G ina D. В.

C lem en

The Mimp ire’s Tear

Illustrated by P a o lo D ’A lta n
Editor: Michela Bruzzo
Design and art direction: Nadia Maestri
Computer graphics: Carla Devcto, Simona Corniola
Picture research: Laura Lagomarsino

© 2010 Black Cat Publishing,

an imprint of Cideb Editrice, Genoa, Canterbury

First edition: January 2010

Picture credits
© Jose Fuste Raga / Corbis: 28; © LESCOURRET JP / Hoa-qui /
Eyedea/Contrasto: 31; Zap Art / Laura Ronchi: 32; LAIF: 33;
De Agostini Picture Library: 46, 89; PRANA-FILM GMBH,
BERLIN / Album: 91; © Columbia Tristar / Webphoto: 92.

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 Contents
INTRODUCTION 4

chapter one A Sum m er Job 7

chapter tw o The Big Apple 16

chapter th re e Opening Night 35

chapter fo u r It ’s Gone! 51

chapter five M idnight at Central Park 65

chapter six Vam pire Scare 79

chapter seven A Cloud of Dust 96

d o s s ie rs Manhattan, the heart of New York City 27

Vlad Tepes, Prince of W allachia 46

Vam pires in lite rature and film s 89

INTERNET PROJECTS 26, 49, 63, 78, 94

ACTIVITIES 13, 24, 43, 61, 74, 85, 106

AFTER READING 109

PE T Cambridge PET-style activities 1 3 ,1 4 ,1 5 ,2 4 ,3 4 ,4 5 ,6 2 ,6 4 ,

74, 76, 85, 86, 87, 95, 107

T: grades 5/6 T rinity-style activities 14, 77

The text is recorded in full.

№ These symbols indicate the beginning and end of the passages

linked to the listening activities.
 Introduction
This story takes place in N ew York City, one of the biggest and most
e x c itin g c itie s in th e w o r ld . It is a grea t cen ter o f b u s in e s s ,
entertainment, fashion, culture and the arts.
N ew York City's nickname is the Big Apple. In the 1920s John J. Fitz
Gerald, a journalist for the New York M orning Telegraph, was the first
to use the term w hen referring to N ew York City. About ten years
later the jazz m usicians of Harlem began calling the city the Big
Apple.

wise ONSIN O tta w a

la k e
Huron J У
Toronto
La ne
yfario Portland

jansin< HASS q Boston

j/6p rouid ence

CONN. ' R.I.
‘ENNSYlVANi:
PiHsbuj . H a rris b u rci^T . e w Y ork
'N
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’hiladelphia

luisvjll
ankfort
Richmond,
'<Stiqrleston

No r t h
A tlanta
luinbia
JtH CAROLINA Atlantic
barleston

O c e a n
 B e fo re you read

mo
p £ -p
L is te n in g
L isten to th e f i r s t p a r t of C h a p te r One and ch o o s e th e c o r r e c t
answ er — A, В or C.

1 W here is Bill Martin going to school in S eptem ber?

A | j a t Portola Point High
В Q a t UCLA
С j | in th e United States

2 W h a t job does Nick Chan w a n t to do?

A | 31 v eterinarian
В |""I basketball player
С | | journalist

3 Bill and Michelle received a m essage from Nick

A | | on th e radio.
В | | on th e phone.
С □ in an email.

4 There are tw o s u m m e r jobs available a t

A Q th e International Art and History Museum.
В Q Columbia University.
С Q th e Chinese grocery store.

5 Nick invited Bill and Michelle to

A | j th e Fourth of July celebrations.
В | J to Montego Bay, Florida.
С Q to New York City.

6 W hen does Nick w a n t a reply?

A □ in an hour
В [3] in a day
С Q by th e Fourth o f July
CHAPTER ONE

A Summer Job
S u m m er v a c a tio n had ju s t s t a r t e d fo r Bill an d M ichelle M artin , t t g f
w ho lived in P o rto la P oin t, C alifo rn ia. Bill w as a ta ll, h a n d so m e
e i g h t e e n - y e a r - o l d b o y w ith b ro w n h a ir a n d b lu e e y e s , a n d
b ask etb all w a s his s p o rt. This w a s going to be a sp ecial su m m e r
fo r Bill b e ca u se he h ad ju s t g ra d u a te d w ith h o n o rs fro m P o rto la
P o in t H igh S c h o o l a n d p la n n e d t o a t t e n d t h e U n i v e r s it y o f
S o u th e rn C a lifo rn ia in Los A n g e le s— UCLA— in S e p te m b e r . He
had a lw ay s w a n te d t o be a b io lo g ist an d UCLA h ad o n e o f th e
b e st biology p ro g ra m s in th e U n ited S ta te s .
Michelle M a rtin , his s is te r , w a s a c u t e girl o f s e v e n t e e n , w ith
re d h a ir a n d b lue e y e s . She w a s in h e r s e n i o r y e a r a t h ig h sc h o o l
 CHAPTER O N E

a n d w a n te d to b e c o m e a jo u r n a lis t. She loved re a d in g an d

so lv in g m y s t e r i e s .
Nick C h a n , t h e i r g o o d f r ie n d f r o m M o n te g o Bay, Florida, h a d
j u s t g r a d u a t e d f r o m high sc h o o l to o . He w a s a C h in e s e - A m e r ic a n
b o y o f e i g h t e e n a n d h e w a s a b a s k e tb a l l p la y e r to o . Nick w a s an
e x c e lle n t s t u d e n t a n d h a d w o n a s c h o la r s h ip t o s t u d y v e t e r i n a r y
m e d i c i n e a t C o l u m b i a U n i v e r s i t y in N e w Y o r k C ity . H e w a s
e x c i t e d a b o u t t h e s c h o l a r s h i p a n d a b o u t m o v i n g t o N e w Y o rk
City.
O u r s t o r y s t a r t s on a h o t s u m m e r m o r n i n g in la te Ju n e .
“H a v e y o u c h e c k e d y o u r e m a il y e t ? ” a s k e d M ichelle, t u r n i n g
on t h e ra d io . “T h e r e cou ld be a m e s s a g e f r o m N ick.”
“ I’m n o t e v e n a w a k e y e t , ” s a i d Bill s l e e p i l y . “Y o u d o it,
Michelle, a n d p le a s e t u r n d o w n t h e r a d i o .”
“W o w , I w a s r i g h t ! ” s a i d M ichelle. “T h e r e 's a m e s s a g e f r o m
Nick.”
“W h a t d o e s h e s a y ? ” a s k e d Bill, t r y i n g to w a k e up.
“Y o u ’ll n e v e r b e lie v e it! H e ’s le a v in g f o r N ew Y ork City in tw o
d a y s...,” sa id Michelle.
“Did he fin d a n a p a r t m e n t y e t ? ” a s k e d Bill.
“No, liste n , h e ’s g o in g t o s t a y w i t h his a u n t a n d u n c le w h o live
t h e r e u n til he f in d s a n a p a r t m e n t . He s a y s t h e y h a v e a C h in e s e
g r o c e r y s t o r e in N e w Y o r k ’s C h i n a t o w n . ”
“T h a t ’s g r e a t ! ” sa id Bill, w h o w a s fin ally a w a k e .
“And t h e r e ’s m o r e ! ” sa id Michelle. “C o m e a n d r e a d ...”
Michelle a n d Bill s t o o d in f r o n t o f t h e c o m p u t e r s c r e e n a n d
r e a d t h e w h o le m e s s a g e .

8
 A Summer Job

e o o
...and now the great news! The Colum bia University
S tu d e n t J o b Program has tw o sum m er jo b s at the
International Art and History Museum. There's going to
be a big show that lasts one month - from Ju ly 10 to
August 10 - and the museum needs two attendants.
Most students are away on vacation so I accepted the
job and thought of you, Bill. W h y don't you com e to
New York and work at the museum with m e? You can
stay at my aunt and uncle's; they have a big house with
three guest rooms and they would love to have you
and Michelle here. This is a great opportunity to spend
som e tim e to g e th e r and see the Big A p p le . I need
your answer by tomorrow morning. I hope it's YES! You
can fly to N ew York City anytim e after the Fourth of
Ju ly celebrations.

Michelle a n d Bill s t a r e d a t t h e s c r e e n . T h e y c o u l d n ’t b e lie v e

th e ir e y e s — Nick h a d j u s t in v ite d t h e m t o T h e Big Apple.
“B r e a k f a s t ’s re a d y !" sa id a v o ic e d o w n s t a i r s .
“L e t’s go a n d h a v e b r e a k f a s t . . . a n d give m o m t h e n e w s , ” sa id
Bill e x c ite dly.
T h e y w e n t d o w n s t a i r s t o t h e k i t c h e n w h e r e M rs M a r t i n , a
frie n d ly w o m a n o f a b o u t f o r ty - f iv e , w a s r e a d in g t h e n e w s p a p e r
a n d d r i n k i n g a c u p o f c o f f e e . Bill a n d M ichelle l o o k e d a t e a c h
o t h e r n e r v o u s l y a n d t o l d h e r a ll a b o u t N i c k ’s e m a i l a n d
in v ita tio n .
 " W h a t! N e w Y o r k C ity! B o th o f y o u !" M rs M a r t i n e x c l a i m e d ,
d r o p p in g t h e n e w s p a p e r . “Is th is a jo k e ? ”
“No, i t ’s n o t a j o k e , ” s aid Bill, tr y i n g t o be c a lm . “M om , i t ’s t h e
c h a n c e o f a l i f e t i m e . J o b s a r e n ’t e a s y t o f in d ; I c a n w o r k a n d
m a k e s o m e m o n e y b e f o r e 1 s t a r t UCLA. I’ll n e e d t h e e x t r a m o n e y
w h e n I s t a r t b u y in g b o o k s . A n d I c a n s e e N e w Y ork C ity.”
“And w h a t will Michelle do all d a y ? ” a sk e d th e ir m o th e r, confused.
“Well, Nick in v ite d m e t o o , ” said Michelle, sm iling. “I c a n be a
t o u r i s t a n d m a y b e I c a n help in his a u n t a n d u n c le ’s g r o c e r y s t o r e . ”
“Ju s t a m in u te , guys, w e have t o ta lk to y o u r f a t h e r th is e ve ning .”
“B ut m o m , I’m e i g h t e e n y e a r s old a n d ...,” s a id Bill n e rv o u s ly .
“I k n o w h o w old y o u a re , Bill, b u t w e ’re y o u r p a r e n t s a n d w e
c a r e a b o u t y o u , ” s a id M rs M a r tin . M ic h e lle , w h o w a s o n ly
s e v e n t e e n , did n o t s a y a w o r d . “I’m g o in g t o p h o n e N ick’s m o t h e r
in M o n te g o Bay a n d s e e w h a t s h e s a y s . ”
“Nick s a id h e n e e d s a n a n s w e r b y t o m o r r o w , ” sa id Bill.
“I k n o w t h i s is e x c itin g a n d y o u kids w a n t t o go, b u t N ew Y ork
is n o t a r o u n d t h e c o r n e r . W h e n d a d g e t s h o m e w e ’ll all d is c u s s it
d u r in g d in n e r . Y o u ’ll h a v e a n a n s w e r by t o m o r r o w m o r n i n g , ” sa id
Mrs M a rtin , pic k in g up t h e p h o n e .

T he n e x t m o r n i n g Michelle a n d Bill w e r e a w a k e a t d a w n a n d
d e c id e d t o p r e p a r e b r e a k f a s t f o r t h e fam ily .
“Do y o u t h i n k m o m a n d d a d will le t u s g o ? ” a s k e d Michelle,
p u t t i n g t h e b u t t e r a n d j a m o n t h e b r e a k f a s t ta b le .
“Well, t h e y d i d n ’t s a y ‘n o ’ l a s t n i g h t a t d in n e r; t h e y s a id t h e y
w o u ld t h i n k a b o u t it,” sa id Bill, lo o k in g a t his w a t c h .
“Y e a h ,” s a id M ichelle, “a n d m o m t a l k e d t o N ick’s m o t h e r o n
th e phone for over an hour!”
 C H A PTER O N E ____ _ ____

A t a b o u t e i g h t o ’c lo c k t h e k i t c h e n d o o r o p e n e d a n d Mr a n d
Mrs M a rtin w a l k e d in.
“G o o d m o r n in g , k id s ,” t h e y said.
“N ow l e t ’s s i t d o w n a n d t a l k , ” sa id Mr M a rtin , s i t t i n g d o w n a t
t h e t a b l e . “Y o u r m o t h e r a n d 1 h a v e t h o u g h t a b o u t N i c k ’s
in v ita ti o n all n i g h t lon g a n d w e ’ve d e c id e d t h a t w e t r u s t y o u . You
c a n go t o N e w Y o r k C ity f o r a m o n t h . W e t h i n k t h i s will b e a
g r e a t o p p o r t u n i t y f o r b o t h o f y o u .”
“Oh, d a d , t h a n k s ! ” c rie d Bill a n d Michelle, h u g g in g him .
“But, w a i t a m o m e n t , ” s a id Mr M a rtin , look in g a t his s o n a n d
d a u g h t e r kindly, “if t h e r e a r e a n y p r o b l e m s w h e n y o u ’r e t h e r e ,
w e w a n t t o k n o w a b o u t t h e m . Is t h a t c l e a r ? ”
“W e p r o m is e ! ” t h e y s a id lau ghing .
“W e ’ll call e v e r y day...well, a l m o s t e v e r y d a y ! ” sa id Michelle.
“You kids a r e lu c k y b e c a u s e y o u r d a d w o r k s f o r a n a irlin e a n d
y o u c a n fly a l m o s t f r e e , ” sa id Mrs M a rtin . “D ad will b o o k s e a t s
for you to d a y .”
Michelle a n d Bill j u m p e d up f r o m t h e i r c h a ir s sa y in g , “W e ’re
g o in g t o e m a il Nick w i t h t h e g r e a t n e w s ! ”
“I’m g o in g t o call P a m 1 a n d w e c a n go s h o p p i n g t o g e t h e r , ”
s a id Michelle. “1 n e e d s o m e n e w c l o t h e s f o r t h e t r i p . ”
“You d o n ’t n e e d n e w c l o t h e s t o g o t o N e w Y o r k ,” s a i d Bill.
“T h e p e o p l e in N e w Y o r k h a v e n e v e r s e e n y o u r o ld c l o t h e s !
B e sid e s, t h e r e a r e s h o p s in t h e Big Apple to o , y o u k n o w . ”
“Silly!” sa id Michelle. “Boys will n e v e r u n d e r s t a n d . ”
Mrs M a rtin lo o k e d a t h e r h u s b a n d a n d said, “W e ’ll m is s t h e m ,
w o n ’t w e ? ”

1. P am : a f rie n d o f Mich elle , Bill a n d Nick.

12
 I ю te x t and b e y o n d

i« J r O C o m p re h e n s io n c h e c k
For questions 1-5, choose the co rrect answ er — А, В, С or D.

1 Bill, Martin and Nick Chan are good friends and a re both
A Q biology students.
В [ _] volleyball players.
С Q high-school graduates.
D □ scholarship winners.

2 Michelle read Nick’s message, which said th a t

A □ he had w on a scholarship to a California university.
В he w a s going to play an im p o rta n t basketball game.
С Q ] he had found a small a p a r tm e n t in New York City.
D Q he w a s going to sta y in New York City.

3 Nick asked Bill to

A Q w o rk as a m u se u m a t t e n d a n t in New York City.
В Q visit an in teresting m u se u m in New York City.
С Q spend th e Fourth of July with his a u n t and uncle.
D [ 1 drive to Montego Bay, Florida.

4 W hen Mrs Martin heard a b o u t Nick’s invitation,

A [ J she said Bill could go, but Michelle had to s ta y home.
В Q she got angry and phoned Mrs Chan.
С Q she decided to talk to her husband.
D Q she immediately said “n o ” an d left th e kitchen.

5 Mr and Mrs Martin decided to let Bill and Michelle go to New York
A Q because th e y t r u s t them .
В Q | because th e y w a n t Bill to earn som e m oney during the
sum m er.
С □ if th e y prom ise to call every day.
D Q b u t th e y can only sta y for one week.

13
PET ф S e n te n c e tr a n s fo rm a tio n
For each question com plete the second sentence so th a t it m eans the
sam e as th e first, using no m ore than three words.

0 One of my friends invited me to visit th e Big Apple.

A f r i e n d ................................invited m e to visit The Big Apple.

1 The blue je a n s a t Michelle’s favorite shop did n o t cost as m uch as

th e white ones.
The blue je a n s a t Michelle’s favorite s h o p ................................th a n
th e white ones.

2 Perhaps we can leave for California on Tuesday.

W e ................................ leave for California on Tuesday.

3 “I’m tired o f tidying up your room!” said Mrs Martin angrily.

“I ................................your room again!” said Mrs Martin angrily.

4 “W hat can I do for you,” said th e w o m an to Pam.

“H o w ................................ you?” said th e w o m an to Pam.

5 Nick’s new w atch w as very valuable.

Nick’s new w atch w a s ................................a lot of money.

T: GRADE 6
Q S p e a k in g : tra v e l
Bill and Michelle are about to leave California and travel all the way
across the United S tates to New York City. They are going to fly to
their destination and they are excited.

1 W hat different m e a n s of tra n s p o rta tio n can you think of?

2 W hat is your favorite m ean s of tra n s p o rta tio n for sh o rt distances
and long distances? Why?
3 W hat is th e m o s t com m on m ean s of tra n s p o rta tio n in your
country and why?
4 W hat is th e m o s t ecological m e a n s of tran sp o rta tio n ?
5 Describe a trip you recently to o k and th e m eans of tra n sp o rta tio n
you used.

14
 B e fo re you read

ф R e a d in g p ic tu re s
Look a t the picture on page 19.

1 W here do you think Bill and Nick are?

2 Who is th e person th e y are talking to?
3 W h at do you think this person does?

Q P re d ic tio n
Work with a partner and discuss the following questions.

