Chief Jackson and his teenage son, Jahlil, came inside. Both of them looked weary, and David instantly knew that they had suffered through something related to the madness in town. He recognized in them the turbulent emotions that he struggled with himself.

The chief removed his hat and looked gravely at Nia and David. "We got to talk, folks."

"That's why all of us have come together here," Pearl said. "Please have a seat, take a cup of tea, and we'll begin." "

Jackson and the boy slumped on the overstuffed chairs. Each of them expelled heavy sighs and took the tea Pearl offered. They were so obviously father and son in their mannerisms that David almost laughed.

pulled everything together. You laid it out pretty nice this - Why are y'all here?" Jackson said. "Thought you had morning."

"You believe us now?" David said.

"The deputy and I went up to the Mason place after you guys left the station," Jahlil said. "I stayed in the car, and Dudu went to check out the crib. When he was up there, some dogs came after him."

"Oh, no," Nia said.

"I radioed Dad, and then, when I was gonna go help Dudu, some more dogs came after me," Jahlil said. "I got back in the car and hid out, and Dad came up there and shot the mutts"

"And a few minutes later, those mutts rose up," Jackson said, visibly disturbed. "I hit each of 'em in the chest with a twelve-gauge shotgun, and they got up. After I saw that, well, I knew y'all were right. Apologize for being so stubborn this morning."

"Thank you, Chief," Nia said. She touched his arm. "We need you on our side."

Jackson nodded solemnly. "It's my duty to protect and serve this town. I'm ready to do my job"

"What about the deputy?" David said. "Have you heard anything from him?"

"Not since he went into that house" Jackson glumly stared into his tea. "Couldn't get him on the radio."

"What do you think?" Jahlil asked Pearl. "You're psychic. Is Dudu alive?"

Sitting in her chair, Pearl had folded her legs under her Indian-style. She looked like a life-size porcelain doll.

"I am sorry, Raymond Dudu is dead," she said. "Diallo killed him."

Jackson swore softly.

"How do you know?" David said. "We never told you the vampire's name"

Pearl closed her eyes. "These past several days, I have spent many hours in meditation, seeking direction. Last night, I decided to penetrate the consciousness of the creature who is responsible for the evil rampant in Dark Corner. I secretly immersed myself in his mind."

"That sounds dangerous," Nia said. "Could he find out that you've been probing into his thoughts, or whatever you call it?"

"Possibly, yes," Pearl said. "It is a risk that I was prepared to take, for the welfare of all."

"What else you know 'bout him?" Jackson hunched forward, hands cupped around the mug.

David leaned forward, too, the tea forgotten. His thirst for knowledge surpa.s.sed his desire for any drink.

Eyes closed, Pearl swayed slowly as she spoke, as if listening to music that only she could hear. Her soft voice was hypnotic. "Some of this you have already learned. Diallo was a prince in Mali, a mighty warrior with a taste for violence and vengeance. Upon losing a battle, he was captured, sold to slave traders, and shipped to America. He could not tolerate serving as a slave. He fought his masters viciously, and the resistance culminated in his murder of an overseer. Such a crime demanded that he be put to death. But Diallo was saved from his punishment by an ancient vampire."

David thought of the raven, and the ethereally beautiful black woman who had visited him in a dream and healed his ankle.

"The ancient one's name is Lisha," Pearl said. "She is very old-indeed, her age is a mystery. She invited Diallo to be her companion, to become a vampire, and he accepted. They moved to New Orleans and lived there safely for many years, but Diallo, though he was no longer a man, never set aside his mortal memories. He despised white men for enslaving him and his people. He despised his own people for submitting to slavery. He had come to hate all mankind. I believe he is tormented by something else, as well, that fuels his rage, but the answer eluded me. The end result is that Diallo decided to use his powers as a vampire to wage war against man.

"Lisha knew of Diallo's mission, but she was unable to persuade him to set aside his hatred. He left her, while she was with child."

"Kyle," Nia said. "The vampire that we've seen"

"Yes," Pearl said. "While Lisha was pregnant with Kyle, Diallo built an army of vampires. They went on a rampage across the South, attacking plantations and killing Negro slaves, whites, and Indians-no human escaped their wrath. They slaughtered hundreds, and the bloodshed might have continued for years, had not William Hunter, David's ancestor, led a courageous mission to defeat Diallo."

The others in the room looked at David.

"Entombed in a cave, Diallo slept in a grave for over a hundred and fifty years," she said. "Vampires have the ability to hibernate for long periods, but the longer the sleep, the longer the recuperation process. Somehow perhaps from his mother-Kyle learned of his father's whereabouts, and he came to our town to awaken his father. For several days now, Kyle has been capturing innocents in Dark Corner. He has been feeding them to his father, to revitalize him. Diallo, like all vampires, feeds on blood."

"How many people so far?" Jackson said. "I've gotten reports of five missing."

