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THE HOUSE IN CLEVELAND STREET

It is like the war their leashes &039;When we fought the Turk?&039;

Kostaki rey, withdrew across the Danube to redouble an assault, he left a good many - Kostaki included - to be cut to tatters by the Sultan&039;s curved sci un-dead tore out his throat and drank his blood, bleeding from its oounds into his mouth He awoke new-born under a pile of Wallachian dead Having learned little in several lifetiain followed the standard of the I, my friend,&039; von Klatka continued, eyes alive

They had coonload of ten-foot stakes There was enough lumber to build an ark Mackenzie of the Yard awaited them with his uniforainst a cold Kostaki hadn&039;t felt in centuries Ilishainst his fez

&039;Scotsman, if you please,&039; said the Inspector

&039;I seek your pardon&039; A Moldavian survivor of the Iary, Kostaki understood the importance of distinctions between tiny countries

A Captain in the Carpathian Guard, Kostaki was so between liaison officer and overseer When directed so to do by the Palace, he took an interest in police matters The Queen and her Prince Consort were much concerned with law and order Only last week, Kostaki had trudged around Whitechapel, looking for the spoor of the crude villain they called Silver Knife Noas assisting with a raid on an infamous address

They lined up either side of the wagon: Mackenzie&039;s men, mostly new-borns, and a detachht they would demonstrate that the posted edicts of Prince Dracula were not just ti whims on parchment

As Mackenzie shook hands with hirip

&039;We have plainclothesthe escape routes,&039; the Inspector explained, &039;so the house is coh the front door and search fro the prisoners in the street I have the warrants with ood plan, Scotsman&039;

Mackenzie, like so , he continued, &039;I doubt if we&039;ll meet much resistance These invert fellows don&039;t have the stolish nancy-boy isn&039;t best known for his backbone&039;

Von Klatka spat blood into the gutter and snorted, &039;Degenerate filth&039; His wolves, Berserker and Albert, were eager to get their jaws around reed the policeet it over with, shall we?&039;

They advanced on foot, the wagon following What other traffic there was made way for them As they passed, people tried to clear the street Kostaki was proud of such a reaction The reputation of the Carpathian Guard went before theypsy, wandering Europe in hundred-year cycles, battening on to prey where he could find it, returning every generation to his castle to find it ly remote descendant Now he could walk unhfare and not have to conceal what he was Thanks to Prince Dracula, his red thirst was regularly slaked

They marched into Cleveland Street and Mackenzie checked the house nu for Nuhbours, respectable town-houses and the offices of ancient firms of solicitors This was a well-lit, clean district, not like the East End Kostaki mused briefly about the twisted wire contraptions fitted to chies of his field of vision, but instantly dismissed the matter

With a rasp, Von Klatka slid his sword from its scabbard Kostaki&039;s coer for battle It was a wonder he had lasted through the centuries since his warmth Mackenzie stood aside and let Kostaki auntleted hand and took hold of the knocker, which caered under his utter Mackenzie held his breath, the stea Kostaki looked to him for approval: the policeman knew these people, this city, and deserved thus to be treated with respect On the inspector&039;s nod, KostakiHis hand strained the sealove

He delivered a blow to the unpainted spot where the knocker had been, sments that re about, he instantly took in everything The dwarfish young man in footman&039;s livery was no threat, but the shave-pated new-born in shirt-sleeves would fight Constables and Guardsed in after him and he ept forwards toward the staircase

The new-born put up his fists, but von Klatka set Berserker and Albert on him The wolves latched on to his shins, and, as he yelled, von Klatka swiped with his sword The va furiously, and landed upside-down at the feet of the footman Mackenzie opened hisheadless body and shoved his face into the geyser of blood as if at a public fountain Kostaki gestured at the policeman This was no time for divisions

&039;Good Lord,&039; said a warust

Von Klatka howled triu corpse away He wiped blood out of his eyes His wolves joined the noise

&039;Rancid is blood of new-borns,&039; he said

Kostaki laid a heavy hand on the shoulder of the footman His spine isted and he had a small boy&039;s face

&039;You,&039; Kostaki said, &039;your name is what?&039;

&039;Or-Or-Orlando,&039; said the creature, who, now Kostaki was close, turned out to be wearing powder and rouge

&039;Orlando, guide us well&039;

He spluttered, &039;yes, masterful sir&039;

&039;Clever boy&039;

Mackenzie held out a docu us to search these premises, on the suspicion that indecent and unnatural acts are being condoned for profit by the proprietor, one um,&039; he consulted the paper, &039;Charles Hammond&039;

&039;Mr Hammond is in France, your worship,&039; Orlando said He was dry-washing his hands, and experi with s off hied into the kitchens, laying about hi crockery and so

&039;What is all this rot?&039; said so above

Kostaki looked up, and saw a thin, elegant new-born with plastered-down hair and i dress He had with hihtshirt

&039;Milord,&039; said Orlando &039;These gentlenored the footman and hness, Prince Albert Victor Christian Edward, Heir Presumptive to the Throne If this unwarranted intrusion is not withdrawn, the consequences for you will be vastly unpleasant&039;

&039;Tell him warrant we have,&039; von Klatka said

&039;My Lord, I aihness, Vlad Dracula, known as Tepes, the Impaler, Prince Consort to Queen Victoria of these isles&039;

The Lord goggled at Kostaki, patently appalled These English were always so shocked to be found out They thought position was protection Kostaki called Gorcha away from the kitchen-maids, and sent him up the stairs to haul down the Bachelor Equerry and his rent-boy

&039;Search the place,&039; Mackenzie ordered His constables snapped to, running up the stairs, barging into all the rooms By now the house was an uproar of screa old, ran out fro from their brows Von Klatka opened his arled like fish and von Klatka laughed at the absurdity

&039;Pretty twins,&039; he said &039;Twins I have&039;

Kostaki left the foyer to assess the work in the street Cobblestones had been torn up and stake-holes were being rapidly dug Several of the poles were already erect, ready to receive the offenders A sossiping uselessly arowled, and they dispersed quickly

&039;Thirsty work,&039; said one of the new-born labourers, settling a stake into a hole

The catch were already being collected outside the house Von Klatka was in charge, slapping exposed ru at the inverts An upstairsopened and a fatHe was pulled back inside

&039;You,&039; shouted the Bachelor Equerry, pointing at hie&039;

Von Klatka slashed fro hi bones The new-born folded up into an attitude of prayer; as the pain hit, he tried to shape-shift His face pushed out into a hairless snout; his ears slipped back, flaring wolfishly His shirt-front expanded, studs popping, as his ribs reconfigured His ars, but his wounded knees prevented the shift fro-shaped head, slick hair stretched so the pink scalp showed The Bachelor Equerry opened his throat and howled, widely-spaced teeth loose