1 Bill and Michelle have never been to New York City. They come
from a small to w n in California. W h a t do you think their
im pression will be? W hat will surprise th e m m ost?
2 Bill an d Nick have a s u m m e r job a t a m useum . W h a t do you think
th e m u se u m is like?
3 Michelle has a lot of free tim e in The Big Apple. W h a t do you think
she will do? Which sites will she visit?

I 8 E S © L is te n in g
Listen to the first p art of C hapter Two. Decide if each sen ten ce is
co rrect or incorrect. If it is co rrect, put a tick ( / ) in the box under A
for YES. If it is not co rrect, put a tick ( / ) in the box under В for NO.

A В
YES NO
1 Nick’s a u n t an d uncle landed a t JFK International Airport. □ □
2 Bill and Michelle are going to s ta y w ith Marian and
Kevin Chan. □ □
3 Bill, Michelle, Nick and th e Chans are going to have
a Chinese meal. □ □
4 Bill and Michelle forg et to phone th e ir parents. □ □
5 Bill and Nick unpacked th e n ext day. □ □
6 Professor Stefan Morescu w orked a t Columbia University. □ □
CHAPTER T W O

The Big Apple

“W e ’ ll b e l a n d i n g a t JF K I n t e r n a t i o n a l A i r p o r t in t w e n t y IB
m in u te s ,” said th e c a p ta in o f th e p la n e . “T h an k you f o r flying
w ith u s.”
N ic k a n d h i s a u n t a n d u n c l e m e t M i c h e lle a n d Bill a t t h e
a i r p o r t.
“Nick! G r e a t t o s e e y o u ! ” sa id Bill happ ily.
“Y o u ’r e e v e n t a l l e r t h a n l a s t s u m m e r , N ic k ,” s a i d M ic h e lle
lau g h in g .
“You g u y s loo k s u p e r ! ” s a id Nick e x c ite d ly . “Bill, M ichelle I’d
like y o u to m e e t m y a u n t a n d u n c le — M a r ia n a n d K evin C h a n .”
T h e y w e r e a fr ie n d ly - lo o k in g C h in e s e - A m e r ic a n c o u p le o f a b o u t
fifty.
“H a p p y to m e e t y o u !” s a id Bill a n d Michelle.

16
 The Big Apple

“T h a n k s f o r in v itin g u s to s t a y w i t h y o u , ” s a id Michelle. “I t ’s
very kind o f y o u .”
"Oh, w e ’v e h e a r d s o m u c h a b o u t y o u , ” s a i d M a r i a n . “ I t ’s a
IMeasure t o h a v e y o u h e r e . ”
“And n o w y o u ’re p r o b a b ly h u n g r y , ” s a id Kevin. “H o w a b o u t a
big C h in e se d i n n e r a t o u r h o u s e ? ”
" S o u n d s g r e a t , ” sa id Bill. “B ut f i r s t l e t ’s call m o m a n d d a d a n d
it'll t h e m w e ’v e a r r i v e d . ”
T he t h r e e f r i e n d s h a d so m a n y t h i n g s t o tell e a c h o t h e r t h a t
i hey did n o t g e t t o b e d u ntil la te .
T he n e x t d a y Michelle d e c id e d t o u n p a c k a n d v isit C h in a to w n
ind Little Italy, w h ile Nick a n d Bill w e n t t o t h e S t u d e n t Jo b Office
it C o l u m b i a U n i v e r s i t y . T h e y m e t w i t h P r o f e s s o r S t e f a n
M o re sc u , w h o t a u g h t E a s t E u r o p e a n H i s t o r y a t t h e u n i v e r s i t y
. i nd w a s in c h a r g e o f t h e b ig s h o w a t t h e m u s e u m . P r o f e s s o r
M o re sc u w a s a tall, t h i n m a n o f a b o u t f if ty w ith p a le skin, long
V.rey h a ir a n d s m a ll g la s s e s ; h e r a r e l y sm ile d o r la u g h e d . He w a s
b o r n in E a s t e r n E u ro p e a n d w a s a f a m o u s p r o f e s s o r a n d a u t h o r . Щ5Г
“P le a s e s it d o w n , Nick, Bill,” s a i d P r o f e s s o r M o r e s c u , s i t t i n g
b e h i n d a n o l d w o o d e n d e s k in a d a r k o f f i c e w i t h m a p s o f
L a s t e r n E u r o p e o n t h e w a lls. “Let m e tell y o u a b o u t y o u r jo b a t
t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l A r t a n d H i s t o r y M u s e u m . Y o u ’ll b o t h w o r k a s
m u s e u m a t t e n d a n t s a n d w e a r t h e b lu e m u s e u m u n i f o r m s a n d
n a m e b a d g e s . You h a v e t o c o ll e c t t i c k e t s , w a t c h t h e v i s i t o r s a t
th e show an d m ak e su re t h a t no one to u c h e s an y th in g . Your
j o b is i m p o r t a n t b e c a u s e t h i s s h o w is v e r y s p e c i a l : EAST
E U R O PEA N C U L T U R E A ND JE W E L S OF TH E 1 5 t h AND 1 6 t h
CENTURIES. I t ’s t h e f i r s t o f i t s k i n d o n t h e A t l a n t i c C o a s t . I
p e r s o n a l l y o r g a n i z e d it a n d it t o o k m e y e a r s o f r e s e a r c h . I k n o w
i t ’ll b e a s u c c e s s . P a r t o f t h e s h o w is d e d i c a t e d t o t h e g r e a t
 CHAPTER T W O

f i f t e e n t h - c e n t u r y P r in c e o f W a ll a c h ia , 1 V lad T e p e s . T h e m o s t
i m p o r t a n t j e w e l o f t h e s h o w is t h e V a m p i r e ’s T e a r , w h ic h is a
h u g e d i a m o n d o f g r e a t v a lu e s h a p e d like a t e a r . P e o p le f r o m all
o v e r t h e c o u n t r y will c o m e t o s e e it b e c a u s e o f its b e a u t y a n d
t r a g i c h i s t o r y . ” His d a r k e y e s s h o n e w i t h p rid e .
“T h e V a m p i r e ’s T ear! W h a t a s t r a n g e n a m e , ” s a id Bill so ftly .
P r o f e s s o r M o r e s c u s e e m e d b o t h e r e d b y Bill’s c o m m e n t a n d
lo o k e d a t h im w i t h his d e e p , d a r k e y e s. “S t r a n g e ? W h y ? ”
“W e ll, p r o f e s s o r , ” s a i d Bill n e r v o u s l y , “t h e w o r d v a m p i r e
m a k e s m e t h i n k o f...D ra c u la, a n d B r a m S t o k e r ’s b oo k . 1 k n o w i t ’s
o n ly fic tio n , b u t...”
P r o f e s s o r M o re sc u w a s s ile n t f o r a m o m e n t a n d t o u c h e d t h e
old w o o d e n d e s k w ith his long, t h in f in g e r s . “Only fic tio n ? Y ou n g
m a n y o u h a v e a lo t t o l e a r n a b o u t t h e h i s t o r y o f E a s t e r n E u ro p e .
R e m e m b e r , Vlad T e p e s ’s o t h e r n a m e w a s Vlad D ra c u la .”
Bill a n d Nick w e r e e m b a r r a s s e d a n d d i d n ’t s a y a n y t h i n g m o r e .
“W h a t d o y o u k n o w a b o u t V lad D ra c u la a n d a b o u t v a m p i r e s ? ”
a s k e d P r o f e s s o r M o re sc u , s t a r i n g a t t h e t w o b o ys w i th his d a r k
eyes.
“Well, sir, n o t m u c h , ” sa id Nick.
“V a m p ir e s a r e o f t e n called ‘t h e living d e a d ’ b e c a u s e a f t e r t h e y
die t h e y c o n t i n u e liv in g a t n i g h t b y f e e d i n g o n h u m a n b lo o d .
V a m p ir e s c a n live f o r c e n t u r i e s if t h e y c o n t i n u e d r in k in g h u m a n
blo o d a n d s le e p in g in t h e i r n a t i v e e a r t h . ”
Bill a n d Nick s u d d e n l y f e lt cold a n d lo o k e d a t e a c h o t h e r . T h e n
Nick said, “N ow w e u n d e r s t a n d , s ir .”
“Good! T he s h o w o p e n s o n S a t u r d a y e v e n in g , t h e d a y a f t e r
t o m o r r o w , f o r a s p e c i a l g r o u p o f p e o p l e . T h e r e w il l b e a

1. W a lla c h ia : h i s t o r i c a l c o u n t r y t h a t is n o w p a r t o f R o m a n i a .

18
 CHAPTER T W O

r e c e p t i o n 2 w it h a lo t o f i m p o r t a n t g u e s t s , j o u r n a l i s t s a n d s o m e
o f N e w Y o r k ’s l e a d i n g j e w e l e r s . P l e a s e b e a t t h e r e c e p t i o n on
tim e , w e a r i n g y o u r u n if o r m s . M u s e u m h o u r s a r e 10 a m t o 6 pm .
T u e s d a y is y o u r f r e e d a y b e c a u s e t h e m u s e u m is c l o s e d . O n
W e d n e s d a y t h e s h o w r e m a i n s o p e n u n til 10 p m . A ny q u e s t i o n s ? ”
He p a u s e d a n d t h e n said, “G o o d d a y, b o y s .”
Bill a n d N ick l e f t t h e u n i v e r s i t y b u ild in g a n d w a l k e d a r o u n d
th e cam pus.
“W h a t do y o u t h i n k o f P r o f e s s o r M o r e s c u ? ” a s k e d Nick.
“G ee, h e ’s kind o f w e ird , 3 i s n ’t h e ? ” s a id Bill, lo o k in g a t Nick.
“A nd n o t v e r y f r ie n d ly .”
“E x a c tly !” s a id Nick, “Did y o u n o t i c e h o w d a r k it w a s in his
o ffic e ? All t h e c u r t a i n s w e r e p u lled e v e n t h o u g h i t ’s a b e a u t if u l
su n n y d a y .”
“He m u s t like t h e d a r k , ” s a id Bill. “T h a t ’s w h y his s k in is so
pale. W h a t do his s t u d e n t s s a y a b o u t h i m ? ”
“W ell, t h e y s a y h e ’s b r illi a n t, v e r y s t r i c t a n d a l w a y s w e a r s
b l a c k , o l d - f a s h i o n e d s u i t s , ” s a i d N ick. “ H e ’s w r i t t e n s e v e r a l
i m p o r t a n t b o o k s o n E a s t E u r o p e a n h is to r y . His English is p e r f e c t ,
b u t yo u c a n still h e a r a bit o f a f o r e ig n a c c e n t . ”
T h e t w o f r i e n d s l o o k e d a t e a c h a n d s t a r t e d la u g h in g . T h e y
c a ll e d M ic h e lle a n d t o l d h e r t o t a k e a c a b a n d m e e t t h e m a t
C a r n e g ie ’s Deli 4 in M a n h a t t a n f o r lunch. Nick k n e w M a n h a t t a n
b e c a u s e h e h a d s p e n t s e v e r a l s u m m e r s t h e r e w ith his a u n t a n d
uncle.

2. r e c e p tio n : a p a r t y t o c e l e b r a t e a s p e c ia l e v e n t .
3. w e ird : s t r a n g e , m y s t e r i o u s .
4. D eli : s h o r t f o r d e l i c a t e s s e n , a p l a c e w h e r e cold m e a t s and o t h e r
f o o d s a r e u s e d t o m a k e big s a n d w i c h e s . A Deli is a ty p ic al p l a c e t o e a t
in New Y o r k City.

20
 The Big Apple

" S o r r y I’m l a t e , ” s a i d M ichelle, g e t t i n g o u t o f t h e c a b . “ I’ve

i и •ver s e e n s u c h t r a f f i c . ”
" D o n ’t w o r r y ; y o u ’ll g e t u s e d t o it,” s a id Nick. “T o d a y w e ’re
y: Hiig to e a t t h e w o r l d ’s b ig g e s t a n d b e s t s a n d w i c h e s . T h e r e a r e a
Ini o f d e l i c a t e s s e n s in N e w Y o r k C ity b u t C a r n e g i e ’s is w o r l d
l im o u s . W a i t u n til y o u s e e t h e i r s a n d w i c h e s — a n d t a s t e t h e i r
delicious c h e e s e c a k e ! ”
"T his p la c e is a m a z i n g , a n d so is t h e m e n u , ” s a i d M ich elle,
.il l e r fin d in g a s e a t in t h e c r o w d e d deli.
“I know ; it t a k e s a l m o s t a n h o u r t o r e a d it,” s a id Bill.
They o r d e r e d h u g e p a s t r a m i 5 s a n d w i c h e s a n d c o u ld h a r d l y
I inish t h e c h e e s e c a k e .
"By t h e w a y , ” s a i d M ichelle, “P a m s a id t o s a y h e llo t o y o u ,
Nick. She o f t e n a s k s a b o u t y o u . ”
“R eally?” sa id Nick, happily. “W e c h a t o nlin e a n d t e x t m e s s a g e
' ;ich o th e r . She s a id s h e m ig h t e v e n c o m e t o v isit o n e d a y .”
“H o w ’s y o u r dog, R o v e r ? ” a s k e d Bill.
“H e’s fi n e — a s p la y fu l a s e v e r , a n d w i t h a big a p p e t i t e ! ” s aid
Nick. “H ow a b o u t a w a lk t h r o u g h C e n tr a l P a rk ? I t’s n o t f a r f r o m
Inere. »)
T hey g o t up f r o m t h e i r t a b l e a n d w a l k e d t o w a r d s t h e d o o r of
th e deli.
“I’ve a lw a y s w a n t e d t o s e e C e n tr a l P a r k , ” s a id Michelle.
“C e n tra l P a r k is h u g e , b u t w e c a n s e e p a r t o f it t o d a y , ” sa id
Nick. “T h e r e a r e f r e e c o n c e r t s in t h e p a r k d u r in g t h e s u m m e r a n d
y o u c a n r i d e a h o r s e t h e r e t o o . D id y o u k n o w t h a t t h e
M e tr o p o li ta n M u s e u m o f A rt a n d t h e G u g g e n h e im M u s e u m a r e

5. p a s tr a m i : a s p ic e d b e e f ty p ic a l o f New Y o r k City.

21
 CHAPTER T W O

on t h e F ifth A v e n u e sid e o f C e n tra l P a rk ? And th e A m e ric a n

M u s e u m o f N a tu r a l H is to r y is o n t h e o t h e r s id e o f t h e p a r k . ”
“T h e r e a r e s o m a n y f a m o u s m u s e u m s c lo s e t o g e t h e r , ” s a id
Michelle.
“T h a t ’s w h y t h e a r e a is called M u s e u m Mile,” s a id Nick.
A f t e r a long w a lk in t h e b e a u t if u l p a r k Nick said, “T he E m p ire
S t a t e Building is j u s t a f e w m i n u t e s a w a y o n Fifth A v e n u e . W o u ld
y o u like t o go a n d s e e i t ? ”
“T h e E m p ir e S t a te ... i t ’s t h e c i t y ’s t a l l e s t b u ild in g , i s n ’t i t ? ”
sa id Bill.
“Yes, it is,” a n s w e r e d Nick.
“Can w e go t o t h e t o p ? ” a s k e d Michelle.
“S u r e ! ” s a id Nick. “All t h e w a y t o t h e 1 0 2 nd flo o r, w h e r e yo u
c a n g e t a s p e c t a c u l a r v ie w o f t h e city, e sp e c ia lly on a c le a r d a y
like t h i s . ”
O n c e t h e y g o t t o t h e o b s e r v a t i o n d e c k on t h e 1 0 2 nd f lo o r t h e
t h r e e o f t h e m w e r e a m a z e d a n d M ich elle c o u l d n ’t s t o p t a k i n g
p ic tu r e s .
“ I’v e n e v e r s e e n s o m a n y s k y s c r a p e r s all t o g e t h e r ! ” s a i d
Michelle e n th u s ia s tic a lly .
“T his c i t y ’s w o n d e r f u l ; t h e r e ’s s o m u c h t o s e e a n d d o , ” sa id
Bill. “And y o u ’re t h e lucky o n e , Michelle, b e c a u s e y o u c a n go a n d
v isit all t h e s e p la c e s w h ile Nick a n d I w o rk!”
“I’ll t a k e p i c t u r e s o f w h a t I s e e a n d s h o w y o u ,” sa id Michelle
sm iling.
“T h a t ’s n o t f u n n y , ” sa id Bill, a s t h e y w e r e t a k i n g t h e e l e v a t o r
down.

22
 The te x t and b e y o n d

PET О C o m p re h e n s io n c h e c k
Read these sen ten ces about Chapter Two. Decide if each sentence is
co rrect or incorrect. If it is co rrect, m ark A. If it is not co rrect, m ark B.

A В
1 After the ir flight to New York City Bill and Michelle
w ere very tired an d w e n t to bed early. □□
2 Professor Stefan Morescu ta u g h t a t Columbia
University an d he w as a foreigner. □□
3 There had never been a show on East European Culture
and Jewels on th e Atlantic Coast. □□
4 Professor Morescu said th a t vam pires w e re only fiction. □□
5 Several im p o rta n t diam onds w ere on display
a t Professor M orescu’s show. □□
6 Only New York City’s leading jew elers w ere invited
to th e reception a t th e m useum on Sa tu rd a y evening. □□
7 Bill and Nick d o n ’t work on Tuesdays. □□
8 Michelle w as late to lunch because th e re w as a lot
of traffic. □ □
9 The Carnegie Deli’s m enu w as very long. □ □
10 The th re e friends had to e a t their lunch standing up
because th e re w e re no free se a ts in th e crowded deli. □ □
11 The Empire S ta te Building is not fa r from Central Park. □ □
12 The Museum Mile is n ext to Columbia University. □ □
13 It was foggy and windy on th e 102nd floor. □□
14 Michelle could not ta k e pictures on th e observation
deck because it w as not allowed. □□
 V т Е____ S

| i" к k n e w M a n h a tta n b e c a u s e h e h a d s p e n t s e v e r a l
■.......m e r s t h e r e w it h h is a u n t a n d u n c l e . ’

1 past perfect is used to show th a t som ething w as com pleted or

I Mir.hi'd before a n o th e r action began. It is ofte n used in stories to give
I hr background.
in 11ii• example above, th e p a st pe rfe c t is used to show t h a t Nick is
1.1 miliar with M a n h a tta n because he s p e n t tim e th e re in th e past.
II if I>ast p erfect is fo rm ed in this way: had + p ast participle.

