Darren Shan - The Vampire's Assistant

It was a weird place for the circus to be. There was no hall or big tent for the freaks to perform in. I figured this must be a pit stop between two towns.

Mr. Crepsley weaved between the vans and cars with confidence. He knew exactly where he was going. I followed, less sure of myself, remembering the night I crept past the freaks and stole Madam Octa.

Mr. Crepsley stopped at a long silver van and knocked on the door. It opened almost immediately and the towering figure of Mr. Tall appeared. His eyes looked darker than ever in the dim light. If I hadn't known better, I would have sworn he had no eyeballs, only two black, empty spaces.

"Oh, it's you," he said, voice low, lips hardly moving. "I thought I felt you searching for me." He craned over Mr. Crepsley and looked down to where I was shaking. "I see you've brought the boy."

"May we come in?" Mr. Crepsley asked.

"Of course. "What is it one is supposed to say to you vampires?" He smiled. "Enter of your own free will?"

"Something like that," Mr. Crepsley replied, and from the smile on his face, I knew it was an old joke between them.

We went in the van and sat down. It was pretty bare inside, just a few shelves with posters and pamphlets for the Cirque, the tall red hat and gloves I'd seen Mr. Tall wear before, a couple of knickknacks, and a hideaway bed.

"I didn't expect you back so soon, Larten," Mr. Tall said. Even when he was sitting down he looked enormous.

"A swift return had not been on the agenda, Hibernius."

Hibernius ? That was a weird name. Still, it fit him somehow. Hibernius Tall. It had a strange ring to it.

"Did you run into trouble?" Mr. Tall asked.

"No," Mr. Crepsley said. "Darren was not happy. I decided he would be better off here, among those of his own kind."

"I see." Mr. Tall studied me curiously. "You have come a long way since I saw you last, Darren Shan," he said.

"I liked it better where I was," I grumbled.

"Then why did you leave?" he asked.

I glared at him. "You know why," I said coldly.

He nodded slowly.

"Is it okay if we stay?" Mr. Crepsley asked.

"Of course," Mr. Tall replied immediately. "Delighted to have you back, actually. We're a bit understaffed at the moment. Alexander Ribs, Sive and Seersa, and Gertha Teeth are off on vacations or business. Cormac Limbs is on his way to join Us but is late getting here. Larten Crepsley and his amazing performing spider will be an invaluable addition to the lineup."

"Thank you," Mr. Crepsley said.

"What about me?" I asked boldly.

Mr. Tall smiled. "You are less valuable," he said, "but welcome all the same."

I snorted but said nothing.

"Where shall we be playing?" Mr. Crepsley asked next.

"Right here," Mr. Tall told him.

" Here ?" I piped up in surprise.

"That puzzles you?" Mr. Tall enquired.

"It's in the middle of nowhere," I said. "I thought you only played in towns and cities, where you'd get big audiences."

"We always get a big audience," Mr. Tall said. "No matter where we play, people will come. Usually we stick to more populated areas, but this is a slow time of the year for us. As I've said, several of our best performers are absent, as are… certain other members of our company."

A strange, secretive look passed between Mr. Tall and Mr. Crepsley, and I felt I was being left out of something.

"So we are resting for a while," Mr. Tall went on. "We shall not be putting on any shows for a few days. We're relaxing."

"We passed a camp on our way," Mr. Crepsley said. "Are they causing any problems?"

"The foot soldiers of NOP?" Mr. Tall laughed. "They're too busy defending trees and rocks to interfere with us."

"What's NOP?" I asked.

"Nature's Opposing Protectors," Mr. Tall explained. "They're ecowarriors. They run around the country trying to stop new roads and bridges from being built. They've been here a couple of months but are due to move on soon."

"Are they real warriors?" I asked. "Do they have guns and grenades and tanks?"

The two adults almost laughed their heads off.

"He can be quite silly sometimes," Mr. Crepsley said between fits of laughter, "but he is not as dumb as he seems."

I felt my face reddening but held my tongue. I knew from experience that it was no use getting mad at grown-ups when they laugh at you; it only makes them laugh even harder.

"They call themselves warriors," Mr. Tall said, "but they're not really. They chain themselves to trees and pour sand into the engines of backhoes and toss nails in the paths of cars. That sort of thing."

"Why — " I started, but Mr. Crepsley interrupted.

"We do not have time for questions," he said. "A few more minutes and the sun will be up." He rose and shook Mr. Tall's hand. "Thank you for taking us back, Hibernius."

"My pleasure," Mr. Tall replied.

"I trust you took good care of my coffin?"

"Of course."

Mr. Crepsley smiled happily and rubbed his hands together. "That is what I miss most when I am away. It will be nice to sleep in it once more."

"What about the boy?" Mr. Tall asked. "Do you want us to knock together a coffin for him?"

"Don't even think about it!" I shouted. "You won't get me in one of those again!" I remembered what it felt like to be in a coffin — when I was buried alive — and shivered.

Mr. Crepsley smiled. "Put Darren in with one of the other performers," he said. "Somebody his own age, if possible."

Mr. Tall thought a moment. "How about Evra?"

Mr. Crepsley's smile spread. "Yes. I think putting him in with Evra is a marvelous idea."

"Who's Evra?" I asked nervously.

"You will find out," Mr. Crepsley promised, opening the door to the van. "I will leave you to Mr. Tall. He will take care of you. I have to be away."

And then he was gone, off to find his beloved coffin.

I glanced over my shoulder and saw Mr. Tall standing directly behind me. I don't know how he crossed the room so quickly. I didn't even hear him moving to stand up.

"Shall we go?" he said.

I gulped and nodded.

He led the way through the campsite. The morning was breaking and I saw a couple of lights coming on in a few of the vans and tents. Mr. Tall led me to an old gray tent, big enough for five or six people.

"Here are some blankets," he said, handing over a bunch of woolly sheets. "And a pillow." I didn't know where he got them from — he didn't have them when we left the van — but was too tired to ask. "You may sleep as late as you wish. I will come for you when you are awake and explain your duties. Evra will take care of you until then."

I lifted the flap of the tent and looked inside. It was too dark to see anything. "Who's Evra?" I asked, turning back to Mr. Tall. But he was gone, having disappeared with his usual quick, silent speed.

I sighed and entered, clutching the blankets to my chest. I let the flap fall back into place, then stood quietly inside, waiting for my eyes to adjust. I could hear someone breathing softly and could make out a vague shape in a hammock in the darkness beyond the middle of the tent. I looked for somewhere to make my bed. I didn't want my tentmate tripping over me when he was getting up.

I walked forward a few blind steps. Suddenly something slithered toward me through the darkness.

I stopped and stared ahead, wishing so badly that I could see (without the light of the stars or moon, even a vampire struggles to make things out).

"Hello?" I whispered. "Are you Evra? I'm Darren Shan. I'm your new —"

I stopped. The slithering noise had reached my feet. As I stood rooted to the spot, something fleshy and slimy wrapped itself around my legs. I instantly knew what it was but didn't dare look down until it had climbed more than halfway up my body. Finally, as its coils curled around my chest, I worked up the courage to look down and stare into the eyes of a long, thick, hissing… snake!