"There are more," Pearl said. "I do not know the precise number, but some disappearances have gone unreported. Diallo has been feeding nightly, sometimes twice a night."

Jackson's lips puckered sourly.

"Diallo's thirst for violence is unquenchable," Pearl said. "Once he is at full strength, he will launch an attack on the town"

"When?" David said.

"Perhaps tomorrow," Pearl said. "Perhaps tonight. He will wait until dusk, though he, like all true vampires, can walk in daylight by dressing appropriately. But he is more comfortable in darkness. They are nocturnal creatures"

"What's up with these vampires?" Jahlil said. "Are they just like they are in the movies?"

"Not exactly," Pearl said. "As I said, by dressing appropriately, they can walk in sunlight. Ultraviolet light irritates their skin, but it does not kill them. Crucifixes, holy water, and other religious symbols do not harm them. These creatures are not anti-Christian creations sp.a.w.ned by a fallen angel. Consider them as a separate species. First and foremost, they are predators. Humans are their primary source of food. They feed on our blood."

All of them were silent, absorbing Pearl's words. David clasped his hands, listening.

"There are two kinds of vampires," Pearl said. "Diallo and his son, Kyle, are the first kind. They are high-level vampires purebloods, if you will-and possess extraordinary strength and talents. There are not many such vampires. As I understand it from skimming Diallo's thoughts, the process for a human to become one of these creatures is dangerous, lengthy, and usually fatal. Diallo barely survived the transformation himself.

"The second kind of vampire is more common. They are called valduwe. They possess their critical faculties, and can behave at a functional level, but they are under the influence of the master vampire who created them. They do not have any supernatural talents, but they are physically powerful and can recuperate from injuries that would destroy a normal human. They feed on blood, as well. When Diallo went on his b.l.o.o.d.y rampage across the South, he had a horde of valduwe with him.

"I must not forget the vampiric dogs. These mutant canines are especially useful to Diallo. They serve as spies and guardians, and they can be active during daylight hours. When they travel in packs, they make vicious adversaries, too.

"These lower-level vampires and dogs are far less dangerous than Diallo, but they pose a threat because their numbers can grow rapidly. The infection can spread via a bite, or blood; the substance carries the life force of the master vampire, ensuring that all who are infected fall under his influence. You can imagine how he could build a powerful army in a short time frame"

"It's already building," David said. "This morning, Ruby told us that there were eight people in the hospital who've been bitten."

"Eight?" Jackson said. "Christ"

"Those are only the cases we know about," Nia said. "Other folks could be at home, in bed, thinking that they've only caught the flu or something. We have no way of knowing how many people are infected."

"Diallo is the source of the disease," Pearl said. "He is like a power generator. The vampires that he creates cannot exist without his life force. Destroy him, and his army, both canine and human alike, will fall."

"Sounds good, but how do we do that?" Nia said. "Chief Jackson said he tagged those dogs with a shotgun, and a few minutes later, they got up" Jackson and Jahlil nodded vigorously.

"Gunfire can halt them, temporarily, but it cannot kill them," Pearl said. Pa.s.sion infused her voice. "You must burn these creatures. Burn them to ashes. Nothing else will suffice"

"Sounds like we need some flamethrowers," Jackson said. "s.h.i.t."

"Fire is all that will work," Pearl said. "I wish it were easier, but it is not"

"But from what you told us," David said, "our best chance is to just kill Diallo. If we can do that, all of the others will be taken care of, too"

"Wait, aren't you all forgetting something?" Jahlil said. "These other vamps are people that we know. Like my boy, T-Bone. He was bitten by a mutt last night and no one's been able to find him since. You're saying that if we kill the head guy, everyone who's been bitten will die, too?"

"If they have been through the complete mutation, yes, they will," Pearl said. "It is unfortunate, and that is why you must do your work quickly, to save others from the same fate."

"That really sucks," Jahlil said. "It ain't fair."

"Jahlil raises an important point," Pearl said. "The most difficult task will prove to be facing those that you know personally who have degenerated into vampires. Your mother, your best friend these people may become your enemies. You must realize that they are no longer the ones that you love. They are monsters."

"Any way you look at it, we got to take care of 'em," Jackson said. "We let them alone, they'll be coming after us. Taking out Diallo sounds like the way to get to the heart of things."

"It is," Pearl said. "But Diallo is cunning and powerful. More powerful than you can fathom"

"You make it sound like we don't stand a chance against him," Nia said.

Sadness tinted Pearl's eyes. "Nia, I cannot lie to you. Destroying Diallo will prove to be the most difficult task any of you will undertake in your lives. He is a brutal, merciless creature, with considerable power. For instance, when a human is bitten by one of his valduwe, it takes hours for the victim to mutate into a vampire. But if Diallo delivers the bite, it takes only minutes. Remember that"

"We sure will," David said.

