Dracula Theory, page 7
“And draw attention to our cargo? We best not arouse suspicion. No. We remain here and trust the design and fabrication of the device. Have a drink and return to your seat.” Abraham offered up his precious flask.
Renfield complied, accepting the drink. After returning Van Helsing’s flask, he snatched another fly from the air and popped it into his mouth.
“Would you like sustenance, Mr. Renfield?” I asked.
“No thank you. I’m fine.” The man’s gaze chased a small cloud of flies.
The train’s whistle sounded off as the massive machine picked up speed.
I returned my attention to Van Helsing. “May I ask you?”
“You may.”
“What do we do with the trunk upon returning to the Baron’s home? We cannot draw blood from Dracula with him sealed away like that.”
“I’m glad you asked.” A twinkle appeared in Van Helsing’s eyes. “I have fashioned a cage in my lab, which contains the necessary functionality to allow us the means to release the locks on the trunk, without putting ourselves in danger.”
I continued with my line of questions. “And once the Count is free from the trunk, how are we to then draw his blood?”
“Ah ha!” Van Helsing cried out. “Yet another conundrum I have taken steps to solve. Remember, before closing the Count in the trunk, I lassoed him with a cable of silver. That preventative measure will keep him motionless. So long as it remains in place, we can safely draw the beast’s blood, without risking our lives.”
“And should your magical rope not remain intact?” Renfield asked the only question of importance.
“Then we have a problem to solve, don’t we?” Van Helsing relaxed into his seat. “One step at a time, my friends. One very cautious step at a time.”
Mr. Renfield and I exchanged glances as Van Helsing closed his eyes for a nap. How the man could sleep, given the circumstances, was well beyond my comprehension.
I took the cue from Van Helsing, and leaned back into my seat. There was no logical reason to continue fighting exhaustion. If we were to complete this quest, we had to be rested and ready for anything. Soon the ship would reach harbor and we’d have to transfer the trunk to the train. May fate be with us as we continued this strange and fantastical journey.
ACT II
A LEAP OF FAITH
EIGHT
Venipuncture
We arrived at the home of Baron Murray without incident. As he had promised, Van Helsing’s trunk held fast. Although our final destination with Dracula was Abraham’s laboratory, he insisted we make this stop to show the Baron our spoils.
“Open it,” the Baron insisted.
“I’m terribly sorry, sir,” Van Helsing answered. “That is completely out of the question. If you want to see the monster, you must join us in my lab.”
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s be off.”
Before we departed, I had to first visit with Mina. Although the trek to Romania had served as a slight distraction from the tragedy that had befallen my love, she was still very much front and center in my mind.
I raced up the stairs, to the makeshift infirmary and entered the room. Mina’s bed was surrounded by various nurses and doctors, who didn’t so much as bother giving me and my entrance a look.
“Excuse me,” I nudged my way to Mina’s side, to see she’d grown worse. Her skin had taken on a translucency, allowing the roadmap of veins to peek through from beneath. Her chest heaved in short, choppy breaths. I reached my hand to her face, only to have it swiped away by one of the attending doctors.
“Do that once more and you’ll never operate with those fingers again,” I threatened. “No one stands between me and my betrothed.”
The doctor backed down. I gently pressed the flesh of my palm to Mina’s cheek, to find it frigid and stiff. Mina gasped in recognition. Her eyes opened to reveal the emerald green irises had been overtaken by the darkest black of her pupils.
This was not the Mina I’d fallen so deeply in love with. What I beheld was a shell of a woman. Even so, I would fight to the ends of the Earth to bring her back.
I didn’t so much as speak another word as I made my exit from the room and the house. The men awaited me in the carriage. Van Helsing gave me a knowing nod. Renfield popped a fly into his mouth. With the Baron along for the ride, we made our way to the laboratory of Abraham Van Helsing.