О T h e p a s t p e r fe c t s im p le
Use th e c o rre c t verb te n se , eith e r th e p a st simple o r p a st p erfect
-ample, to com plete these sentences.

1 Bill................................(enroll) a t UCLA a f te r h e .................................

(g raduate) from Portola Point High School.
2 N ick................................(book) th e tickets for th e show a f te r he
(talk) to Bill an d Michelle.
3 Bill and N ic k ........................... (wear) blue uniforms a t th e m useum
because Professor Morescu (tell) th e m to.
4 The cab driver .......... (know) his w ay aro un d M a n hattan
since he (live) th e r e all his life.
5 Professor M o r e s c u ................ (spend) tw e n ty years studying
East European history so he (decide) to write a
book a b o u t it.
6 No one ............. (see) t h e precious d iam ond before it
(appear) in an East European m useum .
7 After they ...................(visit) th e Empire S ta te Building they
(go) to have pizza a t an Italian re sta u ra n t.
8 Michelle. ............... (decide) to walk to Greenwich Village
since she ................ (hear) so much a b o u t it.

25
ф V o c a b u la ry
Match the following words with their synonyms.

1 am azing A sad
2 J weird В well known
3 ] spectacular С tall buildings
4 □ tragic D stran ge
5 3 skyscrapers E ta s t y
6 | | cab F surprising
7 ] delicious G wonderful
8 ] silent H work
9 fam ous I quiet
10 □ job J taxi

►►► IN T E R N E T P R O JE C T Mi
L et’s visit the M useum Mile!
M an ha tta n ’s Fifth Avenue and C entral Park are w orld fa m o u s —the
M useum Mile is located here. L et’s visit the M etropolitan M useum of
Art, the G uggenheim M useum and the M useum o f M odern Art.
To find out m ore a bo ut them co nn ect to the Internet and go to
w w w .blackcat-cideb.com . Insert the title or part o f the title o f the book
into our search engine. Open the page fo r The Vampire’s Tear. Click on
the Internet project links. Divide the class into three groups. Each
gro up w ill research a m useum and prepare a brief report a bo ut the
current show s and
the im portant
permanent exhibitions.
Present your report to
the class.
W hich group had the
m ost interesting
report?
W hich m useum
did you like best
and why?
Manhattan
the heart of New York City
I •чlay Manhattan Island is one of the most expensive places in the
* ii Id to live and work. But in 1626 Peter Minuit of the Dutch West
11 Пlies Com pany b ough t M anhattan Island from the Lenape, an
\ merican-Indian peop le, and paid them w ith cheap jewelry and
i illier small objects.
\ller the American Revolution (1775-1783), N ew York became an
independent American state and its growth and developm ent were
\ п у rapid. By 1790 N ew York City was the largest city in the United
Slates, and during the 1800s it becam e America's m ost important
business, industrial and cultural center. N ew York C ity's strong
ei onomy attracted hundreds of thousands of European immigrants
who wanted a better life for them selves and their children. They
■eltled in the city's neighborhoods, found work and helped to build
the city and the nation.

27
 Chinatown in Manhattan.

Unique neighborhoods
Today more than eight million people live in N ew York City's five
b o ro u g h s:1 Manhattan, Brooklyn, Q ueens, The Bronx and Staten
Island. About one and a half million people live in Manhattan—a 34-
square mile island. This cosm opolitan city is often called "the city
that never sleeps" because something exciting is always happening,
day and night, with the subway running around the clock.
One of M anhattan's m ost colorful and liv ely n eigh b orh ood s is
C hinatow n, a unique ethnic settlem ent w ith C hinese sh ops and
restaurants and old buildings from the nineteenth century. Here
str eet s ig n s are p rin ted in b o th E n g lish le tte r s an d C h in e se
characters, and you can hear p eop le speaking Chinese. W alking

1. b o ro u g h : a big p a r t o f a c i t y t h a t h a s its o w n local g o v e r n m e n t .

28
.....lit on Mulberry Street you will soon get to Little Italy, which is
in• vl to C h in atow n . This n eig h b o rh o o d w a s se ttle d b y Italian
immigrants in the late nineteenth century and it still has an Italian
11 m ir with its typical shops, restaurants, cafes and festivities.
i и11her unique neighborhood is Greenwich Village, where artists,
1 1 lri s and poets have lived since the 1800s. You can still see the
11 1 •11 ses w h ere M ark T w ain and E dgar A lle n P oe o n ce liv e d .
I i liington Square is the heart of "the village", as N ew Yorkers call
II v\ here you can see street performers and outdoor art shows. Every
I l.illoween, October 31, the Village celebrates with America's largest
i ublic H allow een parade, w ith all kinds of w ild costum es. More
111,in two million people attend the parade every year and about a
million watch it on TV.
i 1.1 Horn, the city's African-American neighborhood, w as center of the
I l.irlem Renaissance in the 1920s and '30s, when important African-
Vmerican artists and musicians lived and worked there. Today the
■ЬI Apollo Theater is a symbol of those times.
I'.inish Harlem is Manhattan's largest Hispanic community, where
Iч i>ple read the Spanish new spaper El D iario and shop in small
II к cry stores called bodegas.

Soinr famous landmarks

II almost impossible to know all of N ew York's landmarks and sites
b n ,iuse there are so many. One popular symbol of the city is the
I mpire State Building, which is N ew York City's tallest skyscraper
.ind was once the w orld 's tallest b uild in g w ith 102 floors and a
•plendid observation deck for visitors on the top floor.
Wall Street, a narrow, busy street in lower Manhattan, is the center
(il Am erica's fin ancial ind u stry. Several major A m erican stock
 T urtle pond. Central Park.

exchanges 2 and other b u sin esses have their headquarters here.

Decisions that are made on Wall Street often directly and indirectly
influence the entire world.
The Rockefeller Center is an amazing structure—it is a city within a city
with shops, restaurants and office buildings. During the Christmas
season the plaza becomes a huge ice skating rink for N ew Yorkers; next
to the rink there is a spectacular six-storey high Christmas tree.
Another important landmark is the United Nations on the East River
bank which stands on international ground.
Central Park is in the center of Manhattan and is the city's biggest
and most loved park. People go there to get away from city traffic
and relax. You can row a boat in the lake, jog, bike or just lie in the
g ra ss and read a b ook . T here are free co n ce rts and oth er
entertainment activities during the summer months.
W hen y o u think o f N e w York y o u im m ed ia tely think of Fifth
Avenue, one of the best known streets in the world for its famous
museums, shops, buildings, churches and hotels. The Museum M ile is

2. s t o c k e x c h a n g e s : p l a c e s w h e r e p e o p l e bu y and sell s t o c k s and

b o n d s — f o r m s o f i n v e s t m e n t in b u s i n e s s e s .

30
,i l o w ly walk along Fifth Avenue near Central Park, where you can
• ■ ome of the city's best museums: the Metropolitan M useum of
11 the C .u g g en h eim M u seu m , th e M u seu m o f M od ern A rt
i Mi >МЛ), the Museum of the City of N ew York and several others.
mss Central Park there is the great M useum of Natural History.
1 'ii M.idison Avenue, which is parallel to Fifth Avenue, there is the
i immis Whitney M useum of American Art.
Ili«- Vlel ropolitan Museum of Art, also known as the MET, is one of the
vv mill's largest art galleries with more than two million works of art. It
t >l «". about a full day to visit the MET; it is a wonderful experience.
I lie i .uggenheim Museum is a 20th-century architectural landmark,
I' •ij;tied by world-famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and has a
l'ii}',*• collection of im pressionist, post-im pressionist, m odern and
temporary art.
W ilkiug sou th on Fifth A v e n u e y o u w ill find the M u seu m of
l'm Art, known as the MOMA, considered the most important
mu ,cum of modern art in the world. Here you can admire not only

Guggenheim Museum.
m o d er n p a in tin g s b u t a lso m o d er n s c u lp tu r e , d r a w in g s,
photography, books and works of architecture. And you can have
lunch at the unusual Terrace 5, a cafe w ith a splendid view of the
sculpture garden.
S h o p p in g or e v e n w in d o w -s h o p p in g on F ifth A v e n u e is an
unforgettable experience because of all the exclusive designer shops,
stores and jewelers situated here. And just a few blocks away, on 7th
n shop at Macy's, the world's biggest
departm ent store. It occupies an
en tire city b lock and se lls just
about anything you can think of.
S ev en th A v e n u e is a lso ca lled
F a sh io n A v e n u e b e c a u se the
clothing and fashion industry has
b e e n in that area for o v er a
century. It is an exciting and fast-
m oving place to visit during the
day. A n d if you 're lo o k in g for
bargains, 3 every Sunday there is
an ou td oor m arket on Orchard
Street on the Lower East Side with
fashion clothing, shoes and bags.
A n o th er fa m o u s lan d m a rk is
T im es Squ are, w h e r e S ev en th
A v e n u e and B ro a d w a y cro ss,
w ith all its bright neon lights. It

Time Square from Broadway.

3. b a r g a in s : t h i n g s t h a t a r e sold a t a lo w e r p rice t h a n n o rm a l.

32
1111 .iris about one million people
■ cry year for the fantastic N ew

■* ,ii s Eve ce le b r a tio n s. The

Пи >.nl way area is the heart of the
i II known theater district, with
11 m.my fine plays and musicals
ili.il are fa m o u s a ll o v er th e
i lil. T ick ets to B road w ay
pl ays and m u sica ls are q u ite
pens i ve , but y o u can b u y
I els at half price on the day of
iln performance.
i Ihe so u th ern tip of
i mhattan near B attery Park
Ihero is the M u n ic ip a l Ferry
i i initial where you can take a
leiry boat tour of the harbor, Carnegie Delicatessen,
mil then go to visit the Statue of
1 1 *Tty and Ellis Island—two world-famous landmarks. You w ill get
i ,i e.it view of the city skyline from the ferry boat.
Manhattan is fam ous for its d elicatessen s— u su ally called d elis,
here Ihere is always a cheerful, friendly atmosphere. This is where
■■и can get all kinds of special sandwiches, such as pastrami, and
llie unique N ew York cheesecake— a delicious dessert. More than
loin thousand street vendors sell hot dogs and pretzels for people
ivlm are in a hurry and can't stop to have lunch—most N ew Yorkers
.ire very dynamic and are usually in a hurry!

33
 Q C o m p re h e n s io n c h e c k
Are the following sentences true (T) or false (F)? Correct the false ones.

New York w as th e biggest s ta te in th e United S ta te s

during th e American Revolution.
2 European im m igrants w e n t to New York City
to look for work.
3 One and half million people live in New York City today.
4 Harlem is one of th e city’s five boroughs.
5 The United Nations is located in M anhattan.
6 Some of M a n h a tta n ’s best m u s e u m s are located
on Fifth Avenue.
7 Frank Lloyd W right designed th e MOMA.
8 Macy’s d e p a r tm e n t sto re is o ften called
Fashion Avenue.
9 The well-known th e a te r district is n ear Times Square.
10 You can only reach the Statue of Liberty by ferry boat.

B e fo re you read
mo L is te n in g
p £ -j - Listen to p art of Chapter Three. Decide if each sentence is co rrect
or incorrect. If it is co rre ct put a tick {/) in the box under A for
YES. If it not co rrect, put a tick ( / ) in the box under В for NO.

A В
YES NO
1 The reception w as held in a m odern building near
Central Park. □□
2 Professor Morescu did not dre ss up for th e reception. □□
3 Nancy Wilson gave the guests a guided to ur of the show. □□
4 There w as a painting of an im p o rtan t medieval prince. □□
5 Professor Morescu explained how to kill a vampire. □□
6 The sho w w as divided into th r e e se p a ra te parts. □□
34
 HAPTER THREE

Opening Night
The In te rn a tio n a l A rt an d H isto ry M useum w as a b eau tifu l e a rly H ©
1 9 th-c e n t u r y b u ild in g w ith t h r e e flo o rs n e a r C e n tra l P a rk . On
S a tu rd a y ev en in g th e big w oo d en d o o rs on th e th ird flo o r o f th e
m u seu m o p en ed fo r th e re c e p tio n . O ver fifty im p o rta n t g u e s ts ,
all fash io n ab ly d re ss e d , w e re p re s e n t, an d w a ite rs m o ved a b o u t
o ffe rin g th e m d rin k s an d th in g s t o e a t . S m e t a n a ’s 1 b e a u tifu l
m u sic filled th e a ir. N ick, Bill an d fo u r s e c u r i ty g u a rd s s to o d
n e a r th e e n tr a n c e an d e x it.
“I’ve n e v e r s e e n s u c h a n e l e g a n t r e c e p t i o n , ” w h i s p e r e d Bill,
lo o king a t all t h e g u e s t s .

1. S m e t a n a : a f a m o u s C zech c o m p o s e r ( 1 8 2 4 - 1 8 8 4 ) .

35

_____________________________________________
 CHAPTER T H R E E

“S o m e o f t h e c it y ’s m o s t i m p o r t a n t p e o p le a r e h e r e t o n i g h t , ”
w h i s p e r e d Nick.
A t e ig h t o ’clock P r o f e s s o r M o re sc u , w h o w a s still w e a r i n g his
o ld - f a s h io n e d b la c k s u it, w h ite s h ir t a n d b la c k tie , b e g a n
s p e a k in g to t h e g r o u p o f p e o p le in t h e e n t r a n c e hall.
“G o o d e v e n in g e v e r y o n e , a n d w e l c o m e t o t h e E a s t E u r o p e a n
A rt a n d J e w e ls S h ow . T his e v e n in g y o u ’ll h a v e t h e o p p o r t u n i t y to
s e e r a r e a r t i f a c t s 2 a n d je w e ls f r o m a p a r t o f t h e w o rld w h ic h is
o f t e n f o r g o t t e n . If y o u fo llo w m e I'll give y o u a g u id e d t o u r o f t h e
s h o w . ” He m o v e d t o t h e f i r s t r o o m a n d t h e g u e s t s fo llo w e d him .
“P r o f e s s o r M o re sc u , I’m N a n c y W ilso n t h e p h o t o g r a p h e r , a n d
I’ll b e t a k i n g p i c t u r e s o f t h e s h o w f o r a n e w s p a p e r , ” s a id a y o u n g
w o m a n o f a b o u t t h i r t y w i t h s h o r t b l o n d e h a i r a n d g l a s s e s . “I
h o p e y o u d o n ’t m i n d .”
“Y o u ’re w e lc o m e t o do so, Miss W ilson; w e w a n t to a d v e r t i s e
t h e s h o w a s m u c h a s p o s s i b l e , ” s a id M o re sc u . “T he f i r s t p a r t is
c a lle d ‘A r t a n d W e a p o n s ’ b e c a u s e a s y o u c a n s e e t h e r e a r e old
p a i n t i n g s , s c u l p t u r e s , a r t i f a c t s , m a p s a n d all k in d s o f m e d ie v a l
w e a p o n s t h a t w e r e u s e d d u r in g t h e m a n y w a r s o f t h e 15th a n d
16th c e n t u r i e s . This p a i n t i n g o f Vlad T e p e s is o f g r e a t h is to r ic a l
valu e a n d im p o rta n c e . He w a s a fa m o u s p rin ce an d w a rrio r of
W a lla c h ia , a n d a ls o a lo v in g h u s b a n d . H e r e y o u c a n a d m i r e his
f a m ily t r e e . ” He s t o p p e d f o r a m o m e n t a n d a d m i r e d t h e p a in tin g
w ith t e a r s in his e y e s , a n d e v e r y o n e w a s q u i te s u r p r is e d .
“I t h o u g h t V lad T e p e s w a s s o m e k in d o f c r u e l p r i n c e a n d a
v a m p ir e ...,” w h i s p e r e d Bill.
“I k n o w ...s h h h , M o re s c u cou ld h e a r u s ,” w h i s p e r e d Nick.

2. a r t i f a c t s : v a l u a b le o b j e c t s o f g r e a t a r c h a e o l o g i c a l and cu lt u ral
interest.

