"(stanislav:)glory and praise to you, o satan," "In the heights of heaven, where you reigned" "And in the depths of hell where" "Vanquished you dream in silence." "Grant that my soul may someday repose near" "To you under the tree of knowledge," "When over your brow" "Its branches spread like a new temple." "Satan, who commutes with us through dreams" "And fantasies and desires," "I now partake of your blood," "The blood of thy blood," "The soul of your creation." "(peasant 1:)death to the vampire." "(peasant 2:)open the door." "(peasant 1:)break it down." "(peasant 2:)open the door." "(peasant 1:)die." "(peasant 2)harder." "[door crashing]" "Where is he?" "I don't see him." "He can't have escaped." "He must be hiding." "We are too late." "(syd:)hello." "(nigel:)welcome back." "Oh, here, let me drop my stuff off." "I'll help you grade those." "(nigel:)that would be very much appreciated." "That's odd." "What's odd?" "Karen left her stuff behind." "She's still on campus." "At this hour?" "Night classes." "She actually seemed quite excited about them." "Really?" "Whose class?" "Seduction." "It's the vampire's strongest weapon." "In classical literature" "And in my own novels," "The vampire's most satisfying victims" "Are almost always willing." "God knows I would be." "(lucas:)many have asked:" "Why is it that the vampire" "Is so attractive" "As a literary figure..." "And why, particularly, to women?" "Is it the danger," "The taboo?" "The incredible butt." "[laughing]" "Sorry." "Go on." "Thank you." "(lucas:)the secret to the vampire's" "Attraction is simply this:" "He's the consummate lover." "He finds the deepest," "Most secret desires of his victim" "And then does everything" "He can to give it to her." "That's all we have time for." "Have up to chapter 10 read by next week." "And as you're leaving," "Remember to walk in pairs." "You never know what could be lurking out there." "Karen, isn't it?" "Karen patresky." "Oh, good." "I'm glad we finally have a moment alone." "Oh?" "I've been meaning to talk to you." "Actually, you know," "Now's not really a good time." "There's some place I..." "I really must insist." "(syd:)a vampire working on this campus?" "His name's lucas blackmer." "He's the writer -in-residence." "(nigel:)I've heard of him, the novelist." "Best-selling novelist." "The waiting list to get into his class" "Is like a frickin' phone book." "I had no idea you were such a fan of literature." "I'm not, but a famous writer," "A vanity class on gothic romance novels..." "How tough could it be?" "Okay, plus he's a complete babe." "If the women in his class" "Drooled over him any more, they'd dehydrate" "And you were saying the campus rumour is that" "Blackmer doesn't just write about vampires," "He is one?" "Look, I didn't believe it either," "But today, he asked me to stay after class." "I thought maybe" "He was just going to hit on me," "But all he wanted to talk about was you." "Me?" "Your background, what you like," "If you'd help him research his new book." "And that convinced you he was a vampire?" "Look, it wasn't what he said," "It was the way he said it." "Something about his eyes, those green eyes." "I'm not interrupting, am I?" "No, not at all." "Professor blackmer, this is..." "Sydney fox." "Ah, your reputation precedes you." "As does yours." "Oh, does me justice, I hope." "I'll get back to you on that." "Touché." "Do you have a moment?" "Absolutely." "In my office?" "Actually, I was" "Hoping we could take a stroll." "Such a beautiful evening outside." "Okay." "(syd:)karen tells me you need my help" "For a novel you're writing." "In a manner of speaking." "See?" "Like we're not even in the room." "(lucas:)part of writing my novels," "I do extensive research." "(syd:)sounds fascinating." "Have you ever read any of my work?" "I'm more non -fiction." "I base my characters, whenever possible," "On real historical figures." "The book I'm writing at the moment" "Concerns the famous count stanislav." "Never heard of him." "Yes, well, perhaps I should have said" ""famous in occult circles"." "Stanislav was a well documented vampire" "In 18th-century czechoslovakia." "He had in his possession a special chalice," "One that's been lost to history." "Special how?" "(lucus:)well, it's believed the chalice" "Was the key to stanislav's" "Supposed vampire powers." "I want you to help me find it." "I'm flattered, but..." "What if I told you stanislav" "Wasn't the first owner?" "What if, originally," "It belonged to vlad tepes," "Otherwise known as vlad the impaler?" "Otherwise known as dracula," "Whose chalice disappeared soon after he died." "What are you basing this on?" "(lucas:)my investigations into the final" "Disappearance of count stanislav." "300 years ago, stanislav" "Was chased from his ancestral