Universal Gothic

It was one of those dark and stormy nights that were so common in
those parts. The lightning crackled and flashed so brightly, it was as
though the sun had risen during the night, or that the planet's entire
population of paparazzi had stumbled across the exclusive of exclusives
(but as no paparazzo had ever found this part of the world, that was
highly unlikely). The thunder crashed so loudly that rocks and boulders
were shaken from their lofty perches high in the mountains.

Which leads us neatly onto these two blokes sat in a tavern somewhere
in Bavaria&;#8230;

"So, Victor, still carrying out the experiments ?"

"Very astute, Abraham. How can you tell ?"

"Oh, a few more scars than when we last met." The Doctor pointed. "That
one in particular&;#8230;"

The Baron fingered the purpling rope burn beneath his chin and smiled.
"A few of the locals didn't agree with what I was doing in their
cemetery. I believe you've had similar problems."

The Doctor laughed, stared into the willow-plate blue eyes of the
other. It was almost like looking into a mirror&;#8230; only not. "I
had to take every precaution, Victor."

"Still not found him ?"

"The fiend is clever." The Doctor gazed into the bottom of his tankard
and shouted to the serving girl. "Two more here, Maria !"

Maria, all headscarf, billowing, patched skirt and cheekbones like an
Olympic gymnast's shoulder blades, swept across to them and slammed the
tankards down with a scowl. As she left, the Baron noticed the pentacle
on her right palm and he nudged his friend.

"I wish you would find him, Abraham. Find him and remove his
head."

"What interest have you ?"

The Baron's eyes shone. "If only I could experiment on his
corpse&;#8230;"

"Victor, you have no idea what you're saying ! Besides which, he'd be
mere dust."

"Oh, I'm sure you know that there are ways and means..."

"Reanimation ? Of the undead ? You're mad !"

"So they all tell me. And I believe it has been said of you
also."

"Maybe so, but&;#8230;"

"Putting stakes through the hearts of innocent victims, desecrating
graves&;#8230;"

"I had to be certain, Victor."

"Don't you have the death penalty hanging over you in five countries ?
Or is it six now ? How long is it since you've been back to England
?"

"And how many innocents have your abominations murdered, including your
dear wife ?"

There was a silence not unlike that of a crypt.
"You swore to me you'd never bring that matter up, Abraham."

"I'm sorry, old friend&;#8230; Look, we didn't come here to throw
insults at eachother."

They carried on drinking in a more amicable mood. A man, his head wound
with grimed bandages, lurched through the tavern door in an explosion
of snowflakes and shuffled over to a corner table where he slumped down
opposite a shadowy figure who had strange, dark markings across his
face&;#8230; or was it hair ?

"So, what now, Victor ?"

"Now ? I move on. Another village where they don't know me. Somewhere
quiet for me to further my work."

"Somewhere with a graveyard, you mean ?"

"Not necessarily. Fresh corpses are better."

The Doctor blinked at the Baron and then they both erupted with
laughter. "You almost had me there !"

"Didn't I just !" The Baron's smile curled upwards, but didn't quite
reach his eyes. "What of you ? Will you continue your pursuit of the
Count ?"

"I don't know. I don't think there's much of a need now."

"So, you have found him, you sly dog !"

"No&;#8230;"

"But, Abraham, you said&;#8230;"

In the light of the fire, the Doctor's eyes seemed to glow an eerie
shade of vermilion. This time, when he smiled, the Baron noticed his
friend's teeth; his friend's gleaming, white, pointed
teeth&;#8230;

"I didn't need to find him, Victor. He found me."

"My God&;#8230;"

"And all the crucifixes, stakes, silver and garlic in world couldn't
stop him." He gripped the Baron's hand, felt bones grind and crunch in
his fingers. "Immortality looks good on me, don't you think, Victor ?"
He stood up, dragging the transfixed Baron across the room with him.
"Come along, my friend. There's a coach nearby waiting to take us to
the far side of The Borgo Pass where there is somebody who'd just love
to meet you."

And the two of them strode out into the chill night.

And from the high horseshoe of mountains all around them, there rose a
horrifying howl, which could only have been the wind&;#8230;

Couldn't it ?