20 Questions Sir Differel - P2

Copyright (C) 2011 by Kevin L. O'Brien

Continued from Part 1

11

PQ: What were the best and worst of that time?

SD: I actually had three "bests". The first was when Vlad returned after a three year absence. The second was my marriage to Victor Edward Plunkett, the Viscount of Dunwich in the County of Suffolk.

PQ: That must have been a shock to a great many people.

SD: To me as well. Thanks to the resilient self-reliance Vlad and the others had instilled in me, I had no interest in casual affairs and no desire for romance, though I had no outlet for dating even if I did. I had pretty much resolved that I would never marry, but Victor destroyed my complacency and threw my emotional equilibrium all out of balance. By the time I recovered, I realized I had fallen deeply in love and I gladly surrendered my heart to him.

PQ: You must still love him very much.

SD: [Smiles] More than anything except God, Britain, and Henry.

PQ: That's your son?

SD: Yes, The Rt. Hon. Henry Abraham Vlad Helsing-Plunkett, 27th Viscount Dunwich; he was my third "best" and is the joy of my life.

PQ: Why "Helsing-Plunkett"?

SD: It was Victor's idea. He wanted to make sure that despite the marriage everyone understood the Order had not been taken over by another family, that the Van Helsing line was still in control. He also wanted it made clear that Vlad had not switched loyalty to another family, that he was still bound to the Van Helsing bloodline. I wasn't sure either would really be a problem, but he insisted, and he could be very persuasive.

PQ: And the worst?

SD: [Frowns] I would think that would be obvious. After only three years of marriage, Victor was killed by an Archangel of the Vatican's Holy Order of St. Antony Demons-Bane. It was ordered by the then-director Monsignor Canarde, without the knowledge of his superiors. He had become convinced that I and my family had been compromised and that we would use the Order to subjugate Britain. I ordered Vlad to get Henry to safety, but Victor was dead before he could return.

PQ: That must have been traumatic.

SD: I went insane. First, I used Caliburn to slaughter the Archangel. I mean that literally; I cut him to pieces like a hog for market. Then I retaliated against the Antonians. Canarde pushed back and I responded. Our vendetta escalated until open war threatened between our orders. Only a command from Her Majesty convinced me to back off, and still I nearly refused—

[Editor's Note: Sir Differel broke off at that point and left the room without a word. Dracula ordered us to stay where we were, and we waited while Aelfraed served us tea and sandwiches. After a half hour, she returned with her friends, Team Girl. She apologized for her abrupt exit, claiming an emergency, and asked to continue, but Eile and Sonne stayed with her.]

SD: I took a leave of absence to allow cooler heads to settle the dispute, but in my grief I convinced myself I could no longer take care of Henry properly. I gave him to Victor's family to be raised, on condition that I didn't try to see him. In exchange, I received a yearly package of photos and videos at Christmas.

PQ: But you have been reunited with him recently, true?

SD: Yes, thanks to Team Girl. [She smiled at Eile and Sonne, who smiled back.]

PQ: Have you considered remarrying?

SD: No, I haven't. I love Victor with a passion such as I have never felt for anyone or anything else. I doubt I could ever love any man the same way again. I don't believe I would ever want to.

PQ: What about simple companionship? Don't you ever feel lonely?

SD: Pray, tell me how I can feel lonely with these three always under foot? [She indicates Dracula and Team Girl.]

12

PQ: Let's move on to a new subject. You've been injured during your service, is that correct?

SD: That's part of the job.

PQ: Nonetheless, we understand that some of the wounds are quite extensive.

SD: [Grins] You want to see my battle scars, is that it?

PQ: Not particularly, but isn't it unusual for the director of a government agency to put herself in danger as you have?

SD: Hmph. It never ceases to amaze me how people who have no conception of the dangers Britain faces nonetheless insist upon criticizing the actions of those who do. Still…I suppose I may take more risks than is warranted. Part of it has to do with the fact that as a child I didn't like the security restrictions imposed upon me for my safety, so once I became Director, I probably overcompensated. Then too I have always been a swashbuckler at heart; part of my Pendragon legacy. Between the ages of 18 and 21 I went monster hunting with Vlad as often as I could, and I seriously considered resigning as Director and playing the Pendragon fulltime.

