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I decided to do the act with Madam Octa - Mr Crepsley’s spider - by myself I was totally able to handle her Besides, it was fun to take over froe with him a bunch of times, but always as his sidekick

I went on after Hans Hands - a man who could run a hundred yards on his hands in less that eight seconds - and had great fun The audience cheered, and later I sold a bunch of candy spiders to cla out with Evra after the show I told him about Gavner Purl and asked what he knew about Vampire Generals

"Not much," he said "I know they exist, but I’ve never met one"

"What about the Council?" I asked

"I think that’s a hugeconference where they get together and discuss things"

That was all he could tell me

A few hours before dahile Evra was tending to his snake, Gavner Purl appeared from Mr Crepsley’s van - the vas, but there had been no suitable rooms in the old mill - and asked me to ith him awhile

The Va the scars on his face, like Mr Crepsley did a lot when he was thinking

"Do you enjoy being a half-vampire, Darren?" he asked

"Not really," I answered honestly "I’ve gotten used to it, but I was happier as a hue at only a fifth of the hu childhood? It doesn’t bother you?"

"It bothers sBut there’s nothing I can do about it I’hed "That’s the proble a person: there’s no way to take the vampire blood back It’s e don’t blood children: we only want people who knohat they’re getting into, ish to abandon their humanity Larten shouldn’t have blooded you It was ajudged?" I asked

Gavner nodded "He’ll have to account for his error," he said "He’ll have to convince the Generals and Princes that what he did won’t harrim

"Will he be killed?" I asked softly

Gavner smiled "I doubt it Larten is widely respected His wrists will be slapped, but I don’t think anybody will look for his head"

"Why didn’t you judge hiht to pass judgment on nonranked vampires," he said "But Larten’s an old friend It’s best for a judge to be unbiased Even if he’d committed a real crime, I would have found it hard to punish him Besides, Larten’s no ordinary vampire He used to be a General"

"Really?" I stared at Gavner Purl, stunned by the news

"An i voted a Vampire Prince when he stepped down"

"A prince?" I asked skeptically It was hard to iine Mr Crepsley with a crown and royal cape

"That’s e call our leaders," Gavner said "There are very few of them Only the noblest and most respected vampires are elected"

"And Mr Crepsley almost became one?" I said Gavner nodded "What happened?" I asked "How did he end up traveling with the Cirque Du Freak?"

"He resigned," Gavner said "He was a couple of years shy of being ordained - we call the process of Prince-ht he declared he was sick of the business and wanted nothing more to do with the Generals"

"Why?" I asked

Gavner shrugged "Nobody knows Larten never gave "

I wanted to ask who it was the Vaht, but at that moment we passed the last of the town houses and Gavner Purl srunted happily

"You’re leaving?" I asked

"Have to," he said "A General’s schedule is a busy one I only dropped by because it was on my way I’d like to stay and chat over old times with Larten, but I can’t Anyway, I think Larten will be on the move soon hi?" I asked

Gavner shook his head and grinned "Sorry He’d scalp me alive if I told I’ve already said more than I should You won’t tell hi a General, will you?"

"Not if you don’t want me to," I said

"Thanks" Gavner crouched down and faced me "Larten’s a pain in the butt soetting infor teeth froood vampire, one of the best You couldn’t hope for a better teacher Trust hi"

"I’ll try" I serous world for vaerous than you know Stick with Larten and you’ll be in a better position to survive thanas he has without learning more than your fair share of tricks"

"How old is she?" I asked

"I’hty or two hundred"

"How old are you?" I asked

"I’m a whippersnapper," he said "Barely past the hundred mark"

"A hundred years old!" I whistled softly

"That’s nothing for a vampire," Gavner said "I was barely nineteen when first blooded and only twenty-then I becaood five hundred years old, the gods of the va"

"Five hundred!" I couldn’t i to blow out the candles on that cake!" Gavner chuckled Then he stood "I must be off I have fifty miles to ri I always feel sick afterward"

"Will I see you again?" I asked

"Probably," he replied "The world’s a sain one fine, gloo, Darren Shan"

"Until next tireed, and then he was off He took several deep breaths and started to jog After a while he broke into a sprint I stood where I atching hi speed and disappeared in the blink of an eye, at which point I turned and headed back to camp

I found Mr Crepsley in his van He was sitting by the(it was completely covered with strips of dark sticky tape, to block out the sun during the day), staring one," I said

"Yes," he sighed

"He didn’t stay long," I remarked

"He is a Vampire General," Mr Crepsley said "His time is not his own"

"I liked hiood friend," Mr Crepsley agreed

I cleared , too"

Mr Crepsley regarded ," I lied quickly "I asked why he couldn’t stay longer, and he said there was no point, since you’d probably beon soon"

Mr Crepsley nodded "Gavner brought unpleasant news," he said carefully "I will have to leave the Cirque for a while"