Thomas Asks Elizabeth to Take Over

Thomas Asks Elizabeth to Take Over
by Reuben Gregg Brewer


"I am so very happy you agreed to come," said the youngish looking man in a dark gray suit. He almost looked like a teenager, but the way he held himself belied his true age. He was standing outside of a limousine with four bodyguards around him. His escort consisted of two cars and two motorcycles.

"Thomas, do you always travel with such a large entourage," asked the beautiful woman standing before him, as she offered her hand.

Bending to kissing it, he answered, "No, I normally travel with a larger entourage, but I didn’t think you would enjoy the attention. Nor did I think it would impress you."

"You’re correct on both counts."

Turning to the woman’s companion, Thomas said, "Sol, it nice to see you again. It has been a very long time. I am glad Elizabeth was able to convince you to join her on this little trip."

"Thank you Thomas, your hospitality is very gracious. But for some reason, I doubt that this will be a little trip."

"He is perceptive," Thomas said, looking at Elizabeth.

"It is both a blessing and curse to have a companion as perceptive as Sol," she answered with a smile. Taking his hand, she continued, "But I couldn’t get along without him. He is so very loyal to me. I trust him with my life."

"It is getting late, I should take you to my home. I’ve set up two rooms, per your request. My men have arranged to have your belongings sent later. You will have them when you awake."

"Most generous of you Thomas," Elizabeth said. Turning to Sol, she added, "Didn’t I tell you he was gracious?"

"Indeed, though from our brief encounter in Europe, I suspected as much."

The three proceeded to get into the limousine and drive from the docks to a beautiful apartment building overlooking Central Park. Their trip across the Atlantic was the chosen discussion, though all three knew there were larger issues to discuss.

Once inside, Thomas was surprised to find about a dozen suited men waiting for him. The happiness that showed in his face when he greeted Elizabeth and Sol quickly faded. He turned to his guests in the main hallway and said, "I am sorry. I had hoped we would have more time to catch up, but it appears I have business to attend to. We will talk tomorrow." He walked over to the men and walked into a room with them, though two remained outside to watch the entrance.

"Well," announced Elizabeth, "it appears we are on our own." As she finished her sentence, a maid walked up and escorted them to their rooms.

The adjoining rooms were fabulous. The ceilings were at least 20 feet high and they were adorned with gold leaf and cherubs. The beds were four posters with silk sheets. Everything was antique hard wood.

"Impressive," Sol said, looking from his room into Elizabeth’s.

"Thomas never did anything that wasn’t magnificent," was her reply.

"I am a bit concerned that we still don’t know why he has asked you to come. To discuss ‘important’ matters seems a bit vague, don’t you think?"

"Yes," Elizabeth answered. "I have declined his invitation for many years, for reasons I believe you understand, but this request was different. It was as if he needed me to be here. I owe Thomas a great deal. I would have died ages ago if he hadn’t saved me from poverty and prostitution. Though we separated amicably many years ago, I still feel I owe a deep debt to him."

"Yes," I suppose you might. "I only fear that he will ask that debt to be repaid in full. I hope you are ready to bear the burden of his needs."

"I suspect we will find that out tomorrow," answered Elizabeth. "Good night."

Sol closed the doors and went to his bed. Looking around him, he decided that the floor would make a better resting place. He was not used to the decadence of Thomas’ lifestyle. In fact, he no longer stayed with Elizabeth because he couldn’t handle her lifestyle, which was far less grand.

"We need so little, and yet we take so much," Sol said as he found a quiet corner of the room.

-----

As usual, Sol was up before Elizabeth. He opened the door to her room and walked in. She had pushed the covers off of her during the day, and her nearly flawless porcelain body was almost fully exposed.

Sol looked at her as if she were a work of art, which, indeed, she was. But his gaze was in admiration of her beauty, nothing more. He cared deeply about Elizabeth, but he did not care for Elizabeth. His love was the love one might feel for a sister, not that of a suitor.

He smiled and pulled the covers back over her before he walked back to his room. "I wonder if I am to wait here all night, or if I can venture out into the halls of gluttony," he asked out loud? "If I stay here for very long, I’m sure to be bored," he thought, so he walked from his room and into the hallway. There he found servants waiting for him.

