By John Tavener


-"IT IS EXTRAORDINARY TO RECALL THE DAY WHEN I WAS STAMPED A ROBBER OF
GRAVES, A MAD SCIENTIST INTENT ON CREATING HUMAN LIFE IN A ROBOT."
-"HARLEY STREET AFFORDS ME A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRACTICE
AND RESEARCH CERTAINLY."
-"RADIOACTIVE TRANSPLANT CONTROL AND THERAPY HAVE PROVED THEMSELVES."
-"BUT, PLEASE, DON' LET ME INTERRUPT YOUR OBSERVATIONS."
-"AH, YOU FORGET, I AM ABLE TO CONVERSE THE MOMENTS OF THE TIME WITHOUT
LOSING MY ASTROLOGICAL VISION. KING ARTHUR WOULD NEVER BELIEVE ME.
HOWEVER, I AM STILL CONCERNED WITH THIS AS YET UNSEEN FACTOR IN THE
COUNT'S CHART. EVERYTHING IS POINTING BEAUTIFULLY TO THIS MOST IMPORTANT
MOMENT IN HIS DESTINY. IT IS ALL THERE EXCEPT FOR....WAIT! IT IS THERE! BLAST!"
-"WHAT DOES IT MEAN?"
-"I'M NOT SURE YET, BUT IT'LL CERTAINLY CAUSE THE COUNT TO BE INFLUENCED
IN SOME WAY."
-"ADVERSELY?"
-"I FEAR IT MIGHT."
-"YOU MAY RECALL, THE COUNT WAS NOT VAMPERISED IN A NORMAL MANNER. HE WAS
BORN! THIS IS ALWAYS CRUCIAL. YET HE HAS LIVES AS HIS FATHER'S SUCCESSOR."
-"THE HEAVEN MUST KNOW, PERHAPS SUGGEST A DIFFERENT COURSE."
-"PLEASE LEAVE ME! I MUST GET ON WITH MY WORK. EVERY SECOND IS CRITICAL"
-"OF COURSE, IF YOU SHOULD REQUIRE MY ASSISTANCE IN ANY WAY...."
-"THANK YOU, BARON, THANK YOU. GOOD BUSTER, SHOW THE BARON TO THE DOOR."

-"ARE YOU AFRAID?"
-"NO, I'M NOT AFRAID, I'M CONCERNED FOR YOU."
-"I UNDERSTAND."
-"I JUST WISH IT WERE OVER, THAT'S ALL-"
-"IT SOON WILL BE. I'M SORRY, I'LL TAKE THIS OFF..."
-"KEEP IT ON, IT MIGHT PROTECT YOU."
-"ALL OF THIS WILL SOON BE OVER, THE DARKNESS AND FEAR OF SYMBOLS...."

-"YOUR CONCERN FOR THE COUNT IS UNDERSTANDABLE, OF COURSE. HE WILL BE QUITE
SAFE. AN OPERATING ROOM IS BEING SET UP IN THE MUSEUM AND DOCTOR VAN HELSING
WILL PERFORM THE TRANSFORMATION INSTEAD OF YOURSELF."
-"I WON'T HAVE ANY OF THIS!"
-"THE COUNT HAS CHOSEN AGAINST IMMORTALISATION. THE DOCTOR WILL IMPLANT
THE POWER FOR HUMAN LOVE."

-"THE TRANSFORMATION HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL AND YOU WILL FEEL NO POST-
OPERATIVE EFFECTS."
-"AND AMBER?"
-"OH, SHE'S SAFE. SHE'S THERE. AND YOU WILL NOW, AND FOR THE REST OF YOUR
LIFE BE A HUMAN BEING."
-"I THOUGHT I KNEW THE WORDS TO THANK YOU FOR THIS, REALLY, BUT I DON'T."
-"AND THAT IS A VERY HUMAN EMOTION."