Mark of the Vampire Page #3

but to live on after death,

a soul earth-bound,

a vampire.

You don't wish any such fate

for your beloved.

- No, of course not.

- Of course not.

- Then you must leave with me.

- I'm not leaving here.

Please, dear. Do as he says.

I'm so tired. Good night.

Maid, maid, come here, please.

Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

I want you and the butler

to place some of this bat thorn

in every room on this floor.

You understand?

- Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

- Go along.

Come, young man.

Don't do that.

He wants some of this

put in every room in the house.

- Oh, yes, you?

- No, we.

The vampire's power prevails

during the hours

between sunset and sunrise

- when it leaves its coffin.

- Professor.

- We've just come from Sir Karell's tomb.

- The coffin was empty.

Help! Help!

- Irena! Irena!

- Fedor! Fedor!

- Darling. What happened?

- Oh, my dear.

What happened?

Stop jittering. What are you trying to say?

Oh, it was terrible. It was awful.

- Quiet, please. One at a time.

- Speak up. Tell me what happened.

Yes, sir. We were told to put

some of the bat thorn in every room.

We had just come out of that door

and started down the hall...

I don't like it. It's a horrible business.

I wish he'd hung

the beastly stuff up himself.

We'll get it over with.

- He was there. Coming towards us.

- Yes, yes.

He had a white face, a dead white face,

with burning eyes

- and a ghastly wound on his head.

- It was Count Mora.

- Yes, yes.

- Have you been drinking?

No. No, sir.

If I have, I hope to choke on the next one.

This is no time for levity.

The vampire,

he is still somewhere within this house.

Young man, place some bat thorn

at this door and lock it securely.

- Yes, sir.

- Maid, butler,

search the rooms at that end of the house.

You mean go into those rooms?

- Yes, you idiot.

- Hurry.

Baron Otto,

we must drive him out of here.

Quick, Inspector,

we must search the rooms at this end.

In that room, Baron.

Quick, Inspector, we've no time to lose.

Maria, Maria, don't leave me.

- Inspector. Inspector, what is it?

- He got through the window.

- Did you...

- Baron, Inspector, come here.

- Please, quick.

- What is it, Professor? What is it?

Look.

Was that he? The last one?

- Who?

- Sir Karell, her father.

- Her father?

- Why, yes.

Didn't you find his coffin empty?

No, no, I can't believe that.

I won't believe that.

Inspector, please hurry.

Place this at these doors.

I'll attend to the others.

- Professor.

- Baron, a moment.

Baron, there are things going on

in this house that I don't like.

- What do you mean?

- Well, this weed,

the way the Professor's acting,

I don't like it.

Well, I'm bewildered.

I no longer know what to think.

I'm afraid, Fedor, afraid to close my eyes.

There's nothing to be afraid of.

We'll be here with you, watching over you.

No, no, no. We must go.

We can't remain here.

She must have quiet.

She must have sleep.

Her exhausted body demands it.

Miss Borotyn,

the maid will be here with you.

But I dread every moment

between now and morning.

Dismiss all fear from your mind.

The room is quite safe now.

The organ. That music.

He was always at the organ.

Sounds like it comes from the dead.

This window.

It's Sir Karell.

- Are you sure? Are you sure it's Sir Karell?

- Yes.

The night will soon be spent

and nothing accomplished.

Well, are we going to sit here and think,

or are we going to do something?

Incredible. Incredible.

If Sir Karell...

I still maintain Miss Borotyn's

the only one who can influence her father.

- Are you mad?

- Good heavens, no.

Can't you understand?

She mustn't even know her father's there.

Of course not.

- Vampires or no vampires, I'm going to...

- What are you going to do?

- Call headquarters for help.

- Yes, surround the place, set fire to it.

Fire, an army of police,

a hurricane of bullets

would do no good.

You seem to forget

that during the hours of darkness

the vampire can't even be harmed,

let alone destroyed.

If they can't be destroyed,

then we're wasting time.

I didn't say they couldn't be destroyed.

They can.

By day the vampires must return

to the ground in which they were buried

or else find shelter

in some accursed retreat.

It is then they are powerless.

Then we must leave at daybreak.

It's our chance to get away from here.

What?

And leave these monsters here

to continue their work of destruction?

- It would be cowardice.

- What else is there to do?

Search for them.

Find their corpse-like bodies.

It is in that state and that state only

they can be destroyed.

Their heads must be severed

with one clean stroke

and a sprig of bat thorn

placed within the gaping wound.

We would be crazy to attempt

what you're planning.

I'll never do it, never.

In the morning, we're leaving.

I agree with you.

Yes? Yes.

In three hours it will be daylight.

Oh, thank heaven

the house is well protected for the night.

Come, gentlemen,

let's go to bed and get some rest.

I had gone to bed as you said.

I laid here for hours trying to go to sleep.

But I was restless. I couldn't.

Then I heard Maria leave the room.

Why did you leave the room?

You had your orders.

To get some coffee to keep me awake.

You fool.

And after Maria left the room,

then what happened?

I heard a sound like wind at the casement.

I felt a draft.

Then I saw her,

just as she was on the terrace.

I fought to keep my eyes open,

but they closed.

I felt again that deadly, cold breath.

The horror of it made me feel faint.

There, there, my child.

That young man, go to him. Hurry.

That cross I told you to wear...

Maid, get it immediately.

Put it about her neck.

- Wake up. Come on.

- Go away. What? What's the matter?

- What's wrong?

- Fedor, are you... Are you all right?

Something's wrong.

Irena, what's happened to her?

Mr. Vincent, quiet, please.

Fedor, Irena, she's been...

Miss Borotyn is asleep.

Quick, Inspector, close that door, please.

Why are you here?

We've been watching through the night,

but now the dawn is here.

We wanted to be sure

that you were safe before we retired.

I felt drowsy.

I must have fallen sound asleep.

Sound? You were in a stupor.

We had to shake you.

Stupor?

Tell me,

this deep sleep, did it refresh you?

Why, yes. Why do you ask?

What are you doing?

I just wanted to look

at the wounds on your neck.

That deep sleep was unnatural.

Fortunately, he wasn't harmed.

When the maid screamed out to us,

it must have frightened the monster away.

Gentlemen, we must face the truth,

the horrible truth.

Miss Borotyn is in their power.

To save her we must break the spell.

If we don't succeed in destroying

those monsters by sundown,

we may be too late.

- Quick, get into your clothes.

- Come, Baron.

Professor.

Professor Zelin.

In here, Inspector.

- Have you searched thoroughly above?

- Yes.

Not so much as a mark

on the dust-covered floor.

Same over there at the organ

where you saw Sir Karell playing.

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