To Curse the Darkness by P.G. Forte Page B

how I killed him. Although, to be honest, it was a very close thing. The bloodlust…” He shook his head. “No matter what logic and prudence dictate, the beast is not always best pleased at being denied. It hungered for a taste of him. It still does.”
    â€œOh. Well.” Georgia shrugged. “That’s all right then. As long as you’re safe. And, in light of everything that’s happened, I am doubly pleased that you chose to intervene. Please allow me to retract my earlier complaints and to thank you once again.”
    Conrad smiled wryly at her. “You’re very welcome, ciccia . But I deserve no thanks. It was the least I could do to protect you from the consequences of my own reckless actions. You warned me, but I refused to listen. If I had not insisted on your being present here tonight, your life would not have been threatened in the first place.”
    â€œNot at all,” she murmured, sinking gracefully into a deep curtsey. “It is my lord’s prerogative to command me.” She shot a mischievous glance in his direction as she added, “Although, in the future, he might occasionally consider taking someone else’s advice.”
    â€œIndeed he might.”
    Satisfied that all was as well as it could be, Georgia headed for the door. “I will go now and see about setting up another room so that we might continue our meeting elsewhere. We’ll have to tell everyone what happened, I suppose.”
    â€œNo! Not a word. You’re to say nothing about this to anyone—do you understand? No one must know.”
    That stopped Georgia in her tracks. “Conrad… If the plague has not been eradicated, as we all believed, that means we’re still at risk of infection. Surely the council has a right to be informed?”
    â€œAnd what would you say to them?” Conrad demanded. “Would you tell them the truth? Would you tell them that, contrary to all of our previous assumptions, it’s possible there are some among us who may live for decades after being infected with the disease? That, given the right set of circumstances, it’s conceivable one might be ill and yet avoid detection—perhaps for centuries?”
    â€œIs that truly what you think?”
    â€œWhat I think is that I have not a prayer of seeing my vote pass tonight—or possibly ever—once I’ve admitted to a room full of Invitus that in order to survive this disease for more than a handful of days, one must in fact be made Invitus and one must have bred an army of other Invitus upon which one might feed.”
    â€œI see.”
    â€œDo you? Do you see how, even in death, Brockwell might yet contrive to defeat our plans? Do you see how this chance to effect change may yet be wrested from my grasp? How long I have waited for this moment. Am I to turn away from it—now, when at long last this goal, this victory, is so close at hand? This may be the only opportunity we will get to do this. I cannot let it pass. I will end this cult. There will be no new Invitus made, no more lives destroyed, no more pain and suffering. That all ends. Here. Today. With us.”
    Georgia nodded, touched by his passion, his conviction.
    â€œIt’s for this reason that no one can learn of this. It must be kept within our immediate circle—and even that must be kept very small.”
    â€œAnd the disease? What of that? What if it claims more victims?”
    â€œIt won’t.”
    â€œConrad…you can’t be sure of that.”
    â€œOf course I can. Whatever words we choose to use—eradicated, almost eradicated—that doesn’t change the reality. You heard what Sojinnyara said, did you not? We will continue to be vigilant. We will keep an eye out for any new occurrences, and I will deal with any that come up. But I will keep an especially close eyes on our friends on the council.”
    â€œIs it too much to hope that Brockwell was