Kevin L. O'Brien's Blog: Songs of the Seanchaí, page 21

Dreamlands Bestiary: Cats

Cats are one of four species that can Dream, the other three being Humans, Spiders, and Dolphins. Dreaming made Cats intelligent, but they hide this fact from Humans in the Waking World to protect themselves from exploitation. In the Dreamlands, however, they are perhaps the most powerful force extant. They are ruled by a High Queen and a Council of Elders, both of which reside in Ulthar. They can field an army of a million troops, they have a messanger service that carries news from one end of the Dreamworld to the other in relays, and they have the ability to leap to the Moon, where they play among the ruins and fungi gardens on warm nights. They go where they will, do whatever they please, and answer to no one. They fear nothing and retaliate against any wrong.

They have their own language, which comes in two forms: the Common Tongue, which Humans can learn, and the Sacred Tongue, used for political and religious ceremonies. They can also learn the Human Tongue; in fact, many more Cats know Human than Humans know Cat, though not all of them can speak it. They are masters of analysis and mathematical logic, and have little concern for the affairs of Humans, except when those affairs impact their own. They know magic, but few make use of it.

Cats have three names: a Face Name they share with outsiders, a Heart Name they share with family, and a Soul Name they share with no one. They also have three souls: the Ka, created by Bast, the Great Mother; the Ba, or the mind, and the Akh, the Ka and Ba made one after a Cat dies.

Cats live nine reincarnated lives, half in the Dreamworld, half in the Waking World. They are matriarchal and existential, and despite their aloofness, Humans trust them for their dispassionate, disinterested, impartial judgment, and their just, fair decisions.

Synopsis: Naked Peril (a Sir Differel adventure)

The girls race through an open wood with Gen. Ross in the foothills west of Denver. At one point, they come upon a wall and follow its perimeter to a gate. There they find an armed guard. Ross knocks him unconscious and they head up the drive towards a distant house. However, they stumble into a patrol and are captured. They are taken to a military encampment and told to enter a tent. There they see the back of a chair at a desk. They can't see who's in it, but they can see smoke rising above it and a hand reach out to take some loose papers off a table at the rear of the tent. Then a familiar voice asks them to sit down. When they do, the chair turns around and the girls discover it is Sir Differel.

She asks them what they are doing there. Though her manner is pleasant, she is obviously upset. The girls and Ross sidestep the question and ask what she's doing there. Differel explains that a paranormal artifact was taken from the British Museum. Her agents traced it here, and she's come to get it back. When the girls ask about Dracula, she claims he's busy elsewhere. When Ross asks why she didn't inform the American government, she tells them she didn't want the Americans to know about the artifact. Ideally, she shouldn't have told the girls, but she likes and trusts them enough to hope that, Ross's presence not withstanding, if she was straight with them, they'd be straight with her.

The Ross agrees to cooperate and Differel orders tea. She explains that she's here to investigate reports of strange phenomena in this area, and she asked the girls to accompany her because of their unique talents. Differel asks how she met them. She explains that three months previously, Dr. Mabuse had been kidnapped by a rogue army colonel named Torain Thegn and tortured to reveal where she hid the self-aware robot she invented. The robot had contacted the girls, and with their help and the help of Medb, he rescued Mabuse, though he sacrificed himself to do so. However, Ross had been so impressed with the girls' handling of the rescue that the next month she hired and train them to participate with her in a commando operation against a bioweapons plant. Sir Differel is impressed; she had heard of the operation, but she never realized the girls had been involved. In any event, they had done a few other jobs for Ross, mostly by going in and finding out what's going on, then alerting Ross so she could send in whatever troops or specialists were needed to deal with the situation. This was the first time, since their first mission, that Ross had come with them.

Differel states that technically the girls are Caerleon agents, so she could second them to her troop as part of her personal team, but Ross's presence presents a problem. She reiterates that she cannot have the Americans involved. Realistically she should incarcerate Ross until the operation is over, but she doesn't want to spare the men to guard her. She would prefer to enlist her as well, but she would have to give her word that she will do what she tells her. In any event, she could use all their help. She has a platoon with her, but with the exception of a trio of specialists, it will mostly be responsible for defense and diversion tactics. Ross assures her that her only concern is to find out what's behind the reported phenomena; she has no interest in interfering with Differel's expedition so long as they confine themselves to recovering the stolen artifact. Once she and her troops are gone, Ross can send for her own forces to mop up. Differel accepts that.

As she continues her informal briefing, she explains that the artifact was taken to the house. She intends to go in, raid the house, find the artifact, and leave. She is simply waiting for word from her scouting teams before going in. She gives them a chance to clean up a bit, remarking that their camouflage paint makes them look like circus clowns. She also remarks that Sunny looks different with her hair dyed black and in pigtails.

After Ross and the girls wash up, Differel introduces them to the platoon commander, Lt. Carrig, the platoon leader, Sgt. Frombe, and the three specialists, Capt. Ranlier, Lt. Savoir, and RSM Perkins. She has Ross and the girls outfitted with weapons: Heckler & Koch UMP submachine guns, SIG P226 pistols, and Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knives; Ross retains her M1911 .45 ACP pistol, but also takes a Neostead 2000 combat shotgun. The scouting teams return and report to Carrig, who then informs Differel. She orders the platoon to move in; Carrig leads them while Frombe coordinates with Differel. They storm the house and quickly secure it, meeting no opposition. In fact, the house seems to be deserted, which unnerves everyone. Differel and her team proceed to the library with Frombe and a half-dozen troops. There they find a rough-hewn, disc-shaped piece of black stone with a smooth face covered in strange symbols. Frombe checks it out and declares that it isn't booby trapped. Ranlier, Savoir, and Perkins take charge of it under Differel's supervision while Ross and the girls look on. The three specialists examine it and eventually declare it to be genuine. They pack it away and Differel orders the troops to withdraw.

The sound of gunfire alerts them that there is a problem. They make their way down to the great hall, where the platoon is under siege from a mass of diminutive creatures. Despite their overwhelming firepower, the troops are overrun, and Differel retreats with her team, Ross, the girls, and Frombe. Carrig sacrifices his life so they can get away, taking a couple of dozen creatures with him. The survivors try to make it out the back, but are cut off. They are driven into the basement where they plan to make a stand while Ross calls for reinforcements.

In the room, the girls find a tunnel leading underground. Thinking it leads to a ghoul warren, they take out their ankhs and persuade the others to follow them. They go down the tunnel and emerge into a large chamber filled with the creatures. They are overwhelmed and subdued, but not killed. Instead the three specialists are taken away with the stone while the women are stripped naked. Frombe tries to fight back but is wounded. The creatures seem to be frightened of the girls' ankhs; not enough to leave the girls alone, but they do not touch the ankhs and the girls are able to retain them. They are then all dumped into a pit. While they wait, they can hear bloodcurdling screams mixed with chanting in a weird, sibilant tongue.

Some time later, the creatures return. Savoir is with them, but he is now dressed in ceremonial robes. He reveals that he is allied to them, whom he calls The Little People, that his family has inbred with them for generations. It was he who stole the stone and had it brought to America. He intends to use it to call up one of the Little People's gods, and he needs the women as sacrifices. Ross warns him that she has called in a Marine anti-terrorist squad and that they will arrive soon, but he indicates that the ceremony will be finished before they can arrive. He then departs. The Little People lower a rope ladder and threaten the women with poison darts if they don't climb up. They are then escorted through a tunnel to the outside, where a huge bonfire in a pit has been lit. Savoir stands in front of it, chanting in the sibilant tongue with a group of Little People chorusing him. The rest dance around the fire with wild abandon. Frombe is taken and spread-eagled on a flat stone. The women watch helpless as the Little People torture and rape her, then she is picked up and flung into the fire. Her screams continue for some time before she falls silent.

