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I dropped to h the bars of the vent It was dark down there, but after a few seconds I was able to ure of the fat vairlfriend’s nah asked "Anne? Beatrice? Catherine? Diane? Elsa? Franny? Geraldine? Henrietta? Eileen? Josie - " He stopped and I could sense hiins with an ’E, not an ’I Are there any wo with T? I can’t think of any offhand How about you, Darren Shan? Any ideas, hmmm? Any notions?" He pronounced my first name weirdly, so that it rhyasped

"That was easy" He leaned forward, carefully avoiding the rays of sunlight, and tapped the side of his head "Used ot plenty of brains, yes he does I played a tune on your friend - Snakey Von He told me where the hotel was I set up cairlfriend, so I followed"

"What do you hed out loud "With my knife," he explained "My knife and a few sets of scales Get it? Scales Scales on Snakey, scales on a piano Ha! Brains, I told you, brains! A stupidMurlough has brains the size of -?

"Where’s Evra?" I interrupted, pounding the bars of the vent to shut hiet down to hiround

"Evra? Evra Von?" Murlough did a strange little half-dance in the darkness underneath the vent "Evra’s strapped up," he toldto his head Squealing like a piggie Begging to be let free"

"Where is he?" I asked desperately "Is he alive?"

"Tell? You’ve moved hotels, haven’t you? That’s why I didn’t see you co in the square, anyway? No!" he shouted as I opened my mouth to speak "Don’t tellMurlough’s got plenty of brains Brains oozing out his ears, so back and forth, then snapped his fingers and squealed "The girl! Darren Shan’s little friend! She lives in the square, hmmm? You wanted to see her Which house is hers? Don’t tell ure it out I’ll track her down Juicy-looking girl Plenty of blood, hmmm? Lovely salty blood I can taste her already"

"Stay away froo near her, I’ll -?

"Shut up!" the vampaneze barked "Don’t threaten me! I won’t take lip from a runtish half-vampire like you Any more like that and I’ht myself under control "Does that rinned and tapped his nose "Maybe he is, maybe he isn’t No way for you to know for sure, is there?"

"Mr Crepsley said vaive me your word that he’s alive, then I’ll know"

Murlough nodded slowly "He’s alive"

"You give ive youup Squealing like a piggie I’ him for Christmas He’ll be my Christmas dinner Snakey instead of turkey Do you think that’s foul of hed "Get it? Foul Not one of hed Snakey does everything I tell hi by his ankles Squealing like a piggie"

Murlough had an irritating way of repeating hio Please, he’s never hurt you"

"He interfered with my schedule!" the valorious I would have drained the fat man, then skinned him alive and stuck his corpse up with the rest in the cold roo hureat sport, het in your way," I said "That was me and Mr Crepsley Evra was outside"

"Inside, outside - he wasn’t on h licked his blood-red lips

"On my side and inforward to it Maybe I’ll stuff hi Make itat the vent again, losing my self-control "I’ll track you down and tear you apart, li to be scared "Oh, heavens! Please don’t hurt uy Say you’ll leavehih snapped, "that’s enough! I didn’t come here to be shouted at, no I didn’t There’s plenty of other places I can go if I want people shouting at me, hmmm? Now shut up and listen"

It took a lot of effort, but I finally runted "That’s better You’re not as stupid as most vampires A little brains in Darren Shan, hh’s gothis nails into the wall beneath the vent and climbed up a couple of feet "Listen carefully" He sounded sane now "I don’t kno you found me - Snakey couldn’t tell me, no matter how many scales I played - and I don’t care That’s your secret Keep it We all need secrets, don’t we, hmmm?

"And I don’t care about the human," he went on "He was just a meal Plenty more where he came from Plenty more blood in the fleshy human sea

"I don’t even care about you," he snorted "Half-va your master You don’t worry me I’m prepared to let you live You and Snakey and the human

"But the vampire - Larten Crepsley" The vampaneze’s red eyes filled with hate " Hiet in my way Vampires and vampaneze don’t mix!" he roared at the top of his voice "Even the fools of the world know that! It’s been agreed upon We don’t interfere with one another’s ways He broke the laws He must be made to pay"

"He broke no law," I said defiantly "You’re crazy You were killing people all over the city You had to be stopped"