The Rift Walker Read Online Free Page A

themselves to it, which they won't because they disdain human objects like weapons. And that part at the end about biting Greyfriar and turning him into a vampire. Nonsense. It doesn't work that way. I thought that foolishness about the undead was all settled by now. They're a separate species, a parasitic species. That's been proven by science. They create new vampires the same way we create new human beings.” The Persian was nodding attentively, and Adele realized she was rambling far too much. She shrugged. “At least that's what I've read. But plays don't have to be accurate, do they? The truth isn't nearly as exciting as fantasies.” She rose to her feet and tucked the playbill safely in a pocket. “We'd better go or we'll be locked in.”
    The two women were the last to leave the small theater, but the crowd was still thick in the street outside, discussing the finer points of the show. They glanced briefly at the poster on the theater wall: The Greyfriar: Desire in the Dead North . Adele tried not to laugh or retort to some of the comments she heard from the crowd.
    “Now that's a man I'd be happy to serve under.”
    “I'm sure he's got royal blood somewhere.”
    “There's no way Princess Adele could kill a vampire. My word, she's a princess!”
    “I wonder how much of that is true. Do you really think it was Greyfriar and not Senator Clark who won the day?”
    “The princess should marry Greyfriar! Who cares if he wears a mask?”
    The theater was in a working-class neighborhood of the Turkish Quarter, but the crowd still included a few affluent aristocrats in black tie or shimmering gowns, kaftans, saris, and thawbs, top hats, fezzes, or tiaras, walking sticks, monocles, and diamond bracelets. It was common to see such an eclectic crowd in Alexandria.
    Alexandria was the capital of the great Equatorian Empire, which stretched from Mandalay to Cape Town. The city was a powerful magnet for all the people of the tropics. It was a glowing symbol of the revival of industrial human society after the vampire destruction of the north. Alexandrians, both cosmopolitan and common, took fierce pride in their rough juxtapositions of class and nationality. The city also served as a haven of sorts, protecting its citizens from harsh realities. Among the gardens, fountains, theaters, opera houses, gentlemen's clubs, restaurants, nightclubs, shopping districts, and busy avenues crowded with trams, hansom cabs, and steam cars, men and women taking their promenades might well forget that their world teetered on the brink of war.
    As Adele and the Persian woman strolled along the curb, Adele wrapped her cloak tightly around her, drawing her face deeper into the shadow of its hood. The way the Persian woman stared at her made her uncomfortable. It wouldn't be inconceivable for her to be recognized, despite her common clothes. After all, she was the subject of countless photographs and portraits. The art of disguise was harder than it looked. She had to admire Gareth for keeping it up for so long, but she certainly didn't have his skill with masks and voice tricks. She envied his ability to slip away from his vampire clan at will and, with a simple disguise, achieve his wish to be counted as one of the struggling humans of the north.
    Adele's companion said hopefully, “Perhaps I will see you at the opera in two months. The Macedon is staging The Greyfriar . It will be the jewel of their season.”
    “Perhaps,” Adele answered vaguely.
    “I will be sure to look for you.”
    And I will be sure to wear a completely different disguise , thought Adele, even though the idea of having a friend outside the palace was enticing. If only the consequences of being discovered were not so depressing. If her father, Emperor Constantine, or the prime minister, Lord Kelvin, found out she was roaming the city late at night, they'd have her clapped in irons. Worse than that, her Intended, Senator Clark, would have her dragged to the altar,