home." "In his haste to escape," "He left the chalice lid behind." "He's etched his own symbol on the top," "But there's another," "A much older one on the inside." "You're right, but it's worn off." "I can barely make it out." "(lucas:)that's why I took the liberty of" "Making a rubbing from it," "As part of my research." "Do you recognize it?" "The order of the dragon." "The family crest of vlad the impaler." "Look out!" "(man:)blackmer!" "Hand over the lid." "You all right?" "Fine." "You?" "Fine." "But I wasn't the one almost cut in half" "By some knife wielding maniac." "That attack had a purpose." "He was after the chalice lid." "I think word's out on your relic" "Really." "Who did you tell?" "Hardly anybody..." "My publisher," "Her assistant..." "Dozens by now." "You've got competition." "There's blood." "What?" "On your cheek." "Thanks." "(syd:)there it is with enhanced magnification." "You're right," "This lid definitely predates stanislav..." "By about three centuries." "From the style and material," "I'd say it came from 15th-century romania." "As did vlad the impaler." "But after what happened tonight," "It hardly seems fair of me" "To ask you to continue." "I face rival relic hunters all the time." "It comes with the territory." "So you'll help me with my novel." "In a couple of weeks after exams," "I could have some time." "Unfortunately," "My publisher's only given me three days for" ""this little treasure hunt"," "As she calls it." "I had this trip planned long before" "I was made aware of your many talents." "The plane leaves in three hours." "It's not that simple." "I have classes." "That's what teaching assistants are for." "I have to pack." "I can buy you anything you need." "This is all just a little too fast." "Sydney, sometimes the best things in life are." "Look me in the eyes and tell me" "You're not just a little bit tempted." "(karen:)what do you mean "she's gone"?" "It's all in the note:" ""I've gone to the outskirts of prague" "With blackmer to search" "For stanislav's chalice"" "Whatever that is..." ""and I'll be back in three days."" "And don't you think that's weird?" "She could be in terrible danger." "Well, she does usually give a bit more notice." "When's her next lecture scheduled?" "I meant, don't you think it's weird" "That she would just drop" "Everything without telling us," "To take off with mr tall, dark and..." "Oh, yeah, undead?" "You're not seriously suggesting..." "I'm not suggesting, nig', I'm telling you." "Blackmer's up to something." "Taking sydney to a romantic, foreign getaway," "Separating her from her friends and colleagues." "He's seducing sydney exactly like" "The vampires in his books do it." "Oh, well, then let's call interpol." "Don't you think you're being a tad dramatic?" "(karen:)am I?" "You and sydney have spent the past two months" "Telling me about all the strange things" "You've experienced on your adventures:" "Spirits..." "Mummies, magic relics." "Yes, but..." "But what if a vampire's living on this campus" "And now he's after sydney?" "(karen:)think about it." "He only teaches night classes." "He says he writes during the day," "But no one's seen him." "I'm telling you, nig'," "This guy's trouble." "Easy, boy." "[speaking czech]" "Excuse me, sir." "He's never like this." "[speaking czech]" "Your rooms." "You certainly have" "A way with animals." "Yes." "Didn't look like much from the outside." "It's the least I could do." "You can come in." "I don't think we know each other" "Well enough yet, do we?" "Apparently, we do." "It's the staff." "I asked them to get you a selection." "It's all very relic hunter-functional," "I assure you." "Something wrong?" "Pretty luxurious for a relic hunt." "Well, a woman like you" "Deserves the finer things, sydney." "I'll see you downstairs" "In the lobby in 20 minutes." "We can start with stanislav's castle." "(syd:)at this hour?" "Well, I don't want to lose any time." "Besides, I tend to work better at night." "Lucas," "You didn't happen to have" "An ulterior motive for bringing me here, did you?" "Cross my heart." "(lucas:)the castle was abandoned 300 years ago," "After stanislav fled." "(syd:)it's showing its age." "(syd:)careful." "This whole place could come down" "Around our ears at any moment." "[mice screaming]" "Must be the path the villagers took" "The night stanislav fled." "(syd:)so..." "What is it about vampires" "That fascinates you exactly?" "(lucas:)understanding them has told me" "A great deal about human nature." "(syd:)really?" "Like..." "Like we often fear what we desire most." "Why were the villagers after" "Stanislav that night?" "(lucas:)intolerant persecution." "The pursuit was led by" "Rogue vampire hunter, john thackery." "Vampire hunter?" "Yes, it's through thackery's journals" "I was able to