Chapter 4: Rebecca

The whole day long Darren did get to see all sorts of strange people and things in the Cirque, so that the Trailer full of costumes where a girl named Rebecca worked, appeared like a oasis of peace to him. He began to feel pretty comfortable in the company of the only normal girl around.
Rebecca had brought him clothes, because Darren only had the black suit in which he had been buried in his own grave.
Darren was glad to be able to put on something else.
The black suit made him shiver.
It was still full of earth, for the vampire had insisted that he digs his own grave.
Darren was looking at his reflection in a mirror - Rebecca had given him a red leather jacket that he liked very much - when suddenly the door opened and Mr Crepsleys student entered the trailer.
She quickly closed the door behind her and blinked for a moment, as if her eyes hurt from the sunlight outside and she now was glad to be in the twilight of the trailer.
She wore the red cloak of the vampire under the arm, the one Mr. Crepsley had worn last night, and turned nervously to Rebecca: "Rebecca, you gotta help me ..." She stopped when she saw Darren.
For a moment there was silence, because Darren did not know how to adress her.
Gillian looked exhausted and confused.
She decided to ignore Darren, because her concern was more important than him, and gave Rebecca the mantle: "Look. I can`t get these stains out of it." Her voice had a hint of panic.
Rebecca stayed quiet. "Let me see, I can handle that."
She took the cloak and held the fabric under a lamp. "What is it? Blood?"
"I know how to get off blood," snorted Gillian disdainfully. "No, it is clay and earth. I tried to rub it out, but that has only made things worse." She ran a hand through her long hair nervously.
"I think I've got something." Rebecca gave the coat back and looked for a bottle in a crate.
Gillian watched her, then glanced out of the window. "It will be dark soon," she said to no one in particular, and began to step from one foot to another.
Her eyes met Darren.
She snorted at Darren: "What have you two done during the last three days? Digging in the earth?"
Darren grinned: "Exactly."
His answer seemed to make her angry. "If Rebecca is finished, you will bring the cloak over to Master Crepsleys tent. I`ll expect you there." Without another word Gillian rushed out.
Darren furrowed his brow angrily. He slipped off the box and walked over to Rebecca, who had diligently rubbed with a cloth over the fabric.
Darren watched her.
"It will go out, no problem." Rebecca looked up at him as if to reassure him.
Darren did not understand all the fuss. "It's just dirt, why making such a panic?"
Rebecca paused and looked a little worried in Darren's face. "She probably doesn`t want that Mr Crepsley is mad at her. Here."
She pressed the coat in his hand. "All gone."
"Thank you." Darren looked at the fabric. The coat was worn and old, and had more than one stains or little holes. Darren did not have the impression, that the vampire would get upset about such trifles.
"These Gillian. Who's that? " Darren had asked himself the whole time, what actually was was a "vampires student". The same way as he wondered what was a "vampires assistant". Only that he had not dared to ask anyone previously.
Rebecca hesitated. "She does not belong to the Cirque. She serves Mr. Crepsley. "
"Is she a vampire ...?" Darren had already noticed that most members of the Cirque seem to know about Mr Crepsley being a vampire.
Some were afraid of him.
"No, but she shall be one, he qualifies her."

Darren stared at her in surprise.
Larten Crepsley had exchanged blood with him, and he, Darren, was now a half vampire.
Gillian was certainly a halfvampire, too, because she could walk around during the daylight like him. Crepsley was qualifying her as a vampire?
What did that mean?
It looked like she served the vampire.
Does Darren now have to wash the underwear of the vampire in the coming weeks?
Darren stood up and took the mantle.
"I better go before my Lord and Master awakes." He grinned wryly.
Darren Shan left the trailer, and marched past the cage of the wolf-men to the direction of the vampires tent.