The Purging

The Empress and the Hollow Man

CHAPTER 6

Shouting is an all too common method of communication within the four walls of the United Nations Office at Nairobi. Subject matter varies from day to day, but what to do about a worldwide vampire attack has never before been the topic of discussion. Delegates from all corners of the continent bellow unintelligible accusations back and forth in a cacophony of dialects. Frazzled interpreters struggle valiantly to create some semblance of real communication amongst the insanity, while throngs of angry protestors outside hurl rocks and rhetoric filled slogans at the windows of the building.

Oppressive heat from the morning sun is doing nothing to ease the situation. Beads of sweat trickle down the brows of the panicked politicians. The air is thick with the potent reek of body odour. No amount of air conditioning or cold water could give relief from the overwhelming stress and temperature.

The emergency meeting was called at dawn as the reports began coming in from around the globe that what was thought to be a tawdry hoax was actually a brutal reality. Screens in the centre of the room display a cavalcade of haunting images. World news agencies estimate the death tolls in the millions. Streets painted red with stacks of bodies on every corner are the feature presentation. Paranoid survivors are turning on each other and relief personnel, leading to violent standoffs in many major cities. The only bright point appears to be that just before daybreak the monsters retreated. So at least for now, under the blistering Kenyan sun, they were safe.

As the initial shock wears off, the room quiets enough for individuals to be heard above the crowd. Most delegates are calling for a full scale mobilization of their respective militaries. The more paranoid in the room are claiming their rivals across the floor are in collusion with the creatures. A select few are optimists, pointing out that none of the previous night's attacks occurred in Africa. Inflammatory rhetoric and political posturing are interrupted by the doors to the chamber swinging wide open. All eyes turn to the pair of strangers calmly walking in.

Entering first is a short Hindi woman in a flowing, floor length golden gown. Delicate embroidery stretches from the plunging neckline down the front of her dress. She is a singular vision of immaculate beauty. Soft, supple lips painted in a ruby hue beckon to be kissed, with eyes of a magnificent ochre that sparkle in the fluorescent light. Shimmering ebony hair is tied up in an elaborate sequence of jewelled barrettes and topped with a diamond encrusted tiara. Her wrists and fingers are draped in a king’s ransom worth of platinum and white gold. Curves that defy gravity and a bone structure that defines symmetry move with lyrical grace to the centre of the room. She is a blinding mixture of perfect aesthetics and metallic glimmer.

Walking just behind her is a striking figure of a very different kind. He is dressed in full camouflage fatigues and body armor bearing the flag of the Ivory Coast, an assault rifle slung over each shoulder. Six foot five and built like a tank, each step he takes reverberates in the chamber. A rough onyx complexion accentuates the intimidating nature of his visage. From the look on his face, you could swear somebody just killed his mother. Looking into his eyes feels like staring directly into a pair of hungry black holes. Low threatening growls rumble intermittently from his throat.

The stunned crowd fluctuates between ogling one and averting their gaze from the other. Upon reaching the middle of the room, he picks her up by the waist and perches her on top of the highest point he can reach. She crosses her legs casually and examines her fingernails for a moment before speaking, “Good morning. I'm certain you all have a great number of questions regarding what has been happening of late. I am here to help answer those questions.”

A representative from Ethiopia is the first to respond to her, “Who are you exactly and what do you think you're doing? You can't just walk in here without a pass and commandeer the session. This is an emergency summit!” She answers him without bothering to meet his gaze.