　sir。　Sorry　we've　nothing　good　to　report；　that's　all。　Good　night　to　you　。
　And　that　was　that。
　But　again　he　had　strayed；　and　once　more　he　was　obliged　to　focus　his　thoughts　back　on　the　〃legend〃　of　the　vampire。　Mirrors：　vampires　hated　mirrors　because　they　had　no　reflections。　False…and　yet　in　a　way　true。　Yulian　did　have　a　reflection；　but　sometimes；　looking　in　a　glass；　especially　at　night；　he　saw　far　more　than　others　could　see。　For　he　knew　what　he　was　looking　at；　that　it　was　something　alien　to　man。　And　he　had　wondered：　if　others　saw　him　like　that；　reflected　in　a　glass；　would　they　too　see　the　real　thing；　the　monster　behind　the　man？
　And　lastly　there　was　the　vampire's　lust；　the　way　he　sated　himself　on　women。　Now　Yulian　had　tasted　the　blood…and　more　than　the　blood…of　women；　and　had　found　it　rich　as　deep　red　wine。　It　excited　him　as　all　blood　did；　but　not　so　much　that　he'd　glut　himself　on　it。　Georgina；　Anne；　Helen…he'd　tried　the　blood　of　all　three。　And　certainly；　in　good　time；　he　would　try　the　blood　of　many　more。
　But　his　attitude　towards　taking　blood　puzzled　him。　If　he　were　a　true　vampire；　surely　blood　would　be　the　driving　force　of　his　life。　And　yet　it　wasn't。　Perhaps　his　metamorphosis　wasn't　yet　plete。　Perhaps；　as　the　change　waxed　in　him；　so　the　human　part　would　wane；　disappear　altogether。　And　then　he'd　bee　a　vampire　full…blown。　Or　full…blooded？
　Lust；　yes。。。　but　there　was　more　to　lust　than　mere　blood…lust。　Much　more。　And　little　wonder　the　women　in　the　fiction　succumbed　so　readily　to　the　vampire's　charms。　Especially　after　the　first　time。　Hah！　What　woman　had　ever　truly　felt　fulfilled　in　the　arms　of　a　man？　Not　one！　They　only　thought　they　had　because　they　didn't　know　better。　What；　〃fulfilled〃？　Filled　full？　By　a　mere　man？　Utterly　impossible！　But　by　a　vampire　。
　Yulian　turned　a　little　on　to　his　side　and　gazed　in　the　moon…pierced　darkness　of　his　room　at　the　girl　beside　him。　Cousin　Helen。　She　was　very　beautiful　and　had　been　very　innocent。　Not　quite　pure；　but　very　nearly。　Who　it　was　took　her　virginity。。。　but　what　did　that　matter？　In　fact　he　had　taken　nothing；　and　he　had　given　very　little。　They　had　been　fumbling　lovers　for　an　hour。
　But　now？　Now　she　knew　what　it　was　to　be　〃fulfilled〃。　Indeed；　she　knew　that　if　Yulian　willed　it　he　could　fill　her　to　bursting…literally！
　A　chuckle　rose　in　his　throat；　formed　on　his　lips　like　a　bubble　of　bile。　Oh；yes；　for　the　Other　wasn't　the　only　one　who　could　put　out　pseudopod　extensions　of　himself！　Yulian　held　back　the　laughter　he　felt　welling　inside；　reached　out　a　hand　and　with　a　deceptive　gentleness　stroked　Helen's　cool；　rounded　flank。
　Even　deeply　asleep　and　dreaming　the　dreams　of　the　damned；　still　she　shuddered　under　the　touch　of　his　hand。　Gooseflesh　appeared　and　her　breathing　rapidly　mounted　to　a　moaning　pant。　She　whined　in　her　hypnotic　sleep　like　a　thin　wind　through　a　cracked　board。　Her　hypnotic　sleep；　yes。　The　power　of　hypnotism；　and　that　of　telepathy　which　was　its　kin。
　Nowhere　in　the　literature…except　for　the　occasional　hint　in　some　of　the　better　fictions…had　Yulian　discovered　mention　of　the　vampire's　control　of　others　by　will　and　the　reading　of　minds　at　a　distance；　and　yet　this；　too；　was　one　of　his　powers。　It　was　very　inchoate　as　yet；　as　were　all　his　talents；　but　it　was　also　very　real。　Once　touched　by　Yulian；　once　invaded　by　him　physically；　then　his　victim　was　an　open　book　to　him；　even　at　a　distance。　Even　now；　if　he　reached　out　his　mind　in　a　certain　way。。。　there！　Those　were　the　dull；　vacuous　〃thoughts〃　of　the　Other。　No；　not　even　that：　he　had　merely　touched　upon　the　Other's　instinctive　sense　of　being；　a　sort　of　basic　animal　awareness。　The　Other　was　aware　of　himself…itself？…in　much　the　same　way　as　an　amoeba　is　aware；　and　because　it　had　been　part　of　him；　Yulian　could　sense　that　awareness。
　Now　that　he　had　taken　or　used　Helen；　Anne；　George　and　Georgina；　why；　he　could　sense　all　of　them！　He　let　his　exterior　thoughts　leave　the　Other　and　wander；　and　and　there　was　Anne；　asleep　in　some　cold；　damp　corner　down　there　in　the　dark。　And　there；　too；　was　George。　Except　that　George　was　not　asleep。
　George。　Yulian　knew　he　would　soon　have　to　do　something　about　George。　He　wasn't　behaving　as　he　should。　There　was　an　obstinacy　in　him。　Oh；　he'd　been　pletely　under　Yulian's　control　in　the　beginning；　just　like　the　women。　But　just　recently　。
　Yulian　focused　on　George's　mind；　wormed　his　way　silently　into　his　thoughts　and…a　pit　of　black　hatred　shot　with　flashes　of　red　rage！　Lust；　too…a　bestial　lust　Yulian　could　scarce　believe…and　not　only　for　blood　but　also。　。
　revenge？
　Frowning；　Yulian　withdrew　his　mind　before　George　could　sense　him。　Obviously　he　would　have　to　deal　with　his　uncle　sooner　than　he'd　thought。　He　had　already　decided　to　make　use　of　him…knew　how　he　would　use　him…but　now　he　must　set　a　definite　date　on　it。　Like　tomorrow。　He　left　the　unsuspecting　undead　creature　raging　and　prowling　the　cellars；　and　…What　was　that？
　Hair　prickling　at　the　nape　of　his　neck；　Yulian　swung　his　legs　down　to　the　floor　and　stood　up。　It　hadn't　been　one　of　the　women；　and　he'd　only　just　left　George；　so　who　had　it　been？　Someone　close　by　was　thinking　thoughts　about　Harkley　House；　thoughts　about　Yulian　himself！　He　went　to　the　curtains；　opened　them　six　inches；　stared　anxiously　out　at　the　night。
　Out　there；　the　estate。　The　old　derelict　buildings；　gravel　path；　shrubbery　and　copse；　the　high　perimete