By Paul Buckmaster

 

 

-"YOUR CRAFT DEFEATS ME, MERLIN, HOW YOU BALANCE THE DESTINY AND

SOUL OF US ALL IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND IS A FEAT."

 

-"MASTER, THE SERVANT BRIAN WISHES TO SEE YOU."

-"SEND HIM IN."

-"GREAT MASTER, FORGIVE ME, BUT I HAVE TO SEEK YOUR ADVICE."

-"WHAT IS IT THAT DISTURBS YOU, BRIAN?"

-"IS IT TRUE THAT AN OPERATION IS TO BE PERFORMED ON THE COUNT DOWN?"

-"YES, IT IS TRUE."

-"BUT WHAT WILL IT MEAN? THAT HE WILL NO LONGER BE IMMORTAL? THAT 

HE WILL NOT BE KING? BUT HE MUST BECOME OVERLORD OF THE NETHERWORLD!"

-"BRIAN, IN THE NEXT HOURS MANY THINGS MAY HAPPEN."

COUNT DOWN WILL NEED YOUR HELP AND UNDERSTANDING, WHATEVER HAPPENS,

YOUR YEARS OF FAITHFUL SERVICE WILL NOT HAVE BEEN IN VAIN."

 

-"IF THIS MAN, VAN HELSING, IS ALLOWED TO HUMANISE THE COUNT,

THE HOUSE OF DRACULA WILL BE OBLITERATED FOREVER. BUT THE COUNT

MAY YET BE SAVED FROM THIS CATASTROPHE."

-"NO!"

-"COUNT DOWN, WAIT HERE UNTIL VAN HELSING SENDS FOR YOU TO COME

TO THE OPERATE."

 

-"I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY TO YOU NOW, BUT IF YOU MAKE IT THROUGH THE

NIGHT I'LL FIND THE ROOTS TOMORROW."

 

-"COUNT DOWN MUST BE FEELING, UNDERSTANDABLY, SOME TREPIDATION, 

AT THIS TIME. AFTER ALL, IT'S QUITE A STEP HE'S TAKING."

-"HE'S PREPARED AS FAR AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE."

-"AND VULNERABLE, DOCTOR, AND VULNERABLE."