"Hello, have you been waiting for me to wake up?"

One of the women in the group of five responded, "We are here for you."

"As you can see, I am quite capable of dressing myself. But I do appreciate your intentions. I would, however, be much obliged if you could direct me to a parlor or, better yet, perhaps Thomas is awake and you can help me find him."

The women looked nervously at each other before one of them said, "Perhaps you didn’t understand. We are not here to help you, we are here for you."

Sol stood silent for a moment looking down the hallway at the entrance to Elizabeth’s room. Standing in front of the room were five men. "And I suppose those gentlemen are for Elizabeth," Sol asked?

"Yes, my lord," they are, the first woman answered.

"My name is Sol, I have no lordly rank. And, now that I understand your purpose here, I must apologize for my apparent ignorance. I did not understand the depths of Thomas’ hospitality."

"Then shall we," the woman asked gesturing toward the door?

"No, we shall not. I am quite grateful to Thomas for thinking of me, but I do not wish this. All I want now is for you to show me how I can find Thomas or a parlor so that I may entertain myself until he has time for me."

"But, sire," another of the women started to say, but Sol put up his hand to stop her.

"I do not want this," he said.

All of the women walked with him to a parlor overlooking the park. He peppered them with questions about the great New York City as they walked. This was the first time he had been to the "New World." The women were most eager to please and answered all of his questions about the city as best they could.

He even began to ask them personal questions, which seemed to surprise them all. But, after their initial trepidation, they seemed happy to talk about themselves.

The six had been talking for a very long time, when Sol noticed a presence behind and above him. He calmly turned and looked. Standing on a balcony at the back of the room was Thomas and Elizabeth. They were talking while quietly watching Sol and the women.

When the women noticed where Sol was looking, they fell silent. They knew that what they were now doing was not what Thomas had intended and they were afraid of his reaction.

Seeing that their presence had silenced the jovial group below, Thomas nodded his head to Sol and escorted Elizabeth out of the room. The women looked at each other and happily resumed their discussions. Sol, knowing that he was obviously unwanted for the discussion that Thomas and Elizabeth were having, rejoined as well.

-----

While escorting Elizabeth into a private study above the parlor, Thomas said, "Sol is extremely compassionate for one of our kind."

"Yes, he is. I believe that’s what attracted me to him," Elizabeth answered. "When I first saw him, he was so entranced by his sculptures that he would rub his face across them to ensure his strokes were honest and smooth. He took so much care to make every strike perfect. It was a pleasure to watch.

"And now he takes equal care of me. I am lucky to have him. Like Sabastian before him, I know that my actions often vex him. I can’t help but tax the relationship, to test our boundaries.

"I do not push him as hard as I pushed Sabastian, though. I learned many lessons about myself and about how others perceive me from Sabastian. Still, Sol has grown distant. I will lose him some day, but not because I have pushed too far.

"I fear he grows board with me. He finds me juvenile. Sabastian was playful, as actors often are. Sol, he is very serious. Perhaps we aren’t the best mix, but for now I enjoy what I have. That’s perhaps the biggest lesson I learned from Sabastian. To enjoy what I have while I have it."

"Yes, Sabastian. He is still here, you know," Thomas responded.

"I am aware of it. I am shielding my thoughts so he doesn’t know I am here."

"I doubt he would even notice if you yelled his name. For a long time I was fearful of him because of what he had accomplished. I sent many to kill him, but none came back alive. At first I was surprised that he did not retaliate, that he didn’t come to kill me for sending our kind to kill him.

"I sent assassins a dozen times, maybe more, until I realized that he simply wanted to be alone. He had grown tired of the constant struggle to maintain control of the city. It was growing and the task was larger than it was worth.

"He faded away. Eventually I let him fade, too. He doesn’t submit to the Tribunal’s laws and we do not attempt to enforce them. Occasionally he does something that elicits notice, but very rarely and it usually isn’t worth the confrontation.

"It is often hard to keep the others on the Tribunal from acting, but with a little persuasion they come around and the incidents slip away into memory. Most only know of him from stories and old wives tales now. They doubt his strength and belittle what he achieved.