However, there have been times and there continue to be circumstances in which my presence as Director in the field is not only necessary but mandatory. I cannot go into any classified details, but the basics are that it is easier and faster for me to make decisions if I am directly witnessing events as they unfold, rather than receiving reports here at the manor, no matter how detailed or timely.

PQ: It has paid off, though. We understand this is a sore subject, but your direct actions have netted you numerous awards, yes? Besides the Life Peerage, George Cross, Order of the Garter, and the Grendel Invasion Medal.

SD: Oh, bother. Yes, they have, though that isn't why I did what I did. [Sighs] But I suppose you'll want a list. Very well, for my actions during the Grendel Invasion I was also awarded the Order of Canada, Officer Grade; the Order of Australia, Dame Grade; and the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom. Additionally, my Life Peerage entitled me to sit in the House of Lords, where I advise Parliament on paranormal affairs. I should mention, however, that one award I accepted without reservation was the creation of a personal coat of arms, separate from that I inherited from Father.

In any event, I have also received the War Cross of Belgium, the Israeli Chief of Staff Medal of Appreciation, the American Distinguished Service Cross, the Order of the Grand Warrior of Kenya, the Ashoka Chakra Award of India, and the Order of National Hero of Jamaica. Just this year I have been recommended for the Vatican's Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Sylvester Pope and Martyr, Dame Grand Cross of the First Class Grade, and I've been told that Her Majesty will appoint me to the Privy Council to replace Sir Edward Penbryn.

However, I should point out that while I have rejected the honours awarded as a result of the Grendel Invasion, I do not object to the others, since they were awarded for later actions that I handled in a more effective and professional manner.

PQ: Can you give us any details on how you came to be awarded these other decorations?

SD: No, I'm sorry, they're classified.

13

PQ: If we could go back to an earlier discussion, you mentioned that you were asked to leave your school.

SD: [Smiles] A kindly euphemism for being expelled.

PQ: Did that end your education?

SD: By no means! I already mentioned that I was schooled in the morning each day. My guardian committee hired a live-in tutor, a retired paraplegic college professor.

PQ: Just how far were you able to go?

SD: I completed the Eighth Year, then he took me through Third, Fourth, and Fifth Form. I passed my General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) exams at the end of Fifth Form, receiving at least an 'A' level grade in all subjects except three. By then I was old enough I could control my emotions and I returned to Gresham's for Sixth Form, studying nine subjects and passing my Advanced Level General Certificate of Education exams with five 'A's. I stayed on to take their International Baccalaureate Diploma program, which I received with honours. I enrolled in Somerville College at Oxford studying Classical Archaeology and Ancient History, but after a year and a half I dropped out due to the increasing pressures of being Director.

At Victor's urging, I enrolled at the College of West Anglia in their Bachelor of Arts Honours degree program studying History and English Literature, but I dropped out the following year after his death.

PQ: Would you consider going back to try to finish getting a higher degree?

SD: I might, though with the Internet now, I could get a degree online.

PQ: We understand you excel at languages?

SD: I know a few. It helps when trying to negotiate with national or regional leaders, not the least of which is not needing interpretors.

PQ: What are some you know?

SD: I'm proficient in ten languages, eight of which are past or current lingua francas and five of which are official languages of the United Nations. These include French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Latin, and Japanese. I also speak fluent Welsh and Medieval Romanian. That last is Vlad's native tongue. I have a tourist's understanding of German, Dutch, Hindi, and Swahili, the last two also being lingua francas, and I am learning Swedish and Portuguese. Oh, and for a lark, Sunny is teaching me tlhIngan Hol. That's Klingon.

Sonne Hiver: Qapla'!

Eile Chica: Put a sock in it, ya ditz!

14

PQ: Um, switching gears here, can you tell us something of your politics?

