Trials of Death. Darren Shan

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СКАЧАТЬ Seba explained, “vampires did not spend years preparing for the Trials. They would draw a Trial at random – as they do now – but rather than tackle it immediately, they had a night and a day to prepare. This was to give them time to practise. Many chose to ignore the Period of Preparation – usually those who had undertaken the Trials before – but there was no dishonour in taking advantage of it.”

      “I never heard of that rule,” Gavner said.

      “I did,” Kurda noted, “but I’d never have thought of it. Does it still apply? It hasn’t been used in more than a thousand years.”

      “Just because it is unfashionable does not mean it is invalid,” Seba chuckled. “The Period of Preparation was never formally abolished. Given that Darren is a special case, I went to the Princes and asked that he be allowed to avail himself of it. Mika objected, of course – that vampire was born to object – but Paris talked him round.”

      “So Darren has twenty-four hours to prepare for each Trial,” Mr Crepsley said. “And twenty-four hours to rest afterwards — which adds up to a forty-eight hour gap between each test.”

      “That is good news,” Gavner agreed, brightening up.

      “There is more,” Mr Crepsley said. “We also convinced the Princes to rule out some of the more foreboding Trials, those which are clearly beyond Darren’s means.”

      “I thought you said you weren’t going to ask for favours,” Gavner noted with a grin.

      “Nor did I,” Mr Crepsley replied. “I merely asked that the Princes use their common sense. It would be illogical to ask a blind man to paint, or a mute man to sing. So too would it be senseless to expect a half-vampire to compete on even terms with a full-vampire. Many of the Trials remain, but those which are clearly impossible for one of Darren’s stature have been eliminated.”

      “I still say it’s unfair,” Kurda complained. He faced the ancient Seba Nile. “Are there any other old laws we could make use of? Anything about children not being allowed to compete, or that they can’t be killed if they fail?”

      “None that I am aware of,” Seba said. “The only vampires who cannot be killed for failing the Trials of Initiation are the Princes. All others are judged equally.”

      “Why would Princes be taking the Trials?” I asked.

      “Long ago they had to participate in the Trials at every Council, like everybody else,” Seba said. “Some still undertake them from time to time, if they feel they need to prove themselves. However, it is forbidden for a vampire to kill a Prince, so if a Prince fails and does not die during the Trial, nobody can execute him.”

      “What happens in cases like that?” I asked.

      “There have not been many,” Seba said. “Of the few that I know of, the Princes elected to leave Vampire Mountain and die in the wilds. Only one – Fredor Morsh – resumed his place in the Hall of Princes. That was when the vampaneze broke away, when we had need of all our leaders. Once the crisis had abated, he left to meet his fate.”

      “Come,” Mr Crepsley said, rising and yawning. “I am tired. It is time to turn in for the day.”

      “I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep,” I said.

      “You must,” he grunted. “Rest is vital if you are to complete the Trials. You will need to be fully alert, with all your wits about you.”

      “OK,” I sighed, joining him. Harkat stood too. “See you all tomorrow,” I said to the other vampires, and they nodded glumly in reply.

      Back in my cell, I made myself as comfortable as possible in my hammock – most vampires slept in coffins, but I couldn’t stand them – while Harkat climbed into his. It took ages to drift off, but finally I did, and though I didn’t manage a full day’s sleep, I was reasonably clear-headed when night rolled round and I had to report to the Hall of Princes to learn the nature of my first deathly Trial.

      CHAPTER TWO

      ARRA SAILS was waiting for Mr Crepsley and me outside the Hall of Princes. Arra was one of the rare female vampires at Vampire Mountain. She was a fierce fighter, the equal – or better – of most males. We’d fought a contest earlier during my stay and I’d won her hard-to-earn respect.

      “How are you?” she asked, shaking my hand.

      “Pretty good,” I said.

      “Nervous?”

      “Yes.”

      “I was too, when facing my Trials,” she smiled. “Only a fool goes into them without feeling anxious. The important thing is not to panic.”

      “I’ll try not to.”

      Arra cleared her throat. “I hope you don’t hold what I said in the Hall of Princes against me.” Arra had urged the Princes to make me undertake the Trials. “I don’t believe in going easy on vampires, even if they’re children. Ours is a hard life, not suited to the weak. As I said in the Hall, I think you’ll pass the Trials, but if you don’t, I won’t step in to plead for your life.”

      “I understand,” I said.

      “We’re still friends?”

      “Yes.”

      “If you need help preparing, call on me,” she said. “I have been through the Trials three times, to prove to myself more than any other that I am a worthy vampire. There is very little that I don’t know about them.”

      “We will bear that in mind,” Mr Crepsley said, bowing to her.

      “Courteous as ever, Larten,” Arra noted. “And as handsome too.”

      I nearly laughed out loud. Mr Crepsley — handsome? I’d seen more appealing creatures in the monkey enclosures in zoos! But Mr Crepsley took the compliment in his stride, as though he was used to such flattery, and bowed again.

      “And you are as beautiful as ever,” he said.

      “I know,” she grinned, and left. Mr Crepsley watched her intently as she walked away, a faraway look on his normally solemn face. When he caught me smirking, he scowled.

      “What are you grinning about?” he snapped.

      “Nothing,” I said innocently, then added slyly, “An old girlfriend?”

      “If you must know,” he said stiffly, “Arra was once my mate.”

      I blinked. “You mean she was your wife?”

      “In a manner of speaking.”

      I stared, slack-jawed, at the vampire. “You never told me you were married!”

      “I am not – any more – but I used to be.”

      “What СКАЧАТЬ