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"There's a glass tower, right over there somewhere, beside thecathedral. Monstrous building.""The Olympic Tower.""Yes, could you get us some rooms there? Actually I have mortalagents who can do this sort of thing, I don't know why in the worldI'm whining like a fool in this place, asking you to take care ofhumiliating particulars. . . .""I'll take care of it. It's probably too late tonight, but I can swing ittomorrow evening. It will be under the name David Talbot.""My clothes. There's a stash of them here under the name IsaacRummel. Just a suitcase or two, and some coats. It's really winter,isn't it?" I gave him the key to the room. This was humiliating.
Rather like making a servant of him. Perhaps he'd change his mindand put our new lodgings under the name of Renfield.
"I'll take care of it all. We'll have a palatial base of operations bytomorrow. I'll see that keys are left for you at the desk. But what areyou going to be doing?"I waited, I was listening for the Victim. Still talking to Dora. Dorawas leaving in the morning.
I pointed upwards. "Killing that bastard. I think I'll do it tomorrowright after sunset if I can zone in on him quickly enough. Dorawill be gone. Oh, I am so hungry. I wish she'd take a midnight planeout of here. Dora, Dora.""You really like this little girl, don't you?""Yes. Find her on television sometime, you'll see. Her talent'srather spectacular, and her teaching has that dangerous emotionalgrip to it.""Is she really gifted?""With everything. Very white skin, short black hair, bobbed, longthin yet shapely legs, and she dances with such abandon, arms flungout, rather makes one think of a whirling dervish or the Sufis in theirperfection, and when she speaks it's not humble precisely, it's full ofwonder and all very, very benign.""I should think so.""Well, religion isn't always, you know. I mean she doesn't rantabout the coming Apocalypse or the Devil coming to get you if youdon't send her a check."He reflected for a moment, then said meaningfully, "I see how itis.""No, you don't. I love her, yes, but I'll soon forget her com-pletely. It's just that. . . well, there's a convincing version of some-thing there, and delicacy, and she really believes in it; she thinks Jesuswalked on this earth. She thinks it happened.""And this thing that's following you, it's not connected in any waywith this choice of victim, her father?""Well, there is a way to find out," I said.
"How?""Kill the son of a bitch tonight. Maybe I'll do it after he leavesher. My Victim won't stay here with her. He's too scared of bringingdanger to her. He never stays in the same hotel with her. He hasthree different apartments here. I'm surprised he's stayed this long.""I'm staying with you.""No, go on, I have to finish this one. I need you, I really need you.
I needed to tell you, and to have you with me, the age-old venerablehuman needs, but I don't need you at my side. I know you're thirsting.
I don't have to read your mind to feel that much. You starved asyou came here, so that you wouldn't disappoint me. Go prowl thecity." I smiled. "You've never hunted New York, have you?"He shook his head in the negative gesture. His eyes were changing.
It was the hunger. It was giving him that dull look, like a dog whohad caught the scent of the bitch in heat. We all get that look, thebestial look, but we are nothing as good as bestial, are we? Any of us.
I stood up. "The rooms in the Olympic Tower," I said. "You'llget them so that they look down on St. Patrick's, won't you? Not toohigh up, low if you can do it, so that the steeples are close.""You are out of your brilliant preternatural mind.""No. But I'm going out into the snow now. I hear him up there.
He's planning to leave her, he's kissing her, chaste and loving kisses.
His car is prowling around out front. He'll go way uptown to thatsecret place of his where the relics are kept. He thinks his enemies incrime and government know nothing of it, or believe it's just the junkshop of a friend. But I know of it. And what all those treasures meanto him. If he goes up there, I'll follow.... No more time, David.""I've never been so completely confused," he said. "I wanted tosay God go with you."I laughed. I leant to give him a quick kiss on the forehead, so swiftothers would not make anything of it if they saw it, and thenswallowing the fear, the instantaneous fear, I left him.
In the rooms high above, Dora cried. She sat by the windowwatching the snow and crying. She regretted refusing his new presentfor her. If only. . . . She pushed her forehead against the cold glassand prayed for her father.
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