Jane and Max stared at him.
'Eddy!' Jane cried. 'What are you doing?'
The coach driver ignored her. 'Count Dracula!' he yelled, his voice echoing around the tunnel. 'I've got them!'
The doctor turned her head to him. 'Eddy,' she said. 'I implore you. Don't do this.'
'I'm sorry, Doctor. It has to be this way.'
A dozen figures materialised from the surrounding darkness: Dracula, Cassandra, and a host of his women. Jane felt sick at heart as Dracula ordered the removal of their weapons. Soon, she and the others were standing defenceless before the vampire hoard.
'How lovely to finally meet you all,' Dracula said. 'Jane, of course, I know. But you're Eddy, and you must be Max, the Master of Light.' His eyes turned to Porter. 'And the very clever Doctor Porter. My goodness, you've chased me from one end of the country to the other. And now, we finally meet.'
'You bastard!' Max shouted.
'Manners,' the vampire chided him. 'Oncoming death is no reason for emotional outbursts. There is so much I must show you.'
Jane turned to Eddy. 'Why?' she pleaded. 'Why did you do it?'
Eddy's face twisted with grief. 'Why?' he said, pointing. 'That's why.'
The woman he pointed to stood at Dracula's side. Her long, flowing black hair stood out in stark contrast to her deathly alabaster skin. Her lips were ruby-red, and now she stared at Eddy with an expression that was something between love and hunger.
'That's my Susan,' Eddy said, going to her side. 'My darling daughter. What father would not do anything—anything—to save their child?' He touched her face. 'She came to me last night and told me Dracula wanted to make a deal. Of course, I said no at first, but then she said we could always be together.' He stared at Doctor Porter imploringly. 'You must understand. She's my daughter. I lost her, but now I've got her back.'
Dracula gestured to the girl. 'Take him into the mine.'
Eddy was led away into the darkness by his daughter.
'What is this all about?' Doctor Porter asked. 'And how is it possible that you're awake. I thought that vampires were forced to sleep during the day.'
'It's our natural inclination,' Dracula confirmed. 'But it is the Earth's sun to which we are allergic. This far underground, and at this time of the day, it has no effect on us.'
Jane stared into Doctor Porter's face. Her bright blue eyes were focused on the vampire. She seemed remarkably composed for someone who had just walked into a trap. Glancing at the vampires, she saw that Cassandra was alive, at least, but paler than ever. Before long, she would be just another of Dracula's creatures—and there was nothing Jane could do about it.
And we will be too, she thought, gloomily. We will either be dead or transformed into vampires. Everything has gone horribly wrong.
'I'm so glad you could make it,' Dracula said. He could have been talking about a luncheon party. 'My first plan did not work, but never fear, I will be more successful this time.' He motioned to them. 'Come and take a look. You'll be so impressed by what we've created.'
During the conversation, a distant rhythmic pounding had begun. Jane had not noticed it at first, but over the last few minutes, it had grown louder. Now the vampire led them into another tunnel and towards the growing noise. Jane shot a frantic look back at both Doctor Porter and Max.
The look on the doctor's face was unreadable, but Max's expression was of both grief and rage. He peered back at her in the gloom and tried to give her a hopeful look, but she understood the seriousness of their situation. They were hundreds of feet underground, surrounded by vampires, and they were defenceless.
I will fight to the death, if need be, Jane thought. Better that than a lifetime of servitude to Dracula.
The noise grew louder. Then they turned a corner, and it became almost deafening. Dozens of lamps were spread about the place, illuminating a chamber wider than the others. A network of beams and columns shored up the weight of the mountain. It was a coal mine, but Jane could tell it was nothing like anything that had been previously built. Those places, she knew, were like death traps. Children as young as five worked in them from morning till night.
Dracula's mine underground operated like a clockwork machine. It was designed to cut and transport the spoils of their digging. Two tracks disappeared into a tunnel. Empty mine carts were being shunted down one, while full carts were dragged back up and emptied into carts at a transfer point. These were taking the refuse away to some other place.
A huge number of people are working here.
'What is this place?' Porter asked. 'What are you doing here?'
Almost in reply, there was a distant rumble, as if from an explosion.
'It's the future,' Dracula said. 'It doesn't look like much, does it? The tunnel is extended, bit by bit, using explosives. The waste is collected and transported here to a brickworks. Its owner has no interest in the origin of the rubble. They gladly accept it and turn it into bricks.'
Jane's eyes settled on piles of boxes to one side. It was gunpowder, judging by the warning signs on the sides.
'I understand,' Doctor Porter said, nodding. 'This is not a coal mine.'
'Bravo!' Dracula said.
'You're building a tunnel.'
'A tunnel?' Max said, stupefied. 'Where to?'
Dracula smiled triumphantly. 'Where else would I be tunnelling to?' he asked. 'France, of course.'