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In the Morning of the Magicians: Chapter 45b
SUMMARY: Giles and Ethan, the electric Kool-Aid funky Satan groove year, in the early seventies. Rated M. Spoilers to Band Candy. Acknowledgements and disclaimers.
"Get back," Rupert told Ethan, "for God's sake." He was holding his cross in one hand and his lighter in the other.
As the five running figures came closer, Ethan could see that there was something very strange about their faces. He finally realised: they must be demons.
Bloody hell.
He wanted to run. He wanted to see them up close. He wanted to hide. He wanted to find out what Rupert would do. He wanted to know if he could tell their nature through senses other than sight.
He stepped behind a tent, pulling out one of its poles to grip in his hand. When he peered around the corner, the demons were almost upon them, and Ripper was still in their way.
Singh and Old May appeared then, Ethan could not say from where. Between them sprang a wall of fire.
Ethan heard two shouts. The wall of flame disappeared and now there were only three runners. Two headed west and one northeast.
The wizards followed the two demons, Singh fleet of foot, while Old May took slow steps while muttering a chant. The two demons tripped and fell.
And meanwhile, dear Ripper was running after the third demon.
Ethan hefted the pole, which had not turned out be as solid as he might have hoped. He had to think of something. What could he do?
Well, he was a wizard.
He pulled his kit out of his pocket and made a circle of stones and candles. But he needed to be calm and he didn't feel calm at all.
He glanced up and saw Ripper catching up with the demon. There was a flurry of movement.
Calm. He had to be so fucking calm. An animal. He could conjure the image of an animal. Something large enough and strong enough to worry a demon. And it had better be fucking fast.
An amorphous blob of a creature materialised just outside the circle. Ethan made it large and sleek and cat-like. It wasn't any particular species. It was the size of a tiger and jet black. It ran at the demon.
Rupert fell.
The demon lent over him, but looked up as another flash of fire came from the direction its two comrades had run in. Then it saw the big cat, running for it.
The demon started to back away.
And then it practically tripped backwards over Bob Mac. There was a final burst of flame and the demon disappeared.
Ethan grabbed his kit and ran towards Rupert. The big cat vanished like the Sussex Puma. He could hear Rupert speaking with Bob Mac, so thank God, he was alive.
"I'm sorry," Rupert was saying.
"That was very dangerous and very stupid," Bob Mac said. "We know what we're doing but I don't think you do. A cross and a lighter, lad?"
"It's all I had on me."
Ethan reached them. He asked Bob Mac, "Did you know what they were from the start?"
"Aye," said Bob Mac.
"Can't you toast them while they're still in the van then? Start the flame wall from the back door so they can't use it for escape?"
Bob Mac walked off without answering him. Ethan couldn't tell if it was because he'd asked a stupid question or a smart one.
He knelt then to look at Ripper, who was half-sitting and half-lying on the drying mud of the ground, propped up on an elbow. He was still gasping for breath.
"Your shoulder's bleeding," Ethan said. There was thin cut near Ripper's collarbone.
Ripper looked down. "I suppose it is. I have a first aid kit back in the car."
"I'll help you there."
Rupert made a waving gesture. "Give me a minute?"
The bleeding didn't look too bad, so Ethan didn't insist. Instead he went to pick up Rupert's cross. He looked about for the lighter, which turned out to be twenty yards away. On his way back he paused at the scattering of grey dust. He scooped some up in his hands and ran it through his fingers. It was much finer than sand but not as fine as talc, like some sort of dry clay. He wondered if vampire dust had any magical properties or uses.
"I'm ready," said Ripper. Ethan came over and helped him to stand.
"Thank you for the cat," Rupert said.
"Don't mention it," said Ethan.
They had some trouble navigating back to the car, because of the poor light and the many rows of vehicles and tents which had accumulated since they first arrived. Ripper was still very shaky; it might be shock. Ethan supposed that if he'd ever been a boy scout he would know what to do.
They found the car eventually and Ethan sat Rupert in the back seat, taking the car keys to unlock the glove compartment. The first aid kit was there, along with a number of other things, including a sheathed knife and a wooden stake. Returning to Ripper, he unzipped Ripper's jacket and unbuttoned his shirt to get a better look at his shoulder. He wiped away the blood, applied antiseptic, and taped gauze over the wound. That part, at least, he knew. Then he went out to the boot to rummage through Randall's trunk. He found a packet of Jacobs Club biscuits, a bottle of whiskey, and a bottle of what might even be water.
Rupert was crying. He had his head turned away and his hand over his face, as if that would hide it.
