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It was like stepping back into the past The building was cooler and daraffiti had been scrawled across the walls, but otherwise it was no different I led the way down the long corridor where Mr Tall had sneaked up on Steve andout of the darkness with that incredible speed and silence which had been his trademark A left turn at the end I noted the spot where Mr Tall had taken and eaten our tickets Back then, blue curtains had been draped across the entrance to the auditoriue

We entered the auditorium, two abreast, Vancha and Alice in front, Debbie and Evra next (Debbie pushing Darius in front of her), then Harkat and I Evanna drifted along further back, detached from us by distance and attitude

It was completely black inside the auditoriu But I could hear deep,from somewhere far ahead of us "Vancha," I whispered

"I know," he whispered back

"Should we move towards it?" I asked

"No," he replied "It’s too dark Wait"

A , both in myself and those around me But nobody broke rank or spoke We stood in the darkness, waiting, leaving the first move to our foes

Several hts were switched on overhead Everyone gasped and I cried out loud, hunching over, covering my extra-sensitive eyes with my hands We were defenceless for a few vital seconds That would have been the ideal time for an attack I expected va - but nothing happened

"Are your eyes OK?" Debbie asked, crouching besideh to see out of Even that was agony

Holding a hand over ood job we hadn’t advanced The entire floor of the auditoriu fro froe, was a giant pit, filled with sharpened stakes

"Ie My eyes lifted It was hard to see, because the lights were being trained on us froht the scene into focus Dozens of tall, thick logs clotted the stage, placed vertically, ideal cover Sticking out fro face of Steve Leopard

When Vancha saw Steve, he drew a shuriken and threw it at hi star ended up buried in the wood of the log behind which he was standing

"Bad luck, Sire," Steve laughed "Care to make it the best throw out of three?"

"Maybe I can get hi up past Vancha She raised her pistol and fired, but the bullet penetrated no deeper than the shuriken

"Is that the preliminaries out of the way, or do you want to take a few more pot shots?" Steve called

"I could possibly leap the pit," Vancha said dubiously, studying the rows of stakes between hirunted Even vampires had their limits

"I don’t see anybody else," Debbie whispered, casting her eyes around the auditorium The balcony above us - from where I’d spied on Steve and Mr Crepsley - could have been swar with vampaneze and va overhead, not even a single heartbeat

"Where’s your army?" Vancha shouted at Steve

"Around and about," Steve replied sweetly

"Didn’t you bring theht," Steve said "I don’t need theodfather - aka Gannen Harst - a certain Righteous Va snake-boy What’s his naain, RV?"

"Shancus," ca to Steve’s left

"Shancus!" Evra roared "Are you all right?"

There was no reply My heart sank Then RV pushed Shancus out froh his hands were tied behind his back, and he was gagged, he was still very much alive, and he looked unharhed "A bit loud though, hence the gag So! I don’t knohere kids today pick up such filthy words" Steve paused "By the way, how’s ? I can’t see too well from here"

"I’rey one cut off his head with an axe!"

"How grisly" Steve didn’t sound the least bit upset "I told you they were savages, son No respect for life"

"It was revenge!" Harkat yelled "He killed Mr Tall"

There was silence on the stage Steve see close by Steve, I heard Gannen Harst call out to RV, "Is this true?"

"Yes," RV mumbled "He shot him"

"How do you know he killed hiht have simply been wounded"

"No," Evanna answered, her first word of the encounter "He is dead Morgan James murdered him"

"Is that you, Lady Evanna?" Steve asked uncertainly

"Yes," she said

"Not up to anywith the vampires?" He said it flippantly, but his anxiety was evident - he didn’t fancy a clash with the Lady of the Wilds

"I have never taken sides between the va now," Evanna said coolly

"That’s OK then," Steve chuckled, confidence returning "Interesting about Mr Tall I always thought he couldn’t be killed by ordinary weapons I’d have gone after hio if I’d known he could be so easily bumped off"

"Gone after hi criled

"You’re the only crihed theatrically "See how they slander me, son? They soil this world with their er of blame elsewhere That’s always been the vampire way"

I started to respond, then decided I’d be wasting my time "Let’s cut the crap," I called instead "You didn’t lead us here for a war of words Are you co or not?"

"Not!" Steve cackled "Do you think I’m insane? You’d cutus here?" I looked around again, nervous I couldn’t believe he hadn’t laid a trap, that there weren’t dozens of va up on us as we talked Yet I didn’t sense a threat I could see Vancha was confused too

"I want to chat, Darren," Steve said "I’d like to discuss a peace treaty"

I had to laugh at that - it was such a ludicrous notion "Maybe you want to become my blood-brother," I jeered

"In a way, I already am," Steve said cryptically Then his eyes narrowed slyly "You "

I cursed fiercely but quietly "Why kill Toe? Didhe ’betray’ you too?"

"No," Steve said "To oalkeeper too"

"Then why have hi about?" Darius cut in "You killed Toan and RV tried to stop you, but? That’s right, isn’t it, Dad?" he asked, and I saw the first flickers of doubt stir in the boy’s eyes

"I told you, son," Steve replied, "you can’t believe anything a vampire says Pay no attention to hiot his ticket to the Cirque Du Freak?"

"I just assumed?" I stopped "You set him up!"

"Of course," Steve chuckled "Withyour help Reave to Darius? He passed it on Toraphs Darius went along and ’swapped’ his ticket for a signed football We still have it lying around somewhere Could be a collector’s ite a child to do your dirty work - disgusting"

"Not really," Steve disagreed "It just sho highly I value the young"

Now that I knew Steve had given To the pieces of his plan together "You couldn’t have known for sure that Tommy would run into uessed he would If he hadn’t, I’d have worked out soether I didn’t need to, but I liked the idea Hi here at the sahtly miffed that Alan wasn’t here too - that would have made for a complete reunion"

"What about my cup ticket? How did you find out about that?"

"I phoned To," Steve said "He was astonished - first he bumps into his old pal Darren, then he hears from his old buddy Steve What a coincidence! I faked astonish to the match He invited me as well, but I said I couldn’t make it"