We were all sprawled around the Dispatcher’s office at this point, sipping our respective drinks and getting into a pretty good rap session. We had pulled Guido in off door watch and I had dropped our disguises so my energy reserve wasn’t being drained.
The Dispatcher had played with his phones, calling from one to the other. Then he put them all down and announced that he had them on “hold,” a curious expression since it was the first time in half an hour he hadn’t been holding one.
Vilhelm himself was turning out to be a priceless source of information, and, as promised, had a seemingly insatiable curiosity about otherworldly things.
“Then how do you account for all the vampire legends around the other dimensions,” Massha said skeptically.
The Dispatcher made a face.
“First of all, you’ve got to realize who you’re dealing with. Most of the ones who do extensive touring outside of Limbo are ‘old money’ types. We’re talking about the idle rich … and that usually equates to bored thrill seekers. Working stiffs like me can’t afford to take that kind of time away from our jobs. Heck, I can hardly manage to get my two weeks each year. Anyway, there are a lot more of us around the dimensions than you might realize. It’s just that the level-headed ones are content to maintain a low profile and blend with the natives. They content themselves with the blood of domestic livestock, much the way we do here at home. It’s the others that cause the problems. Like any group of tourists, there’s always a few who feel that just because they’re in another world or city, the rules don’t apply . . . and that includes common manners and good taste. They’re the ones who stir up trouble by getting the locals up in arms about ‘bloodsucking monsters.’ If it makes you feel any better, you human types have a pretty bad rep yourselves here in Limbo.”