Chapter 10

Nunez was still awake when he went down to the cell. He was reading avidly. Barnabas could understand why. In his dog form he had little opportunity for reading. Actually, part of the spell included a clouding of the faculties involved in reading and writing.

He wondered at first whether to interrupt him or not. But he was irritated and frustrated because of what had happened to Vicky and he had to take it out on somebody. There were a few thing that Nunez needed to hear, anyway.

He cleared his throat to announce his presence. Nunez heard but did not lift his eyes from the book.

"Nunez" Barnabas said.

Nunez kept reading, a slight shrug his only answer.

"Nunez" Barnabas insisted.

Nunez still did not react.

Needing to draw a response from him, Barnabas dealt him a low blow.

"Comet" he said. "Good dog. It is time to go home."

\Nunez dropped the book and turned. "You can't not now. You promised me more time than this! You said that I had at least one more week!"

Barnabas almost spoke to reassure him, but did not. He wondered if the game that he was about to play with Nunez could be called sadistic. Maybe it was. But not pointless. He had failed to reach Nunez before And he had to reach him. He could not keep him a dog forever. But he could not change him back until Nunez had learned the true worth of humanity.

So he looked on, impassible, as Nunez begged for a few more days of humanity.

"Don't do it now, so close to Christmas!" Nunez continued "What will it cost you to give me a few more days?"

"Nunez" Barnabas spoke severely "you forget that you are my prisoner, as you yourself said. Totally dependent on my will. If I make you promises I am free to keep them or not as I see fit. You understand that?"

Nunez stared.

"You understand that?" Barnabas prodded, feeling unsure of himself.

"Yes."

"Yes what?"

"Yes, you are right."

"The answer is Yes, Sir. You understand that?"

"Yes. Sir."

"Good. Well, if you stand in the middle of your cell for five minutes without moving I will let you have the extra time. Understood?"

Anger and dejection were in Nunez' face.

"Understood?"

"Yes... Sir."

"Well, what do you choose?

"I will stand in the middle of my cell... Sir."

"Good. You learn quick enough."

There were the beginnings of tears in Nunez' eyes. For the first time he tasted humiliation and powerlessness. For the first time he understood that such things could happen to him.

Barnabas timed him with his watch. His face was hard. He r4membered Maggie and what he had done to her. He knew that it would take very little to do the same to Nunez.

But it was different with Nunez.

Finally the minute hand reached its goal. "You did that well." he said to Nunez "You have won yourself a reprieve. You can keep on reading, Comet."

Yolanda kept herself composed, trying to keep her thoughts in order. She had lost Liz, no matter what plans she might have had for her. The vampire that was attacking children was Liz. They were looking for her, and they would find her.

Liz had not been of much use to her. She was too weak for anything but some digging.. and she had not found much that way. But as an experiment it had served well enough. She had learned something about controlling a vampire. If Liz had been strong and able to get around, she would have been a formidable weapon against Angelique. Next vampire she got hold of, it would be different...

Maybe she should try her luck with Derek Pearce.

What worried her was that Liz might tell them how she had spent her time and the kind of tasks that Miss Overton gave her.

She had control of Liz's mind still. But you never knew when you could betray yourself without meaning to.

Forgetfulness for Liz could be arranged. if only she could remember how it was done. Had Judah instructed her about it? He must have, at some time. Whether she would use the right spell for it...

No, she would do it right. Judah had prepared her well, as his priestess. And, after all, she had achieved a lot since first coming to Collinwood.

Her powers might not be strong enough to face and defeat Angelique on her own. but soon she would be able to. She needed time and practice. And, most important, secrecy and a power source. She could not depend forever on the residual power that Judah had left her with.

And anyway, Angelique was slipping. She was going to Julia Hoffman for counseling. The great Angelique Bouchard going to a head shirker? That was not someone she need fear anymore.

But first things first. Make Liz forget anything about Yolanda Overton.

Megan shook her head, amused at Angelique. "It won't kill you, you know, and Julia wants to help you."

Angelique still looked sore. "I do not like how you forced me into it."

"It is helping you, isn't it?'

"There was nothing wrong with me. Then you had to bite me and make me go to Julia."

"Baby, I know how this sounds. It was for your own good. If it helps you to understand how it makes you vulnerable to people like Tom Jennings or Yolanda Overton, it is worth it."

"I was taken by surprise. It could have happened to you, too."

"But it didn't. It happened to you. Keep going to Julia, give it a try."

"Well, Princess" Willie lifted Pearl up "We are going to the carnival."

"Isn't she a bit too little for it?" Louella asked, a bit worried.

"You are never too young or too old for the carnival. We are going to keep away from the big wheel or other scary stuff. But there's a lot of other fun to be had. The cotton candy, or the games, or the clowns..."

Louella grinned "You are the one who cannot keep away from the carnival, it seems."

"Well." Willie's face got a bit red. "I always liked carnivals. When I was a kid it was one of the things I liked. I never had as much money as I wanted, Nor as much fun as I wanted. I was going to run away with one of them."

"And did you?"

"Yes. And I got a job with one that had an elephant."

"They had an elephant?"

"Yes. And I had to follow it with a broom. After that I got to se "Dumbo". Brr... baby, do you know what a flying elephant means?"

Louella shook her head. "On no, not that.""

"Oh, yes, baby. Be grateful that elephants can't fly. Or horses either. Pigeons are bad enough."

"You think that they have elephants in this carnival?'

"No, but they'll probably have ponies." he lifted Pearl at eye level. "You like ponies, Princess?"

"Po..nee.. po..nee." Pearl managed to say, happy to see their smiles.

"You see, she wants to see then ponies."

"Well," Louella said. "you win."

Then went out, and got to the van.

"Hey, did you see that?" Willie pointed to the sky.

"See what?"

"I think hat I just saw an U.F.O..."

They had the information about the children. To Barnabas' horror there were several of them, including Elsa Quarles. They did not seem harmed, but still the idea of it sickened him.

Interrogating them proved to be a blind alley. As with Vicky, they must have been asleep at the time. Still then went on.

Elsa told them more than that. She told them it had been Barnabas.

"I knew it was you. Even if you didn't say a word. You did not want me to turn on the light, but still I knew who it was."

"It wasn't me, Elsa." Barnabas felt himself become sicker and sicker.

"I know it was you!"

"Did you touch me?"

"I put my arms around you. Don't you remember? You let me know that I was old enough for you, and that instead of mama it would be me from now on."

Barnabas got up and moved away.

"I can't understand it." he said to Taft and to Alma "I never..."

Alma nodded with understanding. "I know it wasn't you. Elsa has this thing about you. She probably convinced herself that it was you doing it, because he wanted you to be."

Taft cleared his throat to make them turn his attention to himself. "Well, I think that we got an M.O. for whoever is doing it." he said. "He or she takes good care of not being seen. Has a need to hide. Since you, Megan, and Derek have gone public, it must be someone new."

"We guessed as much." George growled.

"He attacks those that are sleeping. Children. This indicates fear. It is afraid. Sleeping people are not likely to put up a fight."

"We got a witness." George pointed at Elsa."

"But you heard her. She insists it was me."

"We can ask Julia to find out what the real story is.