Page 20 of Farkas: Gothika
Lee thought about the two creatures that had groped him, and the other coffins in the cellar—the ones that appeared long untouched. “How many, Vincent?”
Vincent gave a small nod as if he understood both the question and Lee’s reasons for asking. He walked back to the table and sat in his usual spot. Lee took the chair across from him, the one near the arrayed food.
“I have always had servants.” Vincent’s speech was slow and careful. “Those who are content to serve me in various ways but remain human. I do not just mean that they mop floors and do laundry. I feed from them. I have sex with them. They attend to my business during daylight hours, when I am trapped inside. They are willing. I think… I think they are happy. But they grow old and die so quickly. I cannot give my heart to them.”
Lee drank more wine but didn’t say anything.
“Very rarely I have transformed someone. As I told you before, it is a decision I do not take lightly. The process changes more than physiology. In many cases it… does not go well.”
Although Vincent offered no details, Lee shuddered at the possibilities. “Many cases but not all?”
“I have tried to choose my protégés wisely and to provide guidance. But ours is not always an easy existence, and eternity is a long time to spend with someone else.” He smiled weakly. “I have lost a few. Some of them were destroyed. Perhaps two or three remain in Europe. I hope so.”
“And here?”
“Five. One of them was destroyed by an outsider, one chose to destroy herself, and one was destroyed by me when his actions became hazardous. The other two you met. I transformed both of them in hopes that companionship would help them adjust. Perhaps it has. But they love each other. They merely fear me.”
It was possible that every one of Vincent’s words was a lie, but Lee found himself believing them. They made sense, at least in this particular weird, skewed world. And Vincent’s emotions seemed genuine.
“And what was I supposed to be?” Lee asked after a moment.
Brows drawn in thought, Vincent didn’t answer at once. “I required an attorney to see to my legal affairs, as you know. I have employed your firm in the past for various matters. But in this I would need to work more intimately with someone, so I made some inquiries to determine who would be best suited. I believed you would be ideal.”
Lee wondered if Mr. Graves was aware of Vincent’s nature, and if so, whether he’d offered Lee up as a potential sacrifice. It was an unsettling notion. “What made me so perfect?” He suspected it wasn’t his skills as a lawyer.
“I hoped we might find some affinity. Not necessarily sexually, although that is exceedingly pleasant, but emotionally. I hoped we had certain things in common. A kinship.”
They gazed at each other, and Lee didn’t have to ask the next question because they both already knew the answer. Vincent’s hopes had been fulfilled. Lee connected with him in a way he’d never experienced with anyone else. Vincent was exactly what Lee yearned for.
But just because you want something doesn’t mean you can have it.
“I need to leave,” Lee said. “Will you allow it?”
Although Vincent looked sorrowful, his eyes brimming with centuries of pain, he nodded. “Of course.”
“Tonight. But I’ll finish your work first.”
“My driver will be ready to take you back to Los Angeles when you are ready.”
Lee wasn’t sure whether to believe this. But he quickly ate dinner and then sat at the desk and gave Vincent papers to sign, specifying which name he should use where. Together they created two substantial piles of documents. “These are the duplicates,” Lee explained, laying his hand on one stack. “You’ll keep them here and the firm will retain the originals.”
“Very well.”
Vincent left the suite for a short time, returning with a large trunk. “The clothing I provided for you is in here. Together with a few small gifts. Will you accept this from me?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
He’d also brought back the rest of Lee’s own clothes, so Lee packed up his suitcases while Vincent waited by the window. Then, carrying the trunk, Vincent led the way to the entry vestibule. Their route wasn’t confusing and didn’t take long. The front doors stood wide open, allowing the darkness to creep inside a bit.
The limousine idled outside the entry tunnel. Vincent put the luggage in the trunk, opened the passenger door, and bowed deeply as he waved Lee inside. “I have met a great many people, Ludwig. But among them all, you are quite remarkable. I will not regret our time together.”
Lee looked him in the eyes and told the truth. “Neither will I.”
Vincent closed the car door with a heavy thud. Without having said a single word, the driver put the car into gear and rolled away.
Chapter Ten
The morning after he’d left the Farkas mansion, Lee felt much the same as he had after a long battle during the war. Exhausted. Wrung out. Surprised to be alive. He’d slept for almost the entirety of the limo ride, and the chauffeur had helped carry his luggage up to his apartment. Then Lee had stripped, fallen into bed, and succumbed to a deep, dreamless sleep. He’d skipped breakfast and made it to his office by 7:30, where he’d spent almost an hour organizing his Bunker Hill paperwork before Mr. Graves summoned him.