Clayton had his hands behind his back, looking at the poor human. “Caged like an animal for the world to see.”
“Do you think we descended from the likes of them?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“How can you be so sure, Clayton?”
“Because once the expectant mothers gave birth, the effect the Stranger had on us was immediate. This pathetic human looks devolved, not evolved like us.”
“Shall we kill it to put it out of his misery?” Maryl asked.
“I wouldn’t.”
“Why?” Maryl asked, puzzled.
“Because if his kind lives, our kind will be under the radar.”
“To think humanity thinks we look like this. I’m insulted,” Maryl said jokingly.
“I’m leaving. You can stay if you want to, but please don’t kill him.”
“I got a please from the great Clayton? I’m impressed.”
“First and last time.”
“Okay, I’ll leave him be. But what do you want to do with the human that has been listening to our conversation? He now knows real vampires exist.”
Clayton sped to Marty and brought him to the cage. “I don’t know. He seems harmless. He cleans the cage and does the dirty work for Stanley Pearson.”
“Too bad we don’t have the power of persuading people with our eyes like some legends say we do.”
“Are you going to kill me?” Marty asked in fear.
“Give us a reason not to,” Clayton said with menace.
“I’m just a simple janitor. I don’t have money to give you.”
“We don’t want your money. We are deciding whether we want you to be quiet about what you heard or kill you right now,” Clayton said matter-of-factly.
Marty snapped his fingers. “I know! How about making me a real honest to goodness vampire!”
“No, I will not turn any human!” Clayton said, raising his voice in disgust.
“Why not?”
“Because it would dilute his kind,” Maryl said sarcastically.
“His kind? Is there more than one kind of vampire? Is there a hierarchy? Is one kind of vampire stronger than the other or others?”
“You ask too many questions, Marty. I reverse my earlier statement. I say we kill him, Maryl.”
“I don’t know. Marty could fill me in on this interesting creature.”
“Then you deal with him. I have some matters I have to attend to. Let me know what you decided.”
Maryl bowed slightly.
“Before I go, there is a question I wanted to ask you, Maryl. Why did you come to this presentation?”
“Obviously, I had no idea you would be here, but I did smell you in the audience.”
“Likewise,” Clayton said with a touch of irritation.
“When we recently amended the boundary areas that expanded the neutral zones to include museums, universities, holy ground, and historical sites, I took advantage of it. I often go to lectures.”
Clayton looked at her, gave her a slight nod, and then sped away, leaving Maryl alone with Marty.
“Are you going to kill me?”
“I have a better idea, Marty. Let’s form an alliance of sorts. I need ground troops, and you would be perfect.”
“He isn’t allying with your kind; you devil spawned vampire!”
Maryl turned around to see Stanley with a gun in his hand.
“Put that useless toy away!” Maryl snapped.
“I know it would be useless for you, vampire! He pointed the gun at Marty. “But for him? He’s as good as dead!”
Maryl sighed a split second before she raced to Stanley and took the gun away from him.
“Take a good look at Stanley, Marty. This is a waste of a human being.” She looked at Stanley and sniffed the air. “Well, maybe not a total waste.” Maryl lunged at Stanley and sucked the blood from his vein. Stanley fell to the ground with a thud as Maryl wiped the crimson fluid from her blood-soaked lips. She bent to the ground and slit his throat to make sure he wouldn’t get up since most humans survive vampire bites. Too much blood to consume.
She turned to Marty. “Where were we?”
“Umm, you wanted ground troops. And if I am someday honored to become a vampire, I will do as you say without question or hesitation from here on out!”
“Okay. But you have to solemnly swear to abide by my rules and no one else’s.”
“Want to make a pact in blood?” Marty asked with a smile.
“Too soon, Marty.”
“I just want to serve you,” Marty said in a sad tone.
Maryl thought how best she could use Marty to thwart the other blood types. Then a thought occurred to her. “I got it!”
“What is it? Do I get to kill other people?”
She looked at him. “Maybe. But right now, there is a much more subtle way you can help me.”
“Just tell me!”
“You can use Stanley Pearson’s group to help me.”
“Huh? Do you mean that small group of older men? How?”
“I believe Stanley said the group was called Fellowship of the Fangs?”
“Yes, a few older men talk of tales which no one else believes. But they have funded some of Pearson’s expeditions. All of them are wealthy.”
“I want you to keep the same name because it has a certain ring to it. However, you will need to revamp the group and make it private and exclusive.”
“How?”
“Do I have to do all the thinking for you, Marty Ward?”
“Sorry, all this is new to me. What do you want me to do?” Marty asked with an unparalleled eagerness that took Maryl by surprise.
“First off, get some education. Become a doctor, scientist, a tradesman such as a carpenter, welder, electrician, you know, something that will help the legitimacy of your organization when you enlist other members. And to help fund the Fellowship, you would have to have monthly dues.”
“What about some sort of initiation rites and steppingstone being rewarded for hardship and training?”
“You want an initiation?” Maryl looked around to aid her in thinking about an induction into the Fellowship. She glared around the room until she spotted the perfect rite of passage.
“Got it! Come here.”
She dragged Marty by the sleeve of
