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I DARTED forward impulsively when I saw Vancha disappear amidst the flames, but was quickly forced back by the waves of fire which rolled doards me As they broke upon the floor of the cavern, or spat themselves out in the air above our heads, the sound of Steve Leopards laughter filled lanced up at the platforh above his head, cheering and whooping icked glee "Bye-bye, Vancha!" he hollered "So long, Mr March! Adios, Princey! Farewell, vam?"
"Don’t write my death-notices yet, Leonard!" a voice roared from within the blanket of fire, and as Steve’s face dropped, the flaed, blackened, but veryby one hand fro out flames in his hair and anihted "You’re alive!"
"Of course I auished the last of the flaer, aren’t you?" Steve rerowled, a glea yet - just wait till I get my hands on your scrawny, evil neck!"
"I’ again, he hurried to the end of the platform where the rope was tied and tapped it with his sword "No you don’t," he chortled "Oneto your doom"
Vancha stopped and studied Steve and the stretch of rope left to cross, calculating the odds Steve chuckled dryly "Come off it, March Even an oaf like you knohen he’s beaten I don’t want to cut this rope - not yet - but if I setyou can do to stop rowled, then ripped a throwing star loose and sent it flying at the half-vampaneze
Steve didn’t flinch as the shuriken buried itself harle isn’t right," he yawned, unimpressed "You can’t hit me from there, no matter how fine a shot you are Noill you slide down and join your friends on the ground, or do I have to get nasty?"
Vancha spat at Steve - his spit falling long short of its target - then tucked his ars around the rope and quickly slid over the heads of the fla
"Wise move," Steve said as Vancha steadied himself on his feet and we checked his back and hair for sess muttered, "I could take that wiseass out"
"You’re starting to see things from our point of view," Vancha noted wryly
"I’m still undecided about you lot," the Chief Inspector replied, "but I know out-and-out evil when I see it"
"Now then," Steve announced loudly, "if we’re all good and ready, let’s get this show on the road" Sticking two fingers between his lips, he whistled loudly three ti were ripped free, and vampaneze and vampets descended on ropes Similar panels were removed in the walls of the cavern and h and advanced I counted twenty - thirty - forty - more Most were armed with swords, axes and clubs, but a few of the vauns and crossbows
We backed up to the edge of the pit as the vampaneze and vampets closed on us, so they couldn’t attack us frori as we realized how hopelessly overwhelmed ere
Vancha cleared his throat "I make it about ten or twelve for each of us," he commented "Does anybody have any favourites, or e divide them up at rando a familiar face in the uy over there for asped when she saho I was pointing at "Morgan Ja, ma’aly He’d changed out of his unifor the brown shirt and black trousers of the vampets, and he’d daubed red circles of blood around his eyes
"Morgan’s one ofthem !" the Chief Inspector asked, shocked
"Yes," I said "He helped ues - and he let hirowled, "if you want hiht ue with her, saw the fierce glow in her eyes, and relented with a nod
The vampaneze and vaing their weapons, eyes alert, awaiting the order to attack On the platforrunted happily, then clapped his hands Out of the corner of my eye I saw so over ed and were crossing the plank to the platform Both were familiar - Gannen Harst and the Lord of the Vampaneze!
"Look!" I hissed at my companions
Vancha moaned aloud when he saw the pair, turned quickly, drew three of his shurikens, took aile - as when he was on the rope and firing at Steve - wasn’t favourable, and the stars struck and bounced off the underside of the platfor at Vancha
"We’ve got to get up there!" Vancha snapped, looking for a way forward
"If you can lead, I will gladly follow," Mr Crepsley said
"The rope ?" Vancha began, but stopped when he saw a group of va between us and the stake where the rope was tied Even the wild, ever optih so many foes If the eleht have battled through them, but after our last encounter they were prepared forattacks
"Even if we made the - rope," Harkat said, "those on the platforot across"
"So what do we do?" Vancha growled, frustrated
"Die?" Mr Crepsley suggested
Vancha winced "I don’t fear death," he said, "but I won’t rush to embrace it We aren’t finished yet We wouldn’t be standing here talking if ere - they’d have rushed us by now Cover , he turned to address the trio on the platfor side by side, close to the plank
"Gannen!" Vancha shouted "What’s going on? Why haven’t your men attacked us yet?"
"You knohy," Harst responded "They’re afraid theyto Desmond Tiny, only our Lord is supposed to kill the hunters"
"Does that mean they won’t defend theh "Dreah!" Gannen Harst shouted, silencing the half-va with lowered at the protector of the Vaue
"Of course they’ll defend theain, "but we hope to avoid such a scene Apart froood ht be possible to agree a co," Vancha said
Gannen Harst gave Steve a quick look Steve cupped his hands to his , "Loay, RV !"
There was a pause, then a panel in the ceiling was thrown back and soap on a rope ?Debbie !
My heart lurched at the sight of her, and I raised rab her She didn’t appear to have suffered at the hands(hooks) of the insane RV, though her forehead was gashed, her clothes were ripped, and she looked incredibly weary Her hands were tied behind her back, but her legs were free, and she kicked out at Steve and the others as she cahed, and RV lowered her another metre, so she was too low to aim at them
"Debbie!" I shouted desperately
"Darren!" she screamed "Get out! Don’t trust them! They let Steve and RV do as they please They even take orders from them Flee quick before?"
"If you don’t shut up," Steve snarled, "I’ll shut you up" He stretched the flat of his sword out and touched it to the thin rope tied around her middle - which was all that lay between Debbie and a deadly drop into the pit
Debbie saw the peril she was in and bit down on her tongue
"Good," Gannen Harst said when silence had returned "Now - our offer We are interested only in the hunters Debbie Heess and the Little Person don’t matter We have you outnumbered, Vancha Our victory is assured You cannot win, only injure us, and perhaps foil us by dying at the hands of one who isn’t our Lord"
"That’ll be good enough for me," Vancha sniffed
"Perhaps," Harst nodded "And I’m sure Larten Crepsley and Darren Shan feel the saive their lives so freely, for the sake of the vampire clan?"
"I will!" Harkat boorey one But you don’t have to Nor do the women If Vancha, Larten and Darren lay down their weapons and surrender, we’ll free the rest of you You can walk away, lives intact"
"No way!" Vancha shouted immediately "I wouldn’t roll over and die at the best of ti it nohen so ree to such a deal," Mr Crepsley said
"What of Darren Shan?" Harst asked "Will he agree to our deal, or will he condemn his friends to die with the rest of you?"
All eyes fixed on htened, bloodied, desolate I had it in my power to set her free Cut a deal with the vampaneze, face a quick death instead of perhaps a slow, painful one, and save the life of the woman I loved It would have been inhuman of me to reject such a deal?
?but Iwasn’t human I was a half-vampire More - a Vampire Prince And Princes don’t cut deals, not when the fate of their people is at stake "No," I said ht and we die All for one and one for all"
Gannen Harst nodded understandingly "I expected that, but one should always open with a weak offer Very well - let me put another proposal to you Same basic outline as the first Drop your weapons, surrender, and we let the huo head to head with our Lord and Steve Leonard"
Vancha’s face creased suspiciously "What are you talking about?"