locate the chalice lid." "Did stanislav ever appear again?" "Not since that night." "Doesn't that destroy" "The whole immortal vampire theory?" "Well, he could have been killed, yes." "You don't think he was." "Are you familiar with the mexican ant spider?" "It's a fascinating predator." "Through evolution, it's actually been able" "To mimic its prey in their surroundings" "So ingeniously that it actually can live" "Amongst them for periods of time." "Vampires are like that." "They survive by fitting in," "Avoiding detection often for centuries." "And then, like the mexican ant spider," "Their victims seldom know their true nature" "Until it's too late." "(nigel:)oh..." "God." "(karen:)vampire legends?" "I'm discovering this vlad dracul" "Was really a bit of a terror." "Did you know he impaled over 100,000 people in six years?" "Imagine." "I'm betting that's where that whole," "Nasty staking business came into vampire mythology," "A sort of karmic death." "What on earth are you doing?" "I may not have an oxford degree," "But I've got big time instincts." "Right now, they say blackmer's dangerous" "And I intend to do whatever it takes to prove it." "Prove what?" "That he's a vampire?" "That's insane." "Fine." "You don't want to help me protect sydney?" "I'll do it myself." "Karen..." "I never said I wouldn't help you." "Point of fact, you never bothered to ask." "Fine..." "I'll ask nicely." "Pretty please?" "Now, that wasn't too difficult, was it?" "This master plan of yours" "Doesn't involve anything illegal, does it?" "(lucas:)thackery wrote in his journal" "That he cornered stanislav in a secret crypt" "Somewhere in this castle's basement." "(syd:)I'm guessing that's our crypt." "Well, at least they've been keeping the riff raff out." "Here." "Move!" "Thank you." "You're welcome." "(lucas:)what are they made of?" "Silver marked with a cross." "The locals obviously didn't want" "Stanislav coming back home." "Yeah." "Talk about your neighbourhood watch." "Give me a hand here, lucas." "[struggling]" "This is where they cornered him," "But he disappeared into thin air." "Yeah." "What are you looking for?" "Another way out." "(lucas:)well, this is where all" "The historical records end." "First rule of relic hunting:" "History lies." "Here." "(lucas:)what?" "See how the lichen grows thickest along this line?" "That means there's air coming" "Through from the other side." "A door." "Well, if there is one," "That would explain stanislav's" "Disappearing act." "It's a little over 300 years old" "So it's probably just a trigger mechanism," "Like the arrows." "You're really pretty good at this." "Not bad for a first day." "(syd:)looks like the tunnel runs" "Down into the mountain." "[door rattling]" "See, I told you." "Stick and wiggle:" "Works every time." "Whoa, looks like blackmer's" "Watching a little too much cryptkeeper." "Looks like the Halloween aisle at wal-mart." "Still, that hardly makes him the living dead." "Yeah?" "We'll see about that." "What exactly are we looking for?" "I don't know." "Something creature -of-the-nightish." "That's odd." "What?" "(nigel:)green contact lenses large enough" "To cover the entire eye." "And thicker than normal, too." "Check this out." "Prescription sunblock." "Spf 50." ""contains transparent zinc compound"." "No sun could penetrate this." "(karen:)nigel, oh my god." "What?" "If blackmer's not a vampire," "Then explain that." "Avant-garde coffee table." "Open it." "Me?" "What about you?" "You're closer." "Why are we whispering?" "Because what if there's something still in there?" "(syd:)put your back into it, lucas." "(lucas:)I am." "(syd:)harder." "There we go." "There we go." "Got it." "Supposed to be where stanislav escaped." "You said you read the vampire hunter's" "Account of stanislav's disappearance?" "Yes." "Did it say what time of day it took place?" "(lucas:)just before sunrise." "We need a map of this area" "At the time of the escape." "Here." "What are we looking for?" "(syd:)well, if you were a vampire" "With less than an hour till daylight." "I'd be looking for shelter fast." "In that case, under an hour" "In this rough terrain in the darkness..." "On foot and staying out of sight." "(syd:)I'd say that would put us around." "(lucas:)here, the monastery." "Well, it's not far, but I don't want to run" "You into the ground your first night." "(nigel:)according to this, once the vampire" "Takes his power from the chalice," "He must renew the ritual every 300 years." "(karen:)to do what?" "Recharge his vampire batteries?" "(nigel:)so it seems." "(karen:)don't they just bite you?" "(nigel:)apparently not all of them." "The chalice also needs to be left on a traditional," "Mystical place that's not specified here," "Where it absorbs all of its" "Eternal life-bestowing