Chapter 7
Kenneth looked somewhat shaken. Thoughtful with a certain wistfulness that he had not seen in him before.
When had he seen him last? It was that time when Kenneth had tried to get him to resign from Wyncliffe.
"It is good to see you again." he said without irony.
Kenneth nodded, not yet in agreement with that.
"I have been thinking lately. About me and Julia. About you and the trouble."
The trouble. He had never known Kenneth to use euphemisms before.
"And what have you decided to do about it?" Barnabas knew that he should not sound so condemnatory, but could not help it. Kenneth had hurt Julia. He was willing to take abuse himself if it was required. But no one could hurt Julia and expect him to sit passively and look on.
Kenneth did not react to the condemnation in Barnabas' voice. He knew that Barnabas had a point. And he wanted to unload himself.
"I have talked to Zeb." he said simply. "He told me certain things that...that I was not aware of."
"Like?"
"What is it what he cannot forgive you."
"I thought that it was obvious." Barnabas said with irony.
"And what he cannot forgive Julia for. According to him, if Julia had married Zeb's uncle, he would have never gone after boys."
"Boys?"
"Don't play dumb. I know why he hates George Brant, and what methods you used to keep Zeb quiet."
"How much did he tell you?"
"That Brant had once been Woodard's boy. That he was not the only one. He told me all about it. He was quite drunk at the time, you see."
"Anyone else heard the same tale?" Barnabas felt sick. "Do you realize what it could mean for George if it became known?"
"It is George Brant that you worry about?" Kenneth could not hide his surprise. Not you or Julia?"
"Zeb has enough sense to let the other business rest. I already explained why Maggie wants to keep it under wraps and how far she'd go to keep it that way. But Maggie has no reason nor desire to protect George."
"Still, if it was only one episode in Brant's life, he could depict himself as a young boy, the victim of the advances of a pervert."
"What did you say?" Barnabas bristled.
"Well, I got thinking that I was too hard on Julia."
"You don't mind it so much now?"
"I think that I understand the circumstances."
Anger mounted in Barnabas, and he exploded. "You mean that you don't care so much that it was murder, since the victim was only a fag?"
"I didn't mean that."
"You didn't? Are you sure? Who cares if one of those gets killed? The less of them around the better, is that it? Next thing you'll be handing us medals for it."
"Well," Kenneth said sullenly "I understand that he went after underage boys."
"He was a decent man. A good man. If you want to make us feel better by telling us that you do not approve of his private life, you are wasting your time. I will not accept a clean conscience on these terms. I don't want your... your kind of absolution. And I hope neither does Julia Now get out of here, and never come back!"
Kenneth left, and Barnabas stood in the middle of the room, a senses of unease filling him. He had not expected Kenneth to react like that. He thought him above such behavior. But evidently he was not.
A mirthless laugh came to his lips. Homosexuality was less popular than vampirism, it seemed. And now he had both.
"Uncle Roger, be reasonable." Carolyn pleaded. "Edmund HAS to study. he can't play all day."
"I still think that she's the wrong teacher for him. he's scared of her. And she does not like children."
Inwardly Carolyn begged for more patience to deal with her uncle. If she'd let him he'd spoil Edmund rotten. She had hired Ms. Oates because she could teach Edmund the discipline he so sorely needed.
"You have to be patient. Let her stay for a while and we'll see how she works out."
Roger grumbled a bit, but in the end gave up"
"But if he hurts Edmund, out she goes."
"I want that cop." Ruby said coldly. "And you'll get him for me."
"I won't."
"I am going to get that dumb cop."
"George isn't dumb."
"All cops are dumb. And mean. And they are on the take, too."
Barnabas shook his head. Her anger was a physical presence that he could not escape. And it was not directed specifically at him.
Again it struck him how little it mattered to her that final episode when a prospective customer had pushed her into the water after drinking her blood.
"You have no choice. You will give me the cop."
Barnabas shook his head, and sought to deny her control.
But she had already taken it.
She was now controlling his body, waiting for George Brant to come.
Violet's eyes were misty as Delia showed her her whip collection and the chains and other restraining devices that she used.
"All of these are yours?"
"Yes. It is difficult to get them in a small town but still I manage."
Violet too out a whip. She would love to use this on Peter, teach him manners.
Delia's nostrils flared. Violet held the whip the right way. Soon she would want to use it.
George put down the report and locked it.; He had worked long enough. He would not solve the smuggling case any faster because he stayed in his office much later. And Barnabas was waiting for him...
He seemed strange, somewhat worried when he saw him.
"I am sorry to be late. I got caught in this smuggling case."
"What are they smuggling?"
"Drugs, very likely. The same way they used to bring in booze during Prohibition."
"Do you want me to do anything about it?"
"You can help by forgetting that I said it. Apart from that, unless I specifically ask for help, stay out of it. I don't think that you have the knowledge to deal with this kind of trouble...And when civilians like you barge in this kind of investigation people die."
Barnabas spread his hands "All right. I'll keep out of it. And forget anything you told me about it."
They undressed. Barnabas wondered if there was any way to let George know what had happened to him, about the stranger inhabiting his body and controlling his movements and words. He wondered what George would say later, when he found out.
"Are you all right?" George asked.
"Yes. It is just that I have not gotten rid of my hang-ups yet." he heard himself say.
They laid together. He was aware of George's body of his... of how little he could do to change what would happen now.
George's lips touched his on the cheek as he got ready to pounce. He shivered, then moved..
He caught George, threw himself over him and kissed him violently.
George was startled by Barnabas' reaction but not displeased. It was about time Barnabas stopped being so passive in bed...
Barnabas tried to restrain Rub, to regain control of his body, but she was the stronger. All her life men had used her, taken her as often as they wished, as brutally as they wished. Now it was her turn. She would take a man, a cop at that. She delighted that Barnabas' body gave her the means for it.
She fell on Brant mercilessly, while Barnabas watched trying to hold her back.
George screamed once, then he remembered Barnabas' inexperience and decided to ride with it. He knew how to keep from being hurt. Later he would tell Barnabas how to do it right. At least Barnabas was capable of passionate lovemaking...
Ruby was angry. That dumb cop didn't even know that he had been raped! She had wanted him to hurt, the way she had been so often hurt in the past. The way those cops had once abused her...
And as her anger and bewilderment grew, her control slipped, and Barnabas regained his body again.
"Did I hurt you?" he asked George.
"You'll learn to do it right."
"George... I..." how could he explain to George that he had just been raped by a dockside hooker?