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Sitting on the stage Gazing around the theatre Re show I saw the first tiht’s warped ’entertain very small and lonely

Vancha didn’t lose his head, even when Steve played his truh the pit of stakes to the stage, then raced down the tunnel which Steve, Gannen and RV had fled by It led to the streets at the rear of the theatre No way of telling which way they’d gone He returned, cursing with fury When he saw Shancus, lying dead on the stage like a bird with a broken neck, he stopped and sank to his knees

Evra was next across, following Vancha’s route through the stakes, crying out Shancus’s nah he must have known it was too late, that his son was already dead We should have held him back - he fell and pierced himself several times, and could easily have perished - but ere frozen with shock and horror

Fortunately Evrahimself too severely Once there, he sluns of life, then hoith loss Sobbing and rief, he cradled the dead boy’s head in his lap, tears dripping on to his son’s motionless face The rest of us watched fro bitterly, even the noress

In ti plank on the stage He and Vancha extendedit over the pit, so that the rest of us could join theoup there For a longwith deep, wracking gulps,stumbled to the plank and hauled herself up

Alice crossed the pit next I brought up the rear I was shaking uncontrollably I wanted to turn and run Earlier, I thought I kne I’d feel if our gamble backfired and Steve killed Shancus But I’d known nothing I never truly expected Steve to murder the snake-boy I’d let RV march the boy into Steve’s den, certain no harodson

Now that Steve had htered Shancus, all I wanted was to be dead I couldn’t feel pain if I was dead No shauilt I wouldn’t have to look Evra in the eye, knowing I was responsible for his son’s needless, shocking death

We’d forgotten about Darius I hadn’t killed hi Steve’s triuer which had filled me like a fire, drained away fro lost my murderous interest in him, and just left hi near the boy, idly picking at one of the ropes which encircled her body - she preferred ropes to ordinary clothes It was clear from the witch’s stance that she wouldn’t interfere if Darius made a break for freedo in the world for him to escape But he didn’t He stood, sentry-like, tre for us to su tears from her face "We should take the at Evra and Shancus

"In a while," I agreed, dreading the moment I’d have to face Evra And what about Merla, Shancus’s mother? WouldI have to break the terrible news to her?

"No - now," Alice said firhten sos out before we leave" She nodded at Darius, tiny and vulnerable under the glare of the lights

"I don’t want to talk about this," I groaned

"I know," she said "But weIf he does, this is the time to strike They won’t expect-"

"How can you even think about such things?" I hissed angrily "Shancus is dead! Don’t you care?"

She slapped my face I blinked, stunned "You’re not a child, Darren, so don’t act like one," she said coldly "Of course I care But we can’t bring hi around, e can we ht Self-pity was a waste Revenge was essential As hard as it was, I dugShancus’s body home Harkat didn’t want to leave with Evra and Debbie He wanted to stay and chase Steve with us But somebody had to help carry Shancus He accepted his task reluctantly, but made me promise ouldn’t face Steve without him "I’ve come too far with you to miss out noant to be there when you cut the de "How could he do it?" she cried "Even a monster couldn’t wouldn’t"

"Steve’s more than a monster," I replied numbly I wanted to return her embrace, but ave Debbie a handkerchief and whispered soave Alice a hug, then went to stand beside Evra

I wanted to talk with Evra before he left, but I could think of nothing to say If he’d confronted me, maybe I’d have responded, but he had eyes only for his lifeless son Dead people often look like they’re sleeping Shancus didn’t He’d been a vibrant, buzzing, active child All that vitality was lost now Nobody could have looked upon hi until Evra, Debbie and Harkat had departed, Harkat carrying Shancus’s body tenderly in his thick, grey ar around in a daze, thinking about the past andthe theatre and rief

Eventually Vancha and Alice approached I don’t kno long the pair had been talking together, but when they came to stand before me they’d wiped their faces clean of tears and looked ready for business

"Will I talk to the boy or do you want to?" Vancha asked gruffly

"I don’t care," I sighed Then, glancing at Darius, who still stood alone with Evanna in the vastness of the auditorium, I said, "I’ll do it"

"Darius," Alice called His head rose iht to the plank, climbed up and walked across He had an excellent sense of balance I foundthat was probably a by-product of his vampaneze blood - Steve had pu hian to hate the boy again My fingers twitched in anticipation of grabbing him by the throat and

But then I recalled his face when he’d learnt he was my nephew - shock, terror, confusion, pain, remorse - and my hatred for the boy died away

Darius walked directly up to us If he was afraid - and he , he stared at Vancha, then at Alice, finally at me Now that I studied hi about that, I frowned

"You’re not the boy I saw before," I said Darius looked at me uncertainly "I went to my old home e first came to town," I explained "I watched fro in laundry Then you arrived and came out to help her Except it wasn’tyouIt was a chubby boy with fair hair"

"Oggy Bas," Darius said after a second’s thought "My friend I remember that day He cahis lips nervously, he looked around at all of us again and said, "I didn’t know" It wasn’t an apology, just a statement of fact "Dad told me vampires were evil He said you were the worst of the lot ’Darren the cruel, Darren the mad, Darren the baby-killer’ But he never mentioned your surname"

Evanna had crossed the plank after Darius and was circling us, studying us as if ere chess pieces I ignored her - there’d be time for the witch later

"What did Steve tell you about the vampaneze?" I asked Darius

"That they wanted to stop va huo and had battled to stop the slaughter of humans ever since They drank only sh to survive"

"You believed him?" Vancha snorted

"He was my dad," Darius answered "He was always kind to ht I’d no reason to doubt him"

"But you doubt him now," Alice noted wryly

"Yes He’s evil" As soon as he said it, Darius burst into tears, his brave front collapsing It can’t have been easy for a child to adrief and fury, I felt pity for the boy