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Alexander Ribs stood, rapped his ribcage with a spoon and opened hisout and all conversation ceased Facing the boy at the head of the table, Alexander sang, "He’s green, he’s lean, snot he’s never seen, his name is Shancus - happy birthday!"

Everybody cheered Thirty performers and helpers froe oval table, celebrating Shancus Von’s eighth birthday It was a chilly April day, andwith cakes, sweets and drinks, and ere digging in happily

When Alexander Ribs sat down, Truska - a wo another birthday greeting "The only things he fears is hisears, his name is Shancus - happy birthday!"

Merla snapped one of her ears off when she heard that and flicked it at her son He ducked and it flew high over his head, then circled back to Merla, who caught and reattached it to the side of her head Everyone laughed

Since Shancus had been nauessed I’d better chip in with a verse ofquickly, I stood, cleared reat, today he has turned eight, his naodfather," Shancus sodfather, but he liked to pretend I was - especially when it was his birthday and he was looking for a cool present!

A few others took turns singing birthday greetings to the snake-boy, then Evra stood and wrapped up the song with, "Despite the pranks you pull, your mum and I love you, pesky Shancus - happy birthday!"

There was lots of applause, then the wo and kiss Shancus He pulled a hted by the attention His younger brother, Urcha, was jealous and sat a little way back froh the piles of presents Shancus had received, seeing if there was anything of interest to a five-year-old girl

Evra went to try and cheer up Urcha Unlike Shancus and Lilia, the middle Von child was an ordinary human and he felt he was the odd one out Evra and Merla had a tough ti him feel special I saw Evra slip a small present to Urcha, and heard him whisper, "Don’t tell the others!" Urcha looked much happier after that He joined Shancus at the table and tucked into a pile of small cakes

I ht years," I re Evra on his left shoulder (soht shoulder a long ti hiht weeks"

"You don’t kno right you are," Evra smiled "Time flies when you have kids You’ll find out yourself one?" He stopped and griot"

"Don’t worry about it," I said As a half-vampire, I was sterile I could never have children It was one of the drawbacks to being part of the clan

"When are you going to show the snake to Shancus?" Evra asked

"Later," I grinned "I gave him a book earlier He thinks that’s his real present - he looked disgusted! I’ll let him enjoy the rest of the party, then hit him with the snake when he thinks the fun is over"

Shancus already owned a snake, but I’d bought a new one for hier and more colourful Evra helped me choose it His old snake would be passed on to Urcha, so both boys would have cause to celebrate tonight

Merla called Evra back to the party - Lilia had got stuck in wrapping paper and needed to be rescued I watched my friends for a minute or two, then turned h theto a halt near the Wolf Man’s cage The savageI took a small jar of pickled onions out ofsadly as I remembered where my taste for pickled onions had come fro back over the years, recallinglosses The night of , when Mr Crepsley pu to terinal pickled onion connoisseur My first girlfriend, Debbie He about the vampaneze The trek to Vampire Mountain My Trials, where I’d had to proveand running away The revelation that a Vaue with the va a Prince

The Wolf Man stirred and I walked on, not wanting to wake hi us why he’d betrayed the clan - the Lord of the Vampaneze had arisen and stood poised to lead his people into war against the vampires The early years of the War of the Scars, when I’d lived in Va the safety of the fortress to hunt for the Va Vancha March, the third hunter - only he, Mr Crepsley or I could kill the Va with the Lord of the Vampaneze, unaware of his identity until afterwards, when he’d escaped with his protector, Gannen Harst

I wanted to stop there - the next set of hts raced on Returning to the city of Mr Crepsley’s youth Running into Debbie again - an adult now, a teacher Other faces from the past - RV and Steve Leopard The former used to be an eco-warrior, a man who blamed me for the loss of his hands He’d become a varound, where the Lord of the Vampaneze could kill us

Steve was part of that plot too, though at first I thought he was on our side Steve was my best friend ere kids We went to the Cirque Du Freak together He recognized Mr Crepsley and asked to be his assistant Mr Crepsley refused - he said Steve had evil blood Later, Steve was bitten by Mr Crepsley’s poisonous tarantula Only Mr Crepsley could cure him I became a half-vampire to save Steve’s life, but Steve didn’t see it that way He thought I’d betrayed hi the varound in Mr Crepsley’s city Facing the vampaneze in a chamber Steve had named the Cavern of Retribution Me, Mr Crepsley, Vancha, Harkat, Debbie and a police officer called Alice Burgess A huge fight Mr Crepsley faced the ht was the Lord of the Vampaneze He killed hi hi blow,truth ?he was the real Lord of the Va around, half-dazed We’d set up caround of the local football team, but they’d o The old stadium was due to be demolished - apartment blocks were to be built over the ruins - but not for severalaround at thousands of ehost stadium

Ghosts? That put me in mind of my next, bizarre quest with Harkat, inkneas a shade of the future Once again I began to wonder if that ruined future world was unavoidable Could I prevent it by killing Steve, or was it destined to coot too worked up about it, someone stepped up beside me and said, "Is the party over?"

I looked around and saw the scarred, stitched-together, grey-skinned face of Harkat Mulds "No," I s down, but it hasn’t finished yet"

"Good I was afraid I’d miss it" Harkat had been out on the streetsout fliers for the Cirque Du Freak - that was one of his regular jobs every time we arrived at a new venue He stared at reen, lidless eyes "How do you feel?" he asked

"Strange Worried Unsure of myself"

"Have you been out there yet?" Harkat waved a hand at the town beyond the walls of the stadiuo, or do you plan? to hide here until we leave?"

"I’ll go," I said "But it’s hard So many years So many memories" This was the real reason I was so fixed on the past After all these years of travel, I’d returned home to the tohere I was born and had lived all my human life

"What if my family’s still here?" I asked Harkat

"Your parents?" he replied