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The boy shook his head. The Doctor was standing with one ear to the door, listening for any sign of movement outside the cell. Without moving, the Doctor looked at the boy. ‘What is it?’ ‘I do not understand you.’ He was no longer shaking, and his voice was strong and cultured. The Doctor could have been mistaken but he was sure he could hear a bit of hope in the boy’s voice. The Doctor smiled and raised an eyebrow. The boy continued. ‘By your clothing I can see that you are new to Larkhowl. Did you come through the colour show?’ It took a few seconds for the Doctor to understand what the boy meant. He nodded. ‘Yes, I came through the portal. From another world.’ The boy stood up, a note of fear appearing in his eyes. ‘The Count came from another world, it is said. Are you Kuang-Shi?’ The boy shook his head and answered himself before the Doctor could speak. ‘No you are not. You do not carry yourself like a Kuang-Shi.’ The Doctor removed himself from the door, a big smile on his face. ‘Thank you for saying so.’ He tapped his chin. ‘Kuang-Shi? You know I am sure I have heard that name before. Why does it sound so familiar?’ ‘I do not know.’ The Doctor let out a booming laugh, startling the boy. ‘No, I don’t suppose you would.’ Seeing the look of surprise on the boy’s the face, the Doctor placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder and lowered his voice. ‘Ah well, never mind, I’m sure it will come back to me.’ ‘But I do know that the Kuang-Shi cannot be stopped. Stories have come to Larkhowl from all over Styria. They cannot be killed.’ ‘Everything has a weakness. It’s just a matter of finding it.’ The boy smiled for the first time since he had been thrown into the cell. ‘Ephan,’ he said. ‘What?’ ‘My name. It is Ephan.’ The Doctor returned Ephan’s smile. ‘Dinner time! Stand back!’ A rough voice called from the other side of the wooden door. The Doctor turned to the door. ‘Good, about time we had something to eat.’ He stepped back and walked into Ephan. The Doctor looked over his shoulder and was surprised by the look of horror on Ephan’s face. ‘What’s wrong?’ he asked softly. ‘It’s too late,’ Ephan whispered, his voice cracking once again. The Doctor looked back at the door as it opened. A tall, bulky figure stood in the doorway. It was the same woman who had led the lynch mob when the Doctor had first arrived in Larkhowl. The same woman who was responsible for him being thrown in the cell in the first place. The Doctor took a step forward, when he noticed that she bore no food. ‘Now see here, madam!’ ‘Shut up!’ the big woman barked. She pointed at Ephan. ‘You, boy! The Count wants a nice drink after his meal. You will do perfectly. Come!’ Ephan made to go, eyes down to the floor. The Doctor barred Ephan’s way and folded his arms over his not inconsiderable bulk. ‘What is the meaning of this? I demand you let us see the Count.’ The woman walked over to the Doctor and grabbed him by the throat. She pulled him closer to her. ‘The Count will see you when he is ready.’ With that she threw the Doctor to the wall. He slumped to the floor and rubbed the small of his back. The woman snapped her fingers at Ephan. ‘Come boy!’ She turned away, and with one defeated glance at the Doctor, Ephan followed. The Doctor lifted himself off the floor, dusted his clothes down and straightened his scarf. Slowly and deliberately, he walked over to the woman and took her by the arm. He spun her around. ‘Not, I think, today!’ The Doctor continued to spin her, gathering momentum, and let go. Unable to gain control of her balance, the woman flew into the opposite wall. Ephan watched, his eyes wide in amazement. The Doctor looked at him and winked. There was a growl, and the Doctor turned to face the woman. He pulled back at what he saw. In one fluid motion the woman was standing. She growled again, spittle dripping from her sharp teeth. Sharp teeth! The Doctor was galvanised into action. ‘Of course!’ He reached into his pockets, searching for something to use. ‘Kuang-Shi! It’s a Chinese name for vampire. Aha!’ His note of exclamation came as he pulled a small silver box from out of his coat pocket. He flipped the lid and sniffed. The smell of petrol was unmistakable. Ephan cried out. The woman charged. The Doctor ignited the Zippo and shoved the lighter into her face. The vampire went up in flames. The Doctor pulled back, still holding the Zippo, as the creature shrieked in pain. He turned away from the vampire, as the flames made quick work of her flesh, and put an arm around Ephan’s shoulder. ’You see, everything has a weakness. For the Kuang-Shi, fire is one.’ They stood there, watching the flames die down. The charred remains of the woman dropped to the floor, breaking up on impact. The Doctor shook his head. Ephan removed the lighter from the Doctor’s hands and looked at it in awe. ‘This destroys the Kuang-Shi?’ The Doctor sighed. ’Not the Zippo itself, no. The fire. Vampires come in all shapes and sizes, each have their own set of weaknesses. Fire is almost always one of those.’ He looked down at Ephan. ‘But taking another life is not a good thing, Ephan. Never.’ Now it was Ephan’s turn to shake his head. ‘The people of Larkhowl have lived in fear of these things for months, Doctor. It is time to fight back.’ ‘Hmm. Maybe.’ The Doctor led Ephan out of the cell. As they walked through the doorway, the boy glanced back at the burnt cadaver and smiled. *** He wasn’t sure whether he should laugh or be enraged. Since he had first arrived on Styria, several hundred years ago, his children had slowly spread, but they had never been killed. The Count sat behind his banquet table. Tied to the table was one of the people of Larkhowl. Lady Dorothy sat at the opposite side of the table, wiping the blood off her lips. The Count pulled back his thin white lips into a tight smile, revealing his own row of sharp teeth. The Lady certainly had a big appetite. The Count spread out his hands. ‘It would seem that our dessert has been cancelled.’ Lady Dorothy raised a curious eyebrow. ‘Cancelled? Who would dare to do such a thing? Surely not Clarrie?’ The Count shook his head. ‘No, Clarrie has been cancelled also.’ The moment Clarrie had died the Second Death he had felt her pain. The snuffing out of her light. He stood up and waited for the Lady Dorothy to join him at his end of the table. She did as he expected. With one fluid movement she was by his side. He ran his long fingers through her thick dark hair. ‘Clarrie? Who could possibly kill such a battleaxe as she?’ ‘The Doctor.’ The Count turned from Lady Dorothy and gathered up his robes. He held up a hand. ‘No more conversation for now, for I have a meeting to attend.’ With that he swept out of the room, leaving Lady Dorothy with the dead body. ***
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