"He possesses other talents that I cannot even imagine," Pearl said. "You must prepare yourselves."

"But if we burn his a.s.s up, he's dead," Jahlil said.

"It will not be so simple," Pearl said. "I warn you, don't underestimate him, or his son, either. Kyle is a worthy foe in his own right, and he will fiercely protect his father."

"You're right," David said. "We can't forget about Kyle. If it hadn't been for the raven that sent the bats to chase him away, we'd be dead"

"The raven is a tool of Lisha," Pearl said. "She uses the bird from afar, like one of us might use a puppet. I sense that she is many miles away, perhaps overseas"

"Why did she help us?" David said.

"Lisha wishes to destroy Diallo," Pearl said. "She regards him as a threat, like a renegade who must be squelched. Vampires thrive in anonymity, and their numbers are few. She worries that the attention Diallo will attract by starting a war will endanger their existence."

"Kinda makes sense," Jackson said. "Can't stay secret if one of your fellas is raising Cain."

"Lisha will a.s.sist you, again, I believe, but I cannot say when, or what form her aid will take. Do not put your trust in her, I warn you. I feel that she has her own motives that do not necessarily concern your ultimate well-being."

David nodded grimly. The help from the mysterious being had seemed too good to be true.

"Is that everything, then?" Jahlil said. "It's eleven-thirty. We need to get busy."

"It is not everything," Pearl said. She focused on David. "David Hunter, be careful. More than anyone else, you are a target for Diallo and his son, for you are the descendent of the man who conquered Diallo. Anyone who keeps company with you will also be at extreme risk." She looked at Nia.

"We'll be careful," David said, and Nia touched his hand.

Jackson finished off his tea and set the mug on the table. "All right, let's head out and get cracking. I'm gonna get some top folks on the horn. The mayor, Reverend Brown, and the county sheriff, for starters. We're gonna put our heads together and come up with a plan to keep people safe, something we can roll out in a town meeting. We got to inform folks, officially, and we got to do it today, holiday or not"

"That would be wise," Pearl said.

"You're gonna tell people that vampires are here, Dad?" Jahlil said. "No one'll believe that"

"Naw, they sure wouldn't, not without some proof. I've been listening to what y'all said about how it's like an infection. Think we can use a medical angle, something about a virus, maybe, to get folks to be careful and watch out for one another."

"Get Franklin's physician involved," David said. "His name's Dr. Hess Green, I think. He's seen the symptoms of what happens when someone's bitten. He could give you some medical backup"

"Know the man, lives over on Olive Road. I'll jot his name on my list." Jackson had taken out a pocket notepad and scribbled on it.

"We want to help, too," Nia said.

"Shoot, I need y'all most of all," Jackson said. "Goes without saying that you're helping."

Pearl smiled. She unfolded her legs, and stood. "I believe that I've played my part. All of you sound as though you're prepared to move forward. There's only one thing left to do" She motioned for them to stand. "Gather in a circle, please. Hold the hand of the person next to you"

They formed a circle around the coffee table, David holding Nia's hand on one side, and Jahlil's on the other. Jahlil held his father's hand; Jackson held Pearl's; Pearl held Nia's.

"I could never send you into the world to face this adversary without a prayer," Pearl said. "I don't care about your religious beliefs, or lack thereof. I request that you set aside your doubts and negative past experiences and allow the loving spirit of the Creator to fill your heart. Brother Hunter, will you please lead us in prayer?" She looked at him with her clear, perceptive eyes, and nodded slightly, as if to say, Yes, I called on you. It's your time. Then she closed her eyes and bowed her head.

David swallowed. He'd rarely led prayer for a group, except at dinner for family gatherings. His mind was devoid of a single coherent thought.

Everyone had closed their eyes and lowered their head. The only noise in the room was the sound of five people breathing softly.

David's gaze skipped to the front window. A large monarch b.u.t.terfly had attached itself to the gla.s.s. Sunlight glimmered on its delicate, colorful wings.

He exhaled, and closed his eyes. The words came, without any conscious effort; a pa.s.sage from the book of Psalms. His mother had taught him to recite the verses when he was a child and would occasionally awaken at night, frightened by bad dreams. Although he had not read the psalm in many years, he remembered it completely.

His voice, threaded with cautious hope, resonated through the air.

"'The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside still waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me ..."'

As everyone left Pearl's house, David hung behind the others and turned to Pearl.

"What are you going to do?" David said. "Are you coming in town later for the meeting?"

"I'm going to stay here," she said. "You will do fine without me. I have faith in you"

"Thank you so much for your help. We couldn't do what we have to do without you"

She smiled. "You should marry her."

"Who?" He chuckled. Nia was in the driveway, climbing into the SUV. "Do you see it in our future?"

Pearl laughed. "I was speaking as a woman, not as a clairvoyant. The two of you are a beautiful couple, inside and out.,, "We'll see what happens. I'm not ruling out anything."