SD: Let's see. To begin with, I'm a British aristocrat through and through. I believe in class distinctions, privileges, and responsibilities, but I defend democracy as ardently as I do the British social order. I am a member of the Conservative Party and a staunch supporter of conservative economic, foreign, and defense policies, as well as certain social policies regarding crime, welfare, and morality. I also tend towards One Nation Conservatism, but I support Scottish and Welsh independence, multiculturalism, and closer ties with the European Union. I am generally opposed to Thatcherite economic policies, and while I sympathize with and in principle support the Cornerstone Group's philosophy of the traditional values of faith, patriotism, and the family, I am opposed to nearly all their specific policies. I believe in rewarding talent and ability with promotion and advancement regardless of its current level. I suppose that if I have one serious fault, I'm intolerant of failure, especially my own, but I also understand that honest mistakes can lead to greater competence.

PQ: What of your religious beliefs?

SD: That one's easy: I'm Anglican and a member of the Church of England. As such, I am an avowed and unapologetic Christian theist. Though I am no proselytizer. I believe each person's faith and relationship to God is his affair.

PQ: And your philosophy?

SD: Hmph. I haven't given that much thought. I suppose I am probably closest to the Stoics, in that I strive after virtue, self-control, and clear and unbiased thinking. However, I also admire the Epicurean view, in that I reject superstition and I strive for modesty, temperance, tranquility, and to gain knowledge. However, I would make a poor ascetic or cynic, being as I cannot abstain from "worldly pleasures" or reject desires for wealth and power, even though I try to obtain spiritual fulfillment and peace of mind. To function effectively as Director, I need creature comforts and a staff to provide them for me. Ethically I suppose I am closest to a deontologist, in that I believe right and wrong are determined by certain rules, such that an act is wrong if it violates one of those rules even if it results in good. When it comes to free will, I am more of a libertarian than a determinist, but I do believe certain actions lead to predetermined ends. Though I am a theist, I am also a humanist, a rationalist, and a materialist. I don't deny the spiritual, but I believe it is limited to miracles, the soul, and the Holy Spirit; I don't believe in devils and angels warring over Humanity except in our own hearts. I am also partial to the theses of Thomas Aquinas. I like his ideas that the world is knowable as it is, that truth is true regardless of the source, that good is the striving after effective function, and that the existence of God can be known demonstrated through reason.

15

PQ: Is it true you hate dresses?

SD: With a passion.

PQ: Why is that?

SD: The standard party dress reveals too much of me for my comfort, especially those with no sleeves, shoulders, or back, and with necklines that plunge halfway down one's cleavage. I also consider those with skirt slits running up the arse to be patently ridiculous. Mostly, however, they are too restrictive and confining, especially if I have to fight.

PQ: And yet you wear skirts on occasion.

SD: A skirt is more sensible. For one thing, it can be made free-flowing so that it doesn't interfere with movement. For another, I can wear leggings underneath, so that if I am required to fight, I can remove the skirt without concern. With a dress, I am usually unable to wear anything beneath it except stocking and a pair of knickers. That makes it rather awkward to take it off if I need to.

PQ: We see your point. Why don't you wear skirts more often?

SD: I used to wear them all the time, before I gave birth. Afterwards, I wore pants a few times because they were quick and convenient and more comfortable, and Victor said I looked sexy, so I started wearing them all the time. Can't say I see it myself, but it made him happy.

PQ: Just out of curiosity, why do you wear a cravat?

SD: [Laughs] You mean as opposed to a tie or an ascot? I suppose it's a concession to my feminine side. The color varies from day to day and tends to match my mood.

PQ: And yet, you don't wear any makeup.

SD: There's feminine, and then there's girly. I'm not terribly concerned about my appearance, may Team Girl have mercy on my soul, but I will wear lipstick and even perfume when the fancy strikes me. About the only aspect of my looks that I don't mess with is my hair. I always wear it loose, even under formal conditions; it just doesn't have enough body and it's too stringy to try to wear up in some fashion. The only problem being it often falls in my face.

16

PQ: Is it true that you're celibate and a teetotaler?