"In truth, he had achieved the absolute control that I could not. He ruled with an iron fist and few dared to question his authority. Those that did knew all to well what they were getting into. And they usually died.

"For my part, I rule with similar strength, but do so using political means. Not the way in which I was taught to rule by our European brothers, but it was the only way I could subdue the liberal bent of this nation.

"But, like Sabastian, I have grown tired."

"Ahh," Elizabeth intoned. "This is why you have brought me here."

"Yes."

"How can I help you?"

"You can take over as the head of our coven and as the head of the Tribunal," Thomas responded quietly.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me perfectly well."

"I have never been able to live in a coven larger than two. And at that I’ve only had two successful ventures. Even you couldn’t put up with me and cast me out. How do you expect me to take the reigns of a coven, not to mention the governing of a city?"

"After me, you are the next oldest in the coven. Did you know that," Thomas asked?

"No, I did not."

"The few that were before you have all killed themselves because they could no longer bare living. Your fortitude in the face of life is enough for me to place my trust in you. The lessons you have knowingly learned through the years suggest that you are the perfect choice."

"I hardly believe that," Elizabeth answered.

"Oh, but you should believe it. You should believe in yourself and in your strength. You have grown immensely since we were first together. Emotionally and physically."

"Are you calling me fat," Elizabeth asked with a smile?

"No, my dear," Thomas answered with a chuckle. "I am not calling you anything of the sort, but you have certainly lightened my old heart with your jest. That has always been part of your charm."

"Come, let’s get Sol and have a night out on the town," Elizabeth said. "I think we can continue this discussion later."

-----

The three went out to a nightclub with entourage in tow. They were royalty, something that Elizabeth found quite enjoyable. Sol, however, was less amused. They were causing more commotion than he desired, and drawing far too much attention to themselves.

By the end of the night, Thomas and Elizabeth were having a wonderful time. Neither wanted it to end. Sol had been ready to go home for hours.

"Sol, you are a fuddy duddy," Elizabeth admonished with a pout.

"Yes, I am," he responded.

"You never let yourself have any fun," she said, sitting on his lap.

"Perhaps my idea of fun is different than yours."

"Your idea of fun is boring," she responded kissing him on the cheek. "But, Thomas tells me it is time to go home, so I guess your torment is over."

"What a lovely prospect," Sol answered, lifting her up in his arms.

"Oh, you are a romantic after all," said Elizabeth. Sol made no reply. Both knew that Sol was nor more romantically inclined toward Elizabeth now than he had been for the last several decades. He was a loyal friend and that was all he was.

The drive back was pleasant enough, though Elizabeth insisted on sitting atop Sol’s lap. When they arrived at Thomas’ building, Sol excused himself immediately. He went to his room so he could be away from the noise and commotion of the night, so he could rest his senses. As he walked in to his room, though, the same five women from earlier in the evening welcomed him.

"I must rest," he said to them.

"We know, we will rest with you," one said.

"Thank you, but no. I prefer to rest alone."

"As you wish," she said, and the group filed out of his room.

"Such waste," he said as he found a new corner in which to sleep for the day.

Downstairs, Elizabeth and Thomas talked for a short time longer before he walked her to her room. Opening the door, Thomas noted the five men lying on the bed recovering from Elizabeth’s feeding. "I see the gentlemen I sent you were to your liking," he said.

"Yes, unlike Sol, I quite enjoyed the surprise."

"Perhaps Sol will appreciate it more tomorrow."

"I think he might appreciate it more if you removed some of the girls and replaced them with boys," she said nonchalantly.

"Oh," Thomas answered, "I assumed..."

"Yes, it was a perfectly reasonable assumption."

"I will arrange for that before I turn in."

"Thomas," Elizabeth said as he was leaving, "thank you for a perfectly wonderful night. It was splendid."

"You are welcome, it is the least I could have done to show my appreciation. Your trip was long and you undertook it only because I requested it."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

-----

The next evening, Sol walked in to Elizabeth’s room to find her in bed with all five of her consorts from the night before. It was obvious that she had ravaged them again before she retired for the evening. Sol checked two of them to see if their pale bodies still had any life in them.

