The Count smiled at the two visitors. His skin was as pale as milk, he had red full lips and when he parted them a glimpse of sharp white teeth was seen.

"Welcome Gentlemen," he spoke common with a strong accent.

Harper shuddered at the sound of his voice.

"Won't you put down your weapons, you will not need them here."

Harper gripped his gauss gun like a vice.

It was Tyr's turn to nudge the engineer. He did so with a well-aimed elbow to Harper's ribs. "Put the weapon down little man, we are guests here and your manners are atrocious."

If he hadn't been winded by Tyr's prod to his ribs Harper would have protested bitterly. As it was his mouth opened but only a gasp came out.

The Count sat down at the head of the huge dining table; his servant seated Harper and Tyr at either side of him.

The Count clicked his fingers. "Tell the ladies to join us," he said.

The servant left and the Count turned to speak to Tyr, ignoring Harper. "I must apologise for the candles, this inclement weather has caused a power outage throughout the area."

As if to emphasise his words there was a flash of forked lightening and a crash of thunder. Harper jumped and almost knocked over his wine.

The Count addressed Tyr once more. "Is your companion always this nervous?" Tyr growled. "I have no idea what the problem is with him, he should be grateful that we are not stranded outside in these dreadful weather conditions."

He gave Harper a glare, which if it had connected would have probably turned the young man to stone. Harper was however, looking elsewhere. His eyes popping and his mouth open he was watching as ten extremely beautiful young women entered the room. They all had long jet-black hair and looked sufficiently like the Count to be related to him.

"Allow me to introduce my sisters," the Count stood while the girls were seated. Tyr also stood up immediately. It took a little longer for the stunned Harper to get to his feet. The engineer smirked at the Nietzschean; perhaps things were looking up.

Harper was quite happy until he realised that they would be thirteen at table. He sat down heavily.

The servant re entered the room carrying a serving platter. Delicious smells wafted towards the two Andromedans. The man lifted the lid of the dish and served a selection of starters to Tyr and Harper. He then left again as silently as he had come in.

Harper looked at his plate, then at the Count and his sisters.

"Aren't you having any of this," he queried? Alarm bells were ringing again. The Count's expression was sad. "Unfortunately my sisters and I have a genetic disposition to digestive problems. We can only eat a very restricted diet. We will eat later. We can however enjoy this wonderful wine. He raised his glass.

"A toast to our visitors," he said.

Ten glasses were raised and ten dulcet voices joined in the toast.

Harper's mind was once again working overtime. No food, what exactly did the Count eat. Were he and Tyr about to become the main course at a family feast? He took a swig of his wine. It was wonderful. His glass was never allowed to become empty, the Count was a most attentive host.

Course followed course, each dish more amazing than the previous one. When they had finished eating the Count dismissed his sisters with a wave of his hand.

"Now if you will excuse me, we are early to bed here. Tomorrow morning I will arrange for my men to accompany you to your ship, we will give you any assistance that we can. My servant will show you to your rooms.

The manservant led Tyr and Harper up the stairs. The old man carried a large candlestick. The first room they came to was Harper's, Tyr was next door.

The first thing Harper did on entering his room was to jam a chair under the door handle. No one was getting into the room without him knowing about it. There was a lighted candle on the bedside table. The bed was a huge four poster. Under different circumstances Harper would have thoroughly enjoyed his surroundings.

He sat on the bed with every intention of staying awake. His eyelids drooped and he was soon asleep.

He was woken by a knocking on his door.

"Who's there," he called nervously.

"It's me," the answer came in Tyr's well-known voice.

Breathing a sigh of relief Harper jumped off the bed and went to open the door. Tyr walked in and Harper shut the door after him, replacing the chair as he did so.

"Now little man, an explanation of your behaviour this evening." Tyr did not sound amused.

"Tyr for the sake of the Divine, have you never heard of vampires."

Tyr's expression showed that he had not.

"It's part of Earth's history. Count Dracula, he drank human blood, he was undead and he lived in a bit spooky house just like this." Harper could hardly get the words out quickly enough.

Tyr laughed out loud. "Harper that is just a myth it isn't history, just a story."

"Well story or not I have a bad feeling about all of this. I wish we had never left the Maru."

"Boy, we had to leave the Maru to get help. We are lucky to have come across such a hospitable host."

"Why didn't we say anything to him about the Maru? I've just realised we didn't say a word about how we got here. He seemed to already know all about us." Harper was almost freaking out at the thought.

"Perhaps they are telepathic?" Tyr ever practical had an answer for every one of Harper's concerns.

"I think they lured us here." Harper wasn't giving up easily.

"Foolish child," Tyr's voice was stern. "I suppose they arranged for the storm, and for the Maru's crash. I have heard enough of this nonsense, go to bed and go to sleep."

Tyr made his way to the door intending to go back to his own room. Harper managed to get in front of him and blocked his exit.

"Tyr, please, stay with me, the bed is big enough for both of us and I don't think it would be a very good idea for us to split up."

Tyr took one look at his panic stricken face and relented. "Very well, but if you sleep as restlessly as you normally do then you are on the floor."

Harper decided that he would sleep in his clothes, he wanted to be able to make a quick getaway if necessary. He did allow Tyr to blow out the candle after making sure that he would be able to light it again.

They had both just managed to fall asleep when a dreadful screaming reverberated through the mansion.