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"Yet," Shane adds for good measure. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.531343 | 7.1 |
Dr. Oystein looks astonished. "This is grave, unsettling news. You must tell me the full story. Zhang will need to hear it too. Give me a few minutes to finish up. I will meet all of you in Zhang's rooms presently." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.532196 | 7.1 |
As we turn to leave, the doctor calls to Dan-Dan. "Lord Wood, I welcome you to County Hall and offer you my protection during your stay with us." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.533049 | 7.1 |
"Very kind of you," Dan-Dan says, taken aback. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.533902 | 7.1 |
"But if you even look sideways at any of my young Angels," the doc says softly but firmly, "I will tear your flesh from your bones in as slow and excruciating a manner as possible. And bear in mind that I have had decades to consider such procedures." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.534755 | 7.1 |
As Dan-Dan's cheeks redden in a rare moment of unconcealed terror, Dr. Oystein says, "Get this piece of rotting flotsam out of my sight," then heads back into his lab to tidy up and cool down. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.535608 | 7.1 |
I've never seen the doc this worked up before. I have to say, it is a delicious surprise. If I could bottle Dan-Dan's expression, I'd take pleasure from it every single day for the rest of my life. Take _that_ , you putrid, child-killing scum! | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.536461 | 7.1 |
We find Master Zhang training a group of Angels. We interrupt and tell him that Dr. Oystein is coming. He dismisses his students and asks us to sit. While we're waiting, he fetches a kettle, teapots and cups, then starts to brew tea. He loved flavored tea when he was alive, and even though we can't taste much now, he likes to indulge his old habit. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.538166 | 7.1 |
Zhang hands a cup to each of us, inviting us to test his concoction. He pauses when he comes to Dan-Dan, then sets down a cup in front of him and bows politely, as he has done with the rest of us. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.539019 | 7.1 |
"Many thanks," Dan-Dan says, returning the bow. Then he says something in Chinese. Zhang looks startled, but responds in his own tongue. The pair exchange a few sentences–I think it's part of the traditional ceremony–then Dan-Dan bows again, picks up the cup and sips. "Delicious," he sighs happily. "This brings back many sweet memories." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.539872 | 7.1 |
"I suppose China was one of your stomping grounds in the bad old days," I sneer. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.540725 | 7.1 |
"As I told you, I was a global traveler," Dan-Dan beams, sipping the tea again. "But I must admit, I spent more time in the Far East than elsewhere. I found their lack of hypocrisy refreshing." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.541578 | 7.1 |
"You're saying we're hypocrites because we despise you?" Carl snorts. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.542431 | 7.1 |
"No," Dan-Dan says. "You upstanding young ladies and gentlemen have ignored my bribes and promises of rewards if you set me free. I respect you for that. I can understand your reasons for not wanting to do business with a rogue like me. There were many people who shared your view and had nothing to do with me in the past. I never had a problem with that. If you'll pardon the pun, I know I'm not everyone's cup of tea. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.543284 | 7.1 |
"But there were others who were willing to overlook what I got up to in my spare time. You'd be shocked by the number of politicians, police officers, judges, lawyers and journalists who were happy to take my money and look the other way when I was plucking my darlings from the streets and slitting their tender throats. Now, if they'd left it at that, I wouldn't have a bad word said about them. But many were two-faced. They gladly accepted my bribes, but spoke ill of me behind my back and in public, as if they were better than me. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.544136 | 7.1 |
"That wasn't the case with my Far Eastern contacts. If they chose to deal with me, they accepted that they were as culpable as I was. If you do business with a depraved beast–as many regard me, although of course I don't share their warped view–you automatically lower yourself to that level. My eastern friends didn't have the airs and graces of their western counterparts. I tell you, children, I'm guilty of many sins, but I think hypocrisy is the worst of all, and of that I am innocent." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.544989 | 7.1 |
We start to argue with him, but before we get very far, Dr. Oystein appears and silence falls. He accepts a cup of tea from Master Zhang, but doesn't drink any of it. He's staring at Dan-Dan, looking angrier but at the same time more troubled than I've ever seen him. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.545842 | 7.1 |
"Tell me what happened," he finally says, and we fill him in on all the twists of our mission, connecting with Vinyl and the survivors in Hammersmith, making it to New Kirkham, spotting Owl Man and the Ku Klux Klan on our way back. We tell him how we returned to the town and fought. I describe my pursuit of the trucks and my run-in with Owl Man. I expect him to comment on that, but he says nothing. We finish with Jakob staying on at Biddy Barry's invitation to serve as her deputy. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.546695 | 7.1 |
"Extraordinary," Dr. Oystein murmurs, his first word since he asked for our story. "Jakob will be a fine ambassador. This could be the beginning of a vital new phase for us." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.547548 | 7.1 |
"That is what I said," Ashtat beams. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.548401 | 7.1 |
