A knock comes at the door of Arnold's office at Avalon. The Reeve's deep, smooth voice bids the knocker enter and the door opens. A handsome man, in his late twenties, comes walking in the door. He manages not to flinch, seeing Arnold's visage without the benefit of the coat and hat, instead he forces himself to look at the horrifying aberration sitting in the chair behind the desk.

Arnold looks up, seeing the man he'd been grooming for weeks now. It had been since Jackson that he'd had a ghoul. He'd been forced to sacrifice his ghoul in order to escape the Invictus purge that had been initiated in Jackson by the murderous Carthians. He nods to the man standing before his desk. "Hello, Gary. Are you ready?"

Gary Williams nods, and swallows harshly, when he does speak his voice is clear and unwavering, even brash. "I'm ready Mister Culler."

Arnold stands and walks around the desk, rolling his sleeve up. "Think of living forever. Think of wealth, and influence. Think of physical prowess, supernatural power." While he speaks he draws a small knife from his pocket. "Serve me, without question, fully in the knowledge that I will destroy you if you cease to be useful to me. That our pact is broken on that day. Serve me well and you will have all that you need and desire, fail me..." Arnold punctuates the words fail me by cutting deep into his wrist. "...and I will cut your life out without thinking twice." He looks up from the bleeding wound - into the eyes of the mortal standing before him. He holds his arm out to him. "Serve me."

Gary stares at the blood flowing out of the wound at Arnold's wrist. He licks his lips, then looks into Arnold's eyes - cold, hard eyes. Gary's resolve hardens and he steps forward, taking Arnold's wrist and putting his lips to the fountain of blood running from the cut. His knees almost buckle as the taste of the blood consumes him and he drinks greedily from the wound.

Arnold cradles his head, standing over the man who was dwarfed by the Nosferatu's giant frame. He lets him drink then pushes the man away while he mystically seals the wound. He takes a handkerchief from his pocket and wipes his wrist.

Meanwhile Gary slumps down into the chair opposite the Reeve's desk, breathing hard. He shudders, feeling the power of the blood course through him. He looks up at Arnold and knows, then, for sure, that he would live and die for the Blood - if it meant getting more of that fantastic, powerful stuff.

Arnold walks around behind the man, placing a hand on the man's shoulder, patting it. "There, now.." His voice, that was hard and stern before, now intoned comfort and reassurance, his deep smooth voice almost soothing "It's a shock the first time, I understand. How do you feel?" he asks

Gary stands, facing the Reeve, he grins "It's invigorating. I feel fantastic."

Arnold smiles, and Gary flinches at the horrible thinning of Arnold's lips. He would get used to it, in time "That is good. There will be more where that came from, as you know. Now leave me. I will call you, when I need you. Fail to answer, and I will consider our pact broken."

Gary Williams, Ghoul, turns and leaves the Reeve's office. Arnold seats himself back behind his desk, seeing to the night's business figures.