anner.bloodandgold-第113章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
oo dangerous。 And so having but few servants； we kept entirely to ourselves； and the rumors in Dresden were that our house belonged to a Lady and Lord who lived elsewhere。
When it pleased us to visit great cathedrals…and there were many…or great Royal Courts； we went some distance from our home…to other cities such as Weimar； or Eisenbach； or Leipzig…and cloaked ourselves in absurd wealth and mystery。 It was all quite forting after our barren life in the Alps。 And we enjoyed it immensely。
But at every sunset my eyes were fixed on Dresden。 At every sunset I listened for the sound of a powerful blood drinker…in Dresden。
And so the years passed。
With them came radical changes in clothes which greatly amused us。 We were soon wearing elaborate wigs which we found ridiculous。 And how I despised the pants which soon came into style； as well as the high…heeled shoes and white stockings which came into fashion with them。
We could not in our quiet seclusion include enough maids for Bianca； so it was I who laced up her tight corset。 But what a vision she was in her low…breasted bodices and her broad swaying panniers。
During this time； I wrote many times to the Talamasca。 Raymond died at the age of eighty…nine； but I soon established a connection there with a young woman named Elizabeth Nollis who had for her personal review my letters to Raymond。
She confirmed for me that Pandora was still seen with her Asian panion。 She begged to know what I might tell of my own powers and habits； but on this I was not too revealing。 I spoke of mind reading and the defiance of gravity。 But I drove her to distraction with my lack of specifics。
The greatest and most mysterious success of these letters was that she told me much of the Talamasca。 They were rich beyond anyone's dreams； she said； and this was the source of their immense freedom。 They had recently set up a Motherhouse in Amsterdam； and also in the city of Rome。
I was quite surprised by all this； and warned her of Santino's 〃coven。〃
She then sent me a reply that astonished me。
〃It seems now that those strange ladies and gentlemen of which we have written in the past are no longer within the city in which they dwelt with such obvious pleasure。 Indeed it is very difficult for our Motherhouse there to find any reports of such activities as one might expect from these people。〃
What did this mean？ Had Santino abandoned his coven？ Had they gone on to Paris en masse？ And if so； why？
Without explaining myself to my quiet Bianca…who was more and more hunting on her own…I went off to explore the Holy City myself； ing upon it for the first time in two hundred years。
I was wary； in fact； a good deal more wary； than I should want to admit to anyone。 Indeed； the fear of fire gripped me so dreadfully that when I arrived I could do nothing but keep to the very top of St。 Peter's Basilica and look out over Rome with cold； shame…filled eyes； unable for long moments to hear with my blood drinker's ears no matter how I struggled to gain control of myself。
But I soon satisfied myself； through the Mind Gift； that there were only a few blood drinkers to be found in Rome； and these were lone hunters without the consolation of panions。 They were also weak。 And as I raped their minds； I realized they knew little of Santino！
How had this e about？ How had this one who had destroyed so much of my life freed himself from his own miserable existence？
Full of rage； I drew close to one of these lone blood drinkers； and soon accosted him； terrifying him and with reason。
〃What of Santino and the Roman coven？〃 I demanded。 〃Gone； all gone；〃 he said； 〃years ago。 Who are you that you know of such things？〃
〃Santino！〃 I said。 〃Where did he go！ Tell me。〃 〃But no one knows the answer；〃 he said。 〃I never laid eyes on him。〃 〃But someone made you；〃 I said。 〃Tell me。〃
〃My maker lives in the catabs still where the coven used to gather。 He's mad。 He can't help you。〃
〃Prepare to meet God or the Devil；〃 I said。 And just that quick I put an end to him。 I did it as mercifully as I could。 And then he was no more but a spot of grease in the dirt and in this I rubbed my foot before I moved towards the catabs。 He had spoken the truth。
There was but one blood drinker in this place； but I found it full of skulls just as it had been over a thousand years ago。
The blood drinker was a babbling fool； and when he saw me in my fine gentleman's clothes； he stared at me and pointed his finger。 〃The Devil es in style；〃 he said。
〃No； death has e；〃 I said。 〃Why did you make that other one whom I've destroyed this night？〃
My confession made no impression on him。
〃I make others to be my panions。 But what good does it do？ They turn on me。〃
〃Where is Santino？〃 I demanded。
〃Long gone；〃 he said。 〃And who would have ever thought？〃 I tried to read his mind； but he was too crazed and full of distracted thoughts。 It was like chasing scattered mice。 〃Look at me； when did you last see him！〃
〃Oh； decades ago；〃 he said。 〃I don't know the year。 What do years mean here？〃
I could get nothing further from him。 I looked about the miserable place with its few candles dripping wax upon yellowed skulls； and then turning on this creature I destroyed him with the Fire Gift as mercifully as I had destroyed the other。 And I do think that it was truly a mercy。
There was but one left； and this one led a far better existence than the other two。 I found him in handsome lodgings an hour before sunrise。 With little difficulty I learnt that he kept a hiding place beneath the house； but that he spent his idle hours reading in his few well…appointed rooms； and that he dressed tolerably well。
I also learnt that he couldn't detect my presence。 He cut the figure of a man of some thirty mortal years； and he had been in the Blood for some three hundred。
At last I opened his door； breaking the lock； and stepped before him as he stood up； in horror； from his writing desk。
〃Santino；〃 I said； 〃what became of him？〃
Though he had fed like a glutton； he was gaunt with huge bones； and long black hair； and though he was very finely dressed in the style of the i6oos； his lace was soiled and dusty。
〃In the name of Hell；〃 he whispered； 〃who are you？ Where do you e from？〃
Again there came that terrific confusion of mind which defeated my ability to subtract thoughts or knowledge from it。
〃I'll satisfy you on those points；〃 I said； 〃but you must answer me first。 Santino。 What happened to him。〃
I took several deliberate steps towards him which put him into a paroxysm of terror。
〃Be quiet now；〃 I said。 Again I tried to read his mind； but I failed。 〃Don't try to flee；〃 I said。 〃You won't succeed with it。 Answer my questions。〃
〃I'll tell you what I know；〃 he said； fearfully。
〃That ought to be plenty。〃
He shook his head。 〃I came here from Paris；〃 he said。 He was quaking。 〃I was sent by a vampire named Armand who is the leader of that coven。〃
I nodded as though all this were quite intelligible to me； and as though I weren't experiencing agony。
〃That was a hundred years ago； maybe more。 Armand had heard no word from Rome in a long time。 I came to see the where and why of it。 I found the Roman coven in plete confusion。〃
He stopped； catching his breath； backing away from me。
〃Speak quickly and tell me more；〃 I said。 〃I'm impatient。〃
〃Only if you swear on your honor that you won't harm me。 I've done you no harm after all。 I was no child of Santino。〃
〃What makes you think I have honor？〃 I asked。
〃I know you do；〃 he said。 〃I can sense such things。 Swear on your honor to me and I'll tell you everything。〃
〃Very well； I swear。 I'll leave you alive which is more than I've done with two others tonight who haunted the Roman streets like ghosts。 Now talk to me。〃
〃I came from Paris as I told you。 The Roman coven was weak。 All ceremony had fallen away。 One or two of the old ones had deliberately gone into the fire。 Others had simply run away； and Santino had made no move to catch them and punish them。 Once it was known that such escape was possible many more fled； and the coven was
