TWONIGHTS,threenights.Outsideinthecityofthemodern
worldthetrafficranalongthebroadavenue.Couples
passed,whisperingintheeveningshadows.Adoghowled.
Fournights,fivenights?
Davidsatbymereadingmethemanuscriptofmystorywordfor
word,allIhadsaid,asherememberedthis,stoppingoverandover
again,toaskifthiswascorrect,iftheseweretheverywordsI'dused,
ifthiswastheimage.Andshewouldanswer.
Fromherplaceinthecorner,shewouldsay,"Yes,thatiswhathe
saw,thatiswhathetoldyou.ThatiswhatIseeinhismind.Those
arehiswords.Thatiswhathefelt."
Finally,itmusthavebeenafteraweek,shestoodovermeand
askedifIthirstedforblood.Isaid,"Iwillneverdrinkitagain.Iwill
dryuplikesomethinghardmadeoflimestone.Theywillthrowme
intoakiln."
OnenightLouiscame,withthequieteaseofachaplainintoajail,
immunetotherulesyetpresentingnothreattothem.
Slowly,hesatdownbesidemeandfoldedhislegs,andlookedoff
asthoughitwasnotpolitetostareatme,theprisoner,wrappedin
chainsandrage.
Helaidhisfingersonmyshoulder.Hishairhadareasonableand
fashionablelooktoit梩hatis,itwasclippedandcombedandnotfull
ofdust.Hisclotheswerecleanandnew,too,asifhehadperhaps
dressedforme.
Ismiledtomyselfatthat,hisdressingforme.Butfromtimeto
timehedid,andwhenIsawthattheshirthadantiquebuttonsofgold
andpearl,Iknewthathehad,andIacceptedthatthewayasickman
acceptsacoolclothonhisforehead.
Hisfingerspressedmejustalittleharder,andIlikedthistoo.But
Ididn'thavetheslightestinterestinsayingso.
"I'vebeenreadingWynken'sbooks,"hesaid."Youknow,I
pickedthemup.Iwentbackforthem.We'dlefttheminthechapel."
Andnow,hedidglanceatmeveryrespectfullyandsimply.
"Oh,thankyouforthat,"Isaid."Idroppedthebooksinthedark.
IdroppedthemwhenIreachedfortheeye,ordidshetakemyhand?
Whatever,Iletthesacksfallwiththebooks.Ican'tbudgethese
chains.Ican'tmove."
"I'vetakenthebookshometoourplaceintheRueRoyale.
They'rethere,likesomanyjewelsstrewnoutforustogazeat."
"Yes.Haveyoulookedatthetinypictures,Imean,really
looked?"Iasked."I'veneverreallylooked.Ijustitwasall
happeningsoquickly,andIdidn'treallyopenthebooks.Butifyou
couldhaveseenhisghostinthebarandheardthewayhedescribed
them."
"Theyareglorious.Theyaremagnificent.Youwilllovethem.
Youhaveyearsofpleasureaheadwiththemandthelightatyour
side.I'veonlybeguntolookatthemandtoread.Withamagnifying
glass.Butyouwon'tneedtheglass.Youreyesarestrongerthan
mine."
"WecanreadthemperhapsyouandItogether."
"Yesallhistwelvebooks,"hesaid.Hetalkedsoftlyofmany
miraculouslittleimages,oftinyhumans,andbeastsandflowers,and
thelionlyingdownwiththelamb.
Iclosedmyeyes.Iwasgrateful.Iwascontent.HeknewIdidn't
wanttotalkanymore.
"I'llbedownthere,inourrooms,"hesaid,"waitingforyou.
Theycan'tkeepyouheremuchlonger."
Whatislonger?
Itseemedtheweathergrewwarm.
Davidmighthavecome.
SometimesIshutmyeyesandmyearsandIrefusedtolistento
anysoundthatwasdeliberatelydirectedtome.Iheardthecicadas
singingwhentheskywasredstillfromthesun,andothervampires
wereasleep.Iheardthebirdsswoopingdownonthelimbsor
oaksonNapoleonAvenue.Iheardthechildren!
Thechildrendidcome.Singing.Andsometimessomeoneortwo
speakinginarapidwhisper,asifexchangingconfidencesbeneatha
tentmadefromasheet.Andfeetonthestairs.
Andthenfrombeyondthewalls,theblaring,amplifiednoiseof
theelectricnight.
OneeveningIopenedmyeyesandthechainsweregone.
Iwasaloneandthedoorwasopen.
Myclotheswereintatters,butIdidn'tcare.Istoodup,creakily,
achingly,andforthefirsttimeinafortnight,perhaps,Iputmyhand
tomyeyeandfeltitsecurethere,thoughofcourseI'dalwaysseen
throughit.AndI'dstoppedthinkingaboutitlongago.
Iwalkedoutoftheorphanage,throughtheoldcourtyard.Forone
momentIthoughtIsawasetofironswings,thekindtheymadefor
childrenonoldplaygrounds.IsawtheA-framesateachend,the
crossbar,andtheswingsthemselves,andthechildrenswinging,little
girlswithblowinghair,andIcouldhearthemlaughing.Ilookedup,
dazed,atthestained-glasswindowsofthechapel.
Thechildrenweregone.Thecourtyardwasempty.Mypalace
now.She'dcutallties.Shewaslonggonetohergreat,great
victory.
IwalkedalongtimedownSt.CharlesAvenue.
IwalkedunderoaksIknew,onoldpavementsandstretchesof
brick,pasthousesnewandold,andonacrossJacksonAvenueinto
thecuriousmixoftavernsandneonsigns,ofboarded-upbuildings
andruinedhousesandfancyshops,thegarishwastethatstretchesto
downtown.
Icametoanemptystorethathadoncesoldexpensiveautomobiles.
Forfiftyyears,they'dsoldthosefancycarsinthisplace,and
nowitwasabig,hollowroomwithglasswalls.Icouldseemy
reflectionperfectlyintheglass.Mypreternaturalvisionwasmineagain,
flawless,withbothblueeyes.
AndIsawmyself.
Iwantyoutoseemenow.Iwantyoutolookatme,asIpresent
myself,andasIsweartothistale,asIswearoneverywordofit,from
myheart.
IamtheVampireLestat.ThisiswhatIsaw.ThisiswhatIheard.
ThisiswhatIknow!ThisisallIknow.
Believeinme,inmywords,inwhatIhavesaidandwhathasbeen
writtendown.
Iamhere,still,theheroofmyowndreams,andletmepleasekeep
myplaceinyours.
IamtheVampireLestat.
Letmepassnowfromfictionintolegend.
THEEND