SD: Hmph. You're really pushing the intimacy boundaries with that one. Watch it. The former is true; the only man I've ever had sex with was Victor when he was alive. The latter is exaggerated. In practice I rarely drink on my own, but I'm a social drinker when the circumstances require it. However, I do love tea, I drink coffee or hot chocolate when it's cold, and I'm partial to Lilt, specifically pineapple and grapefruit flavored Lilt Zero.

PQ: That reminds us, you have a reputation for being a gourmand, yet your favorite dish is…

SD: Fish and chips, yes. I'm also partial to haggis, steak and kidney pie, welsh rarebit, shepherd's pie, bangers and mash, pasties; plus, Team Girl has introduced me to bacon cheeseburgers and lasagna. Oh, yes, and I am extremely partial to cherry amaretto ice cream. However, Aelfraed is Le Cordon Bleu trained and Madam Trumbo is a disciple of Gaston LeNôtre, so I have my fill of gourmet food.

PQ: And yet you manage to maintain your girly figure.

SD: [Chuckles] Oh, you really are asking for it. Between age and motherhood, I need to maintain a strict exercise routine if I wish to remain fit and firm. Every day I swim, or perform gymnastics, or fence, or engage in a martial arts workout or sword dueling or knife fighting; in fact, I find any of those a good way to blow off steam. About the only overt sign that I'm deteriorating is my myopia and astigmatism are getting worse and I am becoming presbyopic.

PQ: You also smoke.

SD: Cigarillos, four to six a day. And I swear like a sailor when I lose my temper, voice offensive street sang, use 'bloody' the way most people use the 'F' word, and I haven't celebrated a birthday since Father's death. Thus ends the litany of my vices.

17

PQ: Do you have any fun at all? Or is that a moot subject?

SD: By no means. Christmas is my favorite holiday, and one of the very few times I enjoy myself. My weekly departmental meetings usually center on a game of whist. Aelfraed and I play at least one game of pool every couple of evenings or so. Other nights I enjoy playing chess with Vlad, and I often beat him. Eile and Sunny have taught me the joy of video games and Henry and I play as often as we can. When I feel especially stressed, I go horseback riding for a few hours. Four times a year I have tea with Her Majesty as I report on paranormal activity in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. Every year the Order has a cricket tournament; I'm the bowler for Drac's Bats. When I was younger I read fantasy fiction and I still do on occasion.

[Grins] And while I'd be loathed to admit it, I really enjoy the time I spend with Team Girl, whether on duty or not. Around them I can relax and let myself go, which I can't do with anyone else except Henry. [She clasps hand with them for a moment.]

But my favorite activities are the most personal. I have a strong interest in antiquarianism, and I spend a few days each month doing research in old libraries, or visiting ruins or abandoned cemeteries. As part of that, I am teaching myself Old English, Old French, and Old Norse. Each evening, before I go to bed, I work on my illustrations, and on the weekends I reserve time to practice the dramatic recitations I know by heart, and learn new ones. And there's my music. I don't have an organ in the manor, so perhaps two or three times a month I go to St. Mary, the parish church in Denver, and practice on their organ. I'm not sure Father Baerinville appreciates me playing "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida".

But my primary love is the cello. I remember when I was nine, Father took me to a concert and I was inspired by a virtuoso cellist. I begged Mandy to let me learn, and she relented only when I promised I wouldn't get bored with it and quit after a few weeks. Despite the difficult lessons and long hours of practice, I enjoyed it and became good enough that I considered making a career as a professional musician. Even now, playing the cello relaxes me and can calm my temper.

PQ: At one point, didn't you want to compete in the Olympics?

SD: In the 1996 Summer Games, yes. That was the first year the Women's Individual Sabre event would be held, but I was denied permission for security reasons. I was only 20 at the time, and still under the control of my Regency Committee. When the 2000 Summer Games came around, I was too busy rebuilding the Order, and during the lead-up to 2004 I was married and pregnant. After that, I was pretty much too old.

