Thefracture I’d created in the glass increased in size.
My gripupon her throat tightened and I pulled her back up ready to thrusther back against it.
I caughtsounds of the struggle behind me and remembered that before me SirPercival had taken some of his own anti-aether medicine. Perhaps itwas enough to prevent his mind being taken over by the vampireofficer?
The redlady hissed at me showing her abnormal dentition. Her left handgrasped my arm trying to remove my grip from her neck, but it wastoo weak against me. Again I smashed her head back against thefracture I’d created. A faint mist of escaped purple aether glowedaround her head. Almost there.
With thefourth thrust shattered glass fell to the floor and her head wasentirely engulfed by the poisonous purple gas. How would it affecther? I had no idea. I just knew it was toxic for normal mortals.What affect it had upon the undead was an untestedexperiment.
Anunearthly shriek escaped from her and her struggles increasedmaking it difficult to hold her thrashing head inside the purplegas.
Iavoided her desperately kicking feet and, after a short time, hergrip upon my arm lessened and her hand slipped off. Her body seemedto wilt and I felt thick fluid run down my hand. What was goingon?
Carefully, and ready to thrust her back into the aether, Ipulled her head out. I almost dropped her in shock as the grinningskull of a skeleton looked at me - all the hair, flesh and brainshad been melted into a thick liquid which was running over my handand down her dress. My stomach told me it wanted to void itscontents, but I held firm. Was she dead, again? I had no idea.Would the escaped gas affect me or Sir Percival? We’d both takenthe anti-aether medicine, we may be alright. Also, the gusts ofcold air coming through the ceiling might be enough to dissipatethe poisonous aether. We would soon discover the answers to bothquestions.
Stillholding the flesh around the red lady’s neck I turned round to seehow Sir Percival was faring. With a burst of fear I saw him limp inthe vampire officer’s arms, his head was back exposing hisneck.
“NO!” I cried and swung round to fling the remains of the redlady at the officer.
Hestumbled as her body hit him and turned, hissing at me, his eyesred and glaring. I’d possibly killed one vampire, another would bethe icing on the cake.
Hedropped Sir Percival and I hoped his copious hair would helpcushion his head against the hard floor.
Withfangs prominent the officer stepped over the red lady and rushed atme. At the last moment I dodged to one side and pushed his back tohelp him on his way into the cloud of escaping purpleaether.
Hescreamed, clawing at his eyes as the aether worked its fearsomedeed.
Ihurried towards him, grabbed the back of his uniform and hair andforced his head back into the gas. Vainly he tried to push backagainst me, then swung his fists behind him hoping to injure me.Even though he hit me several times my resolve and hands werefirm.
Slowlyhis escape attempts ceased and he slumped to the ground. This timeI was ready for the abhorrent sight of his fleshlessskull.
Three people lay on the floor, only two of whom I knew weredead, but not. If you got my drift.
I went over and knelt at Sir Percival’s side. Sweeping hiswhite hair away I was relieved not to see any puncture marks on hisneck. But was he still alive? I felt for a pulse and almost criedout at feeling a sluggish thump. What about the other two? Would avampire missing all the flesh on and in its head be considereddead? I knew of only one thing that would kill a vampire –sunlight.
Above,through the glass skylight black clouds continued to swirl. TheCaspian Star was still somehow in control of the weather. I neededto stop its unnatural influence.
Remembering the direction it had fallen when I’d knocked itfrom the red lady’s hands I looked about the floor for it. Mypurple vision aided me immensely in the darkness as I saw faintblue light moving underneath a worktable. Scrabbling for it I heardthumps coming from the entrance hatch. Looking back over the threeprone bodies I saw the heavy bags of coke were still doing theirjob.
Pickingup the grapefruit-sized Caspian Star I held it steady on top of thetable and took a large hammer from the pegboard on the wall infront of it. Then a thought struck me - I was going to deliberatelysmash the worlds largest sapphire? Was I mad? What sort ofpreposterous dream was I experiencing?
I looked back at the bodies on the floor behind me and jumpedat seeing flesh slowly growing like cancer on the white bone of thevampire skulls.
Resolveboosted I raised the hammer and brought it down upon the beautifulswirling blue sapphire. My eyes, somewhat protected by the gogglesI still wore, were momentarily blinded by a bright flash of bluelight emitted from the stone.
QuicklyI blinked sight back into my eyes and beheld the shattered sapphirein front of me. It lay in three large pieces with many smallerfragments scattered around. The swirling blue lights were no more.I looked up to see the unnaturally black clouds swirl their lastand then quickly disperse. Shortly, beams of bright sunlight shonedown through the glass.
Again I looked back at the vampires and saw the parts of themexposed to the sunlight slowly crumble to dust. Unfortunately thiswas swirled up by the cold wind coming through the hole in theskylight. What could I do with their remains? Looking round I spiedthe steam engine’s firebox. Holding my breath and using my sleeveto cover my nose and mouth as much as I could I found a broom anddustpan to one side of the workbench. Quickly I headed to the dustand swept it up. Putting on a thick glove that was on a peg to oneside of the engine I opened the firebox and threw
