The afternoon sun was high in the sky when Victor returned to the Cairo Museum, Konrad and Adam following behind him. Contrary to Victor's usual cold calm, Konrad was as nervous as ever, paranoid eyes constantly glancing at the monster. For his part, Adam seemed to be annoyed, but little else escaped his scarred mask of a face. Victor lead his group through the corridors of the museum, paying no heed to either his assistant's fear or his creation's irritation as he approached the office marked fifteen.
"Victor, do perchance remember that on the eve of Adam's creation that I expressed an intuitive misgiving about the entire project?" Konrad asked.
"Yes. Maybe I should have listened to you, but it's too late to alter the course of those events now. Why do you bring this up now?" Victor asked.
"I'm having those same misgivings about the professor Mrad. Can't we just return to Germany, before we end up with another problem on our hands?"
"Really, Konrad," Victor said mockingly, "I had figured you were above such absurd notions. I see I was wrong."
"You've been wrong about a lot lately, Victor," Konrad replied, showing some uncharacteristic spine, "First you were wrong about creating that... thing, then you were wrong about Dracula being here, and now you're wrong about this Professor Mrad who scares the hell out of me! We can't go on like this Victor!"
"Tell me Konrad," Victor said, narrowing his eyes as he stopped and turned towards Doctor Dippel, "Would you really wish to continue with your little diatribe, or would you rather the university find out precisely what you really requisitioned those cadavers for? The choice is all your Konrad. That thing is as much yours as mine, remember that!"
Konrad stammered a bit as his eyes widened with fear at Victor's cold outburst. Doctor Frankenstein simply grinned like a shark as the sudden pliability of his companion. Adam just sneered.
"Really now," he said in his embittered, rumbling voice, "are you two so called men of science done with your urination contest? I tire of the both of your voices."
"Tell me Adam, what do you plan to do about it? Scowl, grumble, or perhaps even the dreaded growl," Victor replied, his cold tone laced with sarcasm. Adam fumed, but was impotent against his creator and now master. Victor shot his monster a harsh glance, before opening the Professor Mrad's door, motioning for Konrad and Adam to remain outside; Konrad because his constant whimpering would distract Victor, and Adam because the artificial construct would distract Professor Mrad. Victor needed neither.
Rafik Mrad, once known as Jarha the Mad in an age long past, looked up from his paperwork as Victor Frankenstein entered his office. He nodded politely to the German doctor, and motioned for him to sit. Victor sat down and leaned back, his gaze not warming up a bit. Rafik set his papers aside to face his guest.
"Ah, Doctor Frankenstein, good of you to return."
"It's likewise good to see you Professor Mrad, but I suppose we should get down to business immediately. Last night, we agreed to an partnership to search for the ruins you spoke of, and equal use of any and all discoveries made within. You also mentioned that in opening these ruins, my creation might play a role. I paid this visit so that you might elaborate on your plans."
"Yes, I suppose time is of the essence at this point. Simply put, the ruins were locked away by the cult of Anubis, the opener of the ways. Given their patron's dominion, it was only natural that they be the ones to lock the ways to the ruins for all time. Only one touched by Anubis may enter."
"And you have found a way around this obstacle, I presume? Otherwise you would not have claimed that my creation could aid you."
"Quite so. I've found a man, a vagrant, who's line has been touched by Anubis. Your masterpiece," Rafik said with a twisted sort of awe, "is perhaps the only way that we'll be able to use this vagrant to open the ruins."
"Please, explain further how my daemon will be needed to capture a simple vagrant? If anything, one of your abilities should find it easy to abduct a beggar in such a populous city."
"Ah, but this vagrant, our key to the ruins, he bears a cursed mark of Anubis. On the nights when even a sliver of the moon is visible, he ceases to be man. He becomes an incarnation of Anubis himself, as I'm aware you saw before we had our misunderstanding."
"You don't mean that we'll need to capture a... oh I hate using this term, do you really mean that we'll have to capture a werewolf to access these ruins," Victor said, his voice filled with as much worry as disdain.
"Werewolf, yes, that's what I believe our vagrant is called Europe. I believe that a creature such as your's will stand a chance of taking the key," Rafik said, his tone almost eager in a way.
"The beast has survived the Artic Circle, so I suppose you might be right. How are you planning to restrain this vagrant after we've taken him?" Victor asked skeptically.
"A short while ago I commissioned for a set of silver shackles to be forged for this situation specifically. I've been watching this vagrant for a while now," Rafik said with a smug expression.
"Restraints that subdue the wearer, quite clever of you, Professor Mrad. All right, I'll invest my time and creations into this effort of yours. When shall we take the vagrant werewolf?"
"Tomorrow morning, when the creature is forced to remain human and won't be more than a vagrant as long as the sun's in the sky. Is this agreeable, doctor?"
