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.»