"Unnecessary," he said, feeling that both were drained within a hair’s breadth of death. "They would have been better off dead. She will need new men tonight if she hopes to feed, but I suppose Thomas will provide them."

Shaking his head, he left the covers at the foot of the bed and walked back to his room. Walking out of his room, he was greeted by three of the women from the night before and two men.

He stopped and looked at the new members of his entertainment. He walked up to them, turning their heads to examine their necks. It was obvious they had done this before.

"I do not wish company tonight," he announced as he walked to the parlor overlooking the park.

After looking over Central Park for several minutes, he heard Thomas ask from above, "Does nothing satisfy you Sol?"

Turning, he answered, "Your hospitality has been quite kind. I simply do not need to feed at the moment."

"Do you only feed when needed?"

"Yes."

"Not at all like your sire."

"No."

"Interestingly, however, it is very much like Sabastian."

"So I have been told many times."

"I imagine you must be tired of the comparison," Thomas said, as he walked down a spiral staircase tucked in the corner of the room.

"Actually, it does not bother me. I know that I am no replacement for Sabastian. As you have guessed, or been told, my interests are different than his."

"Yes, Elizabeth told me."

"I need her here, you know."

"Are you asking for my help in convincing her?"

"If it would help, yes."

"I doubt it would. She would know instantly that I was lying if I were to tell her I thought we should stay," Sol answered.

"Do you not enjoy this life?"

"No, honestly, I do not."

"Would you remain with her if she decided to stay?"

"Yes."

"Than you are as loyal as she says. That is hard to find. She is very special."

"Yes."

"Have you guessed what I have asked her?"

"You want her to join you in leading the Tribunal."

"Close. I want her to take my place."

"Won’t that cause problems?"

"It will be a difficult transition, but I believe she can manage with my support."

"I don’t doubt that you wield enough power to put anyone you wanted at the head of the Tribunal."

"Anyone is a stretch, but you are correct. Still, there will be resentment and infighting no matter what I do. And, what the new head does after I install them will truly be the test."

"She is going to say yes," Sol stated flatly.

"She has not answered yet."

"She came here knowing that you would ask her to do something. She came here knowing she would agree to it."

"That is good to know. Do you not feel as though you have betrayed her?"

"No," Sol answered, "I believe you knew this the moment you sent the letter. You have always given her a great deal of freedom, but now it is time to give back. She realized that from the tone of your letter."

"Indeed, was it that obvious?"

"Yes."

"Well, I am comforted that you will be by her side."

"I will do my best. But, perhaps, you would tell me the best way for me to aid her. If there is to be upheaval, I would very much like to limit the damage it would cause."

"I will make you a member of the Enforcers. This is, for lack of a better term, our police force."

"And how will that help," Sol asked?

"The power I wield rests largely on my control of the Enforcers. When I step down, powerful factions will attempt to wrest control from Elizabeth. If you are high up in the ranks of the Enforcers, you can help to maintain their allegiance. You can also provide valuable information to Elizabeth that would otherwise be out of her reach.

"There will be some resentment, but assuming Elizabeth does agree to take my place, I will put you second in command behind Dana. Dana has been a powerful ally to me, but not wholly loyal. I will provide you with enough information about Dana to remove any obstacles from your path to the head of the Enforcers should you desire to take that position."

"I will accept your assignment and your information," Sol replied.

"I am impressed with your loyalty. You are willing to take on a job that I am sure you will loathe to help Elizabeth. What I could have achieved with you around.

"Anyway, shall we go see if Elizabeth has arisen?"

"Yes, but I believe she will need new attendants."

"I assumed that, they were sent shortly after you left your room."

On the way to Elizabeth’s room, Thomas explained some of the intricacies of the Tribunal and the Enforcers to Sol. The most important information was about who was trustworthy and who could be pushed around.

When they arrived at Elizabeth’s room, Thomas knocked. A woman’s voice from the other side said, "Come in."

As they entered, Elizabeth was on the bed on her arms and knees. She was sucking the blood of one man lying on the bed by her head, while another was having sex with her from behind.

"Oh really, Elizabeth," Sol exclaimed. "It was completely unnecessary for you to invite us in while you were engaged. I’ll be outside."

