Abraham heard the door close. That was enough for him. He did not need to turn around to know that his men had left two of their number outside the door and had not stealthily slipped into the room instead. He trusted them because he had respect for his men and did not instinctively expect them to defy him in such a manner. Hellsing had chosen, in his mind, to walk past the empty side of the table to return to his position at its head, but his feet had another purpose that they wanted to achieve, and they diverted his path down the row of chairs that led up to the vampire. Alucard's eyes were resting on the Journal as a white hand held the corner of a page, separating it from the rest. Abraham saw these details as he came to stand beside the vampire, laying a hand on the back of his slave's chair. Blue went to the Journal as well.
"What do you think?" He questioned the Journal as the hand finally turned the page.
"I think that we have much work to do, regarding the Journal and the seal." Alucard replied with a casual air he gave off with a flare of mild humor. His lips moved, unable to pick an expression as the man took the delay and then waited. Alucard finally smirked. "What do I think about being a 'person' now that you have so graciously changed me into such a thing?" Abraham could not read the tone the creature used, so he was irritated by a touch of uneasiness. For his sake, Alucard's smirk became a smile and he flipped the pages back to the first one that addressed the seal. "I mind it less than being considered as a beast or a slave." His eyes wandered the page while his attention was with his thoughts. "What is a person?"
Abraham dithered, unsure himself as he really thought about the word. Alucard continued to speak, eyes keeping with the page.
"Is a person the singular term for people? Are people strictly human beings? Or are they beings of thought?" The crimson lifted to the wall where a window was illuminated with light while the wall was painted over by a haze of shadow. "A person is an individual, but it is a most certainly a human, Master. A term coined by humans for a way to refer to other human beings specifically without hinting to their name, age, background, or sex. It is a universal human being." The eyes flicked to the side where their peripheral vision could pick up the man's outline. "Are your thoughts with mine?" Abraham didn't speak as he gazed fixatedly at the pale features he could see. The nosferatu gave him some time, and then spoke again, turning away from the man so he could not see the demon's face at all. "Then you are gravely mistaken, Master. I thought I had taken care of that… misconception…or 'misguidance', and burned the bridge returning you to it."
"Are you a thing, Alucard?" Abraham's level voice and calm tone matched his eyes as he watched the black hair, noting its haphazard and sparsely distributed waves. Alucard was silent, as he knew that this was the reply the question sought. The man went on with his questions breaking down the argument Alucard had built up around him. A citadel on the outskirts of Humanity, the man thought. "Are you an animal? Or a beast?" There was a pause as no answer came. For the first time in a long while, Abraham felt that he was standing above the creature, able to speak to him with a sense of knowledge that Alucard usually denied him. He shook his head, hearing his own words and imagining the blank face the wall could see while he was unable to. "No. Then what are you?" An interruption seemed imminent here, so Hellsing hurried his words, adding some heat to them for the sake of persuasion. "You are a being with thought and feeling; a creature above the standing of a beast. Why can't you be referred to as a person?"
"Because…" The blank face came to life, though Alucard did not take his eyes from the wall. He pressed his lips together. "…mankind created language and reserved the reference, a 'person', to themselves, to humans. God is not a person, he is a god. Jesus, on the other hand, was a person, he was human. A dog or a bird are not persons, they are animals. I, my Master, am a monster. An 'it' or perhaps 'he', just as an animal can become either. I am a 'thing', in some regard, given to the world to exist with man like everything else. I, and anything that is not human…am a 'thing', an addition to the world. …I am not a 'person'."
The room was quiet, though Alucard alone could hear Abraham's quickened pulse, a result of such a quiet battle of concepts and words. He could also hear the placid hearts of the hunters outside. They were unable to overhear their conversation.
"You are a person." Abraham retorted, a volley against the assault his position had just taken. Alucard's face dipped to the Journal.
"I am a vampire."
"You were once a human, the state, if there is one, of being a person is not changed." The hand slid over the flat wood on top of the spine of the chair.
"Once a human is dead, they are not people, and are not considered to be a person."
Blue blinked, undeterred as this was easily countered. "Haven't you heard someone refer to a corpse as 'a dead person'? The dead are still people."
"What about a rotten corpse, or a skeleton?" The vampire questioned softly, his gaze meandering to the door without taking anything within his view into account.
"A skeleton is a deceased person." The man nodded, his blonde hair managing to catch a stray ray of light. The demon suddenly smirked, bemused and humored by this peculiar topic.
"Dust?" He sighed out through a smile, eyes flowing across the windows. "If it was once a human then it will be referred to as a person. So, you have made your point, and those who have been cremated will thank you, Master, but I am not a plain corpse. I am of the undead. I am a vampire, a monster, a demon. A human is never referred to as an 'it', if you would like to continue our debate on the proper use of pronouns and English grammar." He sneered with a chuckle that traveled away from the two, somehow avoiding Hellsing completely.
Abraham saw the black shoulders move with grim mirth, never having heard the laugh. "This is more than grammar, Alucard. You are a person even though the definition for the word suggests that you aren't. I'm being broader with my reference to the word, 'person'."
The vampire's smile lessened, becoming calmer but still touched by humor. "I know you are." Red was at the door again, permitting Abraham to see some of his face.
Hellsing knew that this was true as well, and had been true for their entire discussion. He swallowed quietly, unsure of what his purpose had been in bringing this up. "I want you to respect my men, and they will respect you. I want coexistence, without harm coming to either side."