Ethan said, "You weren't properly equipped, that's all." He passed Rupert a box of tissues, the bottle of water, and a couple of biscuits. Ethan sat on the back seat next to him, with the door open to let in some air. He had a swig of water and a biscuit himself.
"Do you have my lighter?" Rupert asked after a while. He was still puffy-eyed but at least he'd stopped shaking. He lit himself a cigarette and Ethan decided it was time to start sharing the whiskey. Then he unzipped Ripper and gave him a blowjob: there was no-one around to watch them anyway.
By the time he'd finished, Rupert looked a lot closer to normal.
Rupert said, "I suppose I should tell you what that was."
"A vampire?"
"Yes," said Rupert, sounding a little surprised. "Had you seen one before?"
"Never," said Ethan, " but... crosses. Although they didn't look as I expected."
"They don't always look like that," said Ripper. "That's their true appearance, their battle-face. They can easily disguise themselves to look like ordinary people."
"Is there any way to tell?" asked Ethan.
Ripper waved his ugly ring. "Mirrors," he said, "they don't show up in mirrors. They're injured only by crosses, holy water, sunlight, fire, a stake through the heart or decapitation."
"Are there many things that stand up well to having their heads cut off?"
Rupert smiled. "Only a few."
Ethan leant over and kissed him on the mouth.
"You're a very strange man," Rupert told him. Ethan smiled uncertainly, hoping that might be meant as a compliment for once. It probably was, as Rupert kissed him back for quite a while.
During a pause, Ethan saw something glint under the driver's seat. "Here's your watch," he said. "Look, the strap's broken."
Rupert took it from him and groaned. "It's really quite late," he said. "I suppose we should get back to the others. They'll be wondering where we are."
"I think they'll have made a few assumptions," Ethan said. But he pulled back anyway, because he was getting a bit cramped in the awkward space.
They had no difficulty in finding the rest. Randall and Diedre were visible even from across the crowd. The current band on stage was starting a singalong for "House of the Rising Sun".
Stan moved over to let them sit down and this time Ripper didn't shuffle over when Ethan leant against him. After a couple more songs, Ethan started to feel very sleepy. He closed his eyes.
He woke to the touch of a hand on his shoulder. He turned to find Evelyn standing behind him.
"Hello, Randall. Hello, Diedre. I'm here to borrow Ethan for a while." She looked down toward him. "Bring your friend if you like," she said.
"Get back," Rupert told Ethan, "for God's sake." He was holding his cross in one hand and his lighter in the other.
As the five running figures came closer, Ethan could see that there was something very strange about their faces. He finally realised: they must be demons.
Bloody hell.
He wanted to run. He wanted to see them up close. He wanted to hide. He wanted to find out what Rupert would do. He wanted to know if he could tell their nature through senses other than sight.
He stepped behind a tent, pulling out one of its poles to grip in his hand. When he peered around the corner, the demons were almost upon them, and Ripper was still in their way.
Singh and Old May appeared then, Ethan could not say from where. Between them sprang a wall of fire.
Ethan heard two shouts. The wall of flame disappeared and now there were only three runners. Two headed west and one northeast.
The wizards followed the two demons, Singh fleet of foot, while Old May took slow steps while muttering a chant. The two demons tripped and fell.
And meanwhile, dear Ripper was running after the third demon.
Ethan hefted the pole, which had not turned out be as solid as he might have hoped. He had to think of something. What could he do?
Well, he was a wizard.
He pulled his kit out of his pocket and made a circle of stones and candles. But he needed to be calm and he didn't feel calm at all.
He glanced up and saw Ripper catching up with the demon. There was a flurry of movement.
Calm. He had to be so fucking calm. An animal. He could conjure the image of an animal. Something large enough and strong enough to worry a demon. And it had better be fucking fast.
An amorphous blob of a creature materialised just outside the circle. Ethan made it large and sleek and cat-like. It wasn't any particular species. It was the size of a tiger and jet black. It ran at the demon.
Rupert fell.
The demon lent over him, but looked up as another flash of fire came from the direction its two comrades had run in. Then it saw the big cat, running for it.
The demon started to back away.
And then it practically tripped backwards over Bob Mac. There was a final burst of flame and the demon disappeared.
Ethan grabbed his kit and ran towards Rupert. The big cat vanished like the Sussex Puma. He could hear Rupert speaking with Bob Mac, so thank God, he was alive.
"I'm sorry," Rupert was saying.
"That was very dangerous and very stupid," Bob Mac said. "We know what we're doing but I don't think you do. A cross and a lighter, lad?"
"It's all I had on me."
Ethan reached them. He asked Bob Mac, "Did you know what they were from the start?"
"Aye," said Bob Mac.
