Drachenfels (Vampire Genevieve Book 1) by Kim Newman

Author:Kim Newman [Newman, Kim]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Warhammer Horror
Published: 2019-04-12T16:00:00+00:00

VI

Lilli Nissen’s favoured method of communicating with her director-writer-co-star was through Nebenzahl, her astrologer. If she was unhappy with a line of dialogue, or the performance of some lesser light of the stage, or the food served in her private rooms, or the noise made by the party she pointedly hadn’t attended, or by the way the sun persisted on rising in the east every single solitary morning, she despatched Nebenzahl to whine at Detlef. Detlef was beginning to feel quite sorry for the poor charlatan who was finding his easy berth so unexpectedly rocky. It was the man’s own fault, Detlef supposed, for not foreseeing in the cards, stars or entrails what a monster his employer would turn out to be.

The company were in the great hall of Drachenfels, which had been converted into a theatre. Lilli chose to make her entrance over the stage. As usual, she assumed there was no business connected with the play more important than her whim of the moment, and had herself borne in by her chair-carrying giant in the middle of a rehearsal.

It was an early scene, where Oswald, in the palace at Altdorf, is visited by the projected spirit of the Great Enchanter. They debate in verse the conflict to come, and the major themes of the play are foreshadowed. Detlef was having Vargr Breughel read his own lines, so he could concentrate on Lowenstein’s performance and the lighting effect that would make him seem insubstantial. With the mask, the thin actor seemed a different creature altogether. Genevieve, who was sitting in on the rehearsal, was shuddering – probably reminded nastily of the real Drachenfels – and Detlef took that to be a tribute to Lowenstein’s skills. When he could get perspective on the play, Detlef realized he was in danger of being overshadowed by the villain, and resolved to make his own performance the more masterful. He didn’t mind. While he took pride in his acting, he disdained those stars, of whom Lilli was most definitely one, who surround themselves with the most wooden, untalented supporting actors available in order to make themselves seem better.

During the journey to the fortress, Lilli had tried to persuade him through Nebenzahl to cast some of her favourite walking statues in the other female roles in Drachenfels and he had kicked the astrologer off his wagon. Having written, directed and conceived the play, Detlef felt he could afford to let others shine in it. He planned on taking last billing as an actor in the programme, allowing the weight of his name to be felt as the creator of the piece rather than as one of its interpreters.

Lowenstein-as-Drachenfels was towering over Breughel, vowing that his reign of evil would continue long after the puny prince’s whited bones lay in forgotten dust, when Lilli made her unscheduled entrance, trailing her entourage. The black giant carried an oversized armchair without complaint. Lilli sat primly in it, like a child being carried by a fond parent. Her

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