The Little People then grab Sunny and manhandle her towards the altar, but before they can get started, ghouls come streaming out of the surrounding woods. They rescue the women, herd them into the trees, then into a cave and down a passage. They go through a secret entrance and another tunnel into a chamber, where they are met by two ghouls. One the girls recognize as Stéise, the ghoul leader who officiated at the ceremony that made them ghoul-friends. The other salutes Ross and introduces itself as Bonecracker, late Lt. Col. Benjamin Harold Sherman, USMC, now retired. Ross is flabbergasted; she knew Sherman, he had been her commanding officer when she was a first lieutenant in special forces. He was lost, presumed killed during an operation in the Middle East. He explains that his change began while on that mission, and after it was over he went to live in a warren in the desert. He has since risen to be an important tactical officer among the ghouls.

Stéise explains that while the ghouls live peaceably with many subterranean races, they are at war with the Little People. Normally the two groups just stay out of each other's way, but they often clash, such as when the ghouls must interrupt a summoning ritual. Tonight was one such ritual, except that the presence of Savoir and the stone complicate matters. Even so, their original intention was to let the women be sacrificed and see what was called up, but when they saw the girls' ankhs, the observers reported back for instructions. Stéise apologizes that they did not intervene in time to save the woman who was immolated, but they had to deliberate what to do. In the end, it was the possibility the girls were Team Girl that prompted their intervention. Though they did not learn what they wanted to learn, nonetheless the ceremony had been interrupted, so all is well. The women are welcome to remain safe with them until Ross's reinforcements arrive.

At this point Differel interrupts. They must recover the stone; it is the property of the Her Majesty's government. Stéise responds that the political affairs of humans are not their concern. Ross sides with Differel, explaining that as long as Savoir has the stone, he will try again. Differel adds that Savoir is a traitor who killed her men and he needs to be killed. Bonecracker agrees, but Stéise overrides him. The girls ask about the "god" Savoir intended to raise. Stéise is shocked to hear the name, and when she asks how they know it, they explain Savoir told them. Stéise explains that it is an ancient, chaotic entity, older and more powerful than Mordiggian or Nyarlathotep; older and more powerful than even the Archons. Were it set loose in the world, it could destroy all life in a matter of weeks. The surface of the earth would be scoured down to the bedrock, leaving only those races who live underground. And without humans, the ghouls would eventually die out. She agrees the stone must be recovered, and she places Bonecracker in charge.

He takes the women to another chamber, where a number of armed ghouls are waiting. He explains that this is his model unit: a short company of 75 individuals, divided into three infantry platoons with a heavy weapons platoon. Ghouls have always fought hand-to-hand before, but casualties are often heavy. This unit was created to test the idea that using weapons would give them a greater advantage and cut down on casualties. It is made up entirely of former military personnel from several different countries, so they are already trained and disciplined. He gladly places it under Ross's command. Ross demures, since she is not a combat officer, but Bonecracker insists, so she makes him her exec, with full tactical authority; she will develop the strategy, in concert with Differel. Bonecracker offers them weapons but regrets he can provide no clothes; his troops don't wear uniforms.

The strategy is simple: the ghouls will assault the Little People's warren and spearhead the thrust for Savoir and the stone; Differel and the girls will be responsible for dealing with Savoir and recovering the stone. Bonecracker will handle the tactical requirements to achieve the strategic goal. The heavy weapons platoon is assigned to escort Differel and the girls.

The attack goes off as planned. The armed ghouls, supported by unarmed ghouls sent in behind them to mop up, wreck havoc with the Little People. Differel and the girls pursue Savoir deeper into the warren. At one point they are ambushed by some form of monstrosity, but Differel engages Savoir while the girls secure the stone. Differel kills him after a savage hand-to-hand fight, and they retreat back towards the surface. The armed ghouls have driven off the Little People and claimed their warren for their own.

Afterwards, Stéise insists the ghouls must have the stone for safe keeping. Differel refuses to give it up, but offers to let the ghouls protect it in London. Stéise agrees to negotiate a fair settlement and lets her keep the stone. Bonecracker offers his unit for Ross's use, and Ross pledges to give him logistical support. He then informs her that her troops are closing in; she can meet them at the house.

The women are escorted back to the house, and when the first troops arrive, Ross goes out to meet them, while Differel and the girls remain inside. The commander stares dumbfounded at her at first, but when she barks he hurries off to get clothes for her and her companions.

Synopsis: Girly Vampire (a Team Girl adventure)

While walking in the park late one evening, Team Girl is surprised by a young female vampire. She announces that she has taken over Lucas Cornelia's former hunting territory, and that she has been instructed by the Conclave to assure them that she knows about the Ban on hunting them. She is also to act as their go-between with the vampires, so that if they ever need to get word to Uallach Ruadhríon or the Conclave, they only need to leave a message with her. When she tries to leave, Sunny asks her who she is, and she reveals her name is Giovanna Mencia Borgia, but she refuses to be friends with humans.

When the Girls return home, they decide to retire early. Eile takes a shower while Sunny loads the dishwasher. But she also fills a thermos with coffee and sneaks out of the house to leave it in the place where they are to leave messages.

As Giovanna comes back through the park after running some errands, she passes the message depot and notices the thermos. She reads the attached note, in which Sunny offers the coffee as a token of neighborliness, to help ward off the chill. For a moment Giovanna is touched, but then her bitterness reasserts itself and she very nearly pours it out on the ground. Then she catches the scent. It had been centuries since she last had coffee, but she suddenly remembers enjoying it. She takes a sip; it's somewhat less than hot now but still warm, and delicious. Smiling, she takes it back to her house.

In the morning, Eile finds the empty thermos sitting beside the morning paper. Written on Sunny's note is just "Thank you." Eile asks Sunny about it, and she admits to what she did. Eile gently berates her for continuing to reach out to Giovanna, but Sunny is pleased that the vampire accepted it. That day she makes oatmeal cookies and packs away a half-dozen in a Tupperware bowl, which she leaves at the message depot. In the morning she makes sure she goes for the paper first, and she finds the empty bowl lying on top.

Over the next week, she leaves snacks, then music CDs, and finally a movie DVD, at the message depot each evening, finding the empty containers the next morning, or the discs a day later. No further notes are left, but Sunny is encouraged that Giovanna seems to be accepting the offerings. Then she leaves a homemade wind chime, and in the morning finds a little ceramic bird with the paper.

The next night she goes out to the park to leave a suncatcher, but she is surprised by Eile, who has suspected her activities for some time. She tries to draw her away, when Giovanna appears. She accepts the suncatcher, then invites the Girls back to her house for tea. Eile is suspicious, but when Sunny accepts she goes along to make sure Giovanna doesn't try anything funny. They find out she owns a home. She lives in the basement, the other floors being used as rented offices. Eile is surprised to find that the basement is comfortably furnished, and in a style reminiscent of the Italian Renaissance of the 16th century. She also has a computer system, a ceramics workshop, and a stained-glass worktable. Her bed is little more than a large pet pillow with a blanket. Her kitchen has no stove, but it does have a microwave and a large refrigerator stocked with bags of whole blood and blood cells, as well as a freezer with bottles of frozen plasma. Eile notices that the refrigerator also has the cookies, muffins, and cupcakes Sunny gave her. As she heats the water for the tea, Giovanna explains that after centuries of consuming blood, her stomach has trouble digesting solid food. She accepted the snacks so as not to hurt Sunny's feelings, but she has just nibbled on them. Dunking pieces in plasma helps to make them more palatable. She offers what's left of them with the tea for the Girls to snack on, but Eile notices Giovanna drinks her tea with lemon and honey.