"Can't you toast them while they're still in the van then? Start the flame wall from the back door so they can't use it for escape?"
Bob Mac walked off without answering him. Ethan couldn't tell if it was because he'd asked a stupid question or a smart one.
He knelt then to look at Ripper, who was half-sitting and half-lying on the drying mud of the ground, propped up on an elbow. He was still gasping for breath.
"Your shoulder's bleeding," Ethan said. There was thin cut near Ripper's collarbone.
Ripper looked down. "I suppose it is. I have a first aid kit back in the car."
"I'll help you there."
Rupert made a waving gesture. "Give me a minute?"
The bleeding didn't look too bad, so Ethan didn't insist. Instead he went to pick up Rupert's cross. He looked about for the lighter, which turned out to be twenty yards away. On his way back he paused at the scattering of grey dust. He scooped some up in his hands and ran it through his fingers. It was much finer than sand but not as fine as talc, like some sort of dry clay. He wondered if vampire dust had any magical properties or uses.
"I'm ready," said Ripper. Ethan came over and helped him to stand.
"Thank you for the cat," Rupert said.
"Don't mention it," said Ethan.
They had some trouble navigating back to the car, because of the poor light and the many rows of vehicles and tents which had accumulated since they first arrived. Ripper was still very shaky; it might be shock. Ethan supposed that if he'd ever been a boy scout he would know what to do.
They found the car eventually and Ethan sat Rupert in the back seat, taking the car keys to unlock the glove compartment. The first aid kit was there, along with a number of other things, including a sheathed knife and a wooden stake. Returning to Ripper, he unzipped Ripper's jacket and unbuttoned his shirt to get a better look at his shoulder. He wiped away the blood, applied antiseptic, and taped gauze over the wound. That part, at least, he knew. Then he went out to the boot to rummage through Randall's trunk. He found a packet of Jacobs Club biscuits, a bottle of whiskey, and a bottle of what might even be water.
Rupert was crying. He had his head turned away and his hand over his face, as if that would hide it.
Ethan said, "You weren't properly equipped, that's all." He passed Rupert a box of tissues, the bottle of water, and a couple of biscuits. Ethan sat on the back seat next to him, with the door open to let in some air. He had a swig of water and a biscuit himself.
"Do you have my lighter?" Rupert asked after a while. He was still puffy-eyed but at least he'd stopped shaking. He lit himself a cigarette and Ethan decided it was time to start sharing the whiskey. Then he unzipped Ripper and gave him a blowjob: there was no-one around to watch them anyway.
By the time he'd finished, Rupert looked a lot closer to normal.
Rupert said, "I suppose I should tell you what that was."
"A vampire?"
"Yes," said Rupert, sounding a little surprised. "Had you seen one before?"
"Never," said Ethan, " but... crosses. Although they didn't look as I expected."
"They don't always look like that," said Ripper. "That's their true appearance, their battle-face. They can easily disguise themselves to look like ordinary people."
"Is there any way to tell?" asked Ethan.
Ripper waved his ugly ring. "Mirrors," he said, "they don't show up in mirrors. They're injured only by crosses, holy water, sunlight, fire, a stake through the heart or decapitation."
"Are there many things that stand up well to having their heads cut off?"
Rupert smiled. "Only a few."
Ethan leant over and kissed him on the mouth.
"You're a very strange man," Rupert told him. Ethan smiled uncertainly, hoping that might be meant as a compliment for once. It probably was, as Rupert kissed him back for quite a while.
During a pause, Ethan saw something glint under the driver's seat. "Here's your watch," he said. "Look, the strap's broken."
Rupert took it from him and groaned. "It's really quite late," he said. "I suppose we should get back to the others. They'll be wondering where we are."
"I think they'll have made a few assumptions," Ethan said. But he pulled back anyway, because he was getting a bit cramped in the awkward space.
They had no difficulty in finding the rest. Randall and Diedre were visible even from across the crowd. The current band on stage was starting a singalong for "House of the Rising Sun".
Stan moved over to let them sit down and this time Ripper didn't shuffle over when Ethan leant against him. After a couple more songs, Ethan started to feel very sleepy. He closed his eyes.
He woke to the touch of a hand on his shoulder. He turned to find Evelyn standing behind him.
"Hello, Randall. Hello, Diedre. I'm here to borrow Ethan for a while." She looked down toward him. "Bring your friend if you like," she said.
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Ethan couldn't tell if it was because he'd asked a stupid question or a smart one.
LOL!
He wondered if vampire dust had any magical properties or uses.
Love that little aside, as well as the details with Rupert's watch and the stake in the glove box. I'll bet Evelyn has some uses in mind for those two.