powers." "Like heating a pan on a stove." "(nigel:)yeah." "If it's removed too long from the source," "Both the chalice and the vampire" "Slowly lose their power." "So whatever vampire uses this chalice" "Has to use it again every 300 years?" "That would follow." "When did stanislav disappear with the chalice?" "Exactly 300 years tomorrow night." "We have to get to syd." "Don't move." "(priest:)the count came here" "Seeking shelter that night," "Just before dawn." "(syd:)they let him in?" "(priest:)to our later shame." "(lucas:)why?" "(priest:)by morning, he was gone," "The chalice with him." "He had stolen a coffin" "And then ensorcelled an impressionable" "Young monk to help him." "How do you know the boy wasn't willing?" "I'll show you how I know." "This is how the boy was found," "Three days after stanislav's dark power" "Lured him from these walls." "Like the life was sucked out of him." "Three days?" "From the degree of mummification," "That should've taken 300 years." "Exactly." "The impossibility of it leaves only one conclusion." "Stanislav." "(priest:)our order is careful to preserve" "This dark bit of our history" "So that none in the future will forget it." "Doesn't the church have rules about believing in vampires?" "(priest:)yes." "Where was the boy's body recovered?" "I don't know." "Not far." "(syd:)it may have something to do" "With the name on this plaque," "Franz carl iii." "Could you find out for me?" "No, it's not possible under any conditions." "No other records exist." "(lucas:)thank you, father." "Beware of that one." "I fear he's not what he seems." "Lucas, what are you doing here?" "I'm here to help you." "I don't need your help." "That is precisely the problem." "(lucas:)poor sydney." "You spend so much energy taking control," "You've forgotten what it's like" "To give control to someone else," "To feel completely vulnerable." "That's not true." "Oh, sydney, I've seen inside you," "All those secret little places" "You hide from yourself." "You don't fear complete abandon," "You desire it." "Even if I wanted to," "I don't think I could." "Then let me help you." "I can, you know." "[growling] [screaming]" "[growling]" "Get a grip." "(syd:)hello." "(karen:)sydney?" "(syd:)karen." "We've been trying to get a hold of you for hours." "We got problems." "What kind of problems?" "(karen:)vampire problems." "Oh, karen, please." "We were attacked last night" "In blackmer's apartment by a man" "Who was as much a vampire as blackmer himself." "Attacked?" "(karen:)yeah." "He was a complete psycho." "He put a knife to my neck." "Is everyone all right?" "Yeah, we're fine," "But we both could have been killed." "Who was he?" "He called himself kantor." "Other than that, he was most uncommunicative." "The knife pretty much told us all we need to know." "I think you met our competition." "What?" "Rival relic hunter?" "Before we left, someone tried to steal" "The chalice lid from blackmer." "Then that must've been what he was looking for." "Syd, he found your itinerary in blackmer's desk." "He knows exactly where you are." "Did you call the police?" "Well, funny thing about that." "Seeing as karen and I had just" "Broken into blackmer's apartment," "It didn't seem like the wise thing to do." "(syd:)nigel, we're going to talk when I get back." "Where's blackmer now?" "In his room with a "do not disturb" sign on it." "You haven't seen him all day?" "(sidney:)no." "Why?" "We found a number of" "Sun protection devices in his apartment." "Put together, they paint, well," "A pretty curious picture of blackmer himself." "Blackmer's invented a way he" "And his fellow bloodsuckers" "Can survive daylight;" "By wearing protective lenses," "Special clothing," "And industrial strength sunblock." "There isn't a single part of him exposed." "Syd, I know this sounds crazy," "But are you sure you're not in" "Greater danger from blackmer?" "I have to go." "Sorry." "I overslept." "Did you find anything useful?" "Yes, actually." "Good." "Then we better get going." "Right." "Did you happen to leave" "Your room at all last night?" "No." "I would have remembered if I did." "Why?" "No reason." "Come on, we've got a riverboat to catch." "(syd:)I got curious about the name franz carl iii" "On that plaque by the boy's body," "So I did a little digging" "And found a riverboat registration" "From the right period." "Here it is." "Franz carl iii was a river barge" "That left ostrava the same night" "That stanislav fled the monastery." "(lucas:)16 passengers and crew." "The log of arrival accounts" "For 15 dead on board," "All except..." "Stanislav." "Where was the boat headed?" "Romania." "It says "when it arrived," "All souls aboard were dead," "Dried-up husks,"" "Just like the young monk." "The official records" "Called it "an isolated