She begins by apologizing for her rude behavior when they first met. She had a bad experience when she was turned that left her hurt and bitter. That and vampire existence being an inherently lonely one, she has never formed attachments. She has occasionally taken humans as companions or pets, but it never worked out for long. Hence, she is both unused to and uncomfortable with the idea of having friends. Sunny's interest caught her by surprise and she reacted in anger. Her persistence has softened her, but she cannot reciprocate. It is against both her instincts and vampire culture for her to be friends with prey. Besides, they have nothing in common, and she disapproves of their immodest displays and immoral behavior. Her comments make Eile angry, but she holds her tongue. However, Sunny claims they do have one thing in common: they're all young girls, physically the same age. Giovanni is amused by her comment, but it does not persuade her. She asks that Sunny discontinue her efforts. Nothing can come of it, and it will only get them in trouble with the Conclave. Eile can see that Sunny is very disappointed, even a little hurt, but she agrees, and Eile tells her it's for the best. Giovanna is relieved, and as a parting gift to show there are no hard feelings, she offers to let Sunny take one of her stained glass hangings. While Sunny makes her choice, Eile looks around, and notices that Giovanna has music CDs and movie DVDs similar to ones she and Sunny has.

Giovanna escorts them back home, and as they lay in bed, Eile asks Sunny whether she gave Giovanna any music or movies. When Sunny says she did and mentions which ones, Eile remarks that Giovanna must have liked them, because she bought similar titles to those Sunny gave her. That cheers Sunny up, making her think she made an impression after all.

After midnight, something awakens Sunny. She looks out and sees standing on the balcony a tall gaunt figure dressed in a dark cloak-robe with a head and face like a humanoid bat. Frightened, she wakes Eile, but when they look, it is gone. Eile thinks she was dreaming and goes back to bed. Sunny is sure she wasn't, and she stays up looking to see if it returns, but she finally drifts off to sleep.

In the morning, they find a box on their front stoop. Inside are the uneaten snacks Sunny gave Giovanna, along with a note saying that as much as she appreciated them, she simply cannot eat them. Sunny looks hurt by the rejection, but she's then elated to find a sculpture of herself and Eile at the bottom of the box. Then Eile sees the gears turning in her head as she concocts a scheme. She goes to their computer and sends a chat message to Medb, asking if there is a way of speaking to Uallach Ruadhríon without going through Giovanna. When Medb asks why, Sunny coyly writes that she needs information that she doesn't want Giovanna to know she's looking for. Medb finally agrees to arrange a meeting for that night. Later, Sunny goes out to work in a flower garden she's putting in and she sees a footprint in the soil. Though human-shaped, it is quite large and has clawed toes. She shows it to Eile, who realizes Sunny wasn't seeing things the previous night. They pour a plaster cast of the print to preserve it.

Uallach meets with the girls and Sunny explains how she's been trying to make friends with Giovanna. Eile notes that the ancient vampire seems surprised but not upset, especially when Sunny reports that she asked her to stop. Then Sunny asks if vampires drink "blood cocktails"; blood or plasma mixed with other liquids or spices and the like, and if so where do they get them. Uallach tries to dissuade Sunny from pursuing that line of inquiry, but when Sunny appears adamant, she finally admits that they do, but that with the exception of special vampire bars there is no place where such drinks are commercially available. Sunny acts resigned to that fact, which pleases Uallach and she leaves, but Eile can again see the gears turning in Sunny's head as she works out an idea.

Uallach confronts Giovanna as she is about to go out to patrol her territory. Uallach tells her that she knows she has been socializing with the Girls. She warns her to desist or she will be punished. Fearful, Giovanna agrees.

When they check the cast, they find it has hardened. They remove it and clean it off, then decide to take it to Giovanna. They find her at home and when she sees it she gets somewhat agitated, and becomes more so when Sunny describes their visitor. She explains that it sounds like a Nosferatu. Vampires undergo physical changes as they age, and particularly ancient vampires become less and less human, until they become Nosferatu. They are the most powerful of all known vampires; even the members of the Conclave fear them. However, they seem to have no will of their own, and obey whoever has the will to command them. Technically, that should only be the Conclave, but it isn't unheard of for a Nosferatu to bind itself to another vampire. She'll have to look into it. She asks the Girls to go home, and report any other visitations. On their way through the park, however, the Nosferatu appears and confronts them. It doesn't attack, just stands and stares at them, but if they try to go around it, it moves to block their path. Giovanna appears and demands that it depart. It does so, but Giovanna is concerned. For some reason, it has targeted the Girls. It's displaying classic stalking and intimidation behavior. They won't be safe until she can find out who has sent it after them. She'll stay with them for tonight, but tomorrow they must contact Medb to arrange continued protection with her.

When they get back to their house, Giovanna seems content to loiter outside, but Sunny insists that she come inside, and even Eile would prefer that, so she obliges them. They have no blood or plasma to offer her, but she prefers to stay hungry to be at peak power, and she'd prefer coffee. The Girls are too keyed up to go to bed, so they play some music and dance. They ask Giovanna if she dances and she explains that she does, but only those she learned while alive; modern dances are far too wanton for her taste. Rather than offend her, the Girls sit with her and they talk about themselves: Giovanna describes her life before and after being turned, and the Girls describe how they met. Inevitably the conversation comes back around to the Nosferatu. Giovanna explains that there is a vampire that owns a club for vampires, who is a source of information for everything that goes on in the rank-and-file vampire community. She plans to start there. At some point, their weariness finally catches up with them and the Girls fall asleep.

When they awaken, it's late morning. They send a message to Medb, but get only an automatic reply; they figure she's out somewhere. They discuss what to do. Sunny wants to go to the vampire club to investigate on their own. Besides, she's heard of it, though she never knew it was for vampires, and she's eager to check it out. Eile isn't sure that's wise, but without Medb they're sitting ducks anyways, so she figures its worth a shot. Maybe all those vampires around will deter the Nosferatu, and the Ban should protect them. It is, however, a goth/deathrock venue, so they'll have to dress accordingly. They spend the afternoon shopping for suitable clothes, then make themselves up and go out around dusk. They get a number of odd looks on the light rail, but that simply amuses them.

They get into the club with no problem, but as soon as they take seats at the bar, Eile realizes they made a huge mistake. For one thing, their costumes are too flamboyant; they look like tourists. For another, Eile suddenly remembers that as humans they stick out like sore thumbs. Every vampire will instantly recognize them for what they are. Before she can grab Sunny and run, however, they find themselves surrounded. As the patrons close in, Giovanna appears and warns them off. Several challenge her authority, but she grabs one, chokes him to his knees, then tosses him across the room. The rest beat a hasty retreat. Giovanna berates the Girls for taking such a foolish chance: "The Ban does not give you license to walk into the lions' den." However, the club owner appears and makes the Girls his guests. He then takes them and Giovanna to a secluded table to talk.