"Indeed it is, professor," Victor replied, his tone as cold as ever. And inside, down the depths of Jarha the Mad's tainted soul, a long dead monster smiled darkly. Soon enough, he would return to the ruins. The European, he had made a monster, the very existence of which spit in the face of the gods, but even that could not prepare him. The monster, even such a hollow creature was not ready. But Jarha, Jarha had been preparing for over two thousand years. And he was through waiting.
"Victor, do perchance remember that on the eve of Adam's creation that I expressed an intuitive misgiving about the entire project?" Konrad asked.
"Yes. Maybe I should have listened to you, but it's too late to alter the course of those events now. Why do you bring this up now?" Victor asked.
"I'm having those same misgivings about the professor Mrad. Can't we just return to Germany, before we end up with another problem on our hands?"
"Really, Konrad," Victor said mockingly, "I had figured you were above such absurd notions. I see I was wrong."
"You've been wrong about a lot lately, Victor," Konrad replied, showing some uncharacteristic spine, "First you were wrong about creating that... thing, then you were wrong about Dracula being here, and now you're wrong about this Professor Mrad who scares the hell out of me! We can't go on like this Victor!"
"Tell me Konrad," Victor said, narrowing his eyes as he stopped and turned towards Doctor Dippel, "Would you really wish to continue with your little diatribe, or would you rather the university find out precisely what you really requisitioned those cadavers for? The choice is all your Konrad. That thing is as much yours as mine, remember that!"
Konrad stammered a bit as his eyes widened with fear at Victor's cold outburst. Doctor Frankenstein simply grinned like a shark as the sudden pliability of his companion. Adam just sneered.
"Really now," he said in his embittered, rumbling voice, "are you two so called men of science done with your urination contest? I tire of the both of your voices."
"Tell me Adam, what do you plan to do about it? Scowl, grumble, or perhaps even the dreaded growl," Victor replied, his cold tone laced with sarcasm. Adam fumed, but was impotent against his creator and now master. Victor shot his monster a harsh glance, before opening the Professor Mrad's door, motioning for Konrad and Adam to remain outside; Konrad because his constant whimpering would distract Victor, and Adam because the artificial construct would distract Professor Mrad. Victor needed neither.
Rafik Mrad, once known as Jarha the Mad in an age long past, looked up from his paperwork as Victor Frankenstein entered his office. He nodded politely to the German doctor, and motioned for him to sit. Victor sat down and leaned back, his gaze not warming up a bit. Rafik set his papers aside to face his guest.
"Ah, Doctor Frankenstein, good of you to return."
"It's likewise good to see you Professor Mrad, but I suppose we should get down to business immediately. Last night, we agreed to an partnership to search for the ruins you spoke of, and equal use of any and all discoveries made within. You also mentioned that in opening these ruins, my creation might play a role. I paid this visit so that you might elaborate on your plans."
"Yes, I suppose time is of the essence at this point. Simply put, the ruins were locked away by the cult of Anubis, the opener of the ways. Given their patron's dominion, it was only natural that they be the ones to lock the ways to the ruins for all time. Only one touched by Anubis may enter."
"And you have found a way around this obstacle, I presume? Otherwise you would not have claimed that my creation could aid you."
"Quite so. I've found a man, a vagrant, who's line has been touched by Anubis. Your masterpiece," Rafik said with a twisted sort of awe, "is perhaps the only way that we'll be able to use this vagrant to open the ruins."
"Please, explain further how my daemon will be needed to capture a simple vagrant? If anything, one of your abilities should find it easy to abduct a beggar in such a populous city."
"Ah, but this vagrant, our key to the ruins, he bears a cursed mark of Anubis. On the nights when even a sliver of the moon is visible, he ceases to be man. He becomes an incarnation of Anubis himself, as I'm aware you saw before we had our misunderstanding."
"You don't mean that we'll need to capture a... oh I hate using this term, do you really mean that we'll have to capture a werewolf to access these ruins," Victor said, his voice filled with as much worry as disdain.
"Werewolf, yes, that's what I believe our vagrant is called Europe. I believe that a creature such as your's will stand a chance of taking the key," Rafik said, his tone almost eager in a way.
"The beast has survived the Artic Circle, so I suppose you might be right. How are you planning to restrain this vagrant after we've taken him?" Victor asked skeptically.
"A short while ago I commissioned for a set of silver shackles to be forged for this situation specifically. I've been watching this vagrant for a while now," Rafik said with a smug expression.
"Restraints that subdue the wearer, quite clever of you, Professor Mrad. All right, I'll invest my time and creations into this effort of yours. When shall we take the vagrant werewolf?"
"Tomorrow morning, when the creature is forced to remain human and won't be more than a vagrant as long as the sun's in the sky. Is this agreeable, doctor?"
"Indeed it is, professor," Victor replied, his tone as cold as ever. And inside, down the depths of Jarha the Mad's tainted soul, a long dead monster smiled darkly. Soon enough, he would return to the ruins. The European, he had made a monster, the very existence of which spit in the face of the gods, but even that could not prepare him. The monster, even such a hollow creature was not ready. But Jarha, Jarha had been preparing for over two thousand years. And he was through waiting.