36
 CHAPTER T H R E E

“N ow l e t ’s m o v e t o t h e s e c o n d r o o m a n d t h e n e x t p a r t o f t h e
s h o w , ‘T r a n s y l v a n i a , L a n d o f V a m p i r e s ’. H e r e y o u c a n s e e
h is to r ic a l m a p s o f t h e a r e a a n d r e a d a b o u t t h e v a m p i r e s o f t h e
p a st.”
A y o u n g w o m a n i n t e r r u p t e d M o re sc u a n d sa id , “V a m p ir e s a r e
j u s t a le g e n d , a fo lk ta le , a r e n ’t t h e y ? ”
“A le g e n d ? A f o l k t a l e ? ” a s k e d M o re s c u in a low vo ice. “P lea se
r e m e m b e r , m a d a m , t h a t le g e n d s a n d f o lk ta le s h a v e e l e m e n t s o f
t r u t h in t h e m . ”
“You m e a n v a m p ir e s ...e x is te d or e x is t to d a y ? " a s k e d t h e y o u n g
w o m a n , w h o s e fa c e h a d b e c o m e a s pa le a s M o r e s c u ’s.
“T h e r e a r e m a n y u n s o l v e d m y s t e r i e s in t h e w o r l d , a n d
v a m p i r e s a r e o n e o f t h e m . N ow l e t ’s m o v e o n .”
T he g u e s t s fo llo w e d him b u t f e lt r a t h e r u n e a s y .
“In t h e c e n t e r o f th is r o o m y o u c a n s e e a v e r y old o a k co ffin 3
f r o m t h e l a t e f i f t e e n t h c e n t u r y . It b e l o n g e d t o a v a m p i r e w h o
w a s b e h e a d e d 4 a n d i n s i d e t h e r e is s t i l l s o m e e a r t h f r o m
T r a n s y l v a n i a . V a m p i r e s n e e d t o s l e e p in t h e i r n a t i v e e a r t h in
o r d e r to k e e p th e ir p o w e rs . W e a s k v is ito rs n o t to o p e n th e
co ffin a n d n o t to t o u c h t h e e a r t h . ”
“W h o w o u ld w a n t t o o p e n t h a t c o f f i n ? ” w h i s p e r e d a m a n t o
his wife.
“N ot m e ! ” s h e w h i s p e r e d .
“H e re w e h a v e a n original w o o d e n s t a k e 5 t h a t w a s u s e d in t h e
s i x t e e n t h c e n t u r y t o kill v a m p i r e s , ” sa id M o re sc u p o in tin g to t h e
s ta k e . “As y o u c a n s e e it h a s a s h a r p p o in t t h a t w a s d riv e n in to

3. o a k c o ff in : a c o f f i n m a d e o f a s p e c ia l kind o f w oo d called o a k . .... и Л М И И

4. b e h e a d e d : his h e a d w a s c u t o f f .
5. w o o d e n s t a k e .—............

38
 Opening Niqhf

I lie v a m p i r e ’s h e a r t . T h is is a p a i n t i n g o f C o u n t e s s E l i z a b e t h
H ath ory, a s u s p e c t e d v a m p i r e o f t h e 1 6 0 0 s . T he p a i n t i n g s a n d
p h o t o g r a p h s o n t h e w all s h o w y o u t h e d i f f e r e n t k in d s o f b a t s ,
wolves a n d o t h e r w ild a n im a ls t h a t live in T r a n s y lv a n ia . A nd h e r e
r, a n e a r ly 1 9 0 0 s c o p y o f B ram S t o k e r ’s nov el D racula t r a n s l a t e d
into R o m a n i a n .”
“T h e s h o w is i n t e r e s t i n g b u t i t ’s k i n d o f . . . d i s t u r b i n g , ”
w h is p e r e d Nick t o Bill.
“N ow p l e a s e f o llo w m e t o t h e t h i r d p a r t o f t h e s h o w , ‘E a s t
I u r o p e a n J e w e l s ’, w h e r e y o u will s e e a p r i c e l e s s o b j e c t : t h e
V a m p i r e ’s T e a r . It is a lo a n f r o m a n E a s t E u r o p e a n m u s e u m . ”
M o r e s c u ’s v o ic e s h o o k a s h e m e n t i o n e d t h e n a m e o f t h e 6 6 .6 -
c a r a t d ia m o n d . “It u s e d t o b e lo n g t o Vlad T e p e s ’ w ife K riza in t h e
1 5 th c e n t u r y ; s h e w o r e it a r o u n d h e r b e a u t i f u l n e c k d u r i n g
i m p o r t a n t o c c a s io n s . A f t e r h e r t r a g i c d e a t h in 1462, V lad c rie d
riv ers o f t e a r s b e c a u s e h e lov ed h e r v e r y m u c h , a n d t h a t is w h y
th e d ia m o n d is called t h e V a m p i r e ’s T e a r. N o w h e r e in t h e w o rld
is t h e r e s u c h a p e r f e c t d ia m o n d , s h a p e d like a t e a r — n o ti c e its
pale p in k c o lo r.”
T h e p r e c i o u s d i a m o n d s a t in a s m a l l w o o d e n b o x lin e d w ith
w h ite silk o n t o p o f a sm all g la s s t a b l e in t h e m id d le o f t h e t h i r d
ro o m . No o n e could g e t to o close t o it b e c a u s e t h e r e w a s a b r a s s 6
c h a in all a r o u n d it. It w a s v e r y b e a u tif u l a n d im p r e s s iv e .
A s h o r t , b ald m a n o f a b o u t f o r t y w h o w a s e l e g a n tl y d r e s s e d
said, “All m y life I’v e w a n t e d t o s e e th is sp le n d id j e w e l.”
“A h , i t ’s y o u , M r S i m m s , ” s a i d M o r e s c u . “ L a d i e s a n d
g e n t l e m e n , le t m e i n t r o d u c e y o u t o S a m u e l S im m s, N e w Y o r k ’s

6. b r a s s : a y e llo w m e t a l ( s e e p. 41).

39
 CHAPTER T H R E E

m o s t i m p o r t a n t je w e le r : he h a s a lu x u r y s t o r e o n Fifth A v e n u e .”
S a m u e l S im m s sm iled n e rv o u s ly a t th e g u e s ts a n d c o n tin u e d
s t a r i n g a t t h e V a m p i r e ’s T e a r.
T h e n h e s u d d e n l y sa id , “But i t ’s n o t in a g la s s c a s e — i t ’s n o t
p r o t e c t e d . S o m e o n e c o u ld s te a l it!”
“S te a l it? Oh n o , ” s a id M o re sc u v e r y s e rio u sly , “t h e m u s e u m
h a s a m o d e rn in fra re d a la rm 7 an d v id e o c a m sy s te m t h a t
o p e r a t e s t w e n t y - f o u r h o u r s a d a y . I t ’s i m p o s s i b l e t o s t e a l it.
B esid es, t h e b e a u t y o f t h e d i a m o n d c a n ’t b e fully a d m i r e d u n d e r
a g la s s c a s e . ”
“Oh, I u n d e r s t a n d , ” sa id S im m s, r a t h e r c o n f u s e d .
“O f c o u r s e o u r c o l l e c t i o n h a s o t h e r p r e c i o u s j e w e l s f r o m
E a s te rn Europe: e a rrin g s , b ra c e le ts , n e c k la c e s w ith d ia m o n d s ,
r u b ie s , e m e r a l d s , s a p p h i r e s a n d w h i t e a n d b la c k p e a r ls , a s y o u
c a n s e e . ” M o re s c u c o n t i n u e d ta lk in g a b o u t t h e s h o w f o r a w h ile
a n d t h e n t h e g u e s t s w e r e f r e e t o w a lk a r o u n d , ta lk , d r in k a n d e a t
u n til t h e r e c e p t i o n w a s o v er.
W h e n t h e l a s t g u e s t s h a d le f t t h e s h o w a n old m a n a n d a n old
w o m a n w e a r in g lo ng d a r k g re y ja c k e t s a n d b la c k t r o u s e r s
w a lk e d in a n d s p o k e t o P r o f e s s o r M o re sc u . T h e y w e r e b o t h s h o r t ,
th i n , h a d little w h i t e h a i r a n d p a le , w ri n k le d 8 skin; t h e y lo o k e d
p o o r a n d h u n g ry .
P ro fe s s o r M o rescu s e e m e d to k n o w th e m b e c a u s e a t firs t
t h e y s p o k e in a f o r e i g n la n g u a g e . T h e n a s Bill a n d Nick w a lk e d
t o w a r d s t h e m t h e y s t a r t e d s p e a k in g English.
“Bill, Nick,” s a id M o re s c u , “I w a n t y o u t o m e e t V ic to r a n d his

7. in f r a r e d a la r m : h i g h - t e c h a l a r m t h a t m a k e s a bell ring loudly if

s o m e o n e t r i e s t o e n t e r a build ing by f o r c e .
8. w rin k le d : o ld -lo o k in g , n o t s m o o t h , lined.

40
 CHAPTER T H R E E

w ife, D aniza. T h e y a r e t h e c l e a n e r s w h o will c o m e in t h e e v e n in g

w h e n t h e m u s e u m c loses. T h e y a r e n e w t o N ew Y o rk a n d s p e a k
little E n glish.”
“G o o d e v e n i n g , ” s a id V ic to r, w i t h a s t r o n g , d e e p v o ic e . His
w ife j u s t n o d d e d 9 h e r h e a d a n d lo o k e d a t h e r b la c k s h o e s . On t h e
f o u r t h f in g e r o f h e r le ft h a n d s h e w o r e a s t r a n g e go ld rin g
s h a p e d like a s e r p e n t .
“ H e llo — g l a d t o m e e t y o u , ” s a i d Bill a n d Nick, t r y i n g t o b e
frie n d ly .
“Well, y o u b o y s c a n go h o m e n o w , ” s a id M orescu. “R e m e m b e r ,
t o m o r r o w m o r n i n g t h e s h o w o p e n s a t t e n , so be h e r e o n t i m e . ”
“A lright, p r o f e s s o r , g o o d e v e n i n g ,” sa id Bill.
“G ood e v e n in g , p r o f e s s o r , ” sa id Nick.
O n c e o u t s i d e t h e m u s e u m Nick a s k e d , “Did y o u g e t a c h a n c e
t o e a t o r d r in k s o m e t h i n g d u r in g t h e r e c e p t i o n ? ”
“No, I’m s t a r v e d , ” 10 s aid Bill. “A nd e v e r y t h i n g lo o k e d so good ,
to o .”
“ L e t ’s h u r r y b a c k h o m e a n d a t t a c k t h e r e f r i g e r a t o r ! ” s a i d
Nick, a n d t h e y s t a r t e d r u n n i n g t o t h e s u b w a y s t a t i o n t o c a t c h
t h e t r a i n b a c k t o C h in a to w n .

9. no d d ed : m o v e d h e r he a d up and dow n.
1 0. s ta r v e d : v e r y hu ngry.

42
I he te x t and b e y o n d

Q C o m p re h e n s io n c h e c k
Answer the following questions.

1 Describe th e people a t th e reception a t th e International Art and

History Museum.
2 Why w as Nancy Wilson th ere?
3 W h a t could you see in th e “Art an d W e a p o n s” p a r t of th e show?
4 W hat did Professor Morescu say a b o u t vam pires?
5 W h a t w a s inside th e oak coffin an d why?
6 Why w as th e diam ond called th e V am pire’s Tear?
7 Why w as it impossible to steal it?
8 Describe th e cleaners.

Q V o c a b u la ry
Read the definitions. W hat is the w ord for each one? There is one
space for each letter in the word.

1 valuable objects:
2 a precious jewel:
3 a dead body is kept here:
4 to move your head up and d o w n : ___
5 very hungry:
6 a person who sells jewels:
7 old-looking, n o t smooth:
8 to cut off so m e o n e ’s head:
9 a kind of w o o d : ____

Now find the w ords in the word square on the n ext page and circle
them .
 т

В О X F S E к С и А С Z о J
w A P N U A E Y О К L J м Е
R В R С О D L I G F А О X W
I S P T С В S D V W F С G Е
N A V D I A M О N D Н I К L
К E С U N F I С G О М S N Е
L X T S P G A Y Т I и V L R
E N E Z О U E С V А N Z А V
D V 0 С G P О S т А R V Е D
F S L D S В U С F S G н К М
Y T J О U В E H Е А D о Р S

Q Fam ous d ia m o n d s
Read the te x t and fill in the gaps with the w ords in the box.

word result beauty owners during jew eler

poor nam e proudly mine believed symbols control
fascinating invaded discovered powers jewel

All through the centuries diamonds have

been (1)........................ of power and
wealth. The (2 ) ........................ diamond
comes from the Greek adamas, which
m eans invincible. Diamonds were first
mentioned in Roman literature in the first
century CE. The Romans and the Greeks
(3 ) th a t diamonds were
small pieces from falling stars or tears of
the gods, and th a t they had supernatural
(4 )
Hope diamond.
The Cullinan Diamond was
(5 ) in 1905 in a ( 6 ) .......................... in South Africa. With its
3,106 carats it was th e largest diamond ever found. The Great Star of
Africa, with its 530 carats, was cut from the Cullinan Diamond.

44
 W [■•
1 E S

The Koh-i-noor Diamond has a long and ( 7 ) ..........................history. In

1304 it belonged to a prince in India, w here it remained until 1739 when
Nadir, th e Shah of Persia, ( 8 ) ..........................India and took the diamond
back to Persia. In 1849 the British took ( 9 ) ..........................of a pa rt of
India and th e diamond w as given to Queen Victoria. Today th e Koh-i-
noor Diamond is p art of the Crown Jewels of th e British Royal Family.
Diamonds are beautiful but som e people believe they bring bad luck to
their (1 0 ) ............................ The Hope Diamond is one of th ese. It is a
magnificent dark blue (11) ............................ One of its first ow ners was
th e French queen Marie Antoinette, who w as executed on th e
guillotine in 1793, (1 2 ) .......................... th e French Revolution. In 1830
the (1 3 ) .......................... who cu t th e diam ond died of a h e a rt atta c k
when he heard th a t his son had stolen it. As a (1 4 ) .......................... of his
f a th e r ’s death, th e son killed himself!
In 1839 th e w ealthy London b anker Henry Philip Hope b ought th e
44 .5 -c a ra t diam ond and gave it its (1 5 ) ............................ The bad luck of
th e diamond continued and th e Hope family lost all th eir m one y and
becam e (1 6 )..............................
A very rich American w om a n called Evalyn Walsh McLean did n ot
believe in bad luck, so she b ought th e Hope Diamond an d w ore it
(17)............................ However, som e tim e later h e r son a n d d au gh ter
died mysteriously, her h usband becam e mentally ill an d th e family
business failed. In 1958, nine yea rs a f te r Mrs McLean’s death, th e
American jew eler Harry W inston gave th e diam ond to th e
Smithsonian Institution in W ashington DC. So to d a y everyone can
admire its rare (1 8 ) .......................... w ith o u t th e d ang er of owning it.

m K O W ritin g
You a re Bill and you w a n t to w rite a l e t t e r to y o u r p a r e n ts in
California and tell them about your new job a t the m useum . W rite
your letter in about 1 00 words.
S tart like this:

Dear TV\om and tkui,

T'Tlichelle and i are -?ine and we re having a great time Were la the
Big dppLe. TY\y job a t the museum is going to be interesting because..

45
Vlad Tepes,
Prince o f Wallachia
Vlad Tepes, or Vlad III, was born in Sighisoara, Transylvania in 1431.
Vlad had several names, among which the most common was Vlad
the Impaler because one of his favorite punishments w as impaling—
driving a sharp stick or weapon through someone's body.
He was also known as Vlad Dracula because his Romanian last name
was "Draculea" which meant "Son of Dracul", since his father was
Vlad II Dracul and a member of the Order of the Dragon. In the

V la d th e Im p a le r
(died 1462),
German School.
 P o en ari Castle, Transylvania.
It was a fortress of Vlad Tepes during the 15th century.

modern Romanian language "Dracul" means the Devil, but in Vlad's

time it also meant "Dragon". After his death he w as often called
"Tepes", which meant impaler.
In order to understand Vlad Tepes it is important to explore the
political and social situation in southeastern Europe during the
fifteenth century.
Wallachia, a region of the Balkans which today is southern Romania,
was situated directly between two powerful empires: the Ottoman
Empire to the south and the Hungarian Kingdom to the north and
the w est. Vlad T epes had to keep g ood relations w ith both the
Hungarian Kingdom and the Ottoman Empire, which was not easy
at that time. During his rule there were many battles and invasions,
mostly by the Ottoman Turks, w ho wanted to conquer Wallachia.

47
In 1462 the Ottoman Turks invaded Wallachia and when they were
near Vlad's castle his wife committed suicide by jumping from the
castle tower because she couldn't bear the thought of becom ing a
prisoner of the Turks. Vlad suffered greatly after her death, but he
w as able to escape to Transylvania, where he met the Hungarian
prince Hunyadi. They became friends because they both wanted to
fight the Ottomans.
In 1476 Vlad Tepes invaded Wallachia successfully. He became the
ruler again but this tim e he had a very sm all arm y and lim ited
power. He was killed in a battle against the Turks near the town of
Bucharest in December 1476.
During his rule Vlad Tepes was in favor of honesty and hard work,
and those w ho were dishonest or lazy were often cruelly punished.
H e is rem em bered b y the R om anian p eo p le for h is su ccess in
fighting off the Ottoman Turks and keeping the independence of
Wallachia and its people.

ф C o m p re h e n s io n c h e c k
Answer the following questions.

1 List th r e e of Vlad’s names.

2 W hat does th e word “T epes” m ean?
3 W hat w a s th e political situation like in Wallachia during th e
fifteen th century?
4 Why did Vlad’s wife jum p from th e castle tow er?
5 W h at hap pen ed to Vlad in Transylvania?
6 How did he die?
7 How is he r e m e m b e re d by th e R om anian people?
 ►►► IN T E R N E T P R O JE C T Hi
L et’s visit Vlad T ep e s ’s birthplace and his castles!
Divide the class into tw o groups. The first g ro up can research
V lad’s birthplace, the tow n o f Sighisoara, a beautiful m edieval
tow n. The second group can research V la d ’s castles — Bran
Castle, Poenari C astle and others.
C onnect to the Internet and go to w w w .b la c k c a t-c id e b .c o m .
Insert the title or part o f the title o f the b o o k into our search
engine. Open the page fo r The V am pire’s Tear. C lick on the
Internet p ro je ct links.
Prepare a brief rep ort and present it to th e class. W hich rep ort did
you like best and why?

