The Private Diary of Elizabeth Quatermain, vol. II: The Egypt Chronicle

by Lady Norbert

6 October 1899

I am lying in my cot, and have been told not to get up until Henry allows me. I really am not certain what happened last night. Everything seemed to go very quickly. It took us a long time to convince Dr. Carter to come back to our boat -- too long, in fact, for the sun began to set.

All of a sudden, or so it struck me, we turned around and there was someone else in the room. A young Egyptian woman stood in the doorway, staring at us. She was dressed in fine linen garments, though these had a frayed appearance; they must have been old. Her hair was thick and black, her skin deeply tanned, and she was altogether lovely. She could have been the daughter of a pharaoh, to judge by her regal bearing.

Then she snarled, and we realized that this was, in fact, the vampire. Dr. Carter cried out the word "Kiya" at the sight of her, and I am assuming that it is her name. Her eyes began to shine blood-red, and she hissed as she sprang into the air.

Mina met her halfway across the room. I must say that there was something strangely beautiful about watching the two battling for supremacy, or at least there was until they starting to actually harm one another. Mina's was the first hit; she threw Kiya into a wall, and Kiya bounced back and raked her nails across Mina's face. Of course, these scratches healed at once.

I must have been somewhat dazed as everything was going on, for I only recall bits and pieces of the action. Henry took his formula, and at once Edward began to emerge; I think the two sides of the man are in complete agreement about one thing, which is that no one can even attempt to harm their precious Mina and get away with it. Dr. Carter looked wild and frantic. Nemo had his sword drawn, probably to remove Kiya's head as soon as possible. I heard him telling Tom to take me back to the boat.

This seemed to attract Kiya's attention, for she turned and stared at the corner of the room where we stood. She sniffed, and I dimly recollected what Mina said about the smell of innocent blood. Then she smiled, a harsh smile that I think I will forever remember very clearly. She sprang forward, launching herself at Tom. who fell backward.

He landed near me, with her body on top of his, pinning him to the floor. She said something in a language that, to my ears, made absolutely no sense; an old Egyptian dialect, I presume. Dr. Carter heard her, though, and seemed to understand, for he called out to her in a most frantic voice. "No, Kiya! Not him! I am here!"

She took no notice of his cries, but instead caressed Tom's face tenderly with one hand while pulling open his shirt collar with the other. As she bent her head to his exposed throat, Edward raised one mighty arm and knocked her sideways; she turned over in midair and landed neatly on all fours, like a cat. She hissed at Edward, then turned to look at me. After that...I don't know what happened after that. Perhaps I fainted again, though it did not seem to me that it was very hot.

later

Things are worse than I could have imagined. I have been having a long conversation with Tom, who has been filling some of the gaps in my memory.

After Kiya attacked him, and Edward threw her aside, she sprang at me. It was like when the crocodile lunged; a solid, invisible barrier prevented her from actually reaching her target. It was not until Tom told me this that I remembered not seeing Skinner in the room when Kiya showed up; he must have shed his traces of visibility at the first sight of her. She screamed in great frustration, her sharp fangs glittering in the candlelight, and then sank her teeth into what she could not see. Later, Henry would discover she had bitten Skinner in the chest. He bellowed in pain, and Edward managed to pull her off of him. According to Tom, I was screaming, and blacked out. He had followed Nemo's orders then, and brought me back to the boat, so he didn't know any more.

I made him take me to see Skinner. They've put his cream on most of his body, what isn't concealed by a blanket at any rate, and he does not look well. He has bandages not only on his chest, but also on his shoulder.

"Do I look pale?" he quipped.

I felt tears spring into my eyes. "Does it hurt very much?" I whispered.

"Let's put it this way," he said. "I'd rather have another go-round with that croc."

I covered my face with my hands and shook my head. I heard Tom asking Skinner how badly Kiya had "gotten him," and Skinner made a kind of funny noise.

"It's not good," he said. He lowered his voice, probably hoping I wouldn't hear, but I did. "After you brought Bess out here, Nemo tried to cut her head off. Carter jumped him from behind, dragged him backward, and she took the opportunity to get at me again. Henry says I've lost a fair bit of blood. Hyde knocked Carter out, and Mina tried to get that stake into her heart, but she got away." He twitched strangely.