Thomas chuckled at Sol’s obvious revulsion. "He is sensitive isn’t he," Thomas said walking over to Elizabeth, who had not stopped her activities. "May I join you," Thomas asked, looking at the man below her?

"Certainly."

He kneeled down and drew some blood. "Hmmm, even though I no longer need to feed, it still draws me. I have never understood how others of our kind can decide not to feed when it is so enjoyable."

Grunting, Elizabeth responded, "I have never understood either. Sabastian was the same way, never feeding until he absolutely had to.

"Of course he never could understand why I fed so often." After she said that, she pulled away from the man behind her and said to him, "I’m done for now, thank you very much."

"I’m glad that at least one of you liked my selections," Thomas said.

"Oh, I’m certain that, in his own way, Sol enjoyed the companions you arranged for him. But I would love to know how you found so many, um, well endowed companions for me?"

Thomas laughed and said, "I’ll be waiting with Sol while you get dressed."

Outside, Sol and Thomas continued their discussion about the Tribunal until Elizabeth came out.

"So, where to tonight," she asked?

"Tonight I make my request again and leave the two of you to discuss the issue."

"Oh, I had hoped we could avoid that subject for a little while longer."

"No, we can not. Tomorrow we can go out again, but tonight you must decide."

"And if I say no, daddy, do we still get to go out," Elizabeth asked mockingly?

"Of course we do, my child. But work must come first today. Let’s go to the parlor."

The threesome walked to the parlor in relative silence. Once there, Thomas explained his situation again, even though both Elizabeth and Sol both knew what he was requesting.

After completing his speech, Thomas announced, "I will leave you two to talk now," and he got up and left.

After he left the room, Elizabeth asked, "Sol, do you think I should take his place?"

"No, I do not."

"Do you think I can’t handle it?"

"No, I believe you are more than capable, but I don’t think you will like doing what he asks."

"But I owe him so much. I don’t think I can refuse him. He has never asked anything of me."

"That is a decision I can’t make."

"Would you stay with me if I agreed?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I believe you will need my help. And I guess I feel that I have a debt to pay, as well."

"You have no debt to me, Sol. Any that might have existed has long since been paid."

"Thank you, Elizabeth. I appreciate that. But it does not change the issue at hand. I do not believe you should do this, but you must make up your own mind."

"If you don’t believe I should do this, why don’t you argue against it?"

"I see no point in arguing for or against something when I know you’ve already made your decision."

"I have?"

"Yes."

"And what have I decided, my mind reading companion?"

"Don’t mock me Elizabeth, you knew the moment you decided to come to the Americas that you would do whatever Thomas wanted of you. I agreed to come knowing that."

"You do put up so much from me, don’t you Sol?"

"At times."

"I didn’t think he would ask so much of me. I am afraid."

"Elizabeth, you are more than capable of handling this."

"I am not afraid of being able to do the job, I am afraid of what it has done to Thomas. If Thomas can be so impacted by this, so, too, will I. But I fear I have no choice. As you said, from the moment I agreed to come, I knew I would do what he asked. I am just glad you will be here with me."

"Shall we tell Thomas of your decision?"

"Yes," Elizabeth said.

They walked to the door, opened it and found an attendant waiting for them.

"Are you looking for Master Thomas," he asked?

"Yes," Sol answered.

"This way, please," the attendant said.

They walked to the study overlooking the parlor, where Thomas was sitting at his desk looking through some paperwork.

"You have made up your mind," he asked?

"Yes," Elizabeth said, "I have."

"And?"

"I will take over as the head of our coven and as the head of the Tribunal."

"And you Sol, what will you do," Thomas asked?

"I will stay as well."

"Then it is settled. You decided more quickly than I expected, but there is much to do. First we must introduce you to the other members of the coven. They know of you both, but most have never set eyes upon you. Those that have, probably remember you as a stubborn little girl, not the woman into which you’ve grown. And you, Sol, I don’t believe anyone has met you other than myself.

"After that, we must work to integrate you into our little New York City society. Introduce you to the other covens and show how much I trust and back you. This will probably take a little time, perhaps five years or so. During that time, I can teach you. I can teach you both."

[Copyright Reuben Gregg Brewer, 2004. All rights reserved.]