Cirque Du Freak 03 - Tunnels Of Blood

"Wait a minute!" I snapped. "I have to think something through." I could feel Evra's eyes on me, half hopeful, half resigned to the fate he felt neither of us could escape.

"Hurry up," Murlough prompted me, coming around in front of me. His purple face didn't show up well in the dim light of the cavern, so his eyes and lips appeared to be three free-floating globs of red, while his discolored hair looked like a strange kind of bat. "I haven't got all night," he said. "Speak while you're able."

"I was just thinking," I said quickly. "You're going to have to leave town after this, aren't you?"

"Leave?" Murlough bellowed. "Leave my beautiful tunnels? Never! I love it here. You know what being down here makes me feel like? As if I'm inside the body of the city. These tunnels are like veins. This cavern is the heart, where the blood of the city flows in and out." He smiled, and for once it wasn't an evil expression. "Can you imagine?" he said softly. "Living in a body, roaming the veins — the tunnels of blood — freely, as you please."

"Nevertheless," I said bluntly, "youwill have to leave."

"What's all this talk of leaving?" he snapped, jabbing me with the knife. "You're beginning to annoy me."

"I'm just being practical," I said. "You can't stay here. Mr. Crepsley knows where you are. He'll return."

"That coward? I doubt it. He'll be too —"

"He'll return withhelp ," I interrupted. "With other vampires."

Murlough laughed. "The Vampire Generals, do you mean?"

"Yes," I said.

"Nonsense! They can't come after me. There's an agreement between them and us. They don't interfere. Crepsley isn't a General, is he?"

"No," I said. "He's not."

"There you are!" Murlough yelled triumphantly. "He couldn't have come after me if he was. Rules and laws and ways of living. They mean as much to the vampires as they do to the vampaneze."

"All the same, the Generalswill come," I insisted quietly. "They couldn't before, but now they can. Maybe tonight. Tomorrow for sure. Maybe this is what Mr. Crepsley planned for all along."

"What are you blabbering about?" Murlough looked uneasy.

"You said something interesting a while ago," I said. "You were surprised Mr. Crepsley came down here with me. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but now that I've thought about it, I agree: itwas weird of him. I thought it was because he wanted to help me find Evra, but now…"

"What?" Murlough screeched when I didn't go on. "Say what you're thinking. Out with it, or…" He raised the knives threateningly.

"The pact between the vampires and vampaneze," I said quickly. "It says one side can't interfere with the other, right?"

"Right," Murlough agreed.

"Unlessit's to defend or avenge themselves."

Murlough nodded. "This is so."

I smiled weakly. "Don't you see?I'm a half-vampire. If you killme , the Generals will have an excuse to come after you. Mr. Crepsley must have planned this all along." I took a deep breath and looked Murlough straight in the eye. "Helet you find me. Hewanted you to grab me. Hemeant for you to kill me."

Murlough's eyes widened. "No," he wheezed. "He wouldn't."

"He's a vampire," I said. "Of course he would. This is his city. I'm just his assistant. Which wouldyou choose to sacrifice?"

"But… but…" the vampaneze scratched his face nervously. "I didn't make the first move!" he shouted. "You came afterme ."

I shook my head. "Mr.Crepsley came after you. I'm innocent. I pose no threat. If you kill me, you'll be held accountable. The Generals will descend on you, and no vampaneze will step in to defend you."

Murlough let my words sink in, in silence, then he started jumping up and down on the spot, swearing furiously. I let him rage for a while, then I said, "It's not too late. Let me go. Let Evra go, too. Run away from the city. They can't touch you then."

"But I love these tunnels." Murlough groaned.

"Do you love them enough to die for them?" I asked.

His eyes narrowed. "You're very smart, aren't you?" he snarled.

"Not really," I said. "I wouldn't have come down here if I was. But Iam able to see the truth when it's staring me in the face. Kill me, Murlough, and you sign your own death warrant."

His shoulders sagged, and I knew I was safe. Now there was only Evra to worry about…

"Snakey," Murlough said menacingly. "He isn't a vampire. There's nothing to stop me killinghim , hmmm?"

"No!" I shouted. "If you harm Evra, I'll go to the Generals myself and tell them —"

"Tell themwhat ?" Murlough interrupted. "Do you think they'd care? Do you think they'd risk war for the sake of a reptile?" He laughed. "Young Murlough's in a killing mood. I might not be able to have the little half-vampire, but I won't be cheated out of Snakey, too. Watch, Darren Shan. Watch as I carve the snake-boy a new mouth —in his stomach !"

He grabbed the ropes around Evra and tugged him forward with his left hand. With his right, he positioned one of the knives and prepared to make the first cut.

"Wait!" I screamed. "Don't do it! Don't do it!"

"Why shouldn't I?" Murlough sneered.