been a straitjacket invented that could hold a vampire. Believe me, Darren, killing a mad vampire is a mercy, to the world in general and the vampire himself.
“The same goes for treacherous vampires,” he added, “though there have been precious few of those – loyalty is something we excel at; one of the bonuses of sticking to the old ways so rigidly. Aside from the vampaneze – when they broke away, they were called traitors; many were captured and killed – there have been only six traitors executed in the fourteen hundred years that vampires have lived here.”
I stared down at the stakes and shivered, imagining myself tied in a cage, hanging above the pit, waiting to fall.
“Do you give them blindfolds?” I asked.
“The mad vampires, yes, because it is merciful. Vampires who have chosen to die in the Hall of Death prefer to do without one – they like to look death in the eye, to show they’re not afraid Traitors, meanwhile, are placed in the cages face upwards, so their backs are to the stakes. It’s a great dishonour for a vampire to die from stab wounds in the back.”
“I’d rather get it in the back than the front,” I snorted.
Kurda smiled. “Hopefully, you’ll never get it in either!” Then, clapping my shoulder, he said, “This is a gloomy place, best avoided. Let’s go play some games.” And he swiftly ushered me out of the Hall, eagerly leaving behind its mysterious Guardian, the cages and the stakes.
THE HALLS of Sport were gigantic caverns, full of shouting, cheering, high-spirited vampires. They were exactly what I needed to perk me up after the disturbing visit to the Halls of Cremation and Death.
Various contests took place in each of the three Halls. They were mostly games of physical combat – wrestling, boxing, karate, weightlifting and so on – though speed chess was also strongly favoured, since it sharpened one’s reactions and wits.
Kurda found seats for us near a wrestling circle and we watched as vampires tried to pin their opponents down or toss them out of the ring. You needed a quick eye to keep up with the action – vampires moved far faster than humans. It was like watching a fight on video while keeping the fast-forward button pressed.
The bouts weren’t just faster than their human equivalents – they were more violent too. Broken bones, bloody faces and bruises were the order of the night. Sometimes, Kurda told me, the damage was even worse – vampires could be killed taking part in these games, or injured so badly that a trip to the Hall of Death was all they had to look forward to.
“Why don’t they wear protective clothing?” I asked.
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