'Vampires, demons and other unworldly abominations have been known about for centuries,' Doctor Porter began. 'Stories of them have spread from generation to generation. Much of what is said is a myth. Only some of it is true.' She rubbed her hands together. 'I told you before, Jane, that there are two kinds of vampires.'
Jane nodded. 'Blitzers and Regals,' she said. 'The mindless, feral creatures that we've encountered and others that retain their senses.'
'That is true,' Porter said, 'but, technically, there is a superior third kind. It sits above the Regals like a venomous queen bee. I call them Imperials. I mentioned before that some vampires have the power to mesmerise. A blitzer does not possess this power. A regal only has it to a small degree. It can mesmerise one or a few individuals for short periods.
'Imperials, however, are a different matter. They can mesmerise a hundred people at a time, and to make matters worse, those hundred can influence a hundred more. Each time, the will of the original Imperial is spread to the followers.'
'My goodness,' Jane said.
'This power does not last forever. To sustain its unnatural influence, the Imperial must maintain regular contact with its original group, and they, in turn, must keep in touch with their followers. It's not a perfect system—thank heavens—as it's difficult to retain contact over large distances. Still, it means that large numbers of people can fall under their influence for long periods.'
Jane frowned. 'But how is this possible? It is witchcraft, surely.'
Porter shook her head. 'You may have heard that people have used lenses to magnify the appearance of things.'
'You mean telescopes?'
'Exactly. I believe that both Imperials and Regals have some malignant special power with their eyes that allows them to magnify their influence.'
Jane shook her head. 'As if vampires weren't already deadly enough. A vampire could command an entire army. Theoretically.'
'If the vampire were powerful enough.'
'What else can vampires do?'
The doctor turned to Eddy. 'Would you like to divide legend from fact for Jane? While I drink my tea?'
'Of course,' Eddy said. 'As the doctor mentioned, there are many myths surrounding vampires. Some are true. A lot aren't. For example, it's said that a vampire can transform itself into fog. It's also said that a vampire can't cross a running stream or have its image viewed in a mirror. They say vampires can't walk on hallowed ground or enter a house without invitation. Legend also says they can be harmed by holy water. That a vampire can command a range of animals: dogs, wolves, rats, and the like.' He paused. 'These are all myths. None of this is real.'
'Thank heavens,' Jane said. 'A creature with those abilities would be unstoppable.'
'They are lethal enough without them. It's been said they have the strength of twenty men. That's also not true, but they are powerful. They can strike harder and faster than ordinary men. They are also almost impossible to kill.'
'But we have killed them,' Jane pointed out. 'And harmed them.' She remembered the liquid the doctor and Eddy had thrown at the vampires. 'So that wasn't holy water you splashed onto the vampires we encountered?'
'It's garlic water,' the doctor said, finishing her tea. 'Vampires recoil from it. Enough garlic would kill one, I'd wager. So would silver. There is something in the metal that vampires can't abide. Likewise, they cannot stand sunlight. Another allergy, I believe. Being exposed to it won't kill them, but it will severely incapacitate them.'
'And to kill them?'
'A stake to the heart kills a vampire,' Eddy said. 'So does beheading. Massive blood loss, as well. A fall off a building may kill a vampire, or it may not. Bullets also will slow them down, but not stop them.'
Jane shivered. These were horrendous, parasitic creatures. The thought of Cassandra being among them made her sick. 'And what about the process of turning?' she asked. 'Cassandra is destined to become one of them?'
'Not necessarily,' Porter said. 'If a person is fully drained, they simply die, and that is it. A person becomes a blitzer when some viscous 'backwash', if you like, feeds back into their victim. They die quickly, only to be reborn as vampires.
'Regals are produced when a little of their blood is taken over time. It takes about a dozen bites to produce one. I believe Dracula wishes to turn Cassandra into a regal—he has a notorious weakness for beautiful women—and so she probably still has about another week before she is turned.'
'And you believe Dracula is an imperial?' Jane said.
'I think so,' she said. 'I suspect he is incredibly old—possibly one of the first vampires on Earth—and has a bigger plan in mind. Over the centuries, various vampires have tried to build empires. I think that many of history's most depraved and insidious rulers have been vampires, gaining power and wielding it during their lifetimes. Genghis Khan. Tamerlane the Great. Vlad the Impaler. Ivan the Terrible. I believe all these men were vampires. Likely there have been many more.'
'I notice they are all men.'
'I believe there have been women as well,' Porter said, 'but their stories have been lost through time.'
'All those empires were short-lived. Their reigns ended, and peace returned to those lands.'
'Eventually,' Porter said. 'It's difficult for a vampire, even one as powerful as Dracula, to keep control over a long distance and over many people.'
Jane succumbed to a yawn. It was late now, and a lot had happened. She glanced over at Max Filador. Despite her earlier annoyance with him, he seemed wholly focused on his project.
He's a dedicated worker.
'It's probably best if we sleep,' Porter said. 'I imagine tomorrow will be a long day.'
'Will we find Cassandra then?'
'I can't make any promises.' The doctor faltered. 'But I promise I'll do my best.'
Jane nodded. 'Then that will have to do.'