In Russian Samoa, the day passes. Things look very bright at the Embassy.

A coach rolls up to the Embassy's façade. It stops. The door opens, and the gangplank flips down.

Into it, a girl's foot, clad in a red heel, touches down. The girl, who's otherwise dressed in black, (her clothes are mostly red-lined,) does an impressive job of keeping a low profile, on her way through the façade.

Meet Avigail Woloshyn. She's a redhead...from Russia. She comes from a complicated past. And to think that Russia won't become communist for another century...

As she's entered, she's greeted by one of the staff chief's sidekicks. She tells him that she's the new maid. He believes her, and puts her to work right away.

In the future, one of Ms. Woloshyn's descendants becomes Abby Whelan.


Upstairs, the territorial governors of NAU Samoa, CAU Samoa, and Russian Samoa have a meal together. The native ruler of Samoa joins them...in his kingly attire.

Just outside the door, a pair of CAU guards stand watch. They're dressed up, and armed with rifles. As loyal as they are to their Governor, he's not the only person here they're here to protect. Or rather, ONE of them doesn't think so, for sure...

His name is Armando Muñoz. He can be a bit of a grunt, when it comes to combat. Nonetheless, he's got a good heart.

Throughout the day, he holds his post. He listens to the conversation that goes on beyond the door.

The Russian Governor talks about the many new Russian provinces that the Tsars have acquired. Nowadays, things are looking good for Russia. Alas, Alexander I is in bad health. He might not make it through the winter. And the Russians, from what I've been told, take a LOT of pride in being able to tolerate cold winters.

The Samoan Chief doesn't talk very well...but Armando...or Huck, as he prefers...understands a bit. He complains that some of his co-officials are often intimidated by the foreign territories' expansion. The Samoan women and children are even more so.

Also, there've been quite a number of killings up in the Samoan highlands. Every corpse has come back completely blood-drained.

Naturally, some of them joke about the possibility of the highlands being haunted by vampires. Not understanding the reference, the Chief asks for an elaboration. The CAU Governor gladly gives it to him. (Some of the CAU Governor's ex-subjects are Italian.)

Here, the NAU Governor brings it up. He talks about some report, from a few officials under him, that one of his own warriors has taken it upon himself to purge the highlands of these so-called "vampires." He's also heard that these "vampires" are, for some reason, the reason that particular warrior was transferred to Samoa to begin with.

The NAU Governor also finds it amusing that this "Lt. Grant" has assigned a slave, from the Pope Plantation where he's stationed, to be his liaison between humanity and himself as he takes on the vamps. The Governor has trouble remembering the slave's name...but he thinks it might be Carolyn.

Eavesdropping, Huck finds this fascinating. Hence, an impulse overcomes him.


Tonight, Carolyn returns to the jungle...with a lantern. This time, she takes the gate...rather than having to dig a hole under the fence.

She's got a note in her hand. It's been signed by Huck.

She screams, when Huck falls from a tree branch, and lands on all four limbs. He was hanging upside down by his feet. Carolyn watches, and feels like barfing, when his feet change from hands back to feet.

"Sorry," he tells her. "It's a mutation. It runs in my family. I can adapt to a lot of things...and evolve to meet those demands." He studies her. "I'm not a vamp; Scot's honor."

She studies him. "So...you know what's out here?"

He nods. "I've lost several of my comrades to them. I saw a lot of it happen. Just so you know, if your Lt. Grant needs any help up there..."

"He's not really up there."

Carolyn shouldn't have confessed that so quickly. Huck might run off and tell the wrong person.

He studies her. "Please elaborate."

"He WAS fighting vamps up there, but now he's missing. I'm covering for him. In case he ever turns back up, I don't want him to get in trouble for desertion. I wouldn't tell my own mother this, but... I've grown very fond of him."

He studies her. "That's rare...but not entirely unlikeable. Anyway, I just came over here to ask you if there's anything I can do to help."

"Well," she undoes the bands in her hair, letting it flow. "If it's not asking too much... Could you, maybe... Go up there, and act in the Lieutenant's stead? I don't mean to ask too much, but I'm pretty sure there are more vamps up there. And until Lt. Grant turns up, having just you up there is better than no one."

Huck nods. "I'll do what I can. Those creeps killed my friends. It's the least I can do. At least your Lt. Grant has an initiative that I wish I had."

With that, the two part ways. Carolyn returns to the plantation, and makes a mental note to tell the Popes to tell their CAU neighbors that Huck's teamed up with Lt. Grant against the vamps.

Carolyn should be more thankful that she doesn't know where Lt. Grant is...or how he got there. Again, she wouldn't believe that her own mother has to do with it...or is possibly behind all of it.