12

Organized. Professional. Competent. But not all hunters are like that. Some are dangerous buffoons who are in over their heads. A group like that attacked me the last time I left my facility. I killed most of them, but a few got away, and they're still looking for me. I'd like to give myself to them." She gestures to her clone. "Once everyone thinks I've been destroyed, I'll have time to transfer my research elsewhere, away from Lettow. We're self-funding now. I don't need him."

You glance around at the room. It's just you, Dr. Caul, the half-buried clones, and a few technicians up on the balcony around you. Icy pipes run out of a massive tank on the far wall, an elaborate coolant system surrounded by warning signs. Huge chains dangle from the ceiling, their purpose unclear. The doors nearby are locked.

The Tremere watches you impassively.

"There's less risk than you might imagine. These 'vampire hunters' are amateurs. They're dangerous chiefly because they're unpredictable and ignorant, but a skilled courier should be able to elude them."

You sit back and consider your options. The Tremere is probably right that the vampire hunters aren't that dangerous unless you make a mistake. Your biggest concern is the Prince of Tucson. You don't think highly of the Camarilla or its Traditions, and Prince Lettow's trust in you is conditional at best.

It would be a shame to turn that ambiguous relationship into a hostile one. And Lettow is no fool—he'll learn the truth eventually.

On the other hand, "eventually" is not the same as "now." Right now you're in the heart of Dr. Caul's territory, and you know she will not take refusal well.

"And just so we're clear, I'm not asking you to work for free. I can pay, obviously. Will $5,000 be sufficient? And I can teach. Sorcery and far-seeing, mastery of beasts and men. I think that's how Jasper used to phrase it. A bit dramatic. But true."

[Disciplines Available from Invidia Caul: Animalism, Auspex, Blood Sorcery, Dominate]

Then she holds up her ring. "Or there's this. I stole this years ago, but I've unlocked the secrets of how it holds vitae, and begun to forge an even greater version. So this could be yours. If you help."

An understanding of sorcery is not necessary to use the ring," Dr. Caul says. "But the vitae it stores moves in ways that will be unfamiliar to you. I can train you in its use in less than an hour. Help me, and it's yours tonight."

"This isn't the choice you seem to think it is, Blue Blood," the Tremere says, meeting you without fear. She bares her teeth. Her little fangs aren't frightening, but the acid that swirls around her hands, forming runes of power—that's worth worrying about.

If there's one thing you know about the secretive Tremere, it's that they don't like sharing their plans. Dr. Caul has other drivers. What happens if she views you as a loose end or someone who knows too much?