It was a few nights later and William was sitting at his desk reading a report when Alex put her head around the door looking a little worried.
"Bill!" she hissed. "What's going on?"
He turned and held out his hands to her. "Alex? Oh yes...I forgot to mention it to you."
I listened as he explained that he had received a message from Ulrich who told him that information had got out about a nest of vampires which the Authority discovered a few weeks ago. Sanguinistas, who had a set-up very similar to that at Darius's house, holding humans as prisoners for food. He was clearly annoyed about this although whether it was the actual organisation which upset him or the fact that it had been discovered by mortals, I wasn't quite sure. Apparently the media wanted to do an interview with William and Ulrich and he thought that Alex should join them.
By this time she was sitting in his lap and I felt her shiver in his arms. He reached up and brushed back her hair, trying to explain that some vampires still liked to live that way despite the Authority's best efforts and the threat of the true death for any who were caught. She clearly wasn't too happy about the interview but was willing to help him, although he told her he had asked Gerry to try and arrange for another girl to join them. He clearly thought that someone who was not associated with him would have a greater impact.
She smiled and leaned forward, slipping her arms around his neck and kissing him hungrily. Pushing her fingers up through his hair, she examined his face carefully. "You look better" she said. "Not so pale and hungry."
He smiled. "I feel much better thank you. You were right, I needed to feed, I was just afraid..."
"Shh...I know, I understand.
At this point Gerry arrived and we headed into the kitchen where his human girlfriend Susie was talking to another girl who I recognised with some surprise as the red-haired girl who had been dragged into the hallway and threatened by Darius. The girl William had fed on, and then later asked for her forgiveness. He and Gerry had just convinced her to join them when Ulrich arrived and the technicians finished setting up.
I found the interview itself to be fascinating, if only because it afforded me an opportunity to observe Ulrich's reactions and compare him to William. I understood that everything we said was to be recorded but that it was not to be released until Ulrich had approved it. I must admit I thought this a very sensible precaution!
He seemed unusually nervous and I soon realised that this was probably due to the interviewer who, beneath his friendly exterior proved to be almost as obnoxious as the army Colonel we had dealt with in my first meeting with the Authority. He would smile and ask innocuous questions until he thought that you had relaxed and then ask the one he really wanted the answer to, the answer he knew you didn't want to give him. William and Ulrich were remarkably open and honest with him and he ban to get a little frustrated towards the end when he realised that he wasn't getting the reaction he wanted. At this point he began to get personal. I had promised William that I would allow him to handle the interview without trying to interfere but when he began to throw doubt on my presence I started to become angry.
He was talking about the colour of William's skin and asked jokingly if it was a dye when Ulrich snapped and went for him, fangs out. William moved so fast I was actually unaware that he had drawn power from me until he took Ulrich by the arm and pulled him back.
"Show him William!" I demanded. "You know how to do this, give this unbeliever a demonstration!"
William placed his hands on the table in front of him. "Well done!" he murmured
"What? Why?"
"You didn't suggest that I kill him! You're starting to get the hang of diplomacy after all!"
"Well...I did think of it, but I didn't think you'd approve..."
"You were quite right!"
By this time William's skin was streaked with a blood red colour which swirled across his flesh in discrete marks. He had made a slight change to the technique I had used and I was impressed by it. The contrast between his pale skin and the deep red stripes was shocking and completely inexplicable. The startled interviewer pulled himself together and blustered a little but as William and Ulrich remained calm and polite it was clear that the interview was effectively over.
William insisted on seeing the interviewer out, to his obvious discomfort and when we returned to the kitchen the others were sitting around the table looking relieved.
Alex, however, seemed slightly annoyed by William's demonstration.
"The last time you did that we were inundated with vampires wanting to see you!" she complained. "I could hardly get out of the house after dark for weeks!"
Ulrich smiled. "Well perhaps now would be a good time to flee the country then" he suggested.
Everyone stared at him showing various degrees of surprise. "What? Why would I flee the country?" asked William.
"Well, we've received an invitation from our Authority Chancellors in the US" explained Ulrich. "Naturally, they want to meet you, talk to you, talk to Lilith in fact."
William looked horrified. "You want me to go on tour!"
"What does this mean?"
"Later!"
There was quite a bit of sniggering at this but Ulrich somehow managed to keep a straight face. "They have invited you to visit New York and Chicago" he said. "Obviously they expect you to bring your entourage with you…." He swept his hand around to encompass the rest of us.
"My what?" he asked.
Ulrich gave in and laughed. "Well all right, whatever you want to call them, your staff, family…where is Azaria by the way?" he asked looking around as if he expected her to be hiding somewhere.
"Oh she's off somewhere with Dan I expect" said William. "So she's invited as well? is there any limit to this "entourage"? and who's paying for this anyway?"
"The Authority will pick up any expenses" said Ulrich. "We have several private jets available, one of them will be placed at your disposal. You may take whoever you wish to accompany you, Bill…you're a God, remember? Or at least, the host of one."
"Right!" he gave a little laugh. "Like I could let that slip my mind occasionally!"
"What is this about!" I demanded insistently.
"We have been invited to visit the New World."
"How would we get there?"
"We would fly" he said quietly. Gerry opened his mouth to speak but Alex stopped him.
"Is that safe?"
William smiled to himself, "yes it's perfectly safe, nothing will happen to me, don't worry!"
He blinked and looked up. "Well, it appears that Lilith approves. Provided there's no risk of me getting hurt of course. She couldn't permit her host to be damaged in any way!" He turned to Alex with a smile. "It looks like we're going on holiday!"