Carole Gill's Book Blog: Caligula, Nero and More!

Eco, the demon has penned a journal of confessions. From Ancient Egyptian vampire cults, Roman vampire brothels, The Dark Ages, The Crusades, The Black Death of 1348, on to his meeting with the child murderer and satanist Gilles de Rais, and concluding with his wicked, blood-soaked affair with the Blood Countess herself, Erzebat Bathory. The pages are filled with debauchery, vice and murder. This is an excerpt about Caligula,

From Eco's Journal:

"Rome glittered in the blazing light of midday when I arrived. Great crowds milled around. Romans often gossiped and debated one another vociferously. Some defending the government, others decrying it. Not the rabble, of course; they scurried and worked hard and groveled before their betters, which of course was their place and their calling. I am if nothing a snob and always have been.

Standing there, trying to get my bearings, wondering which foot to set forth next, I suddenly heard someone call my name and turned to find Pulinius hurrying to my side.

Now came the moment I did dread for I knew I would have to tell him about Ankata. I opened my mouth to but he stopped me. “I know.”

I was incredulous. “How do you know?”

“A friend of yours told me. A man came by a few days ago, a rather handsome young man who told me all about it.”

I knew it had to have been Satan in his human form. It didn’t surprise me. Satan did things like that. He could, it seemed, often be in two places at once, sometimes even more than two.

Actually, I was relieved and began to relax, as I no longer felt the pressure of imparting my sad news.

Pulinius put his arm about my shoulder. “I was dreadfully sorry to hear of Ankata’s death. I know how much she meant to you.”

I wondered what Satan had told him for Ankata’s death was related to how she felt about Jesus. Pulinius went on. “She grew tired of her existence, that’s what your friend said. Further, he said you had gone to rest with his family, is that right?”

“Oh, most definitely. And I do feel better now.”

“That is good. That is as it should be. And the other business, what of that?”

He of course meant the Jesus affair.

“All settled.”

Pulinius nodded. “Yes, Pilate sent dispatches. Of course, time will tell. There are quite a number of the rabbi’s supporters in and around Rome you know, although most have gone into hiding. I think they fear an action from Rome but so far there has been none.” Pulinius patted me on the back. “Well now, come and have wine with me. We shall have something more exotic later.”

We went to our favorite little wine shop near the market.

I asked him how the brothel was. His face lit up. “It is better than ever. Busier than ever, too. The old man is on his way out, Eco.”

He meant of course Tiberius.

“Yes.” He went on. “We’re all bored with him. But I must tell you what I have discovered! He has the most amazing nephew; actually, he is his adopted grandson. This fellow is a handsome rascal and as wild as they come. You should see what he gets up to! If anyone was a natural for a vampire, it is he!”

I was intrigued and asked to meet this young man. “What do they call him?”

“Caligula,” Pulinius replied.

My coven was delighted to see me and greeted me warmly, stripping down and doing all sorts of things to beguile me to bed them—which of course I did, and I did it without feeling guilty about Ankata. Besides, Ankata had been a lusty wench sharing herself with all of them, whatever their sex.

I bedded several of the wenches at once with Pulinius joining in. Actually, he not only joined in with them, he coupled with the beautiful young male vampires we had as well, allowing them to feed upon him wherever they liked.

Pulinius was a daring character for he never cared how much blood he lost through his varied and sometimes surprising sexual machinations. It was surprising it hadn’t killed him.

I did meet Caligula and he was even wilder than I had imagined. He was a voracious sexual beast, a human with an appetite for sex and degradation that was unsurpassed.

I agreed that if ever there was a natural for vampiric creation, it was he. He was there almost every day, cavorting and having the time of his life. But when he wasn’t there, some days went by and Pulinius commented that Caligula must be up to something.

He was, for suddenly Tiberius was dead. Almost immediately after, Caligula summoned us to the palace to tell us exactly which poison he had used.

“You should have seen it! It was so fantastic! In a moment, poof! My problem was gone!”

It most certainly was and he saw to it, for he was now what he wanted to be—Emperor of Rome, an all-powerful ruler who intended to carry on with his debauched lifestyle.

We did our part. We began to supply him with wenches but he still came to the brothel as well. He liked to get out and about, he said.

His antics were wild and became increasingly wilder as the years passed. Eventually, he made his palace into a giant brothel.

I liked him so much, I happened to tell him of my parentage. You see, I planned to create him. Well, it was something he wished and I thought he deserved the honor.

And so, to prepare him I told him of the war in Heaven. It meant nothing to him; however, he did understand the concept of being a god.

“You are a god!” he shouted. “I am one too, you know.”

I tried to look suitably impressed but really, it only confirmed what I thought—Caligula was suffering from madness even greater than my own!

Well, it takes one to know one.

“I tell you what!" I said. "As a God, you will be able to outdo me with one hand tied behind your back! How does that sound?"

He looked thrilled. “I know! I will command the senator's wives to participate in a sexual contest! They would never dare to refuse me and to make it even more fun, we will have this performed in front of the entire Senate!"

I was incredulous but tried not to show it.

So it happened, and it was great fun. I think, though, it rather hurried his assassination along for almost immediately after it, the young man was done away with. His elite Palatine Guard had been bribed, paid handsomely to assassinate him.

Sadly, this occurred before I created him. You see, despite ‘being a god,’ he did wish to be a vampire. We had arranged for the creation but our plans went awry and he was done to death as they say.

I didn’t see it myself, but I heard about it.

Even as he was run through with the sword, he was shocked he wasn’t a god. ‘I die,’ he said. And so he did.”