40-1: Blood and Order

"Good morning to you, too," said Augustin, unable to mask the amusement in his voice. However, he had to grit his teeth when he felt the barrel pressed further against his skull. "I would like to ask you to remove this object from my skull so that we can proceed to a verbal exchange as any normally constituted and civilized person would."

Augustin, whose eyes had begun to cloud over with a dark film, had almost felt relief when the person had removed the barrel from his head. "Finally, a reasonable person," he couldn't help thinking. Then he gently raised his hands in the air, showing his good faith, and resumed an immobile posture.

"May I turn around now, or would you prefer it if we talked like this?" the vampire asked.

Augustin didn't have to move to hear the crunching of branches and dead leaves to his side. He remained perfectly still and even had the courtesy to stay unmoved when he saw the older man standing in front of him.

"Is that not our dearest François? I have not see