Chapter 9 - The Workings of the Council
They arrived via the private lift. Many faces were well known around the offices of the Council of Watchers, many were unknown. When they had assembled, Lucien Spencer took his place at the head of the conference table in his office. The others looked at him deferentially, waiting for him to speak. It was many years since such a meeting had been called. Smaller groups met regularly, running the day to day matters of the Council, but this, a full assembly had not been called for over fifty years.
To the casual observer, the Council of Watchers was run by the Master. The methods by which the Master was appointed were kept secret from all but the most senior in the organisation, and all of those belonged in some form or another, to the Spencer family. Needless to say, the prime requirement for the job was membership of the Spencer clan. The Master mentally checked those present against those who should be there. This meeting required the heads of each of the families along with all those family members employed by the Council. As such, some faces had not been seen in this room before.
Lucien Spencer cleared his throat, and every face around the table turned to face him. Conversation which had been quiet, ceased abruptly.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he began. "It is a long time since a meeting such as this has taken place, and I know that you will realise that I would not have called you all together today had the reason not been dire."
He paused to let this sink in before continuing. "I have the sad duty to tell you now, that the prophecy we have feared, that we have done our best to thwart, is, even now, in the process of coming to pass. The New walks the earth. She has, as yet, no hint of her purpose, and it is up to us to ensure that she never will."
There were gasps of horror around the table at these words. One lone hand was raised. The man responsible was young, perhaps in his early twenties, but he had the air of one used to having things as he wanted them.
The Master turned to the young man, saying, "Yes?"
"Yes, I have a question," he answered.
"And, may I know whom I am to answer?"
"Michael Borkett. I have recently come into my father's responsibilities. He died three months ago, quite suddenly. I have to admit that he never shared much information about the Council with me. I knew of its existence, of course, and knew that I would inherit his seat at this table, but I think he believed he would have more time to explain the details. I have to admit, I have no idea about this prophecy you mentioned. I would appreciate an explanation. How could a prophecy possibly affect the Council so profoundly that it generates the reaction I just witnessed?"
Lucien Spencer took a deep breath. He really hadn't wanted to go into this, but he knew he had no choice. The Borkett family was second only to his own, and any suggestion that he had slighted the new head of that family would lead to problems with several other families. He took a deep breath and started to explain.
"The reason for the significance of the prophecy starts a long time ago. I think that, if you are to understand completely, I will have to give you a potted history of the Council of Watchers. To those of you who are already familiar with what I am about to say, I apologise."
"The earliest days of the organisation now known as the Council of Watchers are lost in antiquity. Its roots certainly went back to the days of the druids. With the coming of Christianity to Britain, the Church took over the battle against demons. It was carried out by obscure orders of monks working in tandem with those versed in the pagan magic of the earth."
"The origins of the Slayer are also lost in the mists of time. As a matter of recorded history, they had always existed. At one time, their identities were recognised by those, mainly women, who had the sort of magical skill to see beyond the mundane, those who practised what we nowadays call magic."
Spencer paused, taking a drink from the cut crystal glass in front of him before continuing.
"The informal organisation worked well, but with the coming of the Industrial Revolution, the system started to falter. In a largely rural society, the Church reigned supreme, and little went on of which a church man somewhere was not aware. With the congregation of people in towns and later cities, the system could no longer operate."
"At that time, various wealthy families, headed by our own ancestors, agreed to set up the Council in a much more formal, and agnostic manner. A huge sum of money was donated and invested to allow the Council its autonomy. Its agents were taken from members of a number of families, who mainly worked without financial remuneration. Many good men gave their lives to the cause, researching ancient knowledge and fighting demons alongside the Slayers."
"As time went on, the number of families involved diminished, until only the Spencer family, and those closely related to it, remained. There had been a number of attempts to wrest control of the Council out of the hands of this family, totally ignoring the fact that the vast majority of the initial funding for the organisation came from us. In the time of Sir Henry Spencer, control of the Council was finally made the ineffable right of those of us who, by blood and history were most suited to the task. This has, of course, made the organisation much more effective, as we no longer have to consider the constant power struggles that used to wrack the organisation."
"Everyone seated around this table should be able to describe, in detail, the genealogical line which links him- or herself with Sir Henry. In my grandfather's day, it was a flogging offence to be unable to recite the line at a meeting such as this."
Michael Borkett looked a little green at this statement, and Lucien noted the fact with satisfaction. He had been irritated at the confident manner in which Borkett had detailed his own ignorance.
"The twentieth century was a trying time for the all our families. Political changes and increased taxation meant that the families were no longer able to pass on their wealth unscathed. With each generation, the money available dwindled, and if it had not been for the Council, many members of the family would have been forced to give up their family estates, losing their rightful place in society."