SIGHISOARA, R o m a n ia - O ffic ia l T ra v e l a n d T o u r is m In fo rm a tio n

Home S ite Map S p ecia l O ffers Links Maps About Us Contact Us

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ABOUT ROMANIA REG IO N S & C IT IE S MAIN ATTRACTIONS SPEC IAL IN TER EST T R IP PLANNER IMAGES

MAIN ATTRACTIONS

B la c k S e a R e so rts
Sighisoara (See ghee swahr’ ah)

C a s tle s & F o r tre s s e s

City H ighlights City E s se n tia ls
» C ity L a n d m a r k s » T r a n s p o r t a tio n
D an u b e D elta » M u seu m s » A c c o m m o d a tio n s
►M edieval Towns » N e a rb y A ttr a c tio n s » T o u r is t in fo
» D a y T rip s » M aps
N ational Parks
» F e s tiv a l s & E v e n ts
T h e Painted M on a steries

Spas G e n e r a l In f o r m a t io n

L o ca tio n : C en tra l Rom ania (M u res c o u n ty )

Traditional V illages
S iz e : 3 s q . m ile s ( 7 . 1 2 s q . k ilo m e ters )
World H eritag e S ite s
E lev a tio n : 1 , 1 4 0 ft. ( 2 5 0 m e te r s )
P o p u latio n: 3 2 , 2 8 7 ( 2 0 0 2 )
In h a b ite d s in c e : 6 th c e n tu ry BC
Austrian Г F irst d o cu m e n te d : 1 2 8 0 AD
Constanta
и м a- in - Sighisoara - City Highlights
Founded by Transy lvan ian S a x o n s d urin g th e 1 2 th
Austrian Airlines, c e n tu ry , S ig h is o a r a ( S c h a s s b u r g in G e r m a n ) stiJI
Preferred Airline for Travel from s ta n d s a s o n e o f th e m o s t be au tifu ! and
North Am erica to Rom ania b e st-p r e s e r v e d m ed iev al to w n s in E u rop e.
D esig n a ted a s a Worid H erita g e S ite Dy UNESCO,
th is p erfectly In ta ct 1 6 th c e n tu ry g e m w ith n ine
to w e rs , c o b b le d s tr e e ts , b u rg h e r h o u s e s an d
o rn a te c h u r c h e s rivals th e h isto ric s t r e e ts o f Old
P ra g u e o r V ien n a fo r a tm o s p h e r ic m a g ic . I t is
a ls o th e b irth p la c e o f Vlad D racu la, a ls o kn ow n a s
V lad T e p e s (Vlad th e Im p a le r ), ru ler o f th e
p ro v in ce o f W alachia from 1 4 5 6 to 1 4 6 2 . I t w as
h e w ho in spired B ram S to k e r's fictio n al c re a tio n .
C ou nt D racula.

49
 T I

Before you read

ф P r e d ic tio n
Work with a partner and discuss these questions.

1 What does the title of the next chapter make you think of?
2 What do you think will happen in this chapter?
3 How might Michelle, Bill and Nick be involved?

Q L is t e n in g
PET Listen to part of Chapter Four and choose the correct answer —A, В or C.

1 Where can the Statue of Liberty be seen?

A Q on the New York City skyline
В □ in the financial center
С Q on Liberty Island

2 How did Michelle and Marian get to the Statue of Liberty?

A Q They took the ferry.
В Q They walked down Wall Street.
С Q They took the bus.

3 Why were Bill and Nick busy?

A Q because there were many people at the museum
В ГЦ because it was the Fourth of July weekend
С Q because they had to help the security guards

4 Who visited the show frequently?

A Q a local television station
В Q Max and Phil
С Q Samuel Simms

50
C H A PTE R FO U R

It's Gone!
The n e x t tw o w eeks w ere busy on es fo r Bill and Nick, and OHS'
Michelle was having a great time visiting New York City.
One Sunday she and Marian had coffee and donuts a t Dunkin’
Donuts, A m erica’s biggest coffee and d o n u ts chain. Then th e y
took the ferry boat to Liberty Island to see th e S tatue of Liberty.
From the ferry b oat th ey enjoyed a wonderful view of the New
Y ork sk y lin e . A n o t h e r d a y s h e v i s i t e d Wall S t r e e t a n d t h e
financial center. Then she sp e n t one entire day inside Macy’s, th e
w o rld ’s biggest d e p a r t m e n t s to re , a nd w alked o u t w ith th r e e
huge shopping bags—she loved every m inute of it.
P r o f e s s o r M o r e s c u ’s s h o w w a s a s u c c e s s a n d h e w a s
extrem ely pleased. Crowds of people visited the m useum and Bill
a n d Nick ha d p le n ty to do. They m a d e fr ie n d s w ith th e tw o

51
 C H A PTER FOUR

security guards, Phil and Max, who took turns working day and
night. Phil was a tall man of about fifty who always laughed and
told jokes. Bill and Nick liked him a lot. Max was a Hispano-
American of about forty who often brought his wife’s homemade
cookies for the others to eat.
The newspapers wrote excellent articles about the show and a
local television station filmed parts of it. A museum in California
invited Professor Morescu to take his show there. Samuel Simms
b e c a m e a re g u la r v is ito r b e c a u s e he w a n te d to a d m ire th e
Vampire’s Tear, and he often brought friends and clients with him. Щ
Then suddenly something unexpected happened. One Friday
m o rn in g w hen th e d a y tim e se c u r ity gu a rd Max o p e n e d th e
museum door, as he always did at half p a st nine, th ere was a
terrible, loud cry.
"Oh, no!”
Bill and Nick were coming up the stairs when they heard the
cry and started running to see what was happening.
“Come over here, fast!” cried Max, “I’m in the third room.”
Bill and Nick ran to Max, who was kneeling next to the other
security guard, Phil.
“He...he’s dead!” cried Max, his voice breaking. “O ne'of my
best friends...oh, Phil!”
“What!” cried Bill, staring at Phil’s body lying on the floor. He
felt cold and his legs were weak.
“Are you sure, Max?” asked Nick nervously, as his heart beat
wildly.
“H e’s cold and his face is so w h i t e , ” said Max, his voice
shaking. “We have to call the police.”
He took out his cell phone and called 911.

52
 It’ s Gone!

“Let’s close the museum door and put up a sign—people are

going to sta rt coming soon,” said Nick.
“Nick! Max! The...the Vampire’s Tear...it’s gone!” cried Bill,
staring at the empty wooden box.
“No! Someone stole it ...and killed Phil,” said Max, his dark
eyes filled with anger. “We’ve got to call the Professor.”
E v e r y t h i n g h a p p e n e d so q u i c k l y — like in a t e r r i b l e
n ig h tm a re —som eon e had killed Phil and stolen the precious
Vampire’s Tear. Professor Morescu was extremely upset when he
heard of the m u rd e r and the th e f t of th e diamond; he could
barely speak when he got to the museum.
By mid-m orning four New York policemen and a detective
were already investigating the scene of the horrible crime.
A tall African-American in a dark blue suit walked in and said,
“Professor, my name is Detective Bradley Ellis, I’ll be working on
this case along with the New York City Police. My men will spend
the morning looking for fingerprints and other clues th a t could
help us with this case. I need to ask you and the others a few
questions. Are you alright, sir?”
“Ah...yes, thank you,” said Morescu, who was paler than usual.
“Please have a se a t,” said Detective Ellis. “Does the third floor
of the museum have an alarm system ?”
“Of course it does, and a very modern one too,” said Morescu.
“It’s an infrared alarm connected to a videocam system.”
“Hmm, the museum alarm never w ent off. I’ll have to take a
look at the video tap e ,” said Detective Ellis. “My men checked the
windows and the doors—no one forced them. There are two tiny
round windows near the high ceiling, typical decorations of early
19th-century architecture. I can’t understand how the thief got

53
 CHAPTER FOUR

in, killed t h e s e c u r i t y g u a r d , s to le t h e d i a m o n d a n d g o t o u t w ith

s u c h a m o d e r n a l a r m s y s t e m . ” He p a u s e d f o r a m o m e n t a n d
lo o k e d a t M o re sc u . “A nd t h e s t r a n g e t h i n g a b o u t t h e m u r d e r is
t h a t w e d o n ’t e v e n k n o w h o w he w a s killed.”
“W h a t do y o u m e a n ? ” a s k e d M o re scu , w h o w a s d i s t u r b e d by
th i s f a c t.
“T h e r e a r e n o s ig n s o f v io le n c e o n his b o d y ,” s a id D e t e c tiv e
Ellis. “W e ’ll k n o w m o r e a f t e r t h e a u t o p s y . 1 W h o e ls e w a s h e r e
a f t e r clo sing t i m e ? ”
“T h e c l e a n e r s — V ic to r a n d D a n iz a — a n d o f c o u r s e t h e s e c u r i t y
g u a r d . T h e c l e a n e r s a r e n ’t h e r e n o w ; t h e y c o m e in t h e e v e n i n g
w h e n t h e m u s e u m is c l o s e d .”
“W h a t t i m e do t h e y g e t h e r e a n d w h a t t i m e do t h e y l e a v e ? ”
a s k e d D e te c t iv e Ellis.
“T h e r e is o n e s e c u r i t y g u a r d d u r in g t h e d a y a n d o n e a t n ig h t.
T he c l e a n e r s g e t h e r e a b o u t n in e in t h e e v e n i n g a n d le a v e b e f o r e
m i d n i g h t , ” s a i d M o r e s c u , “e x c e p t f o r W e d n e s d a y s w h e n t h e
m u s e u m is o p e n u n til 10 pm .
“Do yo u k n o w t h e c l e a n e r s ? ” sa id Ellis.
“Y es, t h e y ’re v e r y g o o d , s im p le p e o p le ; t h e y c o m e f r o m m y
h o m e t o w n in E a s t e r n E u r o p e , ” s a i d M o r e s c u . “ I t r u s t t h e m
c o m p le te ly . T h e y live n e a r C e n tr a l P a rk, a t t h e h o m e o f a c o u sin
w h o w o r k s in N e w Y o rk .”
“I’ll h a v e to ta l k t o t h e m t o o , ” s a id Ellis. “I n e e d t h e i r a d d r e s s
a n d p h o n e n u m b e r . A n d I’d like a lis t o f all t h e g u e s t s a t t h e
r e c e p t i o n o n t h e o p e n in g n i g h t .” He t h e n t a l k e d t o Max, Bill a n d
Nick w h o to ld him w h a t t h e y h a d s e e n t h a t m o r n in g .

1. a u to p s y : e x a m i n a t i o n o f a d e a d b o d y by a d o c t o r t o d is c o v e r t h e
c a u s e o f d e a th .

54
 In the early afternoon Detective Ellis and his men finished
their work and were ready to leave.
“Keep the museum closed for today; my men are coming back
later to check a few things,” said Ellis.
“This is te rrib le ,” said Morescu nervously. “W hen can the
m u se u m op e n ? This is an im p o r ta n t show ; i t ’s a d v e rtis e d
everywhere! And it w o n ’t be the same w ith o u t the V am pire’s
Tear.”
“You can open tomorrow morning, but I’ll need to talk to you
a g a in ,” said D e te c tiv e E llis, w ho gave his c a llin g c ard to
everyone. “Here’s my card. Call me if you have any inform ation
or if you need me.”
Professor Morescu sat in a chair and stared at the painting of
Vlad Tepes, whispering some strange foreign words to himself.
Then he looked at Bill, Nick and Max and said, “Max, you and the
boys can go now. W e’ll reopen tomorrow morning.” He put his thin
hands in his long grey hair and continued staring at the painting.
Bill and Nick slowly walked out of the building— it was a hot
sum m er day in M anh attan . They were both very upset about
what had just happened.
“Poor Phil— I can’t believe he’s...dead,” said Nick sadly. “He
was such a nice guy, alw ays ready to joke and laugh a b o u t
things.”
“And we don’t even know ho w he died,” said Bill. “Detective
Ellis said there were no signs of violence on his body.”
“He said w e’ll know m ore a fte r the a u to p s y ,” said Nick
quietly. “Well, let’s go home and tell everybody what happened.”
That evening Nick, Bill, Michelle and Marian and Kevin Chan
sat around the big dinner table. At first they were shocked and

56
 It’ s Gone!

silent, but then they couldn’t stop talking about the awful event.
“Have you called your parents and told them y e t? ” asked
Kevin.
“Gee, I forgot,” said Bill. “I’ll call them after dinner.”
When it was time to clean up, Michelle said, “Bill, Nick and I
can do the dishes tonight. Dinner was great, thanks!” The three
friends went to the kitchen while Marian and Kevin turned on
the TV in the living room to hear the latest news a b o u t the
murder and theft at the museum.
“Guess w h a t? ” said Michelle, w ho was p u ttin g the dinner
plates into the sink.
“W h at?” asked Bill and Nick.
“I think we have a case to solve!” she said.
“Oh, no!” cried Bill and Nick. “Not again!”
“Michelle,” said Bill, “you don’t know what you’re saying. This
is not Montego Bay or Coyote Canyon 2— this is New York City!
And we’re not detectives! Nick and I are busy working all day.”
“Yeah, but I don’t work— I’m free!” said Michelle. “Come on,
let’s talk about it, at least.”
“She’s right, Bill,” said Nick, tu rn in g on the hot w ater and
putting detergent into the sink. “We can talk about it— after all,
we already have experience solving cases.”
“Experience!” Bill laughed. “This case is different, we d o n’t
even know the people involved. In M ontego Bay we knew Mr
O ’Neil and in Coyote Canyon we knew Pam and her uncle, but
here...”
“Well, we knew poor Phil— he was a friend,” said Nick. “We

2. Montego Bay or Coyote Canyon : in two previous books the three

friends successfully solved mysteries in these places.

57
worked together and he was a great guy. And besides, this is a
weird case— it’s a challenge. Something about Professor Morescu
is strange; it’s hard to put it into words. It’s a feeling I get when
I’m around him. And the cleaners, Victor and Daniza, remind me
of people out of the past."

58
 “Y ou’re right, Nick, Phil was a friend,” said Bill sadly. “And
there is something weird about the professor, the cleaners and
the whole show. Maybe it’s because of the...vampires and that
old coffin with the earth inside.”
“Vampires? Coffin? Tell me more,” said Michelle excitedly. As

59
 CH A P TE R FO U R

Bill and Nick w ashed the dishes and Michelle dried them , they
talk ed a b o u t the reception, the show, the exhibits, Professor
Morescu and Victor and Daniza. Bill m entioned Samuel Sim m s,
the jew eler w ho was very interested in the d ia m o n d and had
asked about the alarm system.
“Sam uel Sim m s?" said Michelle surprised. “I saw his luxury
shop on Fifth Avenue the other day; he has the kind of clients
who would love a diam ond like the V am pire’s Tear.”
“Are you saying th a t Sim ms stole it? ” said Nick surprised.
“No, I’m not saying th a t,” said Michelle, “but he’s a jeweler
and jewelers like Sim m s deal with expensive jewels. Do you know
w hat statistics say?”
“Please don’t tell us— we already know: m ost jewel thefts are
com m itted by experts in the field like jewelers,” said Bill, looking
at his sister and grinning.
“It’s a mystery how the thief or thieves entered the m useum
in the first place,” said Nick. “Remember, the burglar alarm did
not ring and Detective Ellis is checking the video tape. Maybe
Victor and Daniza let the m in! They’re the only ones who were
there th a t night, except for Phil. Detective Ellis said he w anted to
t a lk to th e m ; b u t th e c le an e rs are o n ly th e re u n til a ro u n d
m idnig ht, then they leave. We d o n ’t know w h a t tim e Phil was
killed— the police will know only after the autopsy.”
“We need to find out the time Phil was killed,” said Michelle, as she
put the last plates into the cupboard. “That’s an important clue.”
“W e c an a sk P ro fe s s o r M o re sc u t o m o r r o w ,” s a id N ick.
“Hopefully he’ll tell us.”
Suddenly Bill looked at his w atch and said, “Gosh, it’s late and
we h a v e n ’t called m o m and dad y e t.” He quickly took his cell
phone and started calling— he had a lot to tell them .

60
The text and beyond
Q C o m p r e h e n s io n c h e c k
Match the phrases in column A with the phrases in column В to make
complete sentences. There are four phrases in column В that you do
not need.

A
1 QJ Michelle spent her time
2 Q Phil and Max worked at the museum
3 Q On Friday morning the New York City Police were called
4 Q The museum was closed for a day
5 Q No one had forced the doors and windows of the museum
6 Q The two cleaners
7 Q After dinner Michelle, Bill and Nick
8 | Bill did not feel that they were ready
9 U Michelle wanted to investigate

В
A lived with a relative near Central Park.
В because the alarm did not go off.
С decided to wash the dishes.
D visiting all parts of New York City.
E because she had some suspicions.
F turned on the TV and listened to the news.
G because they were friends of Professor Morescu.
H because there had been a theft and a murder.
I to solve another difficult case.
J as security guards.
К because the police were investigating.
L working at the Chan’s grocery store.
M because she was bored.

61
 jsL '

>
А Т V т

те L is te n in g
PET Michelle and M arian are taking a tour of Ellis Island and New York
harbor. Listen to the to u r guide and for each question (1-4) choose
the correct picture and put a tick ( / ) in the box below it.

1 If you’re a teenager and you want to see the W aterfront Greenway

how much will your ticket cost?

2 Which lunch can you buy with $11.00?

3 Where did the first im m igrant come from?

4 W hen did Ellis Island close?

62
 ►►► IN T E R N E T P R O JE C T Mi
L et’s visit Ellis Island and th e S tatu e of Liberty!
Ellis Island and the S tatue o f Liberty are tw o sym bo ls o f N ew Y o rk
C ity and the USA. D ivide th e class into tw o g ro u p s and each gro u p
can cho ose to research one o f them .
To find out m ore a b o u t them co n n e ct to the Internet and go to
w w w .b la c k c a t-c id e b .c o m . Insert the title o r pa rt o f th e title o f the
b o o k into our search engine. O pen th e page fo r The Vampire's Tear.
C lick on the Internet p ro je ct links.
Prepare a brief rep ort a b o u t th e ir histo ry and w h a t you can do and
see today. Present y o u r reports to the class. W ho had th e m o st
interesting report?

___

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Ellis Island - Part o f Statue universal symbol o f freedom and democracy. The Statue of
MEWS of Liberty N.M.
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SUPPORT YOUR PARK on July 4, 1986.

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pedestal.
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— request a monument pass by calling the ferry

63
 B e fo re you read

Q R e a d in g p ic t u r e s
Look at the picture on page 69.