But I still competed in other games. For four years I entered the Norfolk Fencing Tournament and won one Bronze, one Silver, and two Gold Medals. Meanwhile I also competed in the SAS Combat Trials and won Champion Standing for knife fighting two years in a row. Then I competed in the East Anglia Fencing Tournament for four years, earning one Silver and three Gold Medals. During that time I also won Second Place at the 12th Global Kendo Championship.

At the 2006 Gwynedd Tourney at Arms I was declared Grand Champion for winning three out of five dueling contests: fencing sabre, rapier, and longsword. In 2008 at the First International Dueling Championship I won 2nd Prize for rapier and 1st Prize for longsword and great sword. In 2009 I received the Platinum Cross for fencing at the Queen's Charity Gala Tournament, and then went on to win Champion Standing at the Gwynedd Tourney at Arms for rapier and longsword. Finally, in 2010 at the Second International Dueling Championship, I won 2nd Prize for longsword, and 1st Prize for rapier and great sword. I've also been awarded the Queen's Medal for Champion Pistol Shots for fourteen of the past twenty-one years.

I haven't competed since, however; both too old and too busy.

PQ: You're also a member of a number of associations, correct?

SD: Yes, but I'm only currently active in three of them. I'm Grand Master of the Order of the Dragon, I'm a Seventh-degree Mason in The Order of Women Freemasons, Norfolk Lodge, and I'm a member of the University Women's Club. Even these last two, however, I'm not as active as I would like to be.

PQ: And we've been told you travel to another universe every night in your Dreams? A place called the Dreamlands?

SD: [Frowns] That's classified, and I have no comment.

PQ: That you've been declared the heir presumptive of one of its kingdoms?

SD: Classified; no comment.

PQ: And that Lord Dunwich is still alive there and you remarried him?

SD: Classified. No comment. Move on!

18

PQ: Very well. We all know the reputation of Sir Abraham as Britain's Royal Monster Hunter, but is it true that the Pendragons were protecting the islands long before him?

SD: Correct, and they've been doing it for 1500 years. It started with Arthur's granddaughter, whose name is also unknown. Her mother taught her how to summon Caliburn and how to fight with it, but when she was killed by a barrow wight, the granddaughter killed it in revenge. She then began a vendetta against all paranormal creatures that she passed on to her daughter, and she to her daughter, and so forth. However, it wasn't until Gwyar and her daughter Eleirch, the first of the family whose names we know, that they offered their services to the Welsh Crown. Beginning with them, the Pendragons dedicated themselves to protecting Wales, then England, and finally Britain, sometimes in the open with the Sovereign's blessing, but more often in secret. What I find amazing is that they managed to descend unbroken from mother to daughter down to modern times. They never married, but they all survived long enough to bear, raise, and train a child, and they always had daughters. That tradition ended with Mother and myself; she died before she could train me, and I had a son. Whether the Pendragon line can continue on through him or will become extinct depends upon whether he marries and has children, if any are girls, and if any of them can summon Caliburn.

PQ: Also, Sir Abraham wasn't the first of his family to make a career of monster hunting, was he?

SD: No, but compared to the Pendragons, the Van Helsings were relative newcomers to monster-hunting, having been at it for only 300 years. Old Abraham didn't even want to be a monster hunter. While trained by his family, he decided to be a physician, scholar, and philosopher. But he continued his occult studies, and occasionally consulted on his family's activities.

PQ: How did he and the then-Pendragon first meet?

SD: The Pendragons normally limited their activities to the British Isles, but sometimes they traveled to the Continent, usually in pursuit of a fleeing creature or to head off a possible infiltration, and they often joined forces with the Van Helsings; in fact, they had been acquaintances of the Van Helsings for a number of decades. Dindrane Amanda Pendragon, my maternal great-great-grandmother, came to him to help her find a monster she was tracking, and they became friends. From what he wrote in his journals years later, I suspect Old Abraham was infatuated with her.

PQ: Tell us about how he caught and enslaved Dracula.

