Christmas Consort

First Bite Consorting

"So Mr. Cayne, I take it you have never lived within a consortia. You're not from that young group in the west are you?" Silas answered his own question, "You're too old for that. Are you an Old World rover? Not many of those lived through the cleansing during the Dark Ages."

"He doesn't like questions, Silas," said Lara.

Cayne heard soft patting.

"It's not like he has to answer any of our questions, L. Two on one we couldn't begin to force the issue."

"You flatter me, Silas. I am not as old as you think." Cayne heard Kylie drink from her soup bowl.

Lara's voice took on an edge. "Can we consort now?"

"I am Old World. I was a roving enforcer, for a short time."

"Truly? Stupendous." Silas turned to Lara, "He did in the Old World what Ridley does in the new. Quite rare. Makes getting knocked about a singular experience, except I've been taken down by Ridley. Wouldn't have missed it."

Lara stepped over toward Kylie and said, "Can I get you something to drink? Or more soup?"

Silas said, "So sorry Kylie, this whole conversation is probably a bit foreign. Well, well. Consorting may be more beneficial for us in this case than for you, Cayne. Although--not to pry-- if your eye injury is more recent you may find improvement."

"I seriously doubt that. I consulted with Dr. Beckwith. I think he would have mentioned possible courses of treatments."

"Dr. Beckwith, you say? Yes. Yes. Although he is another one who's never lived in a consortia. Different circles you move in." Silas leaned in and lowered his voice. "They say he was turned by one of the Ancients." Then he spoke louder again, "Besides, all his patients are blind." Silas realized no one else was amused. "Sorry, bad joke that.

Cayne was having a hard time not liking Silas. True enough the Doc's patients couldn't see considering they were all in venom induced comas. The master here appeared very sincere and kinder by the minute. Hadn't Lara said he was kind, though?

"Lara would you get Kylie some juice while I give them the talk I gave you?"

"Yes sir. Right away," said Lara.

Kylie and Silas both gave Lara's back a frown which Cayne could not see.

"So. I'll back up a bit further for Kylie's benefit." He turned towards her. "The basic law of vampirism is Neither Make nor Take. We're not to make a human into a vampire without their say so and preferably with the permission of an elder. Not taking means we're not to take human blood except what they choose to give. The three primary consortias, the American, European and Asian, enforce the law within their territories and send teams to enforce further afield. There are the occasional roving enforcers like Jackson Ridley, and if I may say so Kylie?"

Cayne didn't hear Kylie's response but assumed she gave consent when Silas continued.

"The first vampire Kylie encountered was Jackson Ridley. So I can tell you with some authority that he does not always distinguish between murderers be they vampire or human."

Cayne made a mental note to ask Kylie where her encounter had been. Perhaps she could put him one step closer to his goal of finding the old enforcer.

"So, humans carry a death taint that passes on to vampires who take their blood. So that part of the law is self-preservation. Vampires who ingest too much death taint die before their time. Given blood is healthful, life giving and does not carry the taint. I myself am not terribly good at smelling the taint, but most enforcers are like bloodhounds when it comes to the taint."