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"We both know that. There isn't a vampire in existence who couldreally frighten me. Not the very oldest, not the wisest, not the cruelist.
Not even Maharet. And what do I know of the supernatural otherthan us? The elementals, the poltergeists, the little addlebrainedspirits, we all know and see ... the things you called up with Candomblewitchcraft.""Yes," he said.
"This was The Man Himself, David."He smiled, but it was by no means unkind or unsympathetic. "Foryou, Lestat," he teased softly, seductively, "for you, it would have tobe the Devil Himself."We both laughed. Though I think it was what writers call a mirthlesslaugh. I went on.
"The second time it was in New Orleans. I was near home, ourflat in the Rue Royale. Just walking. And I started to hear those stepsbehind me, like something deliberately following me and letting meknow it. Damn it, I've done this to mortals myself and it's so vicious.
God! Why was I ever created! And then the third time, the Thingwas even closer. Same scenario. Huge, towering over me. Wings,David. Either it has wings or I in my fear am endowing it with wings.
It is a Winged Being, and it is hideous, and this last time, I kept holdof the image long enough to run from it, to flee, David, like a coward.
And then I woke up, as I always do, in some familiar place, where Istarted actually, and everything's just the way it was. Nobody has ahair out of place.""And it doesn't talk to you when it appears like this?""No, not at all. It's trying to drive me crazy. It's trying to ... tomake me do something, perhaps. Remember what you said, David,that you didn't know why God and the Devil had let you see them.""Hasn't it occurred to you that it is connected with this victimyou're tracking? That perhaps something or someone does not wantyou to kill this man?""That's absurd, David. Think of the suffering in the world to-night. Think of those dying in Eastern Europe, think of the wars inthe Holy Land, think of what's happening in this very city. You thinkGod or the Devil gives a damn about one man? And our kind, ourkind preying for centuries on the weak and the attractive and theunlucky. When has the Devil ever interfered with Louis, or Armand, orMarius, or any of us? Oh, would that it were so easy to summon hisaugust presence and know once and for all!""Do you want to know?" he asked earnestly.
I waited, thought about it. Shook my head. "Could be somethingexplainable. I detest being afraid of it! Maybe this is madness. Maybethat's what Hell is. You go mad. And all your demons come and getyou just as fast as you can think them up.""Lestat, it is evil, you are saying that?"I started to answer and then stopped. Evil.
"You said it was hideous; you described intolerable noise, and alight. Was it evil? Did you feel evil?""Well, actually, no. I didn't. I felt the same thing I feel when Ihear those bits of conversation, some sort of sincerity, I suppose isthe word for it, sincerity and purpose, and I'll tell you something,David about this Being, this Being who's stalking me梙e has asleepless mind in his heart and an insatiable personality.""What?""A sleepless mind in his heart," I insisted, "and an insatiablepersonality," I had blurted out. But I knew it was a quote. I was quotingit from something, but what I had no idea, some bit of poetry?
"What do you mean?" he asked patiently.
"I don't know. I don't even know why I said it. I don't even knowwhy those words came into my mind. But it's true. He does have asleepless mind in His heart, and He has an insatiable personality.
He's not mortal. He's not human!"" 'A sleepless mind in his heart,' " David quoted the words.
" 'Insatiable personality.'""Yes. That's The Man, all right, the Being, the male Thing. No,wait, stop, I don't know if it's male; I mean . . . why, I don't knowwhat gender it is ... it's not distinctly female, let's put it that way, andnot being distinctly female, it seems therefore ... to be male.""I understand.""You think I've gone mad, don't you? You hope so, don't you?""Of course I don't.""You ought to," I said. "Because if this being doesn't exist insidemy head, if he exists outside, then he can get you too."This made him very obviously thoughtful and distant and then hesaid strange words to me I didn't expect.
"But he doesn't want me, does he? And he doesn't want theothers, either. He wants you."I was crestfallen. I am proud, I am an egomaniac of a being; I dolove attention; I want glory; I want to be wanted by God and theDevil. I want, I want, I want, I want.
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