The Finno-Ugrian Vampire by Noémi Szécsi

Author:Noémi Szécsi [Noemi Szecsi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780714523309
Publisher: Marion Boyars
Published: 2012-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

36

MY RENDEZVOUS was in the City Park, in front of a castle built in the eclectic style. It had been constructed for the millennial celebrations as a pavilion originally designed to represent various Hungarian styles and was rebuilt in more durable materials because it had been such a success. But sensation-seeking guides had no qualms about suggesting to their largely Anglo-Saxon tourist groups that it was an exact copy of Dracula’s castle. And they happily swallowed this claim hook, line and sinker, and indeed passed on the suggestion to all and sundry.

I waited in the dry bed of the artificial lake. These Hungarians are pretty filthy, with all their litter, I decided, and set off for a bench that had been deprived of several of its wooden slats. I heard a noise, the sound of panting, but before I could turn around two hands grasped me by the shoulders.

‘Is this how you always come,’ I said, ‘attacking me from the rear?’

‘I saw you from the crossroads and ran to catch up with you,’ wheezed Jermák. ‘Come on, let’s sit down over there, on the bench.’

‘Why did you summon me here?’

‘Why did you come?’

‘Only for my pyjamas. You said on the phone I’d left my pyjamas.’

‘Here you are.’ Jermák handed me an A4-size cardboard wrapper. ‘I absent-mindedly stuffed it in my own rucksack.’

‘Lucky that Norma-Elektra didn’t find it. Well then… Ciao.’

‘Wait… Aren’t you even going to say goodbye? I heard from Elektra you’re no longer working for us.’

‘Are you surprized?’

‘I’ll miss you. But this is how it has to be.’

‘That’s true.’

‘You know, if I think about it, there are certain things I cannot permit myself,’ said Jermák, and looked up at me, his eyes brimming with tears.

‘But at least I sorted everything out with Elektra. And in fact she didn’t seem all that angry.’

Now Jermák burst out laughing and placed his hands on my shoulders.

‘You little… Just come over here a minute! What a swan-like neck… Let’s just take this off.’

He began to undo the wasp-print scarf that I had wrapped round my neck when I had set out in the biting wind. I did not reject his physical advances; let him have a Christmas present. Perhaps he likes Christmas.

‘You are delicious… delicious…’ he whispered in my ear.

‘This is out of order. Why am I letting it happen?’

It was a rhetorical question but I expected at least a murmur by way of acknowledgement. When this failed to materialize, I opened my eyes and looked up. Jermák was standing behind me. He had twisted my hands back in such a powerful grip that it was impossible for me to move. A hard, distant sound issued from his lips:

‘We are linked by ties of blood, now that we have tasted each other’s. I tasted yours first, so you are in my power. You thought you wanted something but all the while you were doing my bidding.’

He leaned very close.

‘I don’t like victims who are passive. It’s much more exciting if you resist tooth and nail…’

And with that he greedily bit into my neck.

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