3. The Truth of Mr. Harker

Is Mr. Harker really what he seems to be? Is he on a holy crusade, a personal vendetta or is he just crazy? What is his real intention for the Paladin?

               The next evening at 5:00 the eleven men were reassembled in the ballroom of Castle Radu.  Again they were all dressed in the black cloaks, and they waited with baited breath for their host to arrive.  The room was deathly silent.

                “Is he ever going to get here?”  asked a man in a Scottish brogue so thick that many of them could not understand him. 

                Just then the huge oaken doors slammed open and in marched a tuxedoed butler carrying a silver tray with eleven small blue velvet covered boxes and a stack of envelopes.  Each of the eleven received a box and an envelope.  Once the butler had passed out all of the gifts he advanced to the head of the table and said in a Cockney accent that under other circumstances would have been comical, “Gentlemen, Mr. Harker has asked me to convey his apologies.  If you will open your boxes you will find a ring with an inset of a rare mineral, blood red Rhodonite, on the underside you will find an engraving of the same symbol that is on your cloaks.  The symbol is a combination if the alchemical symbols for blood and silver.  You doubtless see the significance of the stone and the symbol he has chosen for this very special goup.  These rings were specially designed by Mr. Harker and will be used in case of your passing into the unearthly realm to designate a suitable replacement.  The Paladin must always have twelve members.  Twelve is a mystical number as you all know.  The envelopes contain Mr. Harker’s mailing address, email address and your personal code names.  As a security measure you are never to address each other or Mr. Harker by given name.  The less you know about each other the less likely the chance of infiltration by our enemies or those who harbor them.  Thank you for your time and cooperation, Gentlemen.”

                The men sat in shocked silence as the extremely large butler exited the room.  “Couldn’t even speak to us himself.” said the Scot angrily slamming the felt covered box down hard on the table.  “I don’t know about you lads but if he hasn’t the time for us then I haven’t time for him.  I have businesses to run.  I do not have time to play his bloody games.” 

.   .   .

                A while later, Jaymes the Butler sat quietly in his master’s private apartment, a fully renovated bed chamber, at Castle Radu and waited for his return.  Despite what they had told The Paladin, Harker had never left the Castle.  He had instead chosen to continue his search of the castle’s vaults.  He was determined to find the grave of Prince Radu. 

                When Harker returned he was filthy and his face was smeared with dirt, sweat and blood.  He was not surprised to find Jaymes in is room, and less surprised by the look of unease on the face of his loyal servant.  “What is it Jaymes.”  He asked pouring himself a glass of water from a crystal decanter on the dresser.

                “The gentlemen you invited here this week were sorely disappointed that you did not make an appearance at the final meeting.”  Jaymes said calmly.  “And if I may speak freely sir, I do not blame them.  You asked them here, then tell them wild stories about vampires.  You ask them to go out and begin hunting the undead beasts yet you cannot take five minutes to address them yourself?” 

                “Jaymes you are a good and loyal servant.  I value your opinion, but in this case you are totally off base.  You see, The Paladin is my cover.  If they go out and begin hunting vampires it will keep everyone from watching me.  I do not care anything.  The Americans at least will probably be in the clutches of the VHC before they can accomplish anything.  Of course, when the word is disseminated through the vampire community they will become the hunted rather than the hunters.  My goals lie no further afield than Castle Radu.”  Harker said draining the water from the crystal tumbler.

                “And what are your intentions, sir?”  Jaymes asked.  He hoped against hope that they had changed since their last discussion of the topic.

                “It is my intention, and you know this already old friend, to reanimate the corpse of Prince Radu.”  Harker said.  “Only if he is reanimated can he truly be killed.  According to the legend he was subdued by his student and left to rot.  God, how I wish I knew how he was laid to rest.  He, however, was not truly dead.  When the student, and no I don’t know the students name for it is lost to history, left the Prince locked in his coffin his body began to decay and soon nothing was left but a skeleton.  The student knowing that all that would be needed to reanimate his master is the full skeleton, some blood, and the rays of the full moon removed the fangs of the dreaded master vampire and hid them somewhere.  I have to assume that the villain of this heinous crime is still out there somewhere, and I will need him to find the fangs of Radu.  Hopefully, these idiots will help draw him out of hiding.” 

                “How do you know that the student did not cast the fangs into the sea or into a volcano?”  Jaymes asked.

                “Because the bones of Prince Radu crave the earth of this castle.  Like Tolkien’s Ring of Power they will not allow themselves to be destroyed.  The possessors of the fangs would feel overwhelmingly that misfortune would befall them if they ever attempted to destroy the teeth,” Harker said, “it is quite possible that whomever has the fangs does not even know what they are, yet they are loathe to part with them.”

                “Is it not possible that once reanimated you will not be able to permanently destroy this monster.  He is centuries, if not millennia old, and surely has learned to protect his own existence.  I entreat you not to be too hasty is your decision.  Remember that your father gave his life in vain for such a quest as you now propose.”  Jaymes said quietly.  He knew that because of his years of loyal service he could say things to his young master that most butlers dare not, but did so at his own peril if he sounded overly harsh.

                “Jaymes my father died in a noble, holy quest to rid the world of the most powerful demon that it has ever known.  He only died in vain if I do not attempt to complete the task for which he gave his life.  Your concerns are duly noted, and yet I continue on the path laid out for me by my father.”  Harker said.  “You sir have been a faithful servant to this family for many years and your council I cherish greatly.  However, in this matter you are wrong.  I shall revive the corpse of Prince Radu and before he has the opportunity to draw even a single breath I shall snuff him out forever.  Such is my task and my assignment from God.”

                Jaymes had, indeed, served Master Harker’s family for many years.  He had been at the home to greet the arrival of Master Harker on the days after his birth.  He had only been five years old, but he was there as were his parents who had served Harker’s father.  Yet, never in all those years had he questioned the sanity of the family to whom he was devoted.  Now, however, those doubts entered his conscience for the first time and he shrunk away from assisting his master.  “Master Harker, as you have stated yourself I have served this family almost from time immemorial.   I however must ask that you no longer include me in any way in this matter.  I believe, sir, that you are testing God, and the Bible warns of destruction for those who demand a demonstration from the Almighty.  If these beings were created or allowed to be created by the God of Heaven then only he can dream of controlling them.  If they were created by Lucifer, as popular legend holds, then you have no hope of any control over him.”

                “I dream not of controlling such a beast as Radu.  I am not a mad man who believes that I can weaponize such a demon, though I grant you there are those who do believe such.  I only wish to destroy a creature not created by God during those miraculous six days.  I dare not challenge God to a duel for he and I have the same enemy in this matter.  I only seek to bring glory to him by destroying a demon.”  Harker said, but Jaymes knew of his master’s near contempt for anything religious in nature.  “We Jaymes, are more like the Knights Templar that the Paladin.  For we serve not a worldly ruler but the Great Almighty himself, and only to him are we answerable.”