The man’s estate was sprawling, dwarfing even the Baron’s. How a pedantic drunkard—a proclaimed vampire hunter—had amassed such wealth was beyond my comprehension. And considering my profession, I’d have thought information about his past or present would have crossed my desk at one point. Some men, I suppose, do tend to lurk in the shadows of society.
With the Baron’s added muscle, the trunk had become exponentially easier to move, which was quite the blessing, considering the path through Abraham’s castle was winding and filled with stairs.
Down and down we went. Why the man’s laboratory had to be so far below ground, I would never know. No matter. We arrived at our destination, without so much as a scratch or bruise.
“Wow,” Renfield exclaimed. “This is remarkable. I wouldn’t be surprised if you’d fashioned your own human in here.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, my good man. I am not a God. A scientist and a doctor, yes. A giver of life, no.”
“What do we do now?” I interrupted the tête-à-tête.
Van Helsing pointed to a massive cage situated in the center of the room. “We move the box into the center of that beautiful monstrosity.”
Once again, we four hoisted the trunk up and carried it, this time gently laying it on the floor in the center of the cage. Van Helsing turned to us and, with a grave stare, took us in. “I highly recommend you each exit the cage. When I open this trunk, there is no reason to endanger any more than need be.”
Mr. Renfield raised his hand.
“Yes?”
Renfield stepped toward Abraham. “As much as it pains me to say this, you are the only one of this group with information about the creature of any worth. Should you die, we’d not have the slightest inkling what to do. As for me, no one would miss me should my life be taken by the monster. To that end, logic would dictate I be the one to open the box.”
“Nonsense,” Van Helsing barked. “I designed this trunk and am the only one of us who knows of its deepest secrets. It must be I.”
“But Mr. Van Helsing—”
Abraham cut Renfield short. “I’ll have none of it. Each of you step outside of the cage and lock the door behind you. I will open this trunk and take care of the venipuncture. I do need to ask a favor. One of you must arm yourself and, should something go awry, unleash any and all weaponry you can find upon me. Do not let me fall to Dracula’s wrath … whatever that may be.”
The Baron responded immediately. “You have my word, Abraham. I will not allow you to suffer.”
“Thank you, old friend. Now, if you please, step outside the cage and lock the gate behind you.”
Not one of us bothered to argue. What would be the point? Van Helsing had already proved himself a most stubborn man. I, for one, wasn’t about to protest the demand. I’d much rather survive this ordeal intact. Dead, I’d never live to see Mina survive whatever plague had ravaged her system. I had made a promise to her I would never break.
The three of us exited the cage. Renfield closed the door, turned the lock, and pocketed the key. Once Van Helsing was satisfied we’d done as he’d requested, he set about opening the trunk. One by one, he painstakingly unlocked the straps holding the case closed. As he released the last strap, I realized I was holding my breath. A quick sigh brought all attention to me, which had the effect of heightening the tension in the room.
Van Helsing gave us a look, his lips pursed and his eyes wide. When he returned to the case, he grabbed the handle and lifted the lid. Inside, the Count remained—unmoving and eyes wide open in a state of shock and horror.
Abraham backed away from the trunk. When he was next to us, he reached his hand through the bars. “Someone hand me the hypodermic on that table.”
I turned to see the polished silver tool, its needle deadly and gleaming. Carefully, I plucked up the syringe and placed it on Van Helsing’s upturned palm.
“This hypodermic will allow us to transport Dracula’s blood to Mina, without concern for the sunlight destroying its healing properties. As soon as the blood is drawn, we’ll rush it to the infirmary and inject the liquid miracle into Mina.”
“And you are certain this procedure offers the most likely path to saving my daughter?”
Van Helsing looked to the Baron. “I would stake my own life on it.”
The Baron nodded. “Very well then. Proceed.”
Abraham returned his attention to the Count and lowered the hypodermic into the trunk. I was certain, at this very moment, Count Dracula would sit up in the box and rip the head from Abraham’s neck. After a prolonged and tension-filled minute, it was Van Helsing who sat up. “Success, my friends. We should have more than enough of Dracula’s blood to test my theory.”