"I could understand her," he said hoarsely. "I don't know what language she's speaking, but I understood her anyway. She got me, Tom, but she wants you. She doesn't even want Carter anymore -- just you. That's what she was saying when she jumped on you, that she wants you instead of him."

"W-Why?" Tom looked thunderstruck.

"Dunno, lad. All she says is that you're hers. Guess she was going to make Carter into a vampire to keep her company, but now she's planning on doing it to you. Let's face it, you are prettier." Skinner smirked.

The sun sets in two hours. Tom has gone to confer with the other League members about their plans. I am not included in this meeting, and quite frankly, I think that may be for the best.

later still

The League, apart from Skinner, has left the boat for the West Bank. I am to stay here with him. I believe they intend to return to Dr. Carter's house, to see if she will come back there, but I do not know for certain.

I feel just awful about what has happened to Skinner. That's twice since we arrived in Egypt that he protected me from imminent death, almost at the cost of his own life. Were I inclined to joke about things, as he does, I would scold him for his hovering; but laughing in the face of such misfortune has never been my way. Indeed, before I met this peculiar man, I never knew anyone who was like that.

He sleeps, for the moment. Dr. Carter is on the other boat, guarded by several of Nemo's best men; with any luck, he sleeps as well. I pray that the dawn brings an end to all this madness.

7 October 1899

It seems as though our situation grows worse with every passing day. Kiya did not return to Dr. Carter's rest house last night, but instead made her way here to the boat. She does not seem to have made a further attempt on Dr. Carter, and for that much alone may we be thankful. Skinner, however, is another matter, as we all found out today.

I fell asleep a little while after writing that last diary entry. Skinner was still asleep when I dozed off, and all seemed well. Indeed, when I first became aware of what was going on, I thought I was merely dreaming.

There was a fine shimmering mist, like low-hanging clouds, spreading over the floor. My eyes were opened but a crack. Then I blinked, or some such, and the mist coalesced into the form of Kiya herself. I could not tell whether Skinner was awake, but I think he must have been, for his face was turned in her direction. His expression was frozen, as though in shock or terror.

She spoke to him frequently, and in that strange Egyptian tongue I could not interpret. But Skinner was able to understand the words, and when he later imparted the tale to our friends, he translated.

"Keep still your tongue," she said, "or I shall suffer you to witness the death of what you hold most dear. I could crush the spark of life with a touch of my hand! Yet for the moment, I will spare that life in exchange for more of your own."

Skinner did not resist her as she bent her head to his throat; he said that he could not. Something in her strange power prevented it. She drank what she would of him, then said, "All you who would keep me from that which is mine will perish. Tell the others. I will have the one for whom I have waited these centuries. If you continue to defy me, your lives are forfeit, starting with this one." She pointed at me, then vanished.

Mina groaned as Skinner finished relating the tale. "Too familiar for my comfort," she muttered. "I have been where you are, Skinner. Dracula forced my cooperation by threatening my beloved Jonathan. Had you said but one word to protest, I don't doubt Kiya would have carried out her threat."

Tom was very pale. "So if she doesn't get me, she's going to kill all of you?" He started to pace.

"That's about the size of it," said Skinner. He sounded drained, exhausted. "Bess first, and the others in turn, I suppose until you're the only one left, Tom." He gave a weary chuckle. "Doesn't make sense, though. She's already started on me, why wouldn't she finish me first?"

"She'll force you to watch." Mina's voice was hollow. "Like she would have forced you to watch if you'd resisted her last night. You'll have to watch her kill Elizabeth, and perhaps Nemo or Henry too, before she kills you as well." She was shaking, which surprised me; I have never known Mina to demonstrate fear so visibly. Henry went and placed a warm hand on her shoulder, and she clung to him gratefully.

I thought about what Skinner told us Kiya had said to him. "Keep still your tongue, or I shall suffer you to witness the death of what you hold most dear." How can she know what, or who, that is? I wondered. I decided that, just as he understands her mind at least well enough to be able to comprehend her unfamiliar language, she must be able to see into his mind too. I decided against asking him about it, however; he has been through enough lately without my badgering him with questions to which I probably have no right to know the answer.

Or...to which I may already know the answer.