"But as for everything else..." Dr. Oystein's face clouds over again. He shares a questioning glance with Master Zhang. Our mentor hesitates, then nods. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.549254 | 7.1 |
"Come with me, please, Lord Wood," Zhang says, getting to his feet. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.550107 | 7.1 |
"Where are you taking me?" Dan-Dan asks as he rises, looking ever so slightly worried. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.550959 | 7.1 |
"A room where you can rest and dine," Zhang says. "Our chef, Ciara, will take your order and serve you as best she can." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.551812 | 7.1 |
"What about exchanging me for the girl's friend and the other prisoners?" Dan-Dan asks Dr. Oystein. "You're not going to renege on our deal, are you?" | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.552665 | 7.1 |
"I agreed to no deal with you," Dr. Oystein says quietly. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.553518 | 7.1 |
Dan-Dan stiffens. "My allies will kill the lot of them most brutally if you don't take me back." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.554371 | 7.1 |
"I am aware of that," Dr. Oystein replies. Then, having given Dan-Dan a few seconds to sweat, he looks at me and smiles briefly. "Allay your fears, Lord Wood. We will return you to Battersea Power Station safe and sound, as promised." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.555224 | 7.1 |
Dan-Dan gapes. "You know where I'm based?" | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.556077 | 7.1 |
Dr. Oystein nods. "I have eyes everywhere. I know where Owl Man and the members of the Klan have situated themselves, so if you are working together as closely as you intimated, I assume that is where you have also set up home." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.55693 | 7.1 |
"Then why haven't you...?" Dan-Dan frowns, then shrugs. "No, it's none of my business. I'm hungry. I'll go see what your people can rustle up for me. Just one question first. When will I be leaving?" | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.557783 | 7.1 |
"Either this afternoon or tomorrow morning," Dr. Oystein says. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.558635 | 7.1 |
"Excellent," Dan-Dan grins, and waddles off after Master Zhang. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.559488 | 7.1 |
"What a horrible excuse for a man," Dr. Oystein says sourly. "It is not often that I can find nothing good to say about someone, but Lord Wood is vile through and through." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.560341 | 7.1 |
"He does things with style though," Rage chuckles, smiling for the first time since he returned to us after his mysterious night on the town. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.561194 | 7.1 |
"Admittedly," Dr. Oystein says. "He is a powerful, dangerous adversary. Many did not take him seriously in the past, because of his buffoonish appearance. All of those walked away the worse for their encounters. I will not underestimate him." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.562047 | 7.1 |
The doc falls silent. We wait for him to speak, but although my patience has improved vastly since I started training here, I can't contain myself indefinitely, and I'm the one who finally breaks the thoughtful peace. "You knew about the Ku Klux Klan?" | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.5629 | 7.1 |
"Why didn't you tell us?" | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.564606 | 7.1 |
He sighs. "I was hoping the army would deal with them. As worrying as they are, Mr. Dowling must be our priority, and I was afraid that some of you might get distracted if you knew about those marauding monsters. I did not consider them our problem." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.565458 | 7.1 |
"Well, they're our problem now," I snort. "We have to free the prisoners, make Owl Man release them as he promised, in return for Dan-Dan." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.566311 | 7.1 |
Dr. Oystein frowns. "But you said he only guaranteed your friend's release." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.567164 | 7.1 |
"Yeah, but he said he'd do his best to have the others freed too." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.568017 | 7.1 |
"And you think that he will honor his pledge?" Dr. Oystein asks. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.56887 | 7.1 |
"Yes," I say confidently. "I didn't when we were discussing it, and only went along with him because I had no choice. But I've been thinking about it since then, and I've realized he didn't have to strike the deal in the first place, so I'm more optimistic that he'll do what he said he would, that it's a deal he made because he wanted to make it, not because we were forcing his hand." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.569723 | 7.1 |
Dr. Oystein looks confused. "What do you mean?" | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.570576 | 7.1 |
"Owl Man didn't work his voodoo on Rage." I turn to face the bewildered hulk. "You didn't feel anything strange when you were holding Dan-Dan, did you, like you should release him and step away?" | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.571429 | 7.1 |
"No," Rage squints. "Why should I?" | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.572281 | 7.1 |
"When I tried to attack Owl Man's dog in New Kirkham, he took control of my body." I describe what happened, how I lost the ability to move, how he turned me into a puppet, manipulating me with his words alone. "If he could do that to me, he can probably do it to other revitalizeds," I conclude. "So why didn't he do it to Rage and simply take Dan-Dan there and then?" | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.573134 | 7.1 |
"Maybe I'm stronger willed than you," Rage smirks. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.573987 | 7.1 |