He introduces himself as Guy des Maizeaux. He is an elderly vampire, having been turned during the French Revolution to escape the guillotine. Though he admits that his age has long since passed, he still sees himself as an aristocrat in exile, and longs for the return of his status and power. He is very deferential to Giovanna, despite a large discrepancy in their physical ages. He reports that the Denver vampire community is aware of the presence of the Nosferatu and it has set them all on edge. Though it has not openly attacked anyone, Nosferatu will feed on vampires as well as humans, and there have already been a few disappearances. Rumor has it that it has been sent to eliminate the Girls, which Giovanna already suspected, but he has discovered that those vampires who disappeared had openly advocated taking the cure offered by Medb. He therefore believes it is commanded by someone who opposes the cure, to intimidate vampires into rejecting it. As a symbol of the cure, eliminating the Girls would send a very powerful message to anyone contemplating becoming human again. When Giovanna asks if there is anyone local who might be able to command a Nosferatu, he suggests Alice Grogan, a Victorian Era vampire who was a contemporary of the Unsinkable Margaret Brown. She owns a human club, The Titanic, and can generally be found there most nights.

The Titanic is a posh club located in downtown Denver. It caters to an exclusive clientele, mostly socialites and celebutantes. Giovanna would have preferred to go alone, but she didn't want to leave the Girls alone without protection, she didn't trust Des Maizeaux, and she didn't want the Girls going off on their own, so she let them come along, after they changed and got out of their goth makeup. When they reached the club, the door guards, who were vampires, wouldn't let them in. Giovanna could have taken care of them, but she didn't want to put the Girls at risk. However, one of the guards gets a message over his earphone and he admits them. They are met by a hostess, also a vampire, escorted to a table, and asked to wait; Ms. Grogan would be with them shortly. After a half hour, the girls get bored and decide to dance. Giovanna elects to stay at the table, but she watches them. She is repelled by the vulgar display, but also fascinated. The Girls are the epitome of the kind of woman she wanted to be: independent, educated, and free-spirited. She reflected that such women could indulge in this kind of behavior with no fear of censure and no guilt. She wondered if her own revulsion was a byproduct of her upbringing, despite how much she despised its restrictions.

When the Girls return to the table, an elegant, stately woman approaches and sits down. She introduces herself as Grogan and asks them to explain their business. Giovanna explains about the Nosferatu, and that Des Maizeaux thought it might be commanded by a vampire opposed to the cure. Grogan and Giovanna verbally spar back and forth, but while Grogan admits to or denies nothing, it strikes Eile that she bears no animosity towards the Girls, or for that matter anyone else. She just hates the idea of a cure. When Giovanna asks if she can think of anyone else local who could command a Nosferatu, Grogan replies that to her knowledge there is no one powerful enough in this entire hemisphere. When they decide to leave, Grogan tells the Girls they are welcome back anytime. Though suspicious, she assures them they will be perfectly safe; she and her staff will observe the Ban, and they only feed on patrons who volunteer.

As they head home, Giovanna admits she is stymied. If the vampire controlling the Nosferatu is an outsider, then she will have to go further afield to find him or her, and she will need the Conclave's cooperation. For now, she just wants to get the Girls home. As they get off at the light rail stop, however, Giovanna feels the presence of the Nosferatu. She takes them back to her basement apartment and lets them spend the night on her pillow, while she sits up watching over them. She can feel the Nosferatu prowling around her house, but it makes no attempt to break in.

The next day, Eile and Sunny awaken to find Giovanna in torpor on her couch. They cover with the blanket and go home. There they find a message from Medb. She reports that she will return tomorrow morning. In the meantime, she wants them to seal themselves in the safe room for the night. The Girls discuss that but decide that while it would be prudent, they don't like the idea of hiding while others fight their battles for them. They decide to continue to help Giovanna with her investigation, as far as they can.

After a nap, a meal, and getting cleaned up, they go out before dusk, because Sunny wants to make a stop at a CD store. Eile has with her a portable CD player and an ABBA CD. After Sunny finds what she wants, they go over to Giovanna's house. She meets them in the park along the way. She tells them she has contacted Uallach and arranged to meet her by a pavilion. Since Medb doesn't seem to have returned, she wants the Girls to stick close by. While they wait, Sunny asks Giovanna to show them some dance steps from her time. Bemused, she declines at first, but Sunny's persistence wears her down. Sunny pops in the CD she bought of Italian Renaissance music. Giovanna indicates that it comes from about 50 years after her time, but she shows them how she would dance to it. Sunny stands up and tries to imitate her, and Giovanna walks her through the moves. Soon they are dancing together as if Sunny was born to it. On a lark, Giovanna then asks the girls to show her some of their steps. Having anticipated that, Sunny has Eile pop in the ABBA CD and she dances to "Dancing Queen". She and Eile then do a more subdued dance than would normally be their want. Giovanna watches, then starts to imitate them. They teach her a few moves, but explain that their style of dancing is less formal, more free than hers, and they tell her to just move like she feels. Soon the three girls are dancing together, and despite some initial reserve, Giovanna soon lets go and starts to enjoy herself.

The music shuts off abruptly, and they see Uallach standing beside the player. Mortified, Giovanna immediately throws herself face-down on the ground and begs forgiveness. Uallach instructs Eile and Sunny to keep quiet, but she bids Giovanna stand up, saying she isn't angry, she's just disappointed. She thought the girl vampire had more sense. She knows it isn't proper for a vampire to fraternize with prey, even those under a Ban. However, she is willing to make allowances for Sunny's persistence; even she finds it hard to resist. As such, she won't punish Giovanna, but she insists that she never see the Girls again, unless they have business with her. If she disobeys, she will be punished. When Sunny tries to intercede, Uallach frightens her into silence. She then instructs Giovanna to see them safely home, and watch over them until Medb or dawn arrives. On their way back, Sunny apologizes for getting Giovanna in trouble, but the girl vampire smiles, winks, and replies that it was all worth it.

Giovanna decides to camp out in the Girls' backyard for the rest of the night. They make her comfortable and Sunny tells her about her idea to make and sell "blood cocktails" to vampires. Giovanna thinks it's a good idea and offers to be her partner. When the girls ask about Uallach, she explains that there is precedence for vampires and humans being business partners, as long as the humans are trustworthy. As Sunny and Giovanna discuss ideas, Eile spots the Nosferatu perched on top of their fence. Giovanna orders the Girls into the house, but the Nosferatu leaps out in front of them and cuts them off. It grabs Sunny by the throat and lifts her off her feet. Eile attacks, and it backhands her across the face. She's thrown against the side of the house and falls to the ground, but while shaken she is unhurt. Giovanna attacks and makes it let Sunny go. She tries to get Sunny away, but the Nosferatu gets ahead of them again and goes for Sunny. She ducks and Giovanna leaps over her, kicking at the Nosferatu. She drives it back, then leaps straight up and comes down on top of it, driving her spiked heel through its forehead. Her momentum drives it down onto its back and she falls above it, her boot stuck in its head. As it convulses wildly, Sunny grabs her spade and chops off the Nosferatu's head.

Eile comes over and she and Sunny pull Giovanna loose. Giovanna expresses surprise that Eile survived her blow; it should have killed her. Eile is equally surprised, but at the same moment a crossbow bolt slams into Giovanna's back and emerges out her stomach. She falls down and the Girls drop to help her, but then they see Des Maizeaux standing off to one side. He discards the crossbow and brandishes a pistol. He explains that he controlled the Nosferatu. It had bonded to him during the Napoleonic Wars, when he found it in the Black Forest in Germany. He sent it after the Girls because he considers the cure an abomination. He would rather it had killed them, but he can do the job himself, then he will destroy Giovanna. Before he can shoot, however, Uallach appears from out of the house. She orders him to stand down, saying that the Conclave knows he was behind the attacks, so he will not escape punishment. He still tries to shoot the Girls, but then three Nosferatu surround him. He shoots at them to no avail, they grab him, and carrying him off, his screams dying off into the night.

Uallach breaks the bolt and Sunny pulls it free. As she picks Giovanna up, Uallach informs them that she will be fine a couple of days. Then she takes her away.