SD: Most of the story you already know. Bram Stoker's novel is very accurate; it just leaves out certain details and changes the ending. The most important omission is that when Abraham arrived in Britain and realized Lucy Westenra was the victim of a Vampire, he secretly alerted Dindrane and enlisted her aid. She performed his legwork, tracking down Vlad behind the scenes, both in Britain and on the Continent, revealing herself only to protect Abraham against him while traversing the Borgo Pass, and help Abraham defend Mina Harker from his Transylvanian brides. She also stood ready to destroy him in case Abraham and his team were unable to accomplish it.

Of course, the other significant omission is that though Abraham defeated Vlad, he didn't destroy him, but rather forced him to serve the Van Helsing family until the bloodline went extinct, a Van Helsing released him, or he was finally destroyed. Though Dindrane disagreed with his decision to spare Vlad, nonetheless she decided not to second guess him. However, she also decided to stay close, in case Vlad proved treacherous.

PQ: And how did the Caerleon Order come about?

SD: As a reward for saving Great Britain from Dracula, Queen Victoria made Van Helsing a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, and appointed him the royal monster hunter. To better accomplish his mission, he formed the Caerleon Order of the Companions of St. George, and Dindrane helped him. She also suggested its name, and she became its premier monster killer after Vlad, becoming known as The Pendragon. Her descendents have continued to serve as Pendragon right down to more recent times.

To ensure that the Van Helsing bloodline would continue, and thereby continue to control Vlad, Queen Victoria arranged for Abraham to marry Dame Beatrice Louise Churchill, the 1st Baronetess of Denver and my paternal great-great-grandmother. He converted the Churchill ancestral manor into the headquarters for the Order, but placed Beatrice in charge of the renovations, and thereby she put her own spin on the results. They ultimately had five children together; one, Colin, died before he was a year old, but the rest—George, Lucille, Reginald, and Angela—not only survived into adulthood, but they also set most of the traditions and policies of the Order. George inherited Beatrice's title, becoming the 34th Baronet of Denver, and took over as Director when Abraham retired. Reginald became the first Manager and Angela the first Chief Analyst, while Lucille became a field agent and monster hunter; she was probably the closest to Vlad at that time. In any event, since then it has been traditional for the baronet to serve as Director and concentrate on strategy, while allowing a younger brother or sister to serve as Manager to handle the day-to-day affairs. Father had to rely on Aunt Mandy, but since she was a sister-in-law and grew up with him, that was close enough. I had no one, though Aelfraed in his capacity as Chief of Staff proved to be of enormous help, until I hired Ms. King. She is the first non-family person to run the Order, but she won't be the last since Henry is an only child.

19

PQ: According to Standard & Poor's, you are currently worth £450 million. Where does an aristocrat get that kind of money nowadays?

SD: I should make a small correction first. My personal worth is only about £175 million. The rest belongs to the Order to help finance it. We couldn't do nearly as much as we're able to if we had to rely solely on government funding, especially in this economy.

When my parents died, I inherited their personal fortunes, at the time valued at around £62 million, but I also acquired control over a roughly £200 million portfolio that belonged to the Order. I was expected to administer it, but I couldn't use it for any personal purposes. The origins of both, or at least the Order portfolio and Father's fortune, lay in the Churchills and the Spencers, another ancestral family that married into the Churchills, being landed aristocracy; the Van Helsings, if they had any land, lost or sold it all long ago. Both families acquired their lands as fiefs from the King; both earned their wealth first through farming, then by renting land to tenant farmers. Both made the same two mistakes: they switched over to sheep farming, and when cheap Australian wool caused the domestic wool market to crash they refused to sell their land and invest. The result was that Beatrice was the epitome of many aristocrats in her time; land-rich but money-poor. She wasn't as bad off as her colleagues, because an ancestor had made a fortune in the West Indies, which was able to support the family for several generations, but his money wasn't invested either, just spent. By Beatrice's time it was running out.