"The Council has long been immune from taxation, and those responsible for the money invested it in buying these estates from the families. Of course, no title deeds ever changed hands, and the original owners continued to use their ancestral homes and to benefit from any income generated. For this reason, it is imperative that the Council continue to have a purpose. When it was originally constituted, it was decreed that, should the Council ever reach the stage that it was not needed - if demons no longer walked the earth, or if another organisation took over responsibility for Slayers, the Council would be disbanded. In this event, the funds available to the Council were to be used in a variety of charitable ways, none of which would benefit our families. For this reason, it is necessary that the status quo be maintained."
Spencer paused, taking in the nodding heads around the table. Those already familiar with the history of the Council were only too aware of their vulnerability should the Council be disbanded. The most likely result would be bankruptcy.
"Now, to the prophecy. It is an ancient prophecy, but one we have kept secret for a very long time. In simple terms, it states that there will come one which it calls the New. This creature is a demon, but a very different type of demon. It states that the creature will have been a Slayer. It states that she will be turned into a vampire. It states that, when this happens, she will be an innocent - a virgin. There are other conditions, and they seem extremely complex. I won't go into those at present."
He paused again, taking another drink. "This vampire would be no normal vampire. She would be immune to holy objects. Holy water, and the Holy Cross will do her no harm. Wooden stakes, thrust into her heart will be similarly ineffective. At the height of her power, she will have speed and strength inestimably beyond that of a Slayer. Her healing ability will likewise outstrip the Slayer. She will have a soul - something we have heard theorised before to be common to all Slayers who are turned. She will have no blood lust. She will need blood to grow strong, but she will not wish to kill to obtain blood. There are hints that her life will be protected in other ways, but these references are less clear, and not currently important."
"The prophecy states that she will be the first in a new line of Slayers. Slayers who do not need the Council. Slayers who will be incorruptible. The strength of the new demon is supposedly tied to her purity of heart. The line will flow from the New - each time she makes a new vampire, he or she will be as she is."
Spencer paused again, this time looking around the table, catching every eye on the way around.
"Last night, I read a report, and if the data contained within it are true, the New has arisen."
This statement was met with a stunned silence. "The Council is therefore at risk of disbandment."
Michael Borkett had been bristling since Spencer's comment about his genealogy. He interrupted with, "But who could disband the Council of Watchers? Even if we no longer have control over the Slayers, we can still exist as a research facility - we can still have a role."
Spencer regarded the younger man as if he were extremely naïve.
"The fact is, that the Council has long had links with the British Government. For the most part, the Government has been a benign influence, giving us access to security forces when required, and keeping us safe from interference from others. However, it would be fair to say that those in power at present are jealous of the power we have. They have ignored that jealousy as long as we fulfil our purpose - keeping the earth safe from demons, and, more importantly, finding and guiding the Slayer. The Prime Minister himself is informed of each new Slayer as she is called, and, this particular man is in regular contact with me to enquire as to her progress. I also believe that, with the agreement of the US Government, the Slayer is watched by British security operatives. They would know if anything happened to her, or if her status changed."
"If what has been prophesied comes to pass, no more human Slayers will be called. It may even be, that the current Slayer will lose her exceptional abilities when the New reaches her full strength. The Government is well aware of the legalities involved in our constitution. They would not hesitate to bring down the full weight of the law upon us if they considered it necessary."
Borkett was not to be so easily put off. "What proof do you have that this 'New' has indeed arisen. You say you have data, but is it reliable."
Spencer took a deep breath. This young man was becoming extremely irritating. "For that, I will ask corroboration from your cousin, Jeanette."
Jeanette Borkett reddened slightly at being noticed in this way, but quickly pulled about herself her most professional manner.
"The initial tests, were in fact, done by me. The vampire we have in captivity is immune to both holy water and the Holy Cross. The tests have continued, and have confirmed these initial results. In addition, her rate of healing is significantly better than any other vampire ever tested. In addition to this, she fulfils every requirement of the prophecy that I have studied. I am in the process of re-analysing the prophecy, but I, am already convinced."
Spencer nodded in satisfaction at her words before continuing. "In accordance with the constitution of the Council of Watchers, I seek guidance on what to do. We have the creature in captivity at present. We do not believe she has yet attained her full potential, but we suspect it will not be long before any mundane attempt to destroy her will fail."
Spencer waved to his secretary who had been sitting at his side, taking notes of what was said. At his gesture, she stood up and started to hand around copies of Michael Barrat's report.
"I suggest that you look at the report which first brought this matter to my attention. We will adjourn the meeting for one hour, to give you time to consider our options. Drinks will be served, if you would be so kind as to take a comfortable seat while you read."
With that, Spencer got up and left the office. He already knew what had to be done, but, given that Jeanette Borkett had been aware of the test results, he had no option other than to put the matter to the whole committee. Failure to do that would have ensured his own dismissal from the position of Master.
