Dampyr #172 (2014) pages 55-56:The magic keyhole

This scene begins abruptly and leaves it to the reader to understand:

“It’s so beautiful, daddy!”

“What is it?”

“Come here, Mom. Look inside here.”

“It looks like a miniature St. Peter's dome.” (Atop the basilica at the Vatican)

“Actual, it's the real one. This is the famous Aventine Keyhole. From this keyhole in the villa of the Maltese Priory, you can admire the cupolone in all its splendor, as if it had been placed there on purpose.”

“Maybe I was the only one who didn't know. Look at that line of curious people.”

“Those born in the suburbs like us have fewer opportunities to visit our city than tourists do.”

“Lately, you have been full of stories from old Rome. Since when did you become such an expert?”

“My boss knows these stories well. She tells them all the time.”

“Dad, can I go and look at the police van up close?”

“Yes, but not too close. They'll put you in prison.”

“Don't be a goofball!” (She swats the back of her husband's head.)

“Ha ha!”

“It was very nice of you to bring us here. Francesco is having a lot of fun.”

This is a very surprising scene. Dampyr never depicts the villains having a day of innocent fun with their wholesome, loving families. But that's just what we get here with Sergio Fusco, the right hand man of the vampire Olimpia Maidalchini. Family scenes naturally stir empathy with the characters depicted; we don't want anything to spoil this… which means that something inevitably will.