Now comes an extended sequence in which we meet the various victims, I mean guests, whom we'll follow through Dracula Park. First up are Ingrid and Hobbes, reporters from Germany and England, respectively:

“Hey! This is a pretty good dining room. My mother's terraced house in Ealing would fit in it a dozen times over.”

“Hmm...all things considered, for once I agree with you, dear Hobbes. At least it's brighter than my bedroom.”

“Have they put you in the dungeons of the tower too?”

“Hmm... yeah. There are even rusty chains hanging from the walls. I wonder if they've ever been used.”

“So, Ingrid, will the readers of Der Spiegel read a positive article about 'Dracula Park'?”

“It depends. If they leave a nice vampire in my room...”

“People say that they are rather cold lovers. Why not settle for a middle-aged English journalist instead?”

“Hmm... I've already tried you, Hobbes. Remember? During the first Gulf War... The years that have passed in the meantime cannot have done you any good, whereas vampires never age and promise dangerous ecstasies.”

“Here's Vance, finally. Hey, partner. Congratulations. A splendid job. Do you remember Sylvaine DuPlessis, my secretary?”

“Of course. Take a seat. The seatings are marked. Before dinner, I'm afraid you'll have to endure a short speech from me.” (Vance kisses Sylvaine's hand.)

“I'll listen to it willingly... Did you see those cute little place-marking bats? Sylvaine? Are you still feeling unwell, by any chance?”

“His hand... his lips... were made of... ice.”

If you stop and tally them up, you'll see that writer Mauro Boselli, the series creator, has carefully introduced us to a large cast of characters throughout this story. We've had:

Pages 3-18: The three thieves Mihail, Ion, and Petru, plus the monk they assaulted, and Lord Draka.

Pages 19-28: Theme park organizers LaPierre and Vance, and their Romanian contact Radu.

Pages 29-34: Our heroes Harlan, Kurjak, and Tesla enter the story and get some character development.

Pages 35-57: Mirella the tree hugger whom Draka seduced, and her activist friends Cosmin and Nina.

Pages 58-64: Brand the financier and his assistant Sylvaine.

The next few pages introduce the rest of our cast. All told, it's a large group, but by giving each of them their own scenes and distinctive appearances, the reader has no trouble managing all this information.

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