"I doubt it," I sniff. "He can control reviveds, the same way the mutants can, and I think he must be able to do that with revitalizeds too." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.57484 | 7.1 |
"No," Dr. Oystein says. "Reviveds obey orders instinctively. They are placid among themselves–they never fight with one another–and they will follow the leadership of any undead creature who directs them. We could train ourselves to command them in that fashion, except I think it would be an abuse of our power. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.575693 | 7.1 |
"This is different. It must be something he set up in the past. You told me that you had crossed paths with Owl Man before the zombie rising, that he knew some of your most intimate secrets." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.576546 | 7.1 |
"Yeah," I mutter, remembering the day he visited my flat, how my dad was afraid of him, how he knew about my nightmares. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.577399 | 7.1 |
"I still do not know why he is interested in you," Dr. Oystein says, "but he was obviously keeping an eye on you before you were turned. He must have hypnotized you at some point." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.578252 | 7.1 |
"Seriously?" I gape. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.579104 | 7.1 |
"It is not as difficult as it sounds. He could have done it through third parties, your teachers for instance, instructed them to use key words or phrases in a deliberate way, at specific times, so that you would respond to certain commands later." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.579957 | 7.1 |
"I don't think any of my teachers were that bright," I say dubiously. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.58081 | 7.1 |
"Then it might have been a doctor, a nurse, anyone. It is a worrying Achilles heel, but it is a personal defect. He was not able to pull that trick on Rage because he had not established control over him prior to their meeting." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.581663 | 7.1 |
"Whatever," I shrug. "I still think he'll let the others go in exchange for Dan-Dan. I don't know what sort of a thing they have going, but he nearly shat a brick when Dan-Dan threatened to withdraw his support." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.582516 | 7.1 |
"What if he refuses to sanction the swap?" Carl asks. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.583369 | 7.1 |
"Then we use force," I growl. "We hit them hard, free the prisoners, give those hooded horrors hell." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.584222 | 7.1 |
"Amen to that!" Carl cries sarcastically. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.585075 | 7.1 |
"You don't want to do anything about it?" I shout at him. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.585928 | 7.1 |
"Of course I do," he says. "I just don't think it's as easy as you're making out. We don't know how many of them there are, or what sort of weaponry they might be packing. We can't just storm in, knock them about and trot back home victoriously." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.58678 | 7.1 |
"You did it when you rescued me from the HMS _Belfast_ ," I remind him. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.587633 | 7.1 |
"That was different. Barnes gave us the inside scoop, told us how many guards were onboard, helped us distract them. We knew what we were getting into. This time we don't." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.588486 | 7.1 |
"But we know they're in Battersea Power Station," Shane says. "That's a massive place. They can't have covered every angle, no matter how careful they've been. If they won't release all the prisoners, we can scout it out, find a weak spot, then hit them when they least expect it." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.589339 | 7.1 |
"No," Dr. Oystein says before I can respond. "We..." He pauses. Master Zhang is returning. The doc waits until he's comfortably seated again, then continues. "We cannot take any action against these people at the moment." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.590192 | 7.1 |
"Why not?" I thunder. "You raided the HMS _Belfast_ to help me. Are you saying the people of New Kirkham aren't as important as I was?" | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.591045 | 7.1 |
"This is more complicated," he sighs. "We are now dealing with an element that we must be wary of. We cannot wade in as we could anywhere else." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.591898 | 7.1 |
"Why the hell not?" I shout, losing my temper. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.592751 | 7.1 |
Dr. Oystein runs a hand through his thin, brown, graying hair. "To answer that question," he says glumly, "I will have to share secrets with you which I have so far withheld from my Angels." He checks with Master Zhang again–our mentor gives no indication of what he might be thinking–then makes up his mind. "Yes, it is time." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.593603 | 7.1 |
"Time for what?" I groan, hating the intrigue. But the doc stuns me into silence with his next softly delivered line. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.594456 | 7.1 |
"It is time," he whispers, "to tell you about Owl Man and the terrible link that we share." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.595309 | 7.1 |
"His real name, if it matters, is Tom White," Dr. Oystein says. "For some reason he never liked that. He felt it was too ordinary. He used to make up exotic-sounding names for himself. His favorite was Zachary." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.597015 | 7.1 |
"He calls his dog Sakarias, which is similar," I note. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.597868 | 7.1 |
"He has a dog?" Dr. Oystein asks, and I tell him about the mutant sheepdog. "How strange. He experimented on animals in the past, but I thought he had moved on from that. Perhaps he simply felt the need for a pet. God knows, he is a lonely soul. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.598721 | 7.1 |
