By Paul Buckmaster


-"COUNT DOWN! IT'S BEEN MANY MOONS SINCE WE'VE LAST SEEN EACH OTHER!"
-"ARE YOU WELL?"
-"OF COURSE, AM I NOT ALWAYS WELL?"
-"GREAT, JUST GREAT!"
-"THE PLANET WILL WATCH OVER ME. NOW TELL ME OF YOURSELF,
WAS YOUR JOURNEY PLEASANT?"
-"IT HAD ITS MOMENTS."
-"AND YOUR MUSICAL STUDIES, DO THEY PROGRESS?"
-"I SUPPOSE SO, OVER THE YEARS I'VE BEEN INTO JUST ABOUT EVERY
CONSIDERABLE TYPE OF MUSIC THERE IS, YOU KNOW."
-"MM, SPLENDID."

-"BLINK? SMALL? WHAT DO YOU DO?"
-"I BUILT MY WHOLE LIFE TO SEE YOU CROWNED, KING. TOMORROW
NIGHT MY LIFE'S WORK WILL BE REWARDED,"

-"LOOK AT THE THRONE! A PEOPLE WITHOUT A KING FOR A HUNDRED YEARS AND
I'M TO BE THE HEIR OF THE THRONE. DIDN'T I TELL YOU?"
-"I KNOW YOU'LL BE A GREAT RULER."
-"NOW, COUNT DOWN, THERE'S NOT MUCH TIME LEFT IF YOU'RE TO FIND
ANY SUSTENANCE BEFORE THE PARTY, YOU REALLY MUST GO OUT NOW."
-"MINE IS AMBER."
-"COUNT DOWN."
-"MY NAME IS AMBER."
-"COUNT DOWN."
-"AMBER."
-"COUNT DOWN."
-"AMBER."
-"AMBER, WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ME?"
-"WON'T YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO EAT? OR SOME WINE?"
-"NO, THANK YOU."
-"LET'S SEE, WHAT DO I KNOW ABOUT YOU? QUITE A LOT.
VAN HELSING'S TALKED ABOUT YOU A GREAT DEAL."
-"OH, THAT YOU'RE AN AUTHORITY IN THE OCCULT, THAT YOU'RE HERE TO OPEN
A MUSEUM AND THAT YOU'RE GIVING A PERFORMANCE AT THE PREVIEW THIS
EVENING."
-"IS THAT ALL?"
-"NO IT'S NOT ALL."
-"WHAT ELSE?"
-"A FEW THINGS I'VE LEARNT MYSELF IN THE LAST COUPLE OF HOURS."
-"REALLY?"
-"THAT YOU'RE CHARMING, ATTRACTIVE, THE PERFECT HEIR-"
-"IS THAT ALL?"