The next morning, Medb arrives. Though the Girls expect a harsh lecture, Medb instead praises them for their actions, though she does admonish them to be more careful with their decisions in the future. Nonetheless, she says she is proud of them and now feels confident they can take care of themselves. She takes blood and a cheek swab from Eile and takes the samples to Mabuse for analysis.

That night Uallach takes them to see Giovanna. She is doing well, and Uallach explains that the parasites will heal her. Fortunately, Des Maizeaux had not shot her through the heart. Medb arrives, and reports that Eile's body has hormones from a residual population of parasites that were not eliminated. However, they are not multiplying so they pose no threat. However, though nowhere near as powerful as a true vampire, even a yearling, the hormones nonetheless make her stronger, tougher, and faster than a normal human. Uallach reminds her that she wished Eile would retain the best of her experience, and this appears to be one such example. Uallach also reveals that the Conclave had used the Girls as bait to lure the Nosferatu and its handler into the open; they had simply moved before she could be in place. Giovanna knew the Girls were being used this way, but she was under strict orders not to tell them. However, Uallach declares that, as a reward for their help and Giovanna's loyalty and fortitude, the Conclave has given them special dispensation to fraternize. After all, if vampires are to take advantage of the cure, they must have some bridge back to the human world, especially the older ones, and Giovanna can serve as that bridge. But she in turn needs human liaisons, and the Girls can fill that role well. Uallach and Medb then leave, and the Girls remain to nurse Giovanna.

Outside, Uallach thanks Medb for her cooperation. Medb counters that, difficult though it may be, eventually parents must cut the apron strings and allow their children to live their own lives. It was time she did that for Team Girl. She will still teach and mentor them, and she will still come to their rescue when they are in desperate straits, but from now on they are largely on their own. She thanks Uallach for looking out for them during their trial. She then invites Uallach out for a drink, which she accepts.

A few days later, Eile and Sunny are waiting for the light rail to take them downtown to the Titanic for an evening's entertainment. Giovanna shows up and asks to go with them. She offers to pay, as an apology for being part of using them, and to thank them for their friendship. They welcome her and they declare themselves best friends forever.

Grace O'Malley, the Sea Queen of Connaught

Grace commanded a fleet of trading and warships which she used to build an ocean empire that included much of western Connacht. Along with her rich land holdings, she became such a power that Elizabeth I parleyed with her and the two strong-willed women came to an agreement. She even sided with England against the Ulster earls in the Nine Years War, but when Elizabeth broke their agreement, Grace returned to her piratical ways.

Go here for more details.

Next eBook: Differential Damsel

The next story in my schedule to be published through Smashwords will be:

Differential Damsel

Someone has kidnapped Differel's Dream-husband, Victor Plunkett, and has demanded a huge ransom for his release. She has no intention of paying and mounts a rescue with the help of Eile and Sunny of Team Girl.

If he's unharmed, maybe she won't kill them....

This will be another free ebook.

New eBook: We Deliver

I have just published my latest ebook:

We Deliver

Checkers Pizza is very popular among the students of Keekishwa University in Delasalle, Illinois, because it offers guaranteed 30 minute or the order is free. Business is usually brisk each night, even during the summer, but one night it died early and might have stayed that way, if a bizarre gentleman hadn't ordered 24 pies and paid with a solid gold coin.

Just one catch: he wants them delivered to the gate of a haunted cemetery....

In the Bonus Story, a woman passing through a cemetery late at night is assault by a couple of ghouls, who fight over her, allowing her to escape. But then they start to court her....

This ebook is free and can be downloaded from Smashwords.

Rain Gardens

Similar to artificial wetlands but on a smaller scale, rain gardens are another ecological method for treating water.



In built-up areas such as cities, there are few places where stormwater can collect and be absorbed into the ground. Instead, the water flows off roofs, sidewalks, streets, parking lots, even lawns, and is channeled into storm drains from where it is dumped into sewers or the nearest body of water, carrying whatever pollutants it picked up along the way with it.

The purpose of a rain garden is to trap and absorb stormwater before it has a chance to pick up contaminants, filter it through plant roots, and allow it to leach into the ground. Rain gardens can be whatever size is needed, from small ones to handle the discharge off the roof of a single house to larger ones meant to deal with flow out of an industrial park. And they are much less expensive to create and maintain than municipal stormwater diversion and treatment systems.

For more information, read this article.

The Gods of the Dreamlands

An old saying asserts that there are no atheists in foxholes. Though this is usually meant figuratively, a corollary could be more literal: there are no atheists in the Dreamlands, for the pure and simple reason that the gods make themselves known.

Of course, an atheist could claim that what are supposed to be gods are really just super-powerful beings, but that begs the question, at what point would a superpowerful being become a god? If such a being demonstrated all characteristics normally associated with a god, can we not just assume it is and be done with it?

The most commonly encounterd gods in the Lands are the Great Ones, the Little Gods of Earth. They are most like the deities of ancient Greece or Rome, in that they are human in form but with exotic differences, and they each command a specific aspect of the human and natural worlds, such as death, fire, magic, or destiny. They are the weakest of the known gods, and can be bested by clever or powerful Humans. They can also mate with Humans and produce great heroes.

The Outré Gods are the next most commonly encountered deities, especially their soul and messenger, Nyarlathotep. They protect the Great Ones and command cosmic forces, such as time, fertility, and existence. Nyarlathotep himself exists as numerous avatars: the Daemon Sultan of Kadath in the Cold Waste, the Red Death of Dylath-Leen, the Purple Fool of Lomar, the Thing in the Yellow Mask of 'Ygiroth, and the Crawling Chaos. They are the most powerful gods in the Lands, but are only worshipped by alien monstrosities.

The Elder Gods are virtually unknown; only three ever visit the Dreamlands, and of these only two are actively worshiped. Nodens, Lord of the Abyss, is the patron of Dreamers, but has no active cults. His consort Danu, goddess of fertility, war, and magic, is patron of the city-state of Karchedon. And Bast, the Great Mother, is the goddess of cats and patron of Ulthar.

Synopsis: Lion's Mouth (a Sir Differel adventure)

The girls are out walking with Medb one afternoon when Dracula appears, grabs them, and whisks them away. They black out. When they come to, they find themselves in the dungeon of a castle. Armed guards hustle them into a cell, where they are kept for a few hours. Finally guards arrive and escort them up to an upper floor. Along the way, the girls beat their guards and make a break for it, but are intercepted by Dracula, who carries them into Sir Differel's office.

Sir Differel explains she needs a favor from them. Before she can explain more, Medb appears from behind and holds a knife to her throat. Dracula catches Sunny by the throat, but Giovanna appears and holds a shotgun to his head. The standoff is broken when the real Sir Differel appears with commandos. Medb and Giovanna give up, but Sir Differel dismisses the commandos and her double. She then explains that she needs an introduction to the Conclave, to negotiate a truce and mutual defense agreement against the Serpent People. She has already done the same with the Holy Order of St. Antony Demons-Bane, the Vatican's monster-hunting organization headed by the Monsignor. Contrary to the Monsignor's attempt to capture her, her organization, the Caerleon Order of the Companions of St. George, shares common cause with the Antonians and often cooperates with them, though they are ideological and methodological rivals. She also has a tentative truce in place with Ceithlenn, though she understands that not all Fomorians will abide by it. The vampires are the only holdouts, and so far she has been unable to locate them.

