Shan, Darren - Cirque Du Freak 07 - Hunters Of The Dusk

"Let's be positive," I said. "We now know who the Vampaneze Lord is travelling with. We can spread Gannen Harst's description and tell our people to look out for him. And they won't be able to pull that servant disguise again — next time we'll be ready and know who to look for."

"This is true," Mr Crepsley agreed. "Plus we have suffered no losses. We are as strong as we were at the start of our quest, we are wiser, and we still have three chances to kill him."

"Then why do we feel … so terrible?" Harkat asked glumly.

"Failure is always a bitter pill to swallow," Mr Crepsley said.

We saw to our wounds after that. Harkat's arm was badly cut but no bones were broken. We set it in a sling, and Mr Crepsley said it would be fine in a couple of nights. My right thumb was turning an ugly colour, but Mr Tall said it wasn't infected and would be OK if I rested it.

We were preparing for sleep when we heard angry bellows. Hurrying through the camp — Mr Crepsley with a heavy cloak tossed over his head to protect him from the morning sun — we found Vancha on the outskirts, tearing off his clothes, an empty bottle of brandy on the ground beside him, screaming at the sun. "Roast me!" he challenged it. "I don't care! Do your worst! See if I give a—"

"Vancha!" Mr Crepsley snapped. "What are you doing?"

Vancha whirled, snatched up the bottle and pointed it at Mr Crepsley as though it was a knife. "Stay away!" he hissed. "I'll kill you if you try to stop me!"

Mr Crepsley came to a halt. He knew better than to mess with a drunken vampire, especially one of Vancha's powers. "This is stupid, Sire," he said. "Come inside. We will find another bottle of brandy and help you drink—"

"—to the health of the Vampaneze Lord!" Vancha shrieked crazily.

"Sire, this is madness," Mr Crepsley said.

"Aye," Vancha agreed in a sadder, sober tone. "But this is a mad world, Larten. Because I spared the life of my brother — who once saved mine — our greatest enemy has escaped and our people face defeat. What sort of a world is it where evil is born of an act of goodness?"

Mr Crepsley had no answer for that.

"Dying will not help, Vancha," Harkat said. "Ishould know."

"It won't help," Vancha agreed, "but it will punish, and I deserve to be punished. How could I face my fellow Princes and Generals after this? My chance to kill the Lord of the Vampaneze has passed. Better I pass with it than linger and shame us all."

"So you plan on staying out here and letting the sun kill you?" I asked.

"Aye," he chuckled.

"You're a coward," I sneered.

His expression hardened. "Take heed, Darren Shan — I'm in the mood to crack a few skulls before I die!"

"And a fool," I pressed on, regardless. I stormed past Mr Crepsley and pointed accusingly at Vancha with my good left hand. "Who gave you the right to quit? What makes you think you can abandon the quest and damn us all?"

"What are you talking about?" he stammered, confused. "I'm no longer part of the quest. It's up to you and Larten now."

"Is it?" Turning, I searched for Evanna and Mr Tall. I found them together, behind the crowd of circus performers and assistants which had been attracted by the howls of the Prince. "Lady Evanna. Mr Tall. Answer if you may — does Vancha still have a part to play in the hunt for the Vampaneze Lord?"

Mr Tall shared an uneasy glance with Evanna. She hesitated, then said grudgingly, "He has the power to influence the quest."

"But I failed," Vancha said, bewildered.

"Once," I agreed. "But who's to say you won't have another chance? Nobody said we'd have one chance each. For all we know, all four opportunities are destined to fall toyou !"

Vancha blinked, and his mouth slowly opened.

"Even if the chances are to be shared evenly," Mr Crepsley chipped in, "there are a further three to go, and Darren and I are only two — therefore one of us must be destined to face the Vampaneze Lord twice if it goes down to the final encounter."

Vancha wavered on his feet, considering our words, then dropped the bottle and stumbled towards me. I caught and steadied him. "I've been an idiot, haven't I?" he groaned.

"Yes," I agreed, smiling, then led him back into the shade, where he joined us in slumber until the darkening of night.

 

We arose with the sinking of the sun and gathered in Mr Tall's van. As dusk deepened, and Vancha drank mug after mug of steaming hot coffee to cure his hangover, we debated our next move and decided it would be for the best if we left the Cirque Du Freak. I would have liked to stay on longer, and so would Mr Crepsley, but our destiny lay elsewhere. Besides, Gannen Harst might return with an army of vampaneze, and we didn't want to find ourselves boxed in, or bring the wrath of our foes down upon the circus folk.