And suddenly he was doing it. Yes. He felt the heat, felt it as if his own head would explode. He saw the façade of the little hotel waver, heard it crackle, and saw the flames erupting everywhere.

“Kill them as they come out!”

Within seconds the hotel was a tower of flame. And they were rushing right towards him, right into the path of the one who was burning them. It was like a game, throwing the beam at one and then another and another. They were each individual torches for an instant, dying quickly to the rainy pavement.

His head ached. He staggered backwards. A woman stood by the entrance sobbing, reaching out to one of the young ones who’d been burnt to the ground. She was old. It would take such heat to burn her. I don’t want to. I don’t want to do any of this.

“Ah, but you do! Now, lift her out of her pain and her suffering.…”

“Yes, such pain and such suffering …”

He sent the blast at her with all his strength. Throwing up her arms, she threw a blast of her own towards him but her face and arms were already turning black. Her clothes were on fire. Her legs gave out. Another blast and she was finished and then another and another and only her bones gave off smoke as they melted.

He had to be quick. He had to get those who had escaped from the back.

Through the burning building he ran, easily picking them out when he reemerged into the rain.

Two, three, then a fourth, and there were no more.

He sat slumped against a wall, and the rain soaked through his white shirt.

“Come,” said the dictatorial voice. “You are dear to me now. I love you. You have done my will and I will reward you.”

“No, get away from me!” he said disgustedly. “I don’t do anyone’s will.”

“Oh, but you have.”

“No,” he said. He got to his feet, the cloth shoes wet and heavy. Disgustedly he tore them off his feet and threw them away. He walked on and on. He was walking out of this immense city. He was walking away from all this.

“I have work for you in other places,” said the being.

“Not for me,” he said.

“You betray me.”

“Weep by yourself over that. It’s nothing to me.”

He stopped. He could hear other blood drinkers in the night in far-distant places. He could hear voices screaming. Where were these dreadful cries coming from? He told himself he didn’t care.

“I will punish you,” said the being, “if you defy me.” His voice was angry again. But very soon, as Cyril walked on and on, the creature fell silent. The creature was gone.