|
"It was in a swoon that your father died," I said. "Ecstaticperhaps, and filled with various images, and then a loss of consciousness.
His spirit had left his body before the heart ceased to beat. Anyphysical pain I inflicted he never felt; once the blood is being sucked, onceI've ... no, he didn't suffer."I turned and looked at her more directly. She'd curled her legsunder her, revealing white knees beneath her hem.
"I talked with Roger for two hours afterwards," I said. "Twohours. He came back for one reason, to make certain I'd look out foryou. That his enemies didn't get you, and the government didn't getyou, and all these people he's connected with, or was. And that, andthat his death didn't... hurt you more than it had to.""Why would God do this?" she whispered.
"What has God got to do with it? Listen, darling, I don't knowanything about God. I told you. I walked into Notre Dame andnothing happened, and nothing ever has...."Now, that was a lie, wasn't it? What about Him? Coming here inthe guise of the Ordinary Man, letting that door slam, arrogantbastard, how dare he?
"How can this be God's plan?" she asked.
"You're perfectly serious, aren't you? Look, I could tell you manystories. I mean, the one about the Paris vampires believing in theDevil is just the beginning! Look, there . . . there. ..." I broke off.
"What is it?"That sound. Those slow, measured steps! No sooner had Ithought of him, insultingly and angrily, than the steps had begun.
"I... was going to say. ..." I struggled to ignore him.
I could hear them approaching. They were faint, but it was theunmistakable walk of the winged being, letting me know, one heavyfootfall after another, as though echoing through a giant chamber inwhich I existed quite apart from my existence in this room.
"Dora, I've got to leave you.""What is it?"The footsteps were coming closer and closer. "You dare come tome while I'm with her!" I shouted. I was on my feet.
"What is it?" she cried. She was up on her knees on the bed. Ibacked across the room. I reached the door. The footsteps weregrowing fainter.
"Damn you to hell!" I whispered.
"Tell me what it is," she said. "Will you come back? Are youleaving me now forever?""No, absolutely not. I'm here to help you. Listen, Dora, if youneed me, call to me." I put my finger to my temple. "Call and call andcall! Like prayer, you understand. It won't be idolatry, Dora, I'm noevil god. Do it. I have to go.""What is your name?"The footsteps came on, distant but loud, without location in theimmense building, only pursuing me.
"Lestat." I pronounced my name carefully for her桳e-'stat?
primary stress on the second syllable, sounding the final "t" distinctly.
"Listen. Nobody knows about your father. They won't for awhile. I did everything he asked of me. I have his relics.""Wynken's books?""All of it, everything he held sacred ... A fortune for you, and allhe possessed that he wanted you to have. I've got to go."Were the steps fading? I wasn't certain. But I couldn't take therisk of remaining.
"I'll come again as soon as I can. You believe in God? Hang on toit, Dora, because you just might be right about God, absolutelyright!"I was out of there like particles of light, up the stairways, throughthe broken attic window, and up above the rooftop, moving fastenough that I could hear no footfall, and the city below had become abeguiling swirl of lights.
7IN MOMENTS, I stood in my own courtyard in the FrenchQuarter behind the town house in the Rue Royale, looking up atmy own lighted windows, windows that had been mine for solong, hoping and praying that David was there, and afraid he wasn't.
I hated running from this Thing! I had to stand there a momentand let my usual rage cool. Why had I run? Not to be humiliated infront of Dora, who might have seen nothing more than me terrifiedby the Thing and thrown backwards onto the floor?
Maybe Dora could have seen it!
Every instinct in me told me I'd done the proper thing, gottenaway, and kept that thing away from Dora. That thing was after me. Ihad to protect Dora. I now had a very good reason to fight that thing,for another's sake, not my own.
Only now did the full goodness of Dora take a contained shape inmy mind, that is, only now did I get a full impression of her, untan-gled from the blood smell between her legs and her owl-like facepeering at me. Mortals tumble through life, from cradle to grave.
58/163 首页 上一页 56 57 58 59 60 61 下一页 尾页
|
