The Vampire as Metaphor...from the (Semi) Complete Works of William Soames Walthrop...

PG 13

Summary: A lost work of one William Soames Walthrop (...aka Spike) as it was delivered at one of Cicely Addams' house parties, shortly before Will's demise. See the reference to it in "Drusilla"...

Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...

Contributions to the recovery of the lost works of England's third worst poet are always welcomed...

Part XX…

Campfire site on the eastern end of the Mojave Desert, Arizona Territory…

Night…A rather gorgeous starry night…

Nervous horses neighing in near distance…

"Look, Gregor…" Nast in nightcap and scarf, though in concession to the rigors of the desert travel, including the surprising cold of the said starry night, also in his waistcoat, shirt, and pants, seated by the large fire, pointed to the vivid sky. "A shooting star! Make a wish, dear boy! Quick!"

Gregor in his armor, sans helmet, starring, rather open-mouthed at the beauty above…

"Did you make a wish? Don't tell me what it was or it won't come true…" Nast beamed. "What a lovely night…Listen?" he put hand to ear to hear howls across the plain.

"The children of the Night…Yes. Well...We'd best build up the fire a bit, they sound hungry and not too particular about what they eat."

Gregor, hurrying to fetch wood from a large pile, moving the corpse of the man who'd fallen over it while trying to fight off the attack of a few hours ago.

Hmmn…Metal darts from firebox stung…Gregor frowned.

Still, live and let die…As Nast had noted, postbattle, the man and his colleagues had only been trying to defend themselves, even if they'd been decidedly unwelcoming to the two weary travelers whose wagon had entered their campsite just after twilight…

"Yes, a vast wilderness…But I see potential, Gregor…" Nast sipping delicately from a metal flask freshly filled from the said man and several colleagues. "Great roads, great cities will arise, as they did in the East. Herds of humans driven on those roads to market to feed our growing people populating those great cities…A chosen few humans of superior intellect and ability serving their demonic masters by day and maintaining healthy breeding stocks for our needs. A glorious new demonic world, Gregor…Do you see it?!" he spread arms wide.

Gregor offering dignified grunt of appreciation…

A groan to Nast's side…Near the fire a figure rising a bit slowly.

"Oh, Lloyd…I'd nearly forgotten about your dinner. Forgive me." Nast noted. Rising to fetch a stewpan of meat heated on part of the fire. "Gregor, get our friend some water from the horses."

The weary addressed man, a tall young black man in somewhat worn ranchhand attire, sitting up.

"Not too fast, my friend. You have a few broken ribs. Those men were brutal." Nast shook head as he brought the kettle over. "Ah, there's a plate."

Gregor bringing canteen from horse over to the man, offering it carefully.

"Thanks…"

"Here my friend, eat…I'm sure you're very hungry." Nast offered plate.

"Yeah…" Lloyd took the plate, looking round. "They're all dead?"

"Afraid so…Unfortunate, but they did attack us." Nast nodded. "Thank you again for trying to stop them. They weren't worthy to be your comrades."

"Hardly…" Lloyd sighed. "They were a bunch of cattle thieves and plain bandits. I never should have signed on with them, but...Needed the work and thought 'em honest enough at the start." He glanced round at the various unburied corpses, nine in all, though given three had been torn into pieces, it was difficult to assure an accurate count.

"No one made it but me?"

"Gregor is very thorough…" Nast shrugged. "But, as I said, they chose their fate. I might have spared most of them if they'd been considerate hosts."

"They didn't deserve this…Not all of them..." Lloyd sighed, eating a forkful.

"Perhaps not...But it could easily have been us, we were but two, after all. I hope it's good. Been a while since I've had a hand at cooking though you had made a good start… I just tried to spice the mix a bit."

"It's very good, thanks." The man set his plate.