“Wait.” I stopped and turned to Van Helsing. “You haven’t yet tested this Dracula Theory of yours?”
“And how would you suggest I’d have done that? This is the first time I’ve ever had the opportunity to work with vampiric blood.” Abraham stood next to the cage door. “Go ahead and let me out now.”
Mr. Renfield hissed. “How can we be so certain you are trustworthy?”
“You cannot. However, as I am the only hope dear Mina has of surviving, it is in your best interests to trust me.”
I ignored Renfield’s concern and unlocked the cage door. Van Helsing stepped through the open door, spun back around, and instantly turned the key, locking the Count within.
It was my opportunity to grill the vampire hunter. “First of all, if Mina dies by your hand, I will see to it the whole of the law is brought down upon your head. Second, are you just going to leave Dracula in there? Like that?”
“In reply to your first concern, I assure you, Mina will not perish from an infusion of blood. As to your second ... like what?” Van Helsing asked.
“Fashioned in such a way, unable to move?”
Abraham scoffed. “He’s a monster. The better for us he is incapable of movement. Imagine the state that creature would be in upon being released from his bindings? I, for one, would rather not deal with such a fit of pique.”
“Agreed,” I added. “We’ll leave the Count bound, but only until we know Mina’s condition has improved.”
Renfield stood at the cage, his gaze locked on Dracula. “I cannot reconcile such an act, I’m afraid.”
Van Helsing grabbed Mr. Renfield by the arm. “You have no choice, man. For our safety, and the safety of everyone in this town, the vampire remains confined.”
Abraham’s words had little effect on the odd man. Even so, Renfield pulled himself from the cage and followed us to the carriage, where we sped off, back to the Murray residence.
*****
Mina lay, motionless in white, on her bed. The only sign of life was the small mirror fastened beneath her nose, slowly fogging with her breath. Her silence was haunting, her milk-white complexion a visage of a reaper most grim. I bent down and placed my lips to hers, but retracted upon feeling the cold kiss of death on her flesh.
“She’s—”
“Still alive,” Van Helsing interrupted. “Which means there’s yet time for my theory to work.” Abraham shooed away the attending doctors and nurses. “It is my responsibility to undertake the injection. I wouldn’t want those of you bound by the Hippocratic oath, to fall under the purview of law. If your intention is to continue practicing medicine, I would highly recommend you leave this room and speak not of what I am about to do.”
Not one of the doctors budged. The nurses, on the other hand, took heed of Van Helsing’s warning and scurried from view.
Abraham looked to the Baron, who immediately gave him a quick nod. With that, Van Helsing grabbed Mina’s right arm, located a vein, and plunged the needle in deep. Slowly, he depressed the hypodermic plunger until every scarlet drop had been forced into Mina’s system. After removing the syringe, he carefully returned Mina’s arm to her side and stepped back to watch.
I wasn’t certain what to expect. Maybe I had assumed Mina would sit right up immediately, returned to her perfect state of health. Instead, she remained supine on the bed. A chorus of rage swept through my thoughts. I’d given Van Helsing every bit of trust and faith I’d had. Instead of responding with the miracle he'd promised, Mina remained in stasis. I wanted to strangle Abraham, wring out what life remained in his aging body, and let it wash down over my beloved.
“Why is she not moving?” Renfield asked.
No one answered.
“The blood is life.” Mr. Renfield’s voice was laden with confusion, as though he’d also been certain the transfusion would have brought about a miracle.
The room fell into a perfect silence. Not so much as a breath could be heard.
And then it happened. Mina’s body jerked into a seated position. I assumed the reaction was nothing more than reflex as her eyes were still closed tight. But then, just as I was about to give into a rather nihilist realism, Mina’s eyes opened wide. What happened next nearly sent me into apoplectic fits of shock. Mina gasped deep and loud, almost moaning as her chest and stomach stretched forward to bend her back near to snapping. Both arms were raised in a crucifix salute, with fingers spread painfully wide. And then, as quickly as the change in position and manner came about, it went away. Mina dropped to the bed as though she’d been released from some state of puppetry.