1 Where do you think the characters are?

2 W hat are they doing? Describe the picture to your partner.

Look at the picture on page 73.

1 W hat can you see?
2 W hat time do you think it is?
3 Why is Professor Morescu wearing a long black overcoat?

IStSt © L is t e n in g
pgr-p Listen to part of Chapter Five and choose the correct answer —A, В or C.

1 W hat were the people on the subway doing that morning?

A |_J They were talking about the murder.
В Q They were reading the newspaper.
С Q They were looking at Bill and Nick.

2 W hat did Detective Ellis tell Professor Morescu?

A Q The autopsy report was not ready yet.
В Q] Phil saw a video that frightened him.
С Q Phil died of a heart attack.

3 Who has given money to help the university?

A Q Samuel Simms
В □ Professor Morescu
С Q an important New York family

4 Where are Michelle, Bill and Nick going?

А PJ to visit a garden
В Q to a rock concert
С | | to buy jeans and a T-shirt

64
C H A P T E R FIV E

Midnight a t Central Park

The next day Bill and Nick got up early. On their way to work S S -
they saw the newspaper headline:
MYSTERIOUS MURDER AND THEFT AT MANHATTAN MUSEUM!
Everyone on th e su b w a y w as re a d in g a b o u t it an d Bill and
Nick felt excited because they planned to investigate it.
The m useum opened on tim e and there were crowds o f people
w a itin g to buy tic k e ts . S om e o f th e m w ere in te r e s te d in the
show but m o st were ju s t curious a b o u t w h a t had happened the
day before. A fte r th e th e ft, Bill a n d Nick w ere tw ice as busy,
w atch in g all the visitors. Detective Ellis cam e by th a t a fterno on
to talk to Professor Morescu a bou t the autopsy result, w hich Bill
o v e rh e a rd : Phil d ie d o f a h e a r t a t t a c k a t a b o u t m id n ig h t —

65
 CHAPTER FIVE

something or someone scared him to death. Detective Ellis said

he w a tc h e d the v ideo tap e tw ice b u t did n o t see a n y th in g
unusual on it.
“You know, professor,” said Detective Ellis, “the videocam
moves back and forth all the time so it could miss something. At
first 1 saw Phil standing by the door and he seemed fine. A little
while later I saw his body on the floor and the diam o nd was
missing. W hat did he see that scared him so badly?”
“1 d o n ’t know, Detective Ellis,” said Morescu, avoiding the
detective’s eyes.
“How long have you know n Sam uel Sim m s, the je w e le r?”
asked Ellis.
“Many years,” said Morescu. “He comes from an im portant
New York fam ily and has made several generous donations to
the university. Will you ever find the Vampire’s Tear, Detective?”
“W hoever stole the diam ond is going to have a hard tim e
selling it here in the U nited States and Europe. I’ve advised
Interpol1 about it,” said Ellis.
That afternoon Michelle came to visit the show for the first
time. Bill and Nick were surprised to see her.
“Hi, guys!” she said. “I thought a little East European culture
would be interesting on this hot afternoon. And guess w hat? I
just bought three tickets to tonight’s concert at Madison Square
Garden.”
“Y ou m ean the ‘Rock R e v o lu tio n ’ c o n c e rt? ” asked Nick,
excitedly. “You found tickets? Nearly impossible!”
“Exactly right!” said Michelle, her blue eyes shining proudly.
“Now I’m going to take a look at the show and then I’m going

1. Interpol : international police organization.

66
 Midnight of Central Park

home to get ready for the concert. I w ant to wear my new black
jeans and a super rock T-shirt I just bought. We have to get there
early. I’ll meet you and Bill after work outside the m useum .”
“Great!” said Nick. “Oh, no, Morescu is looking at us— I can’t
talk— bye!”
Michelle enjoyed looking at the show and carefully examined
the museum; she was looking for clues to the case they wanted
to solve. As she approached the old oak coffin she felt nervous
and her face was hot. She stopped and looked at it for a while,
but did not w ant to go near it. Other visitors looked at it from a
distance and moved on. But she stood there and stared at it.
Then she suddenly felt her feet moving towards it. W hen she was
standing next to it she felt something under her shoes— it was a
bit of earth on the floor next to the coffin. She remem bered
w hat Bill and Nick had told her about the contents of the coffin
and she suddenly felt cold, very cold. She moved backwards and
left the room and the museum in a hurry.
The three friends met in front of the museum at closing time
and Michelle immediately told them about the earth on the floor
next to the coffin.
“There was very little earth, but it was there— I could feel it
under my shoes,” she said nervously.
“But what does th a t m ean?” asked Bill. “Did someone open it
and touch the earth?”
“W ho w ants to open a coffin— a vam pire’s coffin? No one!”
said Nick. ‘It’s a mystery like the rest of this case.”
On th e ir w ay to the deli fo r a sandw ich before the rock
concert they walked through Central Park and talked about the
exact time of Phil’s death and the video tape»

67
 CHAPTER FIVE

“ I ’m a m a z e d t h a t th e v id e o ta p e sh o w e d n o t h in g ,” said
M ichelle. “H ow ever, the fa c t th a t Phil died a ro u nd m id n ig h t
makes me suspect the two cleaners— the y’re involved, I feel it.”
“But then why doesn’t the video show any thing?” asked Bill.
“ R e m e m b e r , th e v id e o c a m m o v e s a r o u n d — it c a n m iss
things,” insisted Michelle.
“Yes, but Phil w asn’t killed, he died of heart failure,” said Bill.
“W h a t could Victor and Daniza have done to scare Phil so badly?
A nd w h a t w o uld th e y do w ith the d ia m o n d ? Did you see the
clothes they wear? Those tw o old people are harmless. Come on,
Michelle, your im agination is going w ild.”
“Well, Victor and Daniza could sell the diam ond to Sim m s— or
m a y b e S im m s p a id th e m to s te a l i t ! ” e x c la im e d M ic h e lle .
“Rem em ber, Sim m s has plenty o f very rich clients who w ould
love to wear the V am pire’s Tear. All he has to do is w ait a while
until people have forgotten about the th e ft and then he can sell
i t . We have to find out more about the cleaners.”
“Y ou r sister is n ’t w rong, B ill,” said Nick. “R em em ber, the
alarm didn’t ring, so someone probably let the thief or thieves in.
W hen poor Phil saw w h at was happening he tried to stop them
b u t he saw som eth ing or som eone th a t was so scary th a t his
heart stopped and he died. Now this is w hat I don’t understand!
W h a t could have possibly scared him like th a t? ”
“I agree,” said Michelle. “I’ve got a plan. Let’s w ait a few days
so t h a t the cleaners w o n ’t get su sp ic io u s. W h a t a b o u t nex t
W ednesday night when the m useum is open until late? We can
w ait until they leave the m useum at about m idnight and follow
them home. You said they live near Central Park— th a t’s not far
from the museum. We can find out where they live, and since I’m

68
free all day long, I can keep an eye on the m and their house
during the daytime and see w hat they do and who they m eet.”
“Sounds like a good idea,” said Nick, who was excited about
this new adventure. “W hat do you think, Bill?”
“The subway runs all night, so we can do it,” said Bill. “I’m
glad mom and dad don’t know about our plan. I don’t think they
would approve.”
“Let’s go to ‘Rock Revolution’, it’s getting late,” said Michelle.
“There are three bands playing tonight— it’ll be a cool concert!”
Wednesday finally arrived and Michelle spent the day helping
Marian and Kevin in the grocery store because their usual clerk
was ill. At first she had trouble remembering where everything
was, but after a while she did a good job. The only clients she
couldn’t help were the ones who spoke Chinese! After dinner she
took the subway to the m useum and w aited for closing tim e.
When she met Bill and Nick, they were hot, hungry and tired.
“Hi, Michelle!” said Bill and Nick.
“Why don’t we go for ice-cream at Baskin-Robbins?” said Bill.
“It’s only two blocks away.”
“There’s a super ice-cream parlor just half a block from the
m useum ,” said Michelle, pointing down the street. “We can have
ice-cream and w ait until the cleaners finish at about m idnight.”
“Let’s go for it,” said Bill. “Ahh— a cold, creamy cone!”
“Approved!” said Nick, laughing.
They walked into to The Iceberg Parlor and looked at the big,
colorful sign on the wall that said:

Our Sizes: Like It, Love It, Cotta Have It

100 flavors!
 Midnight of Central Park

“One hundred flavors!” said Nick.

“That’s right,” said one of the clerks smiling.
“I’ll have the biggest: chocolate and m acadam ia nut, please,”
said Nick.
“That’s the G otta Have It,” said the clerk.
“Me too, same flavors,” said Bill.
“I’ll have a Like It, white chocolate and cherry cream, please,”
said Michelle. Then she looked at the boys and said, “My new
black jeans have to fit me!”
Bill kept an eye on his watch and just before midnight he saw
Victor and D aniza quickly w alking by. They were wearing the
same clothes as they always wore.
The three friends got up from their table and quietly followed
them at a distance. The old couple did not notice tha t someone
was follow ing the m . Suddenly the tw o cleaners crossed the
street and entered Central Park at East 65th Street. The three
friends followed them into the park.
“I didn’t know the park was still open,” whispered Michelle.
“It closes at one in the m orning,” whispered Nick. “They’re
probably crossing it to get home; you said they live near the
park, didn’t you?”
“Yeah,” said Michelle.
Suddenly they saw a dark figure coming along a path. It was
Professor Morescu, who, although it was a hot night, was wearing a
long black overcoat. He immediately saw Bill and Nick and seemed
embarrassed.
“Good evening, Professor Morescu,” said Nick trying to be
calm.

71
 CHAPTER FIVE

“W h a t are you d o in g in th e p a rk a t th is tim e ? " he sa id ,

nervously. “It’s past m idnight. You young people should be home
and in bed.”
“Good evening, Professor,” said Bill. “It’s a hot night and ...uh,
we w anted to take a walk in the park.”
“You shouldn’t be out at this tim e ,” he said coldly. “Well, good
night.” He quickly walked away.
By this tim e Victor and Daniza had disappeared into the park
and it was impossible to find them .
“W hy did we have to m eet Professor M orescu?” said Nick.
“We lost our chance to follow Victor and D aniza.”
“I’m really angry,” said Michelle. “He ruined our plan. But did
you notice one th in g ?”
“No, w h a t? ” said Bill.
“Maybe it was the dim 2 light, but his lips looked...red ,” said
Michelle.
“Really?” said Nick. “Probably the light. I don’t think he wears
lipstick!”
The three friends laughed.
“Hey, guys,” said Bill. “Let’s catch the subway and go hom e—
we have to get up early tom orrow m orning.”
W h en they were on the tra in Michelle th o u g h t, “I w o n d e r
w h a t h e was doing in Central Park at th a t tim e, w earing th a t
long black overcoat on such a hot nig h t?”

2. dim : dark, faint.

72
PET О C o m p r e h e n s io n c h e c k
For each question choose the correct letter — А, В, С or D.

1 What were the passengers on the subway train doing on their way
to work?
A j j reading the newspaper
В J talking about the murder
С Q talking about the diamond theft
D Q buying the newspaper

2 How did Bill find out about Phil’s autopsy report?

A Professor Morescu told him.
В [_J Detective Ellis told everyone at the museum.
С Q31 He overheard a conversation.
D He watched the video tape.

3 Why did Detective Ellis contact Interpol?

A __] to ask about Professor Morescu
В Q to make it difficult for the thieves to sell the Vampire’s Tear
С | | to ask for help in solving the case
D J to give them the autopsy report

4 What clue does the video tape show?

A the time of the theft
В Q the time of the murder
С Q an open coffin
D □ none

5 Why were Michelle, Bill and Nick in Central Park late at night?
A _] They were having ice-cream.
В [31 They were following Victor and Daniza.
С | j They were following Professor Morescu.
D J They were looking for Samuel Simms’s house.

74
Q C h a r a c te r s
Which character does each sentences refer to? Write the character’s
name on the line and say why.

1 She likes to shop. ........................................

2 He loves animals and wants to help them...........................................
3 He is strange but very well-educated. ........................................
4 He has several wealthy clients. .....................'...................
5 They are immigrants. ........................................
6 He and his men want to solve the case...............................................
7 He needs some extra money. ........................................
8 They work in Manhattan’s Chinatown.................................................
9 He is angry about his friend’s death. ........................................
10 He works for an airline. ........................................

Q D e te c tiv e w o r k
Are you a good detective? Michelle wants to investigate this case and
she convinces Bill and Nick to help her.
Work with a partner—you’re a detective team.

1 What clues can you find? Make a list of them and say why they are
important.
Here are some clues that you can start with:
A Samuel Simms is a frequent visitor to the museum and he brings
clients and friends. He can easily sell the diamond to people who
can pay a lot of money for it and who won’t tell the police.
В Professor Morescu’s presence in Central Park late at night is
strange. What was he doing there at that time? Was he meeting
someone to talk about the diamond? Was he hiding something
under his long black overcoat?
С ...

2 Who do you suspect and why?

Present your clues and suspicions to the class. Save your work so that
you can see who the best detective team is when you finish reading
the story.

75
 V Т Е____ S

РЕТ О A m e r ic a n c h a in s to r e s
Read the text about American chain stores and decide which answer (A, B,
С or D) best fits each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0).

In the story American chain stores like ‘Dunkin’ Donuts’ and ‘Baskin-
Robbins’ are (0) ..Q ... No other country in the world has as (1)......
chain stores as the United States. With globalization several of these
chain stores have opened in other countries too.
Chains, as they are often called, are owned (2 )......the same person or
company, and specialize in one kind of (3 )........There are food, drink,
restaurant, hotel, clothing, computer, sporting goods and several
other kinds of chains.
The world’s largest fast food chain is McDonald’s, with about 470,000,
employees (4 )......nearly 47 million customers daily! McDonald’s was
founded in San Bernardino, California in 1940 by Dick and Mac
McDonald. They (5 )......in fast, clean, efficient service.
Dunkin’ Donuts is the world’s largest coffee and (6 )......goods chain
with more than 7,000 stores globally. Dunkin’ Donuts opened for the
first time in 1950 in Quincy, Massachusetts.
Its (7 ).......Starbucks, started out in 1971 and is a relatively new chain.
Today it is the world’s biggest coffee chain, with more than 15,000
stores in 44 countries. While Dunkin’ Donuts (8 )......its own products
daily at each store, Starbuck’s baked goods are prepared elsewhere.
Baskin-Robbins is the biggest chain of ice cream parlors with almost

76
 6,000 (9 )........It opened in 1945 in Glendale California, with 31
original flavors. Today there are many more flavors and every season
there is a new seasonal flavor. All Baskin-Robbins stores offer the
famous small pink spoon so that you can sample different flavors
(10)......choosing your ice cream.
Chains all look alike and offer the same products, service and quality—
there are no surprises— and people appreciate this.

0 A said В told © m e n tio n e d D announced

1 A many В much С plenty D lots
2 A of В with С from D by
3 A article В product С substance D object
4 A giving В delivering С serving D seeing
5 A believed В assumed С thought D considered
6 A baking В bake С bakery D baked
7 A compete В competitor С competent D competing
8 A bakes В does С constructs D builds
9 A venues В places С positions D locations
10 A before В because С during D after

T: GRADE 5
ф S p e a k in g : e n t e r t a in m e n t
Michelle, Bill and Nick are going to a
rock concert. It is one of their favorite
kinds of entertainment. Work with a
partner and talk about your favorite
kinds of entertainment. Use these
questions to help you.

1 What is your favorite kind of

entertainment and why?
2 How often do you go and see it?
3 Is it expensive?
4 Who do you go with?
5 Do you have to travel far?

77
т IN T E R N E T PROJECT
L e t’s fin d o u t m o re a b o u t C e n tra l Park!
т
Central Park is truly a wonderful place with a lot of exciting events
going on. It has been the beautiful setting for many famous and less
famous films. Let’s find out why!
To find out more about it connect to the Internet and go to
w w w.blackcat-cideb.com . Insert the title or part of the title of the
book into our search engine. Open the page for The Vampire’s Tear.
Click on the Internet project links.
Divide the class into three groups and each one can research and
prepare a brief report on: A general information; В attractions; С history
And don’t forget to visit the Central Park Store!
Present your reports to the class.

B e fo re you read
Q Reading pictures
Look at the picture on page 83.

1 W hat is Michelle doing here?

2 Who is the man entering the shop?
3 Which kind of shop do you think it is?

78
Vdmpire Score
O n Friday, tw o days a fte r th e th re e fr ie n d s ’ n ig h t a t C e n tra l Q P t
P a r k , N ew Y o r k e r s w o k e u p to t h i s t e r r i f y in g n e w s p a p e r
headline:

VAMPIRE SCARE IN MANHATTAN!

The Voice o f New York wrote:
For the first time in the history of this city we have a
vampire scare on our hands. Early Thursday morning, j
John Beacon, a homeless man of 39, was found dead in
Central Park. Rum ors said he was the victim of a
vampire attack. Two teeth marks were found on his neck
and the vampire had drunk half the blood in his body, i
causing his death.

79
 CHAPTER SIX

Last week the body of a woman was found in the I

Hudson River, but no one thought of a vampire attack j
because the body had been in the river for many days j
and it was almost impossible to check for teeth marks on i
her neck. Police are now checking other suspicious
deaths of homeless people in the Central Park area.
The Chief of Police, Timothy O'Leary, asks all homeless
people to sleep in the city shelters1 at night, and not out
in the open. He also advises citizens not to walk along |
quiet streets at night......

New Yorkers are hardly ever afraid of anything, but this time
they were terrified by the news. Late-night re staurants and
theaters in the Broadway area were empty. People did not w ant
to be out after dark. The show at the m useum attracted even
bigger crow ds t h a t w a n te d to learn m ore a b o u t v am p ire s.
Professor Morescu was not present at the show that day.
Michelle, Bill and Nick met at The Iceberg in the evening with
five copies o f d iffe re n t local papers t h a t talk e d a b o u t the
vampire scare. One paper had this headline:
DRACULA IS BACK!
“W hat in the world is happening?” asked Michelle, putting her
spoon into her ice-cream sundae. “Vampires in New York City—
and I just know they’re connected with the show.”
“No one has ever heard of vam pires in this city before the
show,” said Nick.
“But who is the vam pire?” asked Bill. “Is that w hat Phil saw
that scared him to death?”

