Saints of Evil | Trepidation Trilogy | The Empty World Sequence

BOOK ONE - One

THIRTEEN YEARS LATER

He was waiting anxiously for Aje to return with the jeep, the jeep that would have David and Claudia in it, and most importantly, their son. The ranch was quiet, as if it all were waiting for the boy. They were removed from everything, but the passing herds of animals.  No one would ask about Thierry's work this way, because they couldn't know of it. And the animals could not ask, might not even realize that he stole members of their herds, or prides, or flocks.  They were the innocent ones.  And so were the creatures upstairs.

     Thierry liked the privacy, he enjoyed immensely that The Union's government paid for his research work.  Their grant paid for the expensive machines and the estate itself. Even the servants, few as they were, who did not know what Thierry did when in the lab.  In fact even his experiments did not know.  The beautiful children that lived in his house, in their rooms upstairs, had no idea where they came from. 

     Thierry sensed the jeep returning.  He could sense David, his son.  As they came closer to him he sensed the others, Claudia, her son.  Thierry smiled to himself.  The thing he had asked of them as soon as he had learned of the child, to be allowed to examine it, was after fourteen years being granted him.  They had sent samples in the beginning, blood mainly.  Long letters had come over the net detailing for him in Claudia's precise educated manner all the child's development.  It had, at six, begun loosing its baby teeth and at ten had a full set of adult teeth complete with long sharp fangs.  It, Trepidation to be precise, ate vegetables, junk food, even meat.  It could not stomach milk.  It had no problem with sugar.  Trepidation digested sugar well.  He'd been drinking alcohol since twelve, he got stinking drunk, but American doctors said his internal organs regenerated so quickly it did not hurt him.  Thierry wondered if, unlike humans, it could regenerate brain cells. 

     Thierry was excited, but also concerned.  They had insisted on coming to his ranch.  They might not approve of his work.  There might especially be a problem if Daniel, Thierry's familiar spirit, decided to show himself to David.  It would be natural, after all David was Thierry's biological and natural son, the ghost would recognize that and want to extend his service and devotion to the next Jewel who had the sight and power to see him and call him.  Daniel could be a real problem.  But it was usually easy enough to send him home, to his caves and violet butterflies.  Daniel needed Thierry to give him purpose.

     The ghost came into sight just then. Thierry cursed himself for even thinking his name.  The hazy figure of the young man in black made a silent giggle.  He was a child though he appeared in a man's body.  "Does Thierry want to Play with Daniel?" he asked.

     "I'm going to be busy."

     "Daniel has seen another Jewel, Thierry.  David is Thierry's son."

     "Will you even learn to use pronouns?"

     "What's a pronoun?" Daniel giggled.  He knew very well what they were, he simply had no understanding of them.  There were many things Daniel knew without really understanding enough to explain.  The trick to getting information from him was to explain what you wanted to know and have him say yes.

     Thierry: Is it the thirteenth chromosome of the strand of DNA, Daniel?  Daniel: Of course it is, silly.  At least Daniel had managed to understand terms of endearment.  He sometimes responded very well to "silly boy".

     "Did David see you?"

     "David felt Daniel near David."   

     Thierry nodded.  "Daniel.  Mara will play with you."