Once Mina had returned to her previous position, her breathing fell into some semblance of normalcy and, to my great surprise and relief, the color of her cheeks and lips shifted away from the bluish tinge of death, toward the pinkish hue of life.
“Ye gods,” the Baron exclaimed. “Van Helsing, my good man, have you pulled a miracle out of your hat?”
Van Helsing drew up to Mina and placed the palm of his right hand to her forehead. “Her temperature is rising.” He then placed two fingers upon the base of her neck. “Her pulse is returning to normal.” Abraham looked to the Baron and then to me. “Gentlemen, I believe the Dracula Theory has been proved a success.”
All in the room, save Mr. Renfield, exhaled a sigh of great relief. I couldn’t place my finger on it, but there was an almost imperceptible shift in Renfield’s demeanor. Instead of him showing any sign of celebration, he seemed, in a fashion, disappointed. As for me, I had no time to bother with the man’s temperament. My darling fiancée would live. I could have wept for joy on the spot.
At that point, a mad rush of doctors converged on the bed to start administering to Mina. My guess would be that some simply wanted to be a part of the miracle we’d just witnessed. As for those of us in the know of what had transpired, we left the room so the doctors could attend to their patient without distraction.
“Can you believe it?” the Baron asked.
“Quite honestly, I can.” Van Helsing replied. “I had no doubt my theory was sound. As Mr. Renfield is so fond of saying—”
“The blood is life,” Renfield mumbled.
“What do we do now?” I asked.
Van Helsing patted me on the back. “There’s little we can do at this point, besides wait until Mina has returned to full health.”
“I mean about Dracula. We cannot leave him bound like an animal in your basement.”
“I would argue we could.”
I grabbed Van Helsing by the arm and turned him to face me. “Now listen carefully. I will not be privy to torturous machinations. The idea of forcing a man, against his will, to travel to another land is one thing; keeping that man bound like a beast is another. What you’ve done is commit a rather serious crime and, I would argue, a sin against God.”
Van Helsing yanked his arm from my grasp. “I have no place for God in my life. The only sin I have committed is waiting this long to test my theory. And, I should add, you would do best to keep your tongue with regard to our little adventure in science. You are, after all, complicit in any crime that may or may not have been committed. Besides, we wouldn’t want to offend the court or the court of public opinion.”
Van Helsing and the Baron strode off, chatting about a celebratory cigar and snifter of brandy, leaving Mr. Renfield and me alone in the hall.
“My dear fellow,” I looked down to the man at my side. “I believe you and I are on the same page about Count Dracula’s well-being.”
“Indeed we are, Mr. Harker. That page is fraught with dilemma. Dare we read between its lines and make good on the subtext? Or is our lot in life to abide by dotting i’s and crossing t’s? Personally, I prefer the former. What about yourself?”
“Follow me.”
“And Mina?” Renfield spoke with great care in his voice.
“As much as I’d like to remain by her side every second, there is little my presence would do for her condition.”
Renfield shook his head. “I beg to differ with you, sir. The power of true love cannot be denied.”
“You speak with a measure of wisdom, Mr. Renfield. Although the depth and breadth of my adoration for Mina knows no bounds, I find our current situation demands I attend to the man responsible for giving my betrothed a second chance at life.”
And with that, Mr. Renfield and I slipped into the stairwell, exited the house, entered a carriage, and instructed the driver to return us to the Van Helsing residence. At once the carriage sped off, the horses’ hooves hitting the cobbles at a frenzied pace. The return trip was taken without a single word spoken between us. Fear had gripped my heart, and my mind was entangled with doubt. Although I didn’t question my decision about Dracula, I dared not predict the Baron’s reaction when he discovered the vampire had been released from his bonds. He had to be fully aware of my compunction with how the Count had been treated, which would lead him to draw a most simple and obvious conclusion.