Abraham wanted to run the Order using personal money rather than government funding, but the only money he had access to was his wife's. Beatrice gave him permission, but only if he would keep the family finances separate from those of the Order. He sold off 95% of the land his wife owned, keeping only a dozen parcels in and around Denver and Downham Market against future need. He divided the money one-third, two-thirds, and invested it in new industries, overseas ventures, and insurance underwriting. My ancestors have constantly reworked these investments to try to maintain a constant income and avoid downturns in the market; for example, Angela's analyses allowed George to dump most of the stock before the 1929 crash and the Great Depression, thereby preserving 75% of the portfolio.

The Pendragons started out dirt poor, but they were often rewarded with jewelry or objects d'art for their services, and rarely landed estates. Most of these were sold to provide the family income, but some were stored away against future need. By the time of Dindrane's grandmother, the family fortune was considerable, but she sold it all off and invested in trade and colonial ventures, insurance underwriting, and new industries. By the time Dindrane inherited this portfolio, it had tripled in value. Abraham helped her to increase the investments, and this cooperation continued with each successive generation. When my Mother died, she left the Pendragon inheritance to me but administered by Father. However, I acquired it when he died along with the Van Helsing fortune. I also acquired Aunt Mandy's wealth by proxy after I killed her, and Victor's will gave me control over his share of the Plunkett fortune in trust for Henry.

Today, I maintain this combined fortune through stocks, bonds, money markets, commodities, gold, whatever seems safest and yet yields consistent dividends. With occasional hiccups, I have been able to increase the value of both my personal and the Order portfolios without taking substantial risks.

PQ: So now you're land-poor but money-rich?

SD: [Smiles] I still own a half dozen parcels outside of Denver, but most of my properties are structures. I own this manor and estate; townhomes in London, Downham Market, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast, Bath, Torquey, and New York; the castles of Bethmoira, Connarath, Camdel, and Bran; the Tyrone Mansion in Ulster; and a personal retreat in the Highlands. However, the London townhome, Bethmoira, Connarath, and Tyrone Mansion were "sold" to the Order to act as regional stations, so while I still control them, I cannot liquidate them without the approval of the Privy Council.

I also own a few odds and ends, stocks or other investments that are currently worthless but which I retain for sentimental or historical value; I can't sell them anyways, just destroy them. For example, I own several hundred shares in the defunct Venneford Ranch and the played-out Matchless Mine in Colorado; insurance underwriting certificates for RMS Titanic and HMHS Britannic; several thousand pounds worth of World War I bonds—I guess no one thought to cash them in; and a dozen copies each of the hardcover collected editions of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Watchmen, Crisis on Infinite Earths, and Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars and Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars II.

PQ: Comic books?

SD: Please, graphic novels, old boy. [Clears throat] Yes, apparently Father believed they would be worth something someday. I think he had visions of selling them for £100,000 each.

PQ: Do you collect anything for investment?

SD: Nothing specific, just whatever strikes my fancy. I own a number of paintings and art prints by young contemporary British artists; signed First Editions of The Hobbit, Farmer Giles of Ham, The Lord of the Rings, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, and Smith of Wootton Major; a partial set of Wedgewood Queen's Ware; and a cricket ball signed by the Norfolk County Cricket Club team that won the 2002 Minor Counties Championship. Mostly, I collect for aesthetic or academic reasons, not financial.

20

PQ: For our final question, you neglected to tell us you are a motorcycle enthusiast. What kind do you ride?

SD: [Chuckles] I congratulate you on a fine piece of journalism. That isn't widely known. After Victor was killed, I had something of a midlife crisis and I decided to take some time off to reevaluate my life choices. Father and Mother had been motorcycle enthusiasts for a couple of years before they were married, and they often rode the back roads seeing the sights and looking for adventure. So I thought I would do the same. Father had ridden a 1969 Triumph Bonneville T120 motorcycle. I managed to find a 1971 model on the Internet, which I bought and fixed up. I then went out on the road for a month. At the end of that time I reaffirmed my commitment to running the Order and returned home. Since then I've found time to take short trips on weekends and holidays, mostly around Norfolk, but not lately. I figure I'll become more active again when Henry is older. I still own that Bonnie; it occupies a space of honour in the garage. However, I've had other models since. The latest are a Triumph Rocket III touring and Tiger 900 dual-sport bike.