The girls maintain they cannot tell her where to find the Conclave, but Sir Differel states that she only took them to lure Giovanna to her. In exchange for the girls' safety, Giovanna agrees to escort Sir Differel to the Conclave. She also needs Medb to be her bodyguard, since the Conclave will not let Dracula anywhere near them, and may even attack without provocation. Medb agrees, again in exchange for the girls' safety. Sir Differel then tells them they are free to leave, but they refuse, saying they won't let their friends walk into danger for their sake without their help. Sir Differel makes no objection and welcomes them along, at which point Sunny remarks, "I think we've been had!" Sir Differel then gives them rooms in her ancestral castle for the night while Giovanna leaves with Dracula to meet with Uallach.

Uallach enters the meeting chamber of the Conclave and takes her seat. She reports that Sir Differel has asked for a meeting through Giovanna to negotiate an alliance against the Serpent People. The Conclave debates the issue and are evenly split between those who desire an alliance and those who do not. The leader casts the deciding vote in favor of a meeting. Uallach takes the news to Giovanna and Dracula, but reiterates that he is to come nowhere near the Conclave headquarters. If he does, Sir Differel will be killed. He agrees to those terms, but warns them against treachery; he will avenge her death as his final act as her servant.

Giovanna and Dracula return at dawn, while Sir Differel is engaged in fencing practice with Medb. Upon hearing the news, she leaves to arrange transport. Giovanna reveals that the Conclave is located in an underground fortress complex in Transylvania, to which Eile remarks, "Why am I not surprised?" Also, Uallach will meet them at a designated rendezvous point and escort them to the Conclave. After breakfast, they board Sir Differel's armored command zeppelin and take off. They journey to Caerleon headquarters for central Europe, a schloss in Austria, to refuel and spend the night. While the party are relaxing after dinner with an impromptu concert by the girls, the schloss is attacked by a mob of Callicantzari, which are incredibly ancient hominid vampires. They are led by a trio of Nosferatu. As Dracula and Giovanna provide cover, they make for a nearby armory. Sealing themselves in, they select weapons: Dracula, his two huge large-caliber automatic pistols; Medb, a Claymore; Sir Differel, the sword Caliburn and a Steyr SSP; and Giovanna, a USAS-12 combat shotgun with a 20-round drum. The girls are also given shotguns with 10-round clips. Though anxious, having never fired firearms before, Giovanna gives them a crash course while Medb and Dracula blink into the hallway. After a few minutes, they open the door and the party heads out, Sir Differel and Dracula in front, Medb and Giovanna behind, and the girls in the middle. A Nosferatu jumps them; Sunny squeals, closes her eyes, and pulls the trigger, blowing the head off the vampire. Sunny is surprised as everyone else, but Eile says, "That's my girl."

They head for the control room, where they find the Callicantzari are rapidly overwhelming the schloss's defenders. Sir Differel signals an evacuation and triggers a self-destruct device. They then head for the roof to board the zeppelin. They fight their way through knots of Callicantzari, eventually reaching their destination, killing another Nosferatu in the process. While Dracula, Medb, and Giovanna hold off the horde, Sir Differel and the girls get aboard. Then Dracula holds the gangplank as Medb and Giovanna follow. A Nosferatu engages Dracula, which allows a group of Callicantzari to climb the gangplank. Sir Differel orders the zeppelin aloft and cuts loose the gangplank. Medb jumps to the roof as Dracula rips off the Nosferatu's head, and cuts down dozens of Callicantzari. Sir Differel orders the zeppelin to come around, and as it passes, Dracula and Medb jump for the open hatch. A half-dozen Callicantzari follow; four make it, but are killed by Giovanna, the girls, and Sir Differel. As the zeppelin climbs, explosions rock the schloss, it collapses, and is then obliterated by a massive fireball. The shockwave rocks the zeppelin, but it continues on undamaged.

Dracula is furious. He berates Medb for coming after him. The former queen says nothing, but gives him a look that makes him back away. Then he turns his anger on Giovanna, accusing the Conclave of treachery. Despite facing the full force of his fury, the girls face him down as they defend Giovanna. Medb voices her own suspicions. Giovanna claims to know nothing of the assault, and that the Conclave would never go back on its word. However, she admits that there might be powerful rogues, or even a Conclave member, who would rather see the negotiations fail. Sir Differel observes that she appeared to risk her life to help them all get away, but Dracula points out that may have simply been to save her own skin. When Medb asks why she would foil her conspirators' plot, Dracula suggests she didn't know about the attack and that they were willing to sacrifice her. Nonetheless, Sir Differel decides to give her the benefit of the doubt. Especially now that, if Dracula is right, she realizes she is as expendable as the rest of them.

Later that night, when everyone else is asleep or otherwise engaged, Medb meets with Dracula. She tells him she agrees that there is treachery among the vampires, but she doubts it comes from the Conclave. In any event, she has a plan to counter it, but he will have to trust her. He tells her he still owes her a debt from the first time they meet, and listens to her plan.

They proceed directly to the rendezvous spot, where they meet Uallach. Dracula stays aboard the zeppelin, which moves off. When Medb mentions the attack, the vampire queen raises her eyebrows, but otherwise betrays no outward sign as she states the Conclave had nothing to do with it. She takes them into the fortress down to a room where they must wait until the Conclave calls for them. She and Giovanna then leave. Medb tells Sir Differel that Uallach was surprised to hear of the attack, so it wasn't ordered by the Conclave.

After a couple of hours of waiting, Giovanna comes to collect Eile and Sunny, leaving Medb and Sir Differel behind. She takes them to a circular chamber dominated by a half-circle table. Thirteen vampires are seated there, including Uallach. Though not an even mix of male and female, they represent a selection of all the major racial groups of man. In the center sits a vampire who looks more Nosferatu than human. Giovanna introduces him as the chairman of the council, then leaves. He makes a short speech, in which he praises their loyalty to their promise and their friendship to Giovanna, and once again thanks them for the part they played in Mabuse finding her cure. As he finishes, Uallach rises and presents them with medals. The chairman explains that these are passes that will allow them to pass among vampires unharmed, and to come to and go from the fortress as they please.

When he finishes, Giovanna brings in Medb and Sir Differel. Uallach explains that the Conclave has tried Sir Differel in absentia for crimes against vampirekind, and has been found guilty. Though they will honor the truce and their promise of safe passage, if they fail to reach an agreement, they will execute her. Eile asks if they will negotiate fairly. Uallach assures her that they will negotiate in good faith, but when Sir Differel points out they do so from a position of strength, she confirms that was their intent.

Sir Differel begins with a short speech about why a treaty is necessary, then the debate begins in earnest. Though tense, the negotiations are also tedious, as both sides debate what seems to Eile be to trivial points. Sunny becomes bored and begins to fidget, which becomes distracting. When a break is called after a couple of hours, Giovanna suggests that the girls go exploring. They should be safe, as long as they wear their medals.

Sunny decides to follow her nose, even though that usually gets them into trouble. As they move deeper into the complex, they encounter a large number of vampires, some of whom are aggressive, a few even hostile, but they all leave them alone when they see the medals. At one point they realize they have entered a dungeon level and decide to turn back when Sunny stumbles onto a concealed passageway. They follow it into a cavern system and emerge onto a ledge overlooking a huge cave. It is filled with Callicantzari. When they try to leave, however, they are caught by a Nosferatu and taken to a woman. Eile can tell she isn't a vampire, yet the Nosferatu and the Callicantzari obey her as if she was. She tells them that while it would be dangerous to kill them, since it might lead to her discovery, she cannot let them go or even hold them captive. She intends to inject them with the parasite that infests the Callicantzari. It is a modified variety that can turn a modern human into a Callicantzari, though only children and teens are able to survive the process. The girls may be too old, but whether the parasite turns them or kills them, they will be neutralized. The Nosferatu seizes and holds them as the woman prepares the injections, but just as she is about to inoculate Sunny, Dracula appears. He shoots the syringe, the woman, and the Nosferatu in half as many seconds, firing at two targets at a time while sizing up his next two. He then pulls two shotguns from under his coat, tosses them to the girls, and leads them out.

