Part 16 (1/2)
”If we can, oui oui.”
Richard and I exchanged a look, and then we looked back at Jean-Claude. Jean-Claude with all his fancy fetish yummy clothes, standing there nude and covered in more body fluids than a CSI CSI episode. It should have seemed like whistling in the dark that he, that we, could figure out a way to keep the most powerful vampires in Europe out of the entire United States metaphysically, but we'd already chased out three of them, plus the remnant of the Darkness. episode. It should have seemed like whistling in the dark that he, that we, could figure out a way to keep the most powerful vampires in Europe out of the entire United States metaphysically, but we'd already chased out three of them, plus the remnant of the Darkness.
We looked again into each other's brown eyes and then back to the blue of Jean-Claude's. ”I'm in,” I said.
”What do we do?” Richard asked.
”I believe we have freed Belle of the Mother's influence for now, so all that is left them is death, terror, and violence. We will lose if we try to meet them on with their own strengths.”
”Are you saying we make love, not war?” I asked.
He nodded.
”I'd rather just kill them, but the Darkness will just jump to a different body, won't she?”
”I fear so.”
”Can we really keep her out of the United States?” Richard asked.
”If the other Masters of the City are willing, there is a chance.”
”Why wouldn't they want to keep this out of here?” I asked.
”They will want that, ma pet.i.te ma pet.i.te, but they will not like my plan.”
”Why not?” Richard asked.
”It would require that they give up much of their autonomy and run America more as Europe is run.”
”Why, what will that help?” Richard asked.
”It isn't just political autonomy that they give up, is it?” I asked.
”Non, they would have to give us some of their power.”
”You're talking about setting up a council here in America with you as its head,” Richard said.
He nodded.
”Didn't some of the council try to kill us when they just thought we were trying to do that?” I asked.
”They're going to kill us anyway, ma pet.i.te ma pet.i.te, don't you understand that yet?” He looked at us, and his eyes held something I didn't see much: fear. ”If we cannot be conquered, then they must destroy us.”
”For fear that we'll do exactly what you're planning to do,” Richard said.
Jean-Claude nodded again.
”It'll be a race to see if they can conquer us or kill us before we have enough power,” I said.
”Yes,” he said.
”The other Masters of the City aren't going to want to give up their power to you,” I said. ”If they haven't felt the council's power they won't believe you. They'll think it's just an excuse to take their power.
”Exactement,” he said. he said.
”Some of them will fight rather than give you their power,” Richard said.
”Some.”
”Are we about to start a vampire civil war here?” I asked.
”Non, ma pet.i.te, between us and our allies they will not be able to mount such a strong defense, nor will they band together. Most will live, or die, in their own territories.”
”Are you planning to force them to give up power, even if they refuse?”
”To keep Morte d'Amour and the Mother of All Darkness from raping this country, oh yes.”
”This will make you the bad guy,” Richard said.
”I am aware of that.”
”Are you planning on us metaphysically raping the reluctant masters?”
”If necessary.”
”Isn't that exactly what we're fighting to keep the council from doing?” Richard asked.
”Yes, but we are not doing it for evil purposes.”
”So they just have to trust that we mean well,” Richard said.
”No,” Jean-Claude said, ”they just have to do what I tell them to do.”
”If you do evil for a good reason, it doesn't become good,” I said.
”Do you want Marmee Noir to possess other masters in this country?”
”You know I don't.”
”Then one man's evil becomes another's necessity, ma pet.i.te ma pet.i.te. We must be as ruthless as ever you have been, and as persuasive as ever I have been.”
”What am I supposed to be?” Richard asked.