Once in his private lift, Spencer used his remote to instruct the lift to go to a floor which did not appear on any map of the building. There was no indication on the lift's own keypad that there was a sub basement. It was, in fact, a long way below the rest of the building. Knowledge of this level was unique to Masters. The details were kept in a safe operated by the remote in his pocket along with a combination, accessible only by the current master, and kept secure by an ancient magic. For this reason, Masters relieved of office rarely lived long. Only by choosing his own successor could a Master hope to live beyond his retirement.
When the door opened, Spencer exited to a small room. The creature who inhabited the room was not human. It was small, perhaps four feet tall, with blue skin. Its eyes were red, and its face approximately human in shape. Spencer did not know how old the creature was. As far as he could tell, it had lived in this room since the building was erected.
"Good afternoon, Master," the creature greeted him.
"Good afternoon, Phoenix." The Master's greeting was cordial. The power of the creature before him wasn't overt, but he felt it nonetheless. Phoenix was tied to the Council in ways Spencer could not fathom, but he knew that, if he felt it necessary, Phoenix could destroy him. The records of deeds achieved by the strange creature for the benefit of the Council were kept in the Master's private safe. The details were impressive.
"The shipment I alerted you of, is everything in order?"
"It is, Master. Do you wish to see?"
"Yes, I rather think I would."
With a nod, Phoenix jumped up and led the Master to the door. He walked along a short corridor, past a cell which held a huge, and extremely aggressive vampire. As he passed, the vampire became silent, the power of Phoenix somehow achieving the impossible. Past the cell, Phoenix opened a door. The room was small. Its floor and walls were tiled. There was no furniture. The only things which broke the starkness of the white surfaces was the blood which spattered the walls and pooled on the floor, and the body which lay at an extremely unnatural angle in the centre of the room.
The body was face down, and Spencer approached, trying to ascertain the identity. "Would you mind?" he asked Phoenix.
Obligingly, Phoenix used a foot to turn the body over. Spencer felt bile rise in his throat at the sight. It was Michael Barrat, as he expected it to be, but the identification was by no means obvious. The limbs had obviously been broken several times, and the body was covered with deep gashes and contusions. The damage seemed to be thorough but random, with the exception of the ragged rip to the throat.
"Was it the creature we passed?" Spencer asked.
"Yes, he's mad, of course. He drinks, but he also wastes a great deal. Still, it's effective. I'll get the body out of here after dark. I'll leave it where it can be found, and the Council of Watchers will have another martyr to the cause."
Spencer nodded. "Thank you, Phoenix. As always, you are efficient. Your efforts on our behalf are appreciated."
"As always, Master, it is a pleasure to serve."
The meeting restarted exactly an hour after it was adjourned.
"Are there any further questions?" the Master asked.
One man spoke, and Spencer recognised Julian Travers. He was a cousin of the late Quentin Travers, and well respected by all present.
"I would like clarification, please, on the extent of the knowledge in this report?" As he spoke, he gesticulated towards the paper in front of him.
Spencer cleared his throat. He had hoped not to have to answer this question, but had fully expected that he would be given no choice.
"Well, apart from those of us present here, three others were present at the original tests. One was our Head of Research, Michael Barrat, and two others, orderlies in the Research department."
"And, what is their status?"
"As to Michael Barrat, I'm afraid I have to inform you of some grave news. It was reported to me, during the adjournment of our meeting, that Mr. Barrat was attacked, most probably by a vampire, and killed. It happened earlier today. It would appear that our esteemed head of Research was doing some investigation in an underground passageway, and met his end. He will, of course, be missed."
Travers gave a satisfied grunt at this news. "And the others?"
Jeanette Borkett answered this. "They work for me. They have worked for my family for generations, and I vouch for their loyalty. In addition, they have been told that the effect they saw, the immunity to holy objects, was the result of a spell, and was temporary. Despite this, both know better than to talk of such things outside."
Travers gave Spencer a look which said plainly that he was not satisfied. The look Spencer returned stated clearly that this loose end would be sorted out.
The other questions were on minor points, and the Master brushed them aside quickly.
"May I remind you that time is of the essence in this matter. I propose that we destroy this demon. The destruction of demons is the basis for the existence of the Council, and I for one have no compunction in making this proposal. Do I have a second?"
Travers grunted in the affirmative.
"In that case, may I ask those of you in favour to raise your hands?"
Spencer looked around the table and noted in satisfaction that every hand was raised.
"Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. I declare that the motion was carried. I will arrange for the task to be carried out immediately."
With that, the meeting broke up, and the participants left in twos and threes by means of the lift. When he was at last alone with Jeanette Borkett, he spoke again.
"You heard the decision. I hereby appoint you our new head of Research. Your first task is the destruction of Emily Stevenson, which I will witness. I just hope we are not too late."