1. city shelters : places where people w ith o ut a home can go and sleep
at night for free.

80
 Wimp ire Score

“How is the theft of the diamond connected with vam pires?”

asked Michelle.
“This case is so confusing, because nothing makes sense!”
said Bill nervously.
“W e’ve got a dead security guard, a weird show, a strange
professor, two mysterious cleaners, a vam pire’s coffin, a missing
diam ond, and two vam pire m urders...,” said Nick, who looked
quite confused.
“W h a t a b o u t the v am pire m u rd e r in C entral P a rk ? ” said
Michelle excitedly. “We saw Professor Morescu in Central Park
on Wednesday night— th a t’s when and where the homeless man
was killed! Remember, 1 said his lips looked red that night. Could
the professor be...”
“Oh, Michelle, please— he’s a bit weird but he’s a respected
professor at Columbia University— I don’t think he’s a...vampire,”
said Nick. “He’s been teaching there for over twenty years.”
“But we saw him in Central Park tha t night,” Michelle insisted.
“Just to m ake things more confusing, you guys fo rgo t Mr
Simms, the jeweler,” said Nick, laughing.
“Y ou k n o w ,” said Bill th o u g h t fu lly , “we s h o u ld use the
scientific approach to this case.”
“W hat do you m ean?” asked Nick.
“Well, we don’t know much about vampires,” said Bill. “If we
had more inform ation about them we would understand w h at’s
happening and w hy.”
“Y ou’re right, Bill,” said Nick, “w e’re trying to play a game
w ithout knowing the rules. We need facts.”
“Exactly,” said Michelle, “i’ll do the research and get the
facts— I’ve got plenty of free tim e.”

81
 The next day Michelle was on her way to the New York City
Public Library on Fifth Avenue and 4 2 nd Street w hen she saw
Detective Ellis and two policemen walking into Sim m s’s Jewelers.
“I w onder w h a t D etective Ellis and the police are doing at
Sim m s’s?” she thought. “Ellis probably suspects him .”
Michelle was no t w rong because Sam uel Sim m s was one of
Ellis’s first suspects, and he had asked Sim m s not to leave the
city. That day he had a search w arran t to search the luxurious
jewelery shop.
It w as a h o t e v e n in g w h en Bill a n d N ick m e t M ichelle in
Central Park after work. Bill and Nick lay down on the cool green
grass and Michelle sat between them.
“I’ve got a lot of inform ation on vam pires for you today ,” said
Michelle proudly.
“G reat— tell us!” said Bill and Nick, looking up at the early
evening sky.
“Well, first o f all, th e y ’re o fte n called the undead or living
dead, because a v am p ire is a dead body th a t feeds on living
p eop le. The v a m p ir e ’s v ic tim s u su a lly die an d th e n becom e
v am pires them selves. You c an ’t see vam pires in a m irror and
they don’t have a shadow. They sleep during the day and go out
after sunset to find their favorite food: blood. They can change
their form and become bats, wolves or rats. And the only way to
kill them is by driving a w ooden stake through their hearts, by
beheading them or by burning th e m .”
“Ugh,” said Nick. “There’s an old wooden stake at the m useum .”
“Well, who fits the description of a vam pire?” asked Michelle.
Bill and Nick were silent. “W ho works at night and is never seen
in the daytim e?”
 “Victor and D aniza!” said Nick. “But th a t’s not m uch.”
“No, it’s not; th e y ’re old but they d o n ’t look like vam pires,"
said Bill, who was disappointed. “I m ean they don’t look like bat'.,
or rats...or wolves.”
“They d o n ’t h a v e to change th e ir shape to be v a m p ire s ,"
Michelle insisted.
“A nd if th e y ’re really vam pires w h a t w ould they do w ith a
d ia m o n d ? ” s a id N ick . “V a m p ire s d o n ’t n e e d d ia m o n d s or
m oney— they need blood!”
“T hat’s ju s t it!” exclaim ed Michelle. “They need blood. W ho
killed the homeless m an in Central Park and the w om an found in
the Hudson River? And maybe others. Professor Morescu said
Victor and Daniza came from Eastern Europe; th a t’s where the
whole story of vam pires started long ago.”
“But w h a t in the world are they doing here in New York City?”
asked Bill. “Now I’m really confused.”
“Listen,” said Michelle, “first le t’s fin d ou t who V ictor and
Daniza really are. Next W ednesday is the last day of the show
and it closes at 10 pm. Will Max be on duty th a t n igh t?”
“Yeah, he said he w ants to work the last night,” said Nick.
“G re a t! Max w ill u n d e r s ta n d our p la n an d help u s ,” said
Michelle en th usia stic a lly , “because he w as P hil’s friend . Now
listen, you can hide inside the m useum and w ait until Victor and
D aniza come to clean. Then take a good look at the m and see
w h at they do on the last day.”
“I just hope they w o n ’t do som ething th a t will scare us both to
death— like poor Phil,” said Bill.
The three friends looked at each other sadly and did not say
another word.

84
 he text and beyond
I Q C o m p r e h e n s io n c h e c k
For questions 1-5 choose the correct answer — А, В, С or D.

1 Why did the Chief of Police ask homeless people to use the city
shelters at night?
A Q because homeless people were causing trouble at Central Park
В Q because homeless people killed a woman near the Hudson
River
С Q] because homeless people were at danger during the night
D Q because New York City had just built new shelters in the
Central Park area

2 Where are most of New York City’s theaters located?

A □ in the Central Park area
В П in the Broadway area
c Q near the Hudson River
in the financial district

3 Who does not think that Professor Morescu could be a vampire?

A ^ Bill
В Q Michelle
С [71 Nick
D Q all three of them

4 Why was Michelle near Samuel Simms’s Jewelers?

A Q She was going to do research at the library.
В Q She was secretly following Samuel Simms around town.
С Q She was secretly following Detective Ellis.
D Q She was on her way to Central Park.

5 What did Bill and Nick plan to do on Wednesday night?

A [ | They decided to go out for pizza with Max.
В They decided to hide inside the museum after closing time.
С 7 | They decided to follow Victor and Daniza home.
D I | They decided to talk to Professor Morescu about the cleaners.

85
 0 Is Nick afraid of vampires?
Do vampires.........scare......... Nick?
1 It was a long flight across the United States.
The flight across the United States............................ a long time.
2 Professor Morescu taught East European History at Columbia
University.
At Columbia University, East European History............................
Professor Morescu.
3 “You can’t understand the importance of the diamond unless you
read my book,” said Professor Morescu.
“If y o u ............................ my book you can’t understand the
importance of the diamond,” said Professor Morescu.
4 Bill and Michelle forgot to call their parents in California.
Bill and Michelle............................ to call their parents in California.
5 “Why don’t you visit the United Nations?” asked Kevin Chan.
“if I were you.............................. the United Nations,” said Kevin
Chan.

Q T h e “V a m p ir e S c a r e ”
Read the text and then answer the questions.

During the 18th century there was a “Vampire Scare” in Eastern

Europe. People in towns and villages actually went to dig up graves
and look for vampires. Even government officials opened the graves
and drove stakes through the corpses’ hearts.
The panic began with a series of what were believed to be vampire
attacks in East Prussia in 1721 and in Serbia from 1725 to 1734. Two
famous cases involved Peter Plogojowitz and Arnold Paole.
People said Plogojowitz, who died at the age of 62, came back a few
times after his death asking his son for food. When the son refused to
give him food, he was found dead the next day. Soon Plogojowitz

86
 returned and attacked some of his neighbors, who died from loss of
blood.
Arnold Paole was a soldier who became a farmer; he had been
attacked by a vampire years before. After his death people in the
village began to die and villagers believed that Paole had returned to
attack his neighbors.
The two cases were well documented and government officials
examined the bodies, wrote reports and published books which were
sold throughout Europe. Ignorance and superstition kept the panic
alive.
This controversy went on for many years and the Austro-Hungarian
Army was finally sent to the area to examine the situation. But this did
not solve the problem, so Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, who was
worried and upset, sent her personal physician, Dr Gerhard Van
Swieten, to investigate. He concluded that vampires did not exist; the
Empress immediately passed laws against the opening of graves, and
the “vampire scare” ended.

1 What did people do during the “vampire scare” of the 18th century
in Eastern Europe?
2 When and where did the panic start?
3 Who were Peter Plogojowitz and Arnold Paole?
4 How were they involved?
5 What did Empress Maria Theresa do?

P E T © Notices
Look at the text in each question. W hat does it say? Mark the letter
next to the correct explanation — A, В or C.

Q j John Beacon will receive

$15,000 for any information.
REM R D
В ! ] You will receive $15,000 for
FOR ANY INFORMATION any information about John
ABOUT JOHN BEACON Beacon.
LAST SEEN С Q John Beacon will give you
$15,000 for any information.
IN CENTRAL PAR(

87
 Manhattan You can move into the
luxury apartment apartment on December 1.
near Central Park [| You must move out of the
lor rent apartment by December 1 at 7
pm.
ring doorbell
after 7 pm [| Someone is selling a luxury
apartment near Central Park
at 7 pm.

[] Call this number if you are

Wanted: interested in museums.
qualified J You must work for the
' museum security guard museum for 10 years.
? with at least*
10 years experience. [] A museum is looking for a
If interested call 392-0369 security guard.

J Go to track 2 for subway

Attention!
trains going north.
This weekend
J On Sunday use track 2 if you
all subway trains going north
are going north.
will leave from track 2
instead of track 1.
J Don’t use track 2 this weekend.

^ The meeting will be in Tim

From: Brad Ellis
O’Leary’s office.
To: Tim O'Leary

O u r w eekly m e e tin g has

"] Brad Ellis has a meeting on
been m oved fro m M o n d a y at Monday at 11 am.
9 am to W e dnesday a t 11 ] Brad Ellis has to change the
am. W e can m e e t in my
time of his meeting.
o ffice instead o f yours.

88
 The Vampire by Edvard Munch.

Vampires
in literature and films
Legends and folktales about vampires have fascinated people for
centuries and continue to do so today. In the 18th century authors
started writing about vampires and the terrible things they did.

V a m p ir e s in lit e r a t u r e

One of the first times vampires were mentioned in literature was in

the short German poem The Vampire (1748) by Heinrich Ossenfelder.
A later German poem about vampires was The Bride of Corinth (1797)
by Goethe, about a young woman who returns from the grave to
look for the man she loves.
The figure of the vampire first appeared in English nineteenth-
century literature with the publication of John Polidori's The Vampyre
(1819). Polidori's protagonist, Lord Ruthven, is the first vampire to

89
be clever, charming and attractive. The vampires of legends and
folktales had usually been ugly, frightening creatures.
Vampires in literature were beginning to be popular in the early
nineteenth century, and in 1872 Sheridan Le Fanu 1 wrote a classic
vampire tale called Carmilla, in which the protagonist was a female
vampire. It is interesting to note that Sheridan Le Fanu was Bram
Stoker's editor when Stoker was working as a theater critic, and Le
Fanu's vampire tale probably inspired Stoker to write Dracula.
The Irish writer Bram Stoker was very interested in vampires and
the occult. 2 He researched the history and culture of Transylvania
and became familiar with Vlad Tepes III, the cruel fifteenth-century
prince of Wallachia (see the dossier on Vlad Tepes, pages 46-47).
Stoker chose Vlad Tepes III as the model for his fictional vampire.
When Bram Stoker wrote his masterpiece Dracula in 1897, he opened
the door to all kinds of vampire literature. He probably did not
imagine that his character, Count Dracula the vampire, would
become world famous. Dracula mixes elements of mystery, love, sex,
blood and death, but other themes, such as the role of women in
Victorian culture, passions and the fear of death and the dead, are
also examined in the novel.

V a m p ir e s in film s

The vampire is one of the most prominent figures of classic horror

films. Dracula has been a major character in more films than any
other except for Sherlock Holmes. Many early films were either
based on the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker or stories similar to it. In
1922 the silent German film Nosferatu, directed by F. Murnau,

1. Le Fanu : pronunciation [’Lefanju:].

2. occult : supernatural and magic forces.
 Scene from the film N o sfe ra tu th e V am pire (1922) directed
by Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau.

featured the first film presentation of Dracula. Murnau did not get
permission to use the same names that were used in Stoker's novel,
so he had to change them and other parts of the story. The film was a
huge success because people were actually able to see Dracula
interpreted on the screen.
In 1931, Universal Studios in Hollywood produced the first talking
film about Dracula starring the famous Hungarian actor Bela Lugosi
as Count Dracula; it was a big hit.3 Lugosi's interpretation of Count
Dracula was excellent.
In 1958 the British film Dracula, starring Christopher Lee, was
another great success and it was followed by seven sequels. In the
1970s several other films and television series featuring vampires

3. big h it : colloquial expression th a t m eans a huge success.

91
 Scene from the film B ra m S to k e r ’s D racula (1992) directed
by Francis Ford Coppola.

were very popular; some of them were simply horror movies of bad
quality.
Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), an excellent film produced and directed
by Francis Ford Coppola, starring Keanu Reeves, Gary Oldman,
Winona Ryder and Anthony Flopkins, was a great box office hit and
won three Oscars. It is considered the best film about Dracula ever
produced.
It is interesting to see how the interpretations of the actors, the
photography, the costumes and the settings have changed through
the years, but the basic themes of evil, seduction, terror and the dark
underworld remain the same.
This film begins with the tragic story of Vlad Tepes, who returns
home after fighting the Crusades and finds that his wife has

92
committed suicide. He is desperate because he loved her very much
and he decides to become a vampire.
The 1931 version of the film, instead, begins with Mr Renfield, the
real estate agent4 who goes to Transylvania to sell a property to
Count Dracula; the background history of Vlad Tepes is not
presented. The 1931 version does not have a soundtrack,5 except for
a few notes from Tchaikovsky's ballet Swan Lake, while in Coppola's
version the famous British singer Annie Lennox wrote and sang Love
Song for a Vampire as part of the film's soundtrack.
Interview with the Vampire is a 1994 film inspired by Anne Rice's
novel with the same name. It was directed by Neil Jordan and
starred Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and Antonio Banderas; it was another
very popular vampire film.

ф C o m p re h e n s io n c h e c k
Answer these questions.

1 What was the German poem The Bride o f Corinth about?

2 Who was the first English writer to write about a vampire?
3 How was Lord Ruthven different from legendary vampires?
4 Who did Bram Stoker choose as the model for Count Dracula?
5 What themes are examined in Stoker’s novel?
6 Why was the 1922 German film Nosferatu important?
7 Who was Bela Lugosi?
8 How was the 1931 film version of Dracula different from the
1992 film version?

4. real estate agent : a person who sells homes.

5. soundtrack : m usic th a t accom panies a film.
 ►►► IN T E R N E T PR O JECT
Let’s take a closer look at the film Bram S toker’s Draculal Have
you ever seen this film ? Which other film s about Dracula have you
seen?
To find out more about it, connect to the Internet and go to
w w w .blackca t-cide b.com . Insert the title or part of the title of the
book into our search engine. Open the page for The Vampire’s
Tear. Click on the Internet project links.
W ork with a partner and find out the answers to the following
questions.
1 When was the film released?
2 Where was it produced?
3 W hat were the film locations?
4 How many Academ y Awards did it win and in which
categories?
5 W ho wrote the screenplay?
6 How long is it?
Я П ГГП Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) - Movie

B ram S to k e r’s D ra c u la (1 9 9 2 ) LOVf NEVER DIES

I on the Victorian horror novel written

by Bram Stoker in 1897, about the vampire
Movie Overview Dracula. who is on a quest to be eternally
» Movie Details reunited with the one woman he ever loved
Dracula travels from Transylvania to
Showtimes & Tickets London to find the young woman who is the
double image of the love he lost centuries
earlier.
Trailers & Clips

Awards & Nominations

Reviews and Previews

Critics Reviews Also Known As: Bram Stoker's Dracula: The Untold Story
is Production Status:
Genres: Drama, Romance. Suspense/Horror and
Photos Thriller
Premiere Photos Running Time: 2 hrs. 10 min,
Movie Stills Release Date: November 13, 1992 Nationwide
MPAA Rating: R for sexuality and horror violence.
Community
Distributors: Sony Pictures Releasing
Production Co.: American Zoetrope, Osiris Films
Shopping Studios: Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group
Buv the DVD/Video U.S. Box Office: $82,019,648
Filming Locations: Sony Picture Studios. Culver City and Los
Other Resources Angeles, California
Web Sites Produced in: United States

Recommendations

94
 Before you read

ф Detective work
You’re alm ost at the end of the story. W ork w ith your detective team
and answer these questions.

1 Do the clues to this case lead to the museum? Why?

2 W ho do you think is involved in this theft and in Phil’s death and
why? Are these two elements connected or not?
3 Where is the Vampire’s Tear?
4 Will the three friends’ plan work?

ЙЙ Q Listening
у Listen to part of Chapter Seven and choose the correct answer — A, В
or C.

1 The fifteenth-century oak coffin

A [^] attracted a lot of attention.
В Q frightened all the visitors away.
С Q contained the stolen diamond.

2 Max found out about Bill and Nick’s idea

A | and told Professor Morescu.
В Q and agreed to help them.
С Q and phoned Detective Ellis.

3 Max’s office is located

A | j on the ground floor.
В near the old oak coffin.
С □ at the entrance hall.

4 Victor and Daniza, the cleaning people, arrived

А Г ] at about eleven o’clock.
В at closing time.
С Q with Professor Morescu.

