Byzantium Page #4

come tumbling down.

Yes.

I think I get that you're using

the story to say that

bad things happened.

But... why don't you

just say the truth?

I am Eleanor Webb.

I've given you my secret.

I've told you how I live.

Hello.

Would you put the record on?

It's called

"Nacht und Trume. "

Peace be with you.

May light shine upon you.

I think you should read this.

I set this every year.

It's a simple autobiography

and then I get this amazing piece.

It's as if Edgar Allan Poe and

Mary Shelley got together

and had a very strange little child.

"A true account of my

making and my life and death

from the year of my birth, 1804."

Kidding.

If that was a piece

of fiction, you'd say

it was dark, passionate, violent,

sick, brilliant bit of writing.

But she's saying,

"this is who I am."

Which makes me think

there's something going on with her.

She's a very closed-off kid.

Well, she wants to communicate,

obviously.

I mean, look at the

effort she's made.

Her handwriting.

Turn of phrase.

Who writes like

this these days?

"As darkness fell,

the soucriant returned. "

And Captain Ruthven

prepared for the worst.

I took these for safekeeping.

Forgive me, my friend.

Forgiveness is a

Christian value, Ruthven.

My gods are older...

More ruthless.

You died.

How else does one

find life eternal?

I sent you to fetch water.

And I met the

nameless Saint.

This is what happens.

- When?

- When you pray for it.

I arose and saw

with different eyes.

Everything I looked on

was a source of wonder.

But my vision had a price.

My soul was lost.

The price of my existence

is this sacrifice.

It flows from...

It flows from blood.

His blood is yours.

Drink, my son.

Mine is a cruel

existence...

But, you do have the

qualities one needs.

You are ever... a survivor.

I would give my soul

to be as you are now.

So be it.

Eternal life will only come

to those prepared to die.

- Hello?

- You want up?

Thanks.

Have some fun now.

Hello?

- Mr. Minton.

- Hello, Noel, how are you?

- What, have I got detention

or something? - No.

I'm actually trying to

get some information

on one of our current

students... Eleanor Webb.

- She gave this as her address.

- Eleanor? Is everything O.K.?

We're trying to set up a meeting with

all the parties interested in her welfare.

Sure.

Are her parents here?

Um... you need to speak to Claire.

She's Eleanor's big sister.

Claire's her legal guardian.

- Is Claire here?

- No, she's, um... busy.

It's not what you think.

It's Claire's business.

She saves girls from the streets.

The thing is, Noel, Eleanor's

written a story and in her story,

she says that she

lives with vampires.

So can you please pass

this letter on and tell Claire that

if I don't hear from her today,

then I'll be in touch with

social services and the police.

Sh*t...

So Darvell gave the map and

passage to your mother?

No, to captain Ruthven.

My mother saw her

chance and took it.

Aah! B*tch!

B*tch! B*tch!

She stole the map and

rode into the night

towards her

unknown future.

And she made her way to where,

to this ruin and this...

Soucriant thing took her?

I didn't give you my story.

I've been betrayed into this.

You can leave anytime you like.

So when did Clara

come back for you?

When I was 16.

And what did she do

in the meantime?

- She's never talked about it.

- Really?

She says she can't recall,

but I expect she's lying.

Lying is a way of life to her.

But I was raised in an orphanage

where I was taught to tell the truth.

Are there others like you?

I've never met one.

And Clara never speaks of any.

I think we're the only

two who still endure.

How often do you feed?

I'd rather not talk about it.

Thank you.

That's the distasteful part

of being an immortal, isn't it?

If you don't believe a word I say,

why this pretense?

Eleanor, how can you

be two centuries old?

By, by what miracle of science?

You see,

that's the tricky thing,

because it's only over

time that I can prove it.

30, maybe 40 years from now,

when you're pruning roses

from your wheelchair, I'll stroll by

your garden gate and say,

"Hello, Morag."

And nothing will

have changed.

I am 16 forever.

And you'll realize this and

it will hurt your heart

and I'll say,

"May peace be with you."

And I'll help you

with the pain.

Why don't you do it now?

I'm not strong, you could...

Overpower me.

You're not ready.

How do you do it?

Where are your fangs?

Why don't you die

in the daylight?

How could you give my

story to those people?

I wrote it for you.

How do you kill?

I never...

People have to consent.

They have to want.

- Want death?

- It has to be an...

Who the f*** wants death?

Sometimes it releases people.

- So you're moral.

- No.

I'm ruthless.

Bullshit.

All this "I'm 206, I remember

everything and it's a burden."

It's pathetic.

My mom's giving me

a birthday party.

It's not really a party

'cause I'm only inviting you.

- Will you come?

- Yes.

Good.

- Hi.

- Happy Birthday.

For you.

Do I have to invite you in?

You'd better come in.

- Hello again, Ella.

- Hello.

Seriously, you can

try if you like.

I was hoping to arrange

a more official meeting,

ideally with the school counselor

and with Eleanor herself.

Well, what's the problem?

'Cause, you know,

usually she sails

through school.

Well, um, Eleanor

wrote her life story

and uh, she's quite

insistent that it's true.

I don't expect you to be

flattered by this, but in it

she describes you as a soucriant,

which I believe is a sort of vampire.

Well, she has got a

great imagination.

I hope she gets top marks.

Who else has read it?

You have sole care of her,

don't you?

That boyfriend,

I bet he's read it.

Lot of responsibility for

somebody so young.

I'm doing just fine,

thank you.

So, I shoot the bastard Ruthven

and I nick the map...

and then what?

- Well, it ends. She doesn't say, does she?

- That's 'cause I never told her.

Should we arrange a more formal...

I saw that Ruthven wasn't dead.

I should have killed him then,

but I had mercy on the c*nt.

Now, hold that thought because

I'll tell you what he did.

But first, shall I tell you

what it was like for me?

- O.K., yeah.

- It was wonderful.

I had eyes that cut through lies,

lungs that breathed eternity.

I felt I'd lived my

whole wretched life,

just to prepare me

for that moment.

It was easy.

Where's Ruthven?

He wasn't worthy of your gift.

You stole it?

Are we thieves now?

Do we steal time?

We buy it.

With blood.

We are a brotherhood.

There are no women

amongst us.

- What is her parentage?

- It is low.

- And her life before?

- She made ends meet.

I was a harlot.

But that is in the past.

Some things are eternal.

You were to find a man of good blood who

appreciates this brotherhood and what we do.

What is it you do?

We are the pointed nails of justice.

How will you use this gift?

To punish those who

prey on the weak.

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