"Anyway, Tom White was recommended to me by a contact in Cambridge. I was told he was an extraordinary young scientist with similar interests to my own. An interview was arranged. Apart from the oddity of him insisting I refer to him as Zachary, we got along splendidly. He was bright, warm, amusing. He was clearly a genius, so I would have invited him to join my team regardless of his personality, but I also felt that we could become friends..." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.599574 | 7.1 |
They became very close friends in the end. Dr. Oystein describes their work together, the tests they conducted, the breakthroughs they made in their quest to counteract the zombie gene. Zachary became Dr. Oystein's most trusted and valuable assistant. He helped the doctor develop the vaccine that allowed me and the other Angels to revitalize. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.600426 | 7.1 |
"I had been working on it for a long time without making much progress," Dr. Oystein says. "With Zachary's help, I made huge strides within a few years." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.601279 | 7.1 |
Zachary was never happy with the finished, unstable vaccine. He kept trying to refine it, to rid it of its destructive elements, so that it could be given to every living human. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.602132 | 7.1 |
"Of course I was disturbed by its instability as well," Dr. Oystein says. "But I was more of a realist than Zachary." He pauses. "Or perhaps I was simply more inhuman." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.602985 | 7.1 |
Zachary wanted to wait until they had perfected the vaccine before they tested it on living subjects. Dr. Oystein ignored his assistant's wishes and pushed ahead with the program. He had no idea when the zombie virus would break out and sweep the globe. He only knew that time was against them and he was determined to fight back with whatever tools they had at their disposal, every step of the way. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.603838 | 7.1 |
The pair of friends argued fiercely about it. Dr. Oystein knew that thousands of lives would be wasted, and to him that was an acceptable loss. He would grieve for every person that was sacrificed, but he was prepared to accept the grief and the guilt. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.604691 | 7.1 |
"It weighed heavier on Zachary's mind," the doc sighs. "He went along with my instructions reluctantly, but in retrospect I think he should have stepped aside. It hit him hard and changed him. I was too caught up in our studies to notice. By the time I realized that something had radically altered in him, it was too late." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.605544 | 7.1 |
The vaccine wasn't their sole hope of defeating the zombie hordes. It was their Holy Grail–if they had been able to fine-tune it, they could have vaccinated the entire population and stopped the zombie apocalypse before it could start–but not their only weapon. So, while they pressed on with refining the vaccine, they also focused on how they would cope if the era of the living dead came to pass. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.606397 | 7.1 |
They worked hard on a virus, that would attack the brains of the undead, one that could spread as swiftly as the zombie gene would. A virus designed to drop every reanimated corpse in its tracks. It would be the ultimate in chemical warfare, a way of wiping out their enemies in one fell swoop. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.607249 | 7.1 |
"It's a pity you didn't get anywhere with that," Carl says. "We could end this here and now if you had." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.608102 | 7.1 |
"It would kill us too," Shane notes. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.608955 | 7.1 |
Carl shrugs. "We've all got to go sometime." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.609808 | 7.1 |
Dr. Oystein says nothing. He shares another troubled look with Master Zhang, who nods slightly and says, "They succeeded. The virus exists." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.610661 | 7.1 |
There's a shocked silence. We stare at Master Zhang, then at Dr. Oystein. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.611514 | 7.1 |
"I do not understand," Ashtat frowns. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.612367 | 7.1 |
"You're saying you have a virus that can kill every zombie?" I bark. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.61322 | 7.1 |
"Yes," Dr. Oystein says. "I call it Clements-13, after the woman my brother was married to, and her year of birth." He smiles. "Strange that I cannot remember my own birthday, but I have never forgotten hers or my wife's. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.614072 | 7.1 |
"Clements-13 is a dark red liquid. It is so potent that one vial is all we would need to release. Within a couple of weeks, it would have cloned itself endlessly and spread to every last corner of the world, penetrating even the most otherwise impenetrable of bunkers. The war would be over. The living would be victorious. Every zombie would be dead." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.614925 | 7.1 |
"Then what the hell are we doing sitting here talking about it?" I roar, leaping to my feet. "Get me the damn vial. I'll smash it open and end this thing today." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.615778 | 7.1 |
"We cannot do that," Dr. Oystein whispers. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.616631 | 7.1 |
"Why?" I shout. "Because we'd die too? I don't care. If it means saving what's left of mankind, I'll take the fall. Let them stick up a statue in our honor, or forget about us entirely. What does it matter?" | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.617484 | 7.1 |
"Whoa," Shane says. "Let's not be hasty here." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.618337 | 7.1 |