"Side? So…" The topic changed as the vampire turned about in his seat to look up at the man. "…what separates the two? The humans and the vampire…"
"The men who serve me and then you, Alucard. You cannot be included in their…category. And you know this. You are different from them…" Abraham was aware that the demon was watching the wall behind him now, but he knew where the beast's attention really was. "It is similar to you grouping the humans within the estate. There would be my men coupled with the house servants, and then there would be me. All human but separate in your mind…because of how familiar you are with one over the other."
"My master and then those who serve him, that is what I see of this body of humans. Of course you are more individual to me, you cannot be dispersed among the ranks of Humanity…." The vampire moved to have the Journal beneath his face once more. "I understand your point. But you see this, or feel this way, because I am a vampire while they are human. I am your slave while they are your willing servants. I am the creature you have invested so much effort and time into, specifically, while the rest are given a more general attention. They are one thing to you while I am a separate thing, Master. I get what you are saying."
No. I don't think you do…I don't think I want you to. Abraham grazed the chair with his hand then allowed it to drop by his side as he moved to the seat he had been sitting in before, by Alucard's side. All of the 'Alucards' as one being? Will I assume such a notion when they are each so different? Alternate personalities, or persons? The human sighed, leaning on an arm he planted on the table. "You're special. We'll leave it at that."
Alucard glanced at the man and then gave with a fanged grin that lit up his eyes. "I like special." He chuckled and moved the brightened orbs to the Journal as his humor persisted for such an absurd thing.
Abraham caught some of this infectious mirth and had to smile to release some of its reserves. "Now that I think about it, that's a perfect word for you."
The demon snorted, turning a few pages. "And now the man has developed a sense of humor." He narrated, taking his master's humor and splitting it with a lighthearted scowl.
The man eased back lazily in his chair, a soft chuckle moving his developing smile. "Well, we at least managed to be pleasant this morning."
"We did manage that, Master. Congratulations for that glorious feat."
The man closed his eyes, warmed inside. "Thank you."
Alucard shook his head in disbelief and tracked down where they had left off in the Journal. "I'm exercising my flair for sarcasm. You get no such feelings of accomplishment from me, Master. Now try to pay attention as we continue what we are here for… Like a teacher with his uncooperative student..."
"Fine, continue as usual." Kill joy. But I would prefer this more than anything else, any day. Hellsing sighed, a little sadly but still with good spirits, and leaned forward while fixing his posture to observe the Journal as well. They were on the last page, he realized with a spur of unreasonable excitement. Anxiety also came with the feeling as a second allowed him to analyze the meaning of this. They were coming closer to another ceremony, another gamble…something that should be dreaded…but had not been, until now. Alucard finished his explanations soon enough, but Abraham was left with a lingering feeling of imperfection, a lacking conclusion. When he looked up, he saw this feeling as he continued to experience it, present in the vampire's face.
"That is all I can do, but I'm not certain of most aspects of this…seal. …It's not ready for use."
Abraham gazed at the relatively close pale face, and blinked. "Then…" What do we do? "…I should uncover some more books on alchemy and magic? Sorcery?..." His voice died out as Alucard shook his head and looked out into the space behind Abraham's chair. His fingers danced with thought on the tablecloth.
"We need others who can offer their own opinions…their own insights on what effect one rune will have, for example, or if any of this will work. Also, the ceremony itself is much more complicated than yours. It's…demanding…impossible to do without assistance."
Both of their minds went to one singular answer. Abraham's eyes widened as he frowned, turning away from Alucard to rest his chin on the back of his intertwined fingers, his elbows sitting on the table. "The Golden Dawn…is gone…"
"No." Alucard cut in readily, a smirk on his lips. "It's still there. Nothing like the Golden Dawn can disappear entirely, certainly not within a few months. The Victorian nobility is still marked by alchemists and magic users, in their midst. Your dungeon is not as effective as one of their ritual chambers…they will have incense, candles, spells, the equipment and the appropriate attire for such a thing…. There is black magic involved in this." Abraham sat up and stared at the vampire, feeling a slight chill, as if Alucard had blown a cool breath down his neck. The red was burning, sure of what was necessary. "Attempting this blindly, is foolish. You, more likely than I, could die. Any number of your hunters and servants could be affected. Your old seal does not compare with this one."
The man moved his attention to the table and then to a parted curtain, as his chin descended to his hands. "I trust you wouldn't be planning anything else with this." He spoke, still aware of Alucard's demonic nature, the possibility of betrayal and the demise of his organization.
The atmosphere darkened significantly while Alucard smiled through the readjustment. "No." He replied curtly, engrossed by the building strain. "But, this way, others will be able to tell you whether I am or not before this seal ever goes into use, Master. Rest assured. For one reason or another, I am helping you with this. Maybe now I don't have to worry about losing myself a third time."
Abraham was not amused by this as he kept his chin on his fingers. "I'll get in touch with whoever I can find… If they have leaders, then they will most likely be interested in this…and I will have enlighten the Queen to this new development."
Alucard snapped the Journal close, his hands clasping the covers and their pages together. He took the Journal with him as he stood and left his chair, heading for the wall behind his master. "Then you have all of the time you need to accomplish this task. I will be waiting in my cell…with my new chair…until you come to visit me again." The demon's face was occupied by a slight smirk as he remembered the gift he had been given, but his eyes were gleaming with a hellish light and the smirk was warped into a daggered grin when he passed through the wall.
Abraham saw none of this as his gaze was fixed on the table, and his thoughts were elsewhere.