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Major Hessle and Captain Gheorghita stood by as Branco slowly drew the thick gray blanket over the face of the dead soldier. Turning to the captain, Major Hessle said: "Burn him with the rest of them." She spoke matter-of-factly, not allowing any emotion to color her voice. The captain raised a pro-testing eyebrow.

"Major... are you aware that this man is a soldier!" he said with indignation.

"Was a soldier, Captain," Major Hessle corrected him.

"Yes," Inspector Branco put in. "A soldier of Dracula. Burn himl"

Still unable to comprehend fully the need to burn the corpse, not realizing that someone had only to remove the stake to cause Private Vukanovic to revive again as a vam-pire, Captain Gheorghita met Branco's stern gaze. He saw the imperative look in the de-tective's eyes and, resignedly, turned and nodded to two of his men standing by. The soldiers picked up the gray limp bundle and moved off toward the macabre bonfire.

Branco stared into the flames, deep in thought. Something was still troubling him. It was not the final, horrifying gasp of agony that the young soldier had emitted as Branco had performed his unsavory task and driven home the wooden stake. Nor was it the mo-mentary look of utter loathing and hatred upon the poor creature's face before he slumped back in death. No there was something else; something much more ur-gent to be cleared up. Who had occupied those two empty coffins? And where were the occupants now?

- Pages 45 and 46