PQ: Do you have any other toys?

SD: Aside from my airship, I have four saloons: three Rolls-Royce Phantoms used for Order business and a Jaguar XFR; two coupés: a Lotus Exige, and an Aston Martin DBS Volante; an armored Hummer H3 and HX; the Dahut Morgen, a 42-meter Ocean Explorer Class superyacht for personal investigation; the Sabrina, a 47-meter superyacht for personal activities; the Penarddun, a 61-meter superyacht for routine Order missions; the Hælsing, an 85-meter superyacht for Order reconnaissance; a Boeing 737 private jet for Order reconnaissance and an Airbus A380 private jet for Order missions; and a Eurocopter EC135 helicopter for short ferries and a Sikorsky S-92 executive helicopter for Order reconnaissance.

Now, mind you, neither I nor the Order would be able to afford to buy all these items alone. Most of them were purchased with the help of government funding, bank loans, and donor contributions. In most cases, the actual share of ownership by myself and the Order is 15% or less, usually less. I'm free to use them, but I cannot sell them off without coming to an accommodation with the other share holders, especially the banks.

PQ: Thank you for your courtesy, Sir Differel, we greatly appreciate your cooperation.

SD: You're welcome.

21

PQ: We would like to direct our 21st to your servant, Vlad Drakulya.

SD: Be my guest, though I cannot guarantee you'll like the answer.

PQ: Why do you serve the Caerleon Order?

Vlad Drakulya: I do not; I serve the Van Helsing Bloodline.

PQ: All right then, why do you serve the Van Helsings?

VD: I gave my word.

PQ: That's all?

VD: That is enough.

PQ: You do it of your own free will?

VD: Yes; why else would I?

PQ: Out of respect or fear.

VD: For whom?

PQ: Humans.

VD: [Sneers] I have nothing but contempt for Humans; you are only food to me. I consider the overwhelming vast majority of you to be undeserving of life. As Screwtape pointed out in a toast ["Screwtape Proposes a Toast", C. S. Lewis], you are too mundane, too ordinary, never striving after those grandiose achievements of Good or Evil that bring meaning and purpose to life. As Apollonius of Tyana put it [7 Faces of Dr. Lao, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1964], for all that you accomplish, you might as well have never lived at all.

PQ: Then why do you protect us?

VD: I do not. I am nothing but a weapon in the hand of my Master; she decides when and how to wield me, and against whom. It is she who protects you.

PQ: But why did you agree to that?

VD: You Humans have one saving grace: you all have the ability to achieve greatness, if only you possess the strength and the will. That is what I would protect.

PQ: What makes you think that?

VD: There are individuals among you, rams among the sheep, who epitomize that greatness. One such was Abraham Van Helsing. He defeated me, despite my vast power and experience, and I respected and admired him for that. To be sure, I offered him my service to preserve my life, but also to protect him and his Bloodline, so that he and his descendants could have the opportunity to aspire to more greatness. He was worthy of my service, as is Sir Differel. She has achieved his level of greatness; in fact, she has surpassed it. She is the best her Bloodline has produced, so far. It will be another century, at least, before it produces another as great as her.

PQ: You really believe that?

VD: Think of it: a girl who faces down horrors that would send grown men into screaming fits like hysterical women. A maiden who openly defies and mocks a creature with the powers of a god. A mother who stands toe-to-toe with a man who can engage Vampires in unarmed combat and destroy them. A matron who charges straight into the teeth of a horde of monsters that battle-hardened marines would run from. How can you doubt it?

PQ: There are some who would say that is mere bravado, foolishness, or delusion.

VD: [Grins in a cruel manner] Then there are "some" whose brains have been replaced with sh—

SD: Behave yourself, Thrall!

VD: Yes, My Master. [Team Girl laugh their heads off]

PQ: Uh, yes, well, I think that's sufficient. Thank you for your time, Sir Differel.

SD: Don't mention it. I'll have Aelfraed show you out. [Tape turned off]