95
CHAPTER 7

A Cloud of Dust
On the last day of the show there were more visitors than usual. ЙРГ
‘Transylvania, Land of Vampires’ was the exhibit th a t attracted
the greatest num ber of people. After the vam pire scare in the
city people w a nte d to learn more a b o u t vam pires and th e ir
history. V isitors were p a rtic u la rly in te re ste d in the old oak
coffin from the fifteenth century—they stared at it silently and
uneasily, but no one w ent close to it.
That morning, before the show opened, Bill and Nick were
able to explain their plan to Max, who said it was a brilliant idea.
“It’s our last chance to find out who Victor and Daniza really
are,” said Bill.
“I wish you guys the best of luck, because Detective Ellis
hasn’t been able to solve this case yet,” said Max. “It’s a tough

96
 A Cloud of Oust

one because there are so many elements involved.” He looked at

his watch and said, “It’s almost ten; time to open the doors for
the last time. Listen, you guys can hide in my office at the
entrance hall when we close; and then you’re free to move
around. I’ll help in any way I can.”
“OK, great—thanks, Max,” said Nick.
Michelle, who could hardly wait for the closing of the show,
decided to spend the day in Greenwich Village, the unique
neighborhood in the city’s West Side that has always attracted
writers, poets and artists like Mark Twain, Edgar Allan Poe and
famous writers of the 1920s. She stood in amazement in front of
the Jefferson Market Courthouse, built in 1877 and considered
one of America’s most beautiful buildings, which is today a
branch of the New York City Public Library. In Washington
Square she watched street performers and visited some of the
colorful shops and art galleries. She loved walking down the
narrow streets and looking at the charming houses.
The show closed punctually at ten o’clock in the evening, and
once everyone had left, including Professor Morescu, Bill and Nick
went into Max’s office and waited quietly for the cleaners to come.
Nothing happened for over an hour. Then Victor and Daniza
arrived. Max let them in and they took off their dark grey jackets
and disappeared into the bathrooms with their cleaning equipment,
Bill and Nick remained in Max’s office, which had a glass
partition 1that looked like a mirror from the outside. In that way
visitors thought it was a mirror, but whoever was inside the
office could see what was happening outside. Bill heard the door

1. p a rtitio n : a kind of wall th a t separates one part o f a room from

another.

97
 CHAPTER SEVEN______________________________ __

s!

of the bathroom open and he and Nick got up and stood in front
of the glass partition, while Max sat behind his desk.
Victor and Daniza walked into the ‘Transylvania, Land of
Vampires’ room and walked towards the old oak coffin. They
looked at each other for a moment and then carefully moved the
lid of the coffin to one side and created a small opening. Then
Victor put his hand into the coffin and took a handful of the dark
earth. He looked at Daniza with a strange smile on his pale lips
and they both smelled the earth a few times. Then Victor lifted
his hand into the air and threw the earth over himself and
Daniza. The dark earth formed a strange cloud of dust that hung
in the air. Bill, Nick and Max stared at the bizarre scene from
behind the partition.
“What’s Victor doing?” whispered Nick anxiously.
“The guy’s crazy!” whispered Bill.
“Do you guys have a camera?” whispered Max excitedly.
“No, but my cell phone can take pictures,” said Nick. “I’ve got
it in my hand.”
Suddenly Victor and Daniza were no longer standing by the
coffin—they had disappeared. In their place there were two
black bats who started flying around the room. They flew to the
entrance hall but Bill, Nick and Max couldn’t see them, so they
slowly opened the office door and walked towards the entrance
hall and hid behind the two big billboards 2 that advertised the
show. From that position they had a perfect view of the entrance
hall and the huge chand e lie r3 that hung there. The bats

2. billboards : very large boards on which posters are shown.

3. chandelier : a large fram e w ith light bulbs and crystal
drops th a t decorate it. It hangs from the ceiling.

98
 CHAPTER SEVEN

continued flying around the huge chandelier, which had

hundreds of beautiful tear-shaped crystal ornaments on it. Nick
immediately took a picture of them with his cell phone.
Then one of the bats got close to one of the crystal ornaments
on the chandelier and removed it from its place with its sharp
teeth. The bat flew around the chandelier several times with the
ornament in his teeth. Nick quickly took another picture and the
three of them noticed that the crystal ornament had a light pink
color. It wasn’t a crystal ornament at all— it was the Vam pire’s
Tear! The two bats flew towards the high ceiling and out of one
of the small windows whose glass was missing. Neither the bats
nor the Vampire’s Tear were ever seen again.
Bill, Nick and Max were astonished. It took them a while to
get over the shock, but they were finally able to speak.
“Did you see... what I saw?”cried Bill excitedly.
“I sure did and I have two good pictures to prove it to
Detective Ellis!” said Nick proudly.
Max ran to his office and phoned Detective Ellis and Professor
Morescu. Michelle, who had been anxiously waiting at The
Iceberg parlor, saw Detective Ellis arrive in a police car with two
policemen and followed him to the third floor of the museum.
Detective Ellis rushed in and Michelle followed him.
“Who are you?” he asked looking at the teenage girl.
“Hi! I’m Michelle Martin; I’m Bill’s sister. I...”
“Never mind!” said Detective Ellis impatiently, looking at Bill
and Nick. “Max gave me a very confused version of what
happened here tonight, and I’m not sure I’ve understood the
whole story—because it sounds incredible!”
At that moment Professor Morescu walked in and joined the
others in the entrance hall.

100
 A Cloud of Oust

Nick and Bill told Detective Ellis and Professor Morescu

exactly what they had seen and showed them the two pictures
taken with the cell phone. They stared at the pictures in silence;
Detective Ellis was completely astonished, but Professor
Morescu seemed to understand what had happened. He did not
say a word, but he had a strange look in his dark eyes. He knew
something that he could not tell.
“This is ...science fiction!” Detective Ellis exclaimed nervously.
“If I didn’t have three witnesses and these two pictures, 1
wouldn’t believe this story—it’s shocking. This means vampires
... exist!” He looked at the giant chandelier and saw that one
crystal drop was missing; then he looked at the window high in
the ceiling.
“Incredible...the Vampire’s Tear was in the museum all the
time, and no one knew it,” said Detective Ellis, shaking his head.
“Phil probably saw the two vampires turn into bats and he was
so shocked that he died of heart failure.”
“That’s why I felt the earth on the floor when I came to the
show right after the theft,” said Michelle. “They used the earth
inside the coffin to change their shape.”
“Exactly!” said Ellis. “Then the bats took the diamond, flew to
the chandelier and hid it there where no one noticed it because it
was just one of many crystal drops—although it had a light pink
color.” They stared at the giant chandelier with its hundreds of
crystal drops.
“But what I can’t understand is why they hid the diamond in the
chandelier and waited until the last day of the show to take it out of
the museum. And, besides, what in the world are two vampires
going to do with the diamond? I’ve been doing this job for almost
twenty years and this is the first case I don’t understand!”

101
 Suddenly Professor Morescu broke the silence and spoke with
a low voice, “The Vampire’s Tear has returned to its rightful
owners: Vlad Dracula and his wife Kriza.”
Everyone turned to look at Professor Morescu in amazement.
“What do you mean by ‘rightful owners’?” asked Detective
Ellis with a half smile.

102
 “The Vampire’s Tear belonged to Vlad’s wife; a gift from her
loving husband. She died during the attack on Poienari Castle on the
night of July 24, 1462—a night of the full moon. Victor and Daniza
came from Transylvania and were none other than Vlad Dracula and
Kriza!” said Professor Morescu with a smile of satisfaction.
“What!” everyone exclaimed.

103
 CHAPTER SEVEN

“Ah, you know nothing of the dark world of the living dead—
vampires can disguise themselves and take many shapes.”
There was a terrible silence and Michelle, Bill and Nick felt
cold and uncomfortable.
“Wait a minute,” cried Ellis nervously, “did you know about
Victor and Daniza’s identity all this time?”
“Yes, I did,” said Morescu proudly. “I was born in Sighisoara in
Transylvania, the same town where Vlad was born many centuries
before. The people of the town have always been loyal to him. He
was a prince and a hero of his country. In the past the vampire
spirit of Vlad gave me precious information for my research and
books, making them best-sellers all over the country. This show
was a success thanks to him. I promised to give him back the
Vampire’s Tear on July 24, the day when Kriza died.”
“That’s the day when the diamond disappeared and when Phil
died,” said Ellis, who could hardly believe what he was hearing.
“But why did they hide the diamond in the chandelier? Why
didn’t they disappear with the diamond on the night of July 24?”
“You know nothing about the vampires, Detective Ellis,” said
Morescu with an evil laugh. “They had to wait for a night of the
full moon before returning to Transylvania.”
Ellis was annoyed and nervous; he raised his voice. “I don’t
know anything about vampires, Professor, but you don’t know
anything about American law. Those two...vampires are
responsible for theft and for the death of Phil, and probably of
the murder of two unlucky New Yorkers—and you are a silent
accomplice.4 American law is very tough with silent accomplices.
You’re coming with me to the Police Station for questioning.”

4. silent accomplice : helper, collaborator, usually in a negative sense.

104
 A Cloud of Dust

Ellis turned to the two policemen and said, “Sergeant

Johnson, Sergeant Mendoza, take him away—and be careful, he
could be a vampire too!”
Professor Morescu had a cold half-smile on his pale, thin lips
and said, “1 kept my promise to Vlad and that’s all that matters
to me. Good evening to all.” He left the museum with the two
policemen.
Then Detective Ellis turned to Michelle, Bill, Nick and Max and
said, “1 think we’ve lost the Vampire’s Tear forever. I’ve never
believed in the occult and in evil. To me vampires and ghosts
were part of an imaginary world. But now...this case has taught
me many things—frightening things'.”
“I believe in ghosts,” said Michelle, who briefly told Ellis of her
experiences at Montego Bay when she, Bill and Nick solved a
mystery thanks to a ghost in a picture.
“I didn’t know you were such good detectives,” said Ellis. “It
took a lot of courage to do what you did tonight. I couldn’t have
solved this case without you. Thank you! I need your cell phone,
Nick, to show the Chief of Police the pictures. You can come and
pick it up tomorrow afternoon at the Police Station at Central
Park.”
As Michelle, Bill, Nick and Max were leaving the museum that
night Michelle turned around and took a last look at the beautiful
19th-century building and then observed the night sky.
“What are you looking at?” asked Nick.
“Oh, nothing. Just checking for bats!”
 © Com prehension ch e ck
Answer the following questions.

1 Why were there so many visitors at the show?

2 How did Max feel about Bill and Nick’s plan?
3 What was Greenwich Village like?
4 Describe Max’s office.
5 What did Victor and Daniza do when they walked into the
“Transylvania, Land of Vampires” room?
6 Where was the Vampire’s Tear and what happened to it that night?
7 How did Detective Ellis react to this event?
8 How was Professor Morescu involved?
9 Why was the Professor a silent accomplice?

PET О Writing
Michelle writes an email to her best friend Pam Rivers telling her:

• about the terrible theft and death at the museum

• about Professor Morescu, Victor and Daniza
• how the difficult case was solved

Write 35-45 words. Start like this:

Hi Pam!
I’ve got lots of news for you.

Q D iscussion
Work with a partner and discuss the following questions. Then share
and compare your answers with the class.

1 Professor Morescu said he was grateful to Vlad Tepes for all the
help he had given him in the past. Does this excuse him in part for
being a silent accomplice? At times we must choose between
helping a friend and breaking the law. How do you feel about this?
How important is loyalty in a person’s character?
2 Loyalty is considered a virtue. Can you think of other virtues in a
person’s character? Can you think of faults in a person’s
character? Give examples.

10 6
 3 In your opinion, what is the most striking thing about Professor
Morescu and why?
4 Detective Ellis said he had never believed in the occult, evil,
vampires or ghosts before that night. What is your opinion about
this? Do you think popular legends and superstitions have
elements of truth in them? Can you give any examples of popular
legends and superstitions that have been found to be true?

Q D e t e c tiv e w o r k
Look back at activity 3 in Chapter Five and activity 2 in Chapter Six.
W hich detective team solved the case? W hich team got close to
solving the case? Which clues helped you?

ф T h e C h e ls e a H o te l, a N e w Y o r k C ity
h is to r ic la n d m a r k
The Chelsea Hotel in Manhattan was not
mentioned in the story, but it is one of
New York City’s most-loved landmarks.
Read the te x t and fin d o u t w hy New
Yorkers are so proud of it. Then answer
the questions.

Everyone in New York City knows about

the Chelsea Hotel in Manhattan. This
impressive building is situated on West
23rd Street, between 7th and 8th
Avenues, in the center of Manhattan. Its
central location makes it easy to reach
Fifth Avenue, Broadway, Times Square,
the Museum Mile, Central Park and many
other interesting sites within minutes.
The twelve-story pink-brick building was
built in 1883 as a private apartment building, and it was the tallest
building in New York City until 1899. At that time the area was New
York’s Theater District, but by the early 1900s the theaters moved to
Broadway. In 1905 the building opened as a hotel.
Ever since then it has been the favorite hotel and home of some of the
world’s greatest artists, writers, poets, actors, actresses, singers and

10 7
 millionaires. The free, informal atmosphere and the friendly, helpful
staff have attracted creative people from all over the world. Some go
to stay for a few nights and others choose to live and work there.
Rooms are quite large and comfortable, with floor-to-ceiling windows
that give a lot of natural light. Some of the rooms have small kitchens.
The hotel was the first building to be listed by New York City as a
cultural preservation site and historic building. One of its great
features is the art work that you can see in the lobby and along the
beautiful staircase.1
Bob Dylan composed some of his most famous songs while staying at
the Chelsea. Poets like Allen Ginsberg and Gregory Corso chose it as a
place to meet and discuss poetry and philosophy.
Today you can take a tour of the hotel and find out more about its
exciting history.

Choose the correct answer — А, В, С or D.

1 How tall is the Chelsea Hotel?

A [ | It is the tallest building in Manhattan.
В |_] It is the tallest building in New York City.
С Q It is twelve-stories tall.
D | | It is twelve feet tall.

2 When did the theaters move to Broadway?

A [_] in the 18th century
В [_] in the early part of the 20th century
С |J in the 19th century
D r~] in 1883

3 Where can you see art work in the hotel?

A □ in all the rooms
В Q in the expensive suites
С U in the hotel’s restaurant
D [_] in the lobby and on the stairs

1. staircase :

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I A F T E R R E A D I N G

© P ic tu r e s u m m a r y
Look at the pictures and put them in the right order. Then write a
short caption under each picture. Try to write in a sensational style,
like the style of a popular newspaper.

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 A F T E R R E A D I N G

Q A g r a p h ic n o v e l
Photocopy pages 109-110, cut out the pictures and stick the m on
paper in the right order. Think of words to put in the balloons when
the characters are speaking or thinking. Do not use the words that
were used in this book! Then write at least a sentence under each
picture to narrate w hat is happening.

P E T © Q u iz
Look at the sentences below and decide if each sentence is correct or
incorrect. If it is correct, mark A. If it is not correct, mark B.

A В
1 Professor Morescu did not believe that vampires
were only fictional characters. □□
2 The Vampire's Tear was carefully protected by
a thick glass case.
3 Detective Ellis was not able to explain the theft of
□□
the diamond or Phil's death.
4 Michelle, Bill and Nick followed Victor and Daniza
□□
into the park and then to their home. □□
5 Detective Ellis searched Samuel Simms’s luxurious shop. □□
6 The Vampire's Tear had never left the show. □□

1Ю
 A F T E R R E A D I N G

7 The dark earth in the coffin had supernatural powers. □ □

8 Professor Morescu was accused of the death of the
security guard. □ □

Q W r itin g
Choose one of the writing tasks A-С below. Read them all before you
choose.

A An alternative plot
Choose a m om ent in the story where events might have developed
differently. Describe what might have happened at this moment
and then summarize how the plot would have developed
differently. Describe how this new plot that you have invented
would finish.

В An alternative ending
We often describe endings of stories and films as “closed” or
“open”. A closed ending is when the plot seems to have come to an
explicit end. THE VAMPIRE’S TEAR ends in this way. An open
ending, which is quite common in modern works, is open to
interpretation and to possible further developments. Begin at any
part of Chapter Seven and write a different ending to the story.
You can make your ending open or closed.

С A newspaper article
Imagine you are a journalist for the New York Times and you are
sent to Central Park to write an article about the homeless man
who was a victim of the vampire attack. You have permission from
the police to get close to the scene of the attack. The body of the
dead man is lying on the grass under a tree when you arrive at
Central Park. You are scared, but you know you must get close to
the body and examine the two teeth marks on his neck in order to
write a good article. Remember, your readers want to know all the
horrible details of the vampire attack, so make your story realistic!

111
This reader uses the EXPANSIVE READING approach, where the text
becomes a springboard to improve language skills and to explore historical
background, cultural connections and other topics suggested by the text.
The new structures introduced in this step of our R E A D I N G & T R A I N I N G
series are listed below. Naturally, structures from lower steps are included
too. For a complete list of structures used over all the six steps, see The
Black Cat Guide to Graded Readers, which is also downloadable at no cost
from our website, www.blackcat-cideb.com.
The vocabulary used at each step is carefully checked against vocabulary
lists used for internationally recognised examinations.

S te p T h re e B 1 .2
All the structures used in the previous levels, plus the following:

Verb tenses
Present Perfect Simple: unfinished past with for or since (duration form)
Past Perfect Simple: narrative

Verb forms and patterns

Regular verbs and all irregular verbs in current English
Causative: have / get + object + past participle
Reported questions and orders with ask and tell

Modal verbs
Would: hypothesis
Would rather, preference
Should (present and future reference): moral obligation
Ought to (present and future reference): moral obligation
Used to: past habits and states

Types of clause
2nd Conditional: if + past, would(n’t)
Zero, 1st and 2nd conditionals with unless
Non-defining relative clauses with who and where
Clauses of result: so; so ... that; such ... that
Clauses of concession: although, though

Other
Comparison: (not) as / so ... as; (not) ... enough to; too ... to