Blood Lines

the points off on her fingers as she listed them, "what we're trying to find is the reanimated wizard-priest of a god who may or may not live on the life force of others, who can twist the minds of those near to it, and who can magically kill at a distance."
    'Great." Celluci yawned into his fist. "And in this corner, the Three Stooges."
    'Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk," Henry agreed.
    Vicki jerked forward and stared at Henry in horror while Celluci gave him something close to a nod of approval. "I don't believe this," she muttered. Vicki had a theory that the Three Stooges did sex-linked comedy as she'd never known a woman who thought they were funny. This just proved her theory as Y chromosomes were about the only thing Henry and Celluci had in common. Vampires are supposed to have more taste ! "If we could get back on topic, maybe you two would like to hear the rest of it."
    Celluci, who dearly wanted to do one routine just to provoke a reaction from Vicki, decided against it when he realized who he'd have to do the routine with. The Stooges were something you did with your buddies, not with…
    romance writers. "Go on," he growled.
    Henry merely nodded. He no more wanted something in common with Celluci than Celluci wanted with him. Except, of course, the one thing that neither of us is willing to give up …
    'Okay…"A yawn cut her off and, although she'd slept for a while in the early evening, Vicki knew that if she didn't fall over soon there'd be no way she'd be conscious for dawn. Let's wrap this up fast and get to bed . "Okay, ignoring the wizard aspect for the moment, what is it that priests want? Congregations. Because their gods want followers. And I think I know the congregation this god's trying for." While Celluci's face grew dark, she outlined her meeting with Inspector Cantree. "It's after the police force, not just in Toronto but across the province. Its own private little army and the perfect start to a secular power base."
    'Why would a god have any interest in acquiring a secular power base?" Henry asked.
    Vicki snorted. "Don't ask me, ask the Catholic Church. Look, the god wants the congregation, the priest wants the power base-somehow, all things considered, I can't see this guy as altruistic-and the police provide both."
    'Then why across the province? Why not begin with just the city?"
    'Cities aren't autonomous enough, they're too tightly controlled by higher levels of government. But if you control a province, you control a country within a country. Look at Quebec…"
    'Weak, Vicki, very weak," Celluci snarled, finally giving his anger voice, unsure which infuriated him more, that the mummy would dare to subvert the police or that Vicki thought it could be done. "You have no proof that this new adviser is the mummy."
    'I have a hunch," Vicki told him, her voice edged. "That's what you started with and look where it's gotten us. Cantree's repeating messages from the Chief like they were holy writ. You know that's not like him." They locked gazes. When Celluci looked away, Vicki continued. "One of us has to go to the Solicitor General's party on Saturday."
    'One of us?" Henry asked quietly.
    'All right, you." Snapping the recliner upright, Vicki laid her forearms across her knees. "Over half the people there would know Mike or me, so neither of us can do it. Besides, it's invitation only and you're good at getting past…"
    'Social obstacles," he supplied when she paused. "You're right. I'll have to do it."

    'What if Vicki's wrong and the mummy isn't there?"
    Henry shrugged. "Then I'll leave early, no harm done."
    'And if she's right?"
    Henry smiled. "Then I'll take care of it."
    Celluci remembered a dark barn and pale fingers closing around the throat of a man with only seconds to live. He averted his eyes from the smile. "You think you're up to this wizard-priest?"
    Actually, he had no idea, but he wasn't about to let Celluci know that. "I am not without resources."
    'Then it's settled." Vicki stood and stretched, snapping the kinks out of her spine. "This little session has been very useful. We'll all get together after the party and talk again. Thank you both for coming. Go home." She made it pretty obvious who she meant.
    'I'll be there just before dawn," she told Henry at the door, dropping her voice too low for Celluci to hear. "Don't start without me."
    He lifted her hand and lightly kissed the inside of her wrist. "I wouldn't dream of it," he told her softly and was gone.
    Celluci came out of