part 4

He sighed and then spoke softly, "We do not know how it all began, who was the first. The oldest still among us has lived since the empire of Alexander. There were those that were ancient even then, now gone. What we know of our history begins in Eastern Europe and did not spread to other continents for millennia. In those days, we preyed on living humans, but most of us were discreet. There is no profit in the death of our victims, it is better to let them live, to make more of the burgundy elixir of life. But some of us were lazy and some of us were cruel and some of us used the fear of mortals to help build empires. In those days our numbers were growing, as many of us sought to make more like us, to gain power over mortals, that they might one day be enslaved. Most opposed this, and those that did not made enemies of men and were often destroyed by those who overcame their fear and came at them in numbers, learning how simply we could be destroyed.

"So the Burgundy Order was established to keep our secret and to enforce our agreement that we would no longer take the lives of humans, that we would milk them of their living liquids but become myths and legends in their minds.

"It was also agreed we would make no more of us. No one has the right to change another human to what we had become.

"For centuries we have lived like this. Gradually our numbers diminished, from accidents and war. But we had taken an oath, and we were not prepared to break it.

"There have always been those who believed in us, but since the age of reason they have never been believed. That has suddenly changed. What will happen next is not for us to say.

"Now, Sifter, I will tell you what we are and why.

"It begins with a symbiont, not unlike mitochondria, but not genetically endemic. It lives within our cells and how it brings about the changes in us we do not know. To become as we are, one must be exposed to our blood. Ingestion destroys the symbiont, the blood must be injected in a vein or artery. Some are immune, and the symbiont cannot exist, not all are candidates.

"Once the symbiont is accepted by the host, the transformation is rapid, a matter of a few weeks at most. There are several dimensions to the change, as you may imagine. A stunning regenerative capacity. Monumental physical strength. Senses more keen than an animal's. However this increased sensitivity can be a handicap. Sunlight, for even a small duration, burns our skin and blinds us. The loss of hair and skin pigmentation is obvious. And of course we must have human blood to survive. Without it, the symbiont becomes a pathogen, and destroys the host cell. It must be human blood, no animal, not even another primate, is a suitable source. However we do not live on blood alone, we have the same dietary requirements as any human, we need protein, carbohydrates, fats. The need for blood is small and varies with the size of the individual. I require about six ounces a day for optimum health, less leads to deficiency related illness, more provides no additional benefit. The blood type and RH factor mean nothing. The blood can be contaminated with any human disease including AIDS, it makes no difference, our immune systems are impervious to all infectious organisms.

"We age, but very slowly. Aging is accelerated during periods of blood deprivation. Once the supply is restored, regeneration is rapid but incomplete. We estimate a typical lifespan with good nutrition, little trauma and an uninterrupted blood supply to be something on the order of six or eight thousand years. This has never happened in the Common Era, our vows or circumstances have led to regular blood depravation for all of us, occasionally death. Now that we are on the verge of the technology that would free us from dependency on humans and provide a safe and abundant source of our most precious need, we stand on the brink of exposure and annihilation."

He paused and waited for me to respond.

Since I had met the prince he had come to seem almost familiar, like a wise but eccentric uncle, but in this moment I looked into his face and I sensed once again his inhumaness, the depth of the difference between us and in the worlds we inhabited. The creature across from me had walked the Earth during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Was titled in a feudal kingdom before Europeans discovered the new world. And now he sat before me, watching in the candlelight with blood red eyes that had seen the rise and fall of empires.

"Jesus Christ."

It was all I could say.

"I don't think he will help you, Sifter."

We sat in silence for a moment and then I began to gather my things. "As I recall, you wanted me to write all this down."

"If you would. Is there a place in your home where it will be secure?"

"I have a wall safe. That should work for the time being."

"I agree. Is it hidden?"

"Not well, but out of sight. It's in the closet in my office."

"Good. David, there is one more thing."

I closed my briefcase and looked at him.

"If you should happen to come by any additional information, I should like for you to collect it and keep it all together in your safe as well."

"Of course. Wait a minute, what are you talking about?"

"I believe everything we have talked about should be recorded and kept together in a safe place along with anything you may come across from another source."

"What other source?"

"Go, Sifter, and sift."