Thirty-One
Feb. 22nd, 2013 12:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
theonecalledwander“Coffin?” Tyrol says, nearly choking on the word. “What do you mean? Of course they aren’t coffins!”
“Caskets, then,” I say.
“But who would load up a whole cart full of caskets like that?”
“Someone who needs more than one,” I say. “Here’s what I think happened: Heizer was driving across country, but he wasn’t carrying cargo at all, he was taking a passenger and their baggage. Either your inspector opened the wrong box, or he made Heizer nervous somehow… either way, he died for his troubles. The experience shook Heizer enough that once he was inside town he drank heavily, and in a drunken rage or exhilaration, he took steps to free himself from the thrall of his passenger… by dropping him, box and all, into your well. That’s running water down there, after all, even if it’s running slowly.”
“But… but… you sound as though you’re suggesting…”
“A vampire? It sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? Wait until nightfall and repeat it to yourself, see how it sounds then,” I say. “And it’s the only thing that fits. The water! I couldn’t figure out was wrong with the damned water, because I couldn’t see anything in it. And that was the problem.”
“What do you mean?”
“Have you spent much time gazing into your reflecting pond lately, Tyrol?” I ask. I can tell by the look on his face that he hasn’t, that it makes him nervous now. “The reflections are gone! Your town’s water doesn’t carry a reflection. You see, your problem is far worse than a vampire on the loose. That’s something that can be hunted. Something that can be fought. Something that can be killed. You can hang up holy symbols and strands of garlic or wild rose to keep a vampire out of your house, but you can’t keep out water. You need it. You carry it over the threshold yourself, or your servants do. You drink it. You cook with it. You wash your face with it.”
“You mean to say that we’ve been drinking… vampire water?”
“Oh, yes,” I say. “You’re one of the lucky ones, though… I suspect you drink more wine than well-water, and in any case you’re one of Bel’s customers.”
“Caskets, then,” I say.
“But who would load up a whole cart full of caskets like that?”
“Someone who needs more than one,” I say. “Here’s what I think happened: Heizer was driving across country, but he wasn’t carrying cargo at all, he was taking a passenger and their baggage. Either your inspector opened the wrong box, or he made Heizer nervous somehow… either way, he died for his troubles. The experience shook Heizer enough that once he was inside town he drank heavily, and in a drunken rage or exhilaration, he took steps to free himself from the thrall of his passenger… by dropping him, box and all, into your well. That’s running water down there, after all, even if it’s running slowly.”
“But… but… you sound as though you’re suggesting…”
“A vampire? It sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? Wait until nightfall and repeat it to yourself, see how it sounds then,” I say. “And it’s the only thing that fits. The water! I couldn’t figure out was wrong with the damned water, because I couldn’t see anything in it. And that was the problem.”
“What do you mean?”
“Have you spent much time gazing into your reflecting pond lately, Tyrol?” I ask. I can tell by the look on his face that he hasn’t, that it makes him nervous now. “The reflections are gone! Your town’s water doesn’t carry a reflection. You see, your problem is far worse than a vampire on the loose. That’s something that can be hunted. Something that can be fought. Something that can be killed. You can hang up holy symbols and strands of garlic or wild rose to keep a vampire out of your house, but you can’t keep out water. You need it. You carry it over the threshold yourself, or your servants do. You drink it. You cook with it. You wash your face with it.”
“You mean to say that we’ve been drinking… vampire water?”
“Oh, yes,” I say. “You’re one of the lucky ones, though… I suspect you drink more wine than well-water, and in any case you’re one of Bel’s customers.”