The last thing Sir John remembered was Bisset shooting at him. The next thing he appeared to be flying over Paris.

“Good Lord!” he thought. “Have I been killed and am now flying to another, better place.” 

He felt in quick measure a sharp sadness that he wouldn’t see Marie again, a fascination as to what he would learn as a disembodied entity and then sudden motion sickness as he began a descent. 

“Oh,” he thought, “I didn’t think I’d been that wicked.”

He looked around and realised he was being held by mechanical arms, along with a wriggling sack, by a strange black creature with springs for feet. The creature landed on the earth and began to rise again. Sir John wondered briefly if there was some ambivalence as to which destination he was heading to when a penny began descending along with the black creature. It was hard to breathe with the rushing air and the rebound from hitting the ground so Sir John waited until he was at the apex to speak.

“Phlebotomous!” he said then the breath was snatched out of him as they once again descended.

“Yes!” said Phlebotomous at the next apex. Sir John was pleased for the confirmation but was rather hoping for more detail.

“Stop bouncing?” said Sir John once they reached the peak again, hoping the interminable parabola would end.

“Can’t. Gargoyles,” replied Phlebotomous, nodding back with his head.

As they descended again, Sir John tried to twist to look backwards. He could see the Notre Dame as they once again hit the Paris streets. They appeared to have landed somewhere in the Sorbonne. Then as they rose he saw shapes moving on the roofs and pavements. At first it seemed like they were birds as he saw wings and claws. They descended again whilst he puzzled over what Phlebotomous had said and what he had seen. As they rose again he looked and saw the creatures were moving fast, almost keeping pace with them and seemingly heading the same way. It took him until the peak to see clearly the army that was pursuing them.

“Oh b…” he began before his breath was snatched away. The trio descended and rose a few more times until they landed in the Jardin des Plantes. One of the springs on Phlebotomous’ feet embedded firmly into the grass and soil. Momentum took the vampire up a little, but the spring held firm and so he tipped forward. Sir John, Phlebotomous and the wriggling sack landed heavily on the ground. Phlebotomous immediately opened the sack and put his head in. There was a squeal of delight and he pulled out his head.

“It’s Osvold, he’s safe,” said Phlebotomous. Sir John couldn’t see through the vampire’s full body suit, but it sounded like Phlebotomous was smiling.

Sir John looked at the far side of the park and saw movement in the trees. Creatures jumped from tree to tree, scanning the ground before looking at him and heading his way.

“In a manner of speaking,” he said.