𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐦

Act V, Scene II

"Men's evil manners live in brass; their virtues we write in water."
~ William Shakespeare, Henry VIII

__________

Egypt.

A time before time.

Lucy could not orient herself on the year, or even the century.

She stood beside the Nosferatu as he sat upon his throne, high on the wide ledge of a pyramid. Slightly less bat-like in appearance than Lucy knew him to be in the present, he wore the silken shendyt skirt and golden headdress of Egyptian royalty. He surveyed the countless worshippers far below him with dissatisfied scrutiny as they bowed and chanted.

Groveling, the multitudes knelt on the sand beneath the night sky, their noses nearly touching the ground in their effort to demonstrate devotion.

The smoke in the corners of her vision thickened and swirled, then Lucy found herself perched on the arm of an elaborately ornamented sedan chair, the Nosferatu seated beside her. Despite the absence of the sun, fan-bearers dripped with sweat as they attempted to keep him cool in the oppressive desert heat. His servants carried him through the streets of the capital toward the temple.

A man appeared next to them, walking beside the sedan with multiple scrolls in his arms. Lucy sensed that this man was a vampire, though considerably less powerful than the Nosferatu.

"My lord," the vampire with the scrolls said, "twenty more young women have arrived from across the Dead Sea. They await you in the palace upon your return."

"I will return presently, Cepos," the Nosferatu growled. "Have them ready for inspection."

Though the pair spoke to each other in Arabic, Lucy could understand every word.

"Of course, my lord," the servant Cepos said. Lucy could feel his fear and reverence. "I will see it done."

The smoke thickened and swirled, then dissipated.

Lucy watched as the Nosferatu chose ten women from his harem of hundreds. All were mortal. The chosen approached him with their heads lowered and their hands shaking, so frightened were they of disappointing him.

Disappointing him how?

Lucy looked around, confused. He was a monster, no question, and any fear was justified. But this fear felt...off. Bizarre. Profane. What was happening here?

To one side of the huge, high-ceilinged room stood sixteen more women. His wives. These were vampires. They, too, shook with fright as he passed, but did not fear his disappointment the way in which the mortal concubines did.

As the Nosferatu led the chosen mortal women down the polished corridor to his private chambers, Lucy felt a ripple of unease pass through her.

The smoke swirled.

Time had passed. Lucy didn't know how much.

Two dozen mortal women stood in a line, all scared and most sobbing, while palace guards poised with threatening spears surrounded them. The Nosferatu stood several paces away next to another vampire Lucy somehow knew to be a doctor.

"None of them?" the Nosferatu demanded, his voice a dangerous rumble. "Not one?"

"I am sorry, my lord," the doctor said, his expression one of remorse. "None of these women are with child."

The Nosferatu howled in anger. "Execute them!" he screamed at his guards. "All of them!"

The sobbing women broke into hysterics, and were ushered away en masse toward the execution grounds by the armed guards. The Nosferatu stalked away without a backwards glance.