plague"." "Well, that was no plague." "The average human," "That boat was no more than transportation," "But to stanislav..." "It was a floating supermarket?" "Where in romania was it headed?" "Targoviste." "Targoviste." "(syd:)what's the significance of targoviste?" "Targoviste was the ancestral" "Home of vlad the impaler." "The chalice..." "Look out!" "Stay where you are." "I saw those weapons in thackery's journal." "Never seen that one before." "Come on." "[♪]" "(lucas:)I'd like to know who this guy is." "It's the same guy that attacked" "Us at the university." "What?" "His name's kantor." "He's our competition." "But I didn't think he'd be onto us so quickly." "Doesn't make sense." "What doesn't?" "I don't think he's after the chalice lid." "I think he's trying to kill you." "(syd:)why?" "Who are you?" "(lucas:)for god's sake, sydney," "I'm not a real vampire." "So the hotel room," "The candles," "Whisking me off my feet," "This was all just an act?" "I get into the role while writing my books." "It helps me better understand the characters." "In your books." "Yes." "You've heard of method acting." "Well, this is method writing." "It sells." "You impersonate the undead." "Yes, well, maybe that is a little bizarre." "So you've never seen this guy kantor before," "Never heard of him?" "No." "Maybe he's a crazed fan." "Fan?" "My vampire existence gives his meaning." "It's the down side of notoriety." "Well, I wouldn't blame you" "If you wanted to stop now." "What?" "Now?" "So close?" "Sydney, outside the museum," "I was trying to tell you targoviste" "Was the ruling seat of vlad the impaler." "He kept a chalice, a golden chalice" "On a fountain outside the village square." "The same village that stanislav fled to." "Yes." "Legend has it" "It was from this very spot" "That the chalice drew its mystic power." "So you think targoviste fountain could be it?" "If it is, then stanislav knew that." "Then he would have to return" "It there to survive." "But this guy kantor knows" "We're after the chalice." "He's already found us once." "I can finish this one alone." "No, I have to be there." "You'd go after the relic," "Even though you know a man may be waiting" "To kill you for it?" "Wouldn't you?" "Of course, it didn't make sense" "The chalice would be sitting in plain" "Sight in this day and age." "So what now?" "Let's think about this clearly." "People have been building monuments" "Over power zones for centuries..." "Stonehenge," "Chartres cathedral," "The sphinx." "What are you saying?" "(syd:)the one common denominator is that," "Most often, they're built" "Above underground springs." "(lucas:)if it's down here," "How will we find it?" "I'm not sure." "Sydney, I think I found something." "Well, look at that." "You're getting pretty good at this yourself." "It's the same kind of trigger" "Stone as stanislav's castle." "Maybe the mechanism hasn't been" "Used in so long." "What's that?" "(syd:)vampire combination lock?" "I think sliding these tiles into" "The right pattern will open the door." "Oh, wait, remember the arrows?" "Could be a trap." "I don't know be my guest." "Okay." "I've seen one of these before once." "Solution was a glyph, the god osiris." "That was in cairo." "So when in romania," "Do as vlad would do." "[rumbling]" "Stanislav's chalice." "I never thought it would be so beautiful." "I know, another trap." "No." "Who lit the candles?" "Lucas, do me a favour." "What?" "Duck!" "I've been hunting fang jobs for 20 years." "(syd:)you need help, buddy, seriously." "I've ambushed every bloodsucker" "Who's tried to draw on the chalice's power." "I should've seen it." "No real vampire" "Could resist a neck like that." "Where'd you learn to do that?" "Oh, I wrote it." "Shall we toast to our success?" "You first." "Still working hard, I see." "Always." "I was just leaving." "Thought I'd come by and tell you I donated" "That chalice to your university museum." "On behalf of the university, thank you." "You're welcome." "I have a..." "A confession?" "In a manner of speaking." "I did have an ulterior motive in" "Taking you on that relic hunt." "(syd:)is that me?" "You inspired me." "Did I?" "Take care." "You, too." "Are you absolutely certain he's not a vampire?" "Oh, nigel." "And there's no romance between you at all?" "Not that it's any of your business." "Tell the truth." "You were more hot for him" "When you thought he was the" "Prince of darkness, right?" "The whole bad boy thing." "I was more attracted to him" "When I thought I knew who he was." "I mean, this whole playing vampire thing." "I don't think I ever got to know the real man." "Maybe that's not so bad." "(syd:)I guess I'm just looking for a man" "Who's not pretending to be something" "That he's not." "(karen:)yeah, now who's" "Living the fantasy?"