The Counts Vulnerability

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."