In the Conclave chamber, Sir Differel is stating her latest counter-proposal when she sees the vampires stiffen and look at each other in consternation. They then look at her, all except Uallach, who stares past her at Medb. The leader stands and announces that Dracula is in the fortress. Stunned, Sir Differel whirls around to stare at Medb, who is smiling like a Cheshire Cat. She surges forward, grabs Sir Differel, and pulls her towards the door, but rather than go though it, she blocks it by erecting a wall of force around herself and Sir Differel. She then tells them that the caverns beneath them are crawling with Callicantzari. They don't believe her, but Sir Differel can tell that Uallach is uncertain.

Dracula and the girls fight a running battle all the way up to the fortress dungeon, with the Callicantzari and Nosferatu hot on their heels. At one point they see the woman leading the monstrous vampires. When they get clear of the caverns, however, Dracula grabs them and a dead Callicantzari, and blinks away.

They reappear in the Conclave chamber. Believing it to be an attack, the Conclave members rise up and prepare to charge, but Eile fires a shot in the air. This startles them enough that they see the Callicantzari as Dracula throws it down. Uallach calls a truce, backed by several other members, and Medb drops her wall of force. Uallach opens the door and calls for Giovanna. She sends her with a troop of vampires to check out the girls' story. Eile goes with her to show them the way.

They make it down into the dungeon without incident, and find the hidden passage, but as they enter the chamber, Callicantzari attack. The vampire guards are killed, but Eile and Giovanna manage to get away. The Callicantzari pour out of the passage behind them in pursuit. They spread the alarm as they run, but at first the vampires they encounter are overwhelmed. Then they meet Uallach, Medb, and Sunny at the head of a troop. The troop establishes a defensive perimeter while the others head back to the Conclave chamber.

The testimony of Uallach and Giovanna persuade the Conclave to act. They put the Fortress on the defensive and call in reinforcements. They also let Sir Differel call back her zeppelin, which contains a company of Caerleon troops and British special forces. Sir Differel, Uallach, and Medb coordinate the defenses, using Dracula and Giovanna to relay orders. As reports come back in, the vampires are being forced steadily back, though they are inflicting heavy casualties. They confirm the existence of the strange woman leading the attack. They also report the presence of Nosferatu. Uallach and Giovanna are stunned. Nosferatu only answer to the Conclave, specifically the chairman. They turn to look at him as Giovanna mutters, "Madre del Dio!" The chairman leaps at Sir Differel, but Dracula intercepts him. The two fight for some time, but finally he subdues the elder vampire. Uallach questions him, and he reveals that he has made a pact with the woman. In exchange for the destruction of Sir Differel, he would become undisputed ruler of the vampires, and with the Caerleon order disabled, only the Antonians would be left to oppose the vampire takeover of humanity.

As he finishes his speech, Callicantzari and Nosferatu pour in from a secret entrance. They overwhelm the Conclave and the others, but instead of killing them they just hold them captive. The woman appears, and Sir Differel recognizes her as her maternal aunt, Miranda Guinevere Pendragon, whom Sir Differel calls Aunt Mandy. When her father died when she was twelve, Sir Differel, as his only child and the last of the Van Helsings, inherited his baronetcy and control over the Caerleon Order. Aunt Mandy was appointed her guardian and executrix of her bother-in-law's estate, but she wanted everything. She tried to kill Sir Differel, but in doing so, she awoke Dracula from a decades-long sleep, and gave Sir Differel the power to summon Caliburn to her aid. She killed Aunt Mandy by cutting off her head. Aunt Mandy then explains that she had been in league with the Fomorians, and they had resurrected her. To prove it, she rips a collar off her neck to reveal the scar of where her head was reattached. She still covets control of the Caerleon Order, and through it, control of the British government. She originally intended to use the Callicantzari, which are controlled by the Fomorians, to gain control of the vampires, and then use them all to cripple the Caerleon Order and seize control over it, but Sir Differel's presence offered an opportunity to gain control without damaging the Order. When the Conclave chairman objects, she orders the Nosferatu to kill him; they tear him apart.

She is about to unleash the Callicantzari on her captives, however, when the door to the chamber is blown open. Flashbangs are thrown in, but Medb covers the captives and they are unaffected. Troops then rush in, human and vampire alike, firing weapons. The girls and Giovanna grab up shotguns as guns are thrown to Sir Differel and Dracula; Medb, Giovanna, and the remaining Conclave vampires attack bare-handed. Aunt Mandy flees down the secret passageway and Sir Differel and the girls give chase. They are intercepted by Nosferatu, and then a Jiang Shi, and loose her at the edge of an underground lake. Dracula, Giovanna, and Medb show up with a platoon of Caerleon troops, who fire mortars, but Aunt Mandy is too far away.

They return to the Conclave chamber. Four of the thirteen members are dead, including the traitorous chairman, and casualties among the vampire and human troops are high, but the invading Callicantzari have all been killed. Uallach is placed in emergency command and she names Giovanna as her adjutant. Sir Differel offers logistical help to get them reorganized, which Uallach accepts. Then Sir Differel asks that they continue negotiations. Uallach gives her an amused look and remarks that now she can negotiate from a position of strength. Sir Differel only smiles.

Synopsis: Bloodthirsty Eile (a Team Girl adventure)

Eile Chica awakens at sundown in the basement of an abandoned house, dominated by the Blood Hunger. She goes out and attacks a prostitute, but after sating her Hunger she is drawn to a house in a gated community. Climbing up onto the roof, she looks down through a skylight at Sunny sleeping bed. She seems to know her, but she cannot remember her.

Medb hErenn appears and confronts her, but she runs away. Afterwards, she and Sunny talk. Despite her misgivings, she agrees to let Eile come to them, and to seek the help of their archenemy, Dr. Mabuse.

As Eile flees, she inadvertently strays into the hunting territory of another Vampire, but it turns out to be Lucas Cornelia, the one who Turned her. He convinces her she must take Sunny's blood and kill her.

The next morning, Medb and Sunny meet with Mabuse, and she agrees to help them, but on the condition of being able to talk with Sunny alone for 15 minutes. She needs blood and tissue samples to analyze and she gives Sunny a crude garlic juice extract for protection.

That night Eile enters their house and attacks Sunny, but Snowshoe Kitty distracts her. Medb then catches her and Sunny takes the blood samples, but before she can take tissues samples Eile bites Medb, forcing her to release her. She turns on Sunny, but Sunny sprays her in the face with the garlic juice. Eile suffers a severe allergic reaction and runs off. Sunny tends Medb's wound, and Medb instructs her to continue the search for Eile's lair while she takes the samples to Mabuse.

Cornelia is confronted by Uallach Ruadhríon, the spokesperson for the Vampire Conclave, who had Turned him 2000 years before. She tells him that the Conclave has decided Eile is a threat, and she orders him to kill her.

Eile is in agony and gets lost. Unable to find her way back home, she invades an empty house to find shelter from the sun. Before she goes into Torpor, however, she remembers who she and Sunny are.

The next day, Sunny and Medb meet in the evening to review their progress. Sunny still hasn't found Eile's lair. Meanwhile, Mabuse's tests review that Eile's blood is living blood, so she isn't undead, but it has been altered, which is probably linked to how she was Turned. The mad scientist needs more samples, preferably tissue, to follow up. Medb will continue her search for Eile that night, but she wants Sunny to stay home, where she will be safe.