"Kind of you to regret them. They having shown you so little consideration." Nast noted. Lloyd eyeing him…

"We'd followed your party before coming to you...Had to be sure you weren't more than ordinary humans. There are enemies who'd stop at nothing to halt my efforts." Nast shrugged. "Gregor noted how they were treating you...You do know your trail boss planned to rob you and that Mexican fellow of your promised wages? He was sure you could offer no resistance."

"Sounds about right..." Lloyd nodded. "But poor Jesus didn't deserve to go that way. He was a good egg."

"Regrettable but we all die...Even I did, long ago." Nast smiled. Lloyd eyeing him...Eating a bit more…

"So you're...The Devil? Or what?"

Nast smiling...

"Thank you, an honor...But no...Undead...Though rather something of a hybrid of human and demon. Gregor here however is a pure demonic vampire."

"'More things in Heaven and Earth...'" Lloyd quoted, sighing.

"Hamlet, yes...Quite so...I noted you had a copy of Shakespeare in your bag. Is that self-education, like Mr. Lincoln?" Nast asked, smiling pleasantly.

"I've had a little schooling back home...But mostly on my own. So...What about me?" the man eyed him.

"I owe you a debt. You tried to stop your comrades from assaulting us. That they had no idea whom they were dealing with doesn't make it any less an act of courage for which you suffered...Before they did." Nast noted. "Moreover, Gregor and I are quite satisfied with our feasting...So you have a choice. Spend the night in our company and leave, with my blessing after a night's rest. Take any of the horses you like and all the water and food you can carry, along with all the others' wages and a little something from your new friends...Gregor?"

Gregor offering a sachel…A bit of gold coins sparkling…

"About 1000 dollars in gold coin...Should make you a very rich man, far richer than you expected on leaving this job." Nast beamed.

"I won't get ten miles before someone finds this place and a posse comes looking for me..." Lloyd noted. "If they find me with money and gold...If I stop anywheres."

"You know the roads and trails and can surely take a different route than your party came...And it might take a while for anyone to happen upon this tragic scene. And time for them to ascertain you were the sole survivor. If you're cautious you'd have a fair chance to make it back to your family in...Illnois, by your letters? Yes...You're a survivor, Lloyd. I'm betting on you." Nast smiled. "Eh, Gregor? Wouldn't you agree our friend has a fair chance?"

Gregor considered, then nodded in affirmation...Reasonably fair…

"A game for you, eh?" Lloyd eyed him.

"Yes. But one I feel you could win. Unless, fearing what some here might do to you, you'd prefer my other option..." friendly smile. "Enter my service, as a human for now, soon to enjoy Eternal Life."

"I have a family, as you saw from my letters..."

"And they could be with you...Or, if you prefer the first option, by all means, try and rejoin them, with a tidy fortune to back you in life...I think you'll succeed. In any case, where there's life, eh?" Nast smiled. "Just let me know what you decide before we break camp as we must seek shelter before the dawn. A good night to you, my friend. Come, Gregor..." he rose, Gregor following with a polite nod to Lloyd.

"A fine brave fellow...I'd guess he'll chose to try to make it home human." Nast noted as he and Gregor walked back to their wagon. "Pity...I could use one like him in my service. I'd give him even odds...A black man out here alone is a very likely target even if he weren't seriously injured. But if he knows the trails well he might escape, eh?" he smiled at Gregor who pondered then gave expressive look.

"Yes, it would be exciting to watch the outcome...Lynch mob and gruesome death or a gallant race to freedom...But sadly we must press on, there should be some shelter up in those hills." he looked to the hills before them.

"What?" he turned back to Gregor's stare… "Yes, indeed...We ought to contact his family in a couple of months and see if we can learn the outcome. Send something to the widow if the ending was unfortunate and see if we can keep in touch with them. Humans like that will be just the sort to serve us in the New Era...As servants or feed." nod.

Well...He glanced about, moving to climb up into the wagon… "A truly gorgeous night...What beautiful country. We were right to travel like this, even if the rail line was too dangerous to keep to and unfinished transcontinentally in any case." Gregor following him up into the wagon.

...