After sunset, Eile awakens. She still remembers who she is, but she finds the pain of the Hunger unbearable. She tries to resist, but finally kills a dog and drinks its blood. With nowhere else to go, she goes to Sunny, and finds her preparing to go out. She makes her presence known, but flees when Sunny insists on being with her. They agree to meet in the nearby cemetery to talk.

When Sunny meets Eile in the cemetery, Eile explains that she's going away. It's the only way to keep Sunny safe. Sunny wants to come with her, either as her human protector or as a fellow Vampire. Eile almost gives in, but runs off. Cornelia attacks Sunny, to Turn her, but Eile attacks him and they fight. He subdues her, but before he can kill Sunny Medb appears and drives him off with a powerful light source. Eile then attacks Sunny; Medb sprays her with a concentrated garlic aerosol and she goes into anaphylactic shock. Medb injects her with medication, and she and Sunny take her to Mabuse.

Cornelia finds the injection pens, which have the address of their manufacturer.

Mabuse injects Eile with more drugs to counteract the allergic reaction and examines her. When Eile goes into torpor despite the lack of visual clues that it was morning, she realizes that she is experiencing a circadian rhythm. That gives her an idea, and with Medb and Sunny's help she collects tissue samples. They then move Eile into a recovery room and Sunny sits up beside Eile as Medb goes out to take care of errands.

Sunny wakes up to find herself in a guest apartment. Medb makes her a meal and they talk about Mabuse. She then calls them to report to her. She explains that Eile's vampirism is due to a parasite. She believes she can kill it without killing Eile. It is vulnerable to Vitamin D, hence the aversion to sunlight, and a substance in garlic. She proposes a chemo-style treatment to gradually weaken and kill off the parasites.

Uallach catches Cornelia as he makes his way to the injection pen plant. He explains his plan for finding Eile, and she reluctantly approves. However, she orders him to kill Sunny and Mabuse as well as Eile. When he asks about Medb, she states she will deal with her.

Mabuse and Sunny lock themselves in a secure lab and begin the treatment while Medb rides shotgun outside. Throughtout the night Sunny administers the Vitamin D IV while Mabuse works to isolate the active ingredient from garlic. Eile screams and fights almost the entire night, until Sunny starts singing, when she grows quiet. Even so, by dawn Eile seems no better, and Sunny despairs that the treatment will work.

While Sunny sleeps, Medb reports to Mabuse that the readings she took indicate a shallow but steady decline, though Mabuse found no decline in the parasite population. Nonetheless, she is optimistic. Medb then tries to convince her not to have her talk with Sunny out of concern that she might not be able to handle it. They make a deal to postpone a final decision until Eile has been cured.

During the second night of treatment, Sunny plays her violin, which keeps Eile quiet. During the times Eile is in torpor, Mabuse tells her about her earlier life and how she and Medb came to be enemies. Sunny finds herself empathizing with the mad scientist.

On the morning of the third day, Mabuse isolates the garlic active agent and begins administering that. By the end of the day, she has reduced the Vitamin D treatment enough to remove Eile from it, since she seems to tolerate the garlic agent better. Blood and tissue tests also show marked improvement. By evening, Eile comes out of torpor sooner than normal, and she seems to recognize everything, though her Hunger is strong and makes her aggressive. Medb is sufficiently satisfied that she decides to go out and get food for a small celebration. Meanwhile, Mabuse begins increasing the garlic dose every hour while Sunny watches the vital signs.

As time goes by, the increased dosages seem to have greater effects. Eile seems more coherent, more in control of herself, though the Hunger still burns inside. Mabuse continues to work on the agent, not only increasing its purity, but also synthesizing it. Finally they hear a knock on the lab door and assumed Medb has returned with the food. When Mabuse openes the door, Cornelia grabs her by the throat and forces her back into the room.

As Medb drives up to the gatehouse on her return, she finds it empty. Stopping, she goes to look, and finds the elderly security guard dead with a broken neck, drained of blood. She immediately drives to the lab, but is ambushed by Uallach. They fight to a standoff, and Medb finds out she is meant to delay her while Cornelia kills everyone inside. She convinces Uallach that a cure is possible, and the Vampire queen lets her enter the lab.

Cornelia demands they release Eile. As he is preoccupied with Mabuse, Sunny trips the alarm and the lab seals, trapping them all inside. Sunny just catches a glimpse of Medb before the shield drops over the observation window. Medb makes contact through the intercom, and Cornelia demands his immediate release with Eile, or he will kill Mabuse and Sunny. Medb counters that if he harms either of them, she will kill him as slowly as she can manage. Meanwhile, Eile becomes more and more agitated. At first Sunny believes it is because she hopes to be free, but then she realizes Eile is fixated on Cornelia, like she wants to attack him. Again, while he is pre-occupied, she moves around behind Eile’s head. Even as he looks at her, she flips a switch and releases the locks on Eile’s restraints.

Eile throws herself at him and they have a running battle around the lab. Being more coherent, Eile uses the martial arts training Medb has given her and Sunny, and she manages to hold her own. However, Cornelia gets the upper hand again and beats her off. He then attacks Sunny to kill her, but Mabuse throws a beaker-full of freshly-synthesized concentrated garlic agent in his face. Howling as his skin melts and his eyes burst, he collapses and slowly asphyxiates as his whole body undergoes a massive allergic reaction. Unfortunately, Mabuse and Sunny momentarily forgot about Eile. She attacks and bites Sunny and starts draining her blood. Mabuse tries to intervene, but Sunny orders her not to, saying Eile won’t kill her. As she loses consciousness, still repeating that conviction, she collapses while hearing Eile call her name.

Sunny awakens in a bed, tubes in each arm. Medb and Mabuse are standing over her. They explain that it was close, and she lived only because Mabuse had filled her with an experimental blood substitute. Medb isn’t happy about that, but she admits it did save her life. They are now pumping it out as they refill her with fresh blood. They then leave her alone with Eile. She looks cleaned and scrubbed. She also has an IV hanging on a pole in her arm. She is contrite about almost killing Sunny. Sunny waves her off, saying she knew Eile wouldn’t. Eile contradicts her, saying she almost did, but one good thing did come of it. Apparently, all the withdrawal pain she had been feeling was due to the Hunger the parasites created. As soon as the Hunger was relieved with Sunny’s blood, the pain went away and Eile was herself. Now, whenever she feels the Hunger return, she just drinks a pint of blood and it goes away. Her recovery is accelerating as a result. Her day torpor is getting shorter in duration and she can go longer before she needs more blood. Mabuse believes she should be fully recovered in a few days.

Medb comes to take Eile back to her recovery room, and Mabuse gets her 15 minutes with Sunny. Sunny asks for the truth of how she was conceived, and Mabuse gives her a video player that will explain everything. Then she leaves.

That night, while Eile sits up watching over Sunny, Uallach enters the room. However, she apologizes to Eile for being Turned against her will. She also explains about the Conclave and tells her that, being the only Vampire to be cured, they are intrigued with her. As long as she and Sunny do not tell anyone else that Vampires exist, they are willing to allow her to live. She also drops the hint that she and Sunny are the agents of prophecy, and states that the Conclave has made them Sacrosanct; no Vampire is permitted to hunt them.

The next day, Medb takes Eile and Sunny back home, after instructing Sunny on how to change the IV bags. She helps Sunny get Eile settled in bed and then leaves. Eile and Sunny talk about Eile’s remorse over the deaths she caused. Sunny then gets into bed beside her and together they watch Mabuse’s DVD.