cp.reddice-第9章

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rs　gone…just　like　that。　Sighing；　he　leaves　the　table　and；　after　a　double　scotch　at　the　bar；　leaves　the　casino。
　　I　follow　him　home。　The　place　is　modest。
　　He　goes　inside　and　prepares　for　bed。　As　the　morning　sun　splashes　the　eastern　sky；　he　turns　out　his　own　light。　Obviously　he　works　the　night　shift。　Or　else　the　general　had　called　Andy　into　work　because　of　Joel。　I　wonder　if　he　will　be　working　long　hours　in　the　days　to　e。　Memorizing　his　address；　I　drive　back　toward　the　Mirage。　If　it　is　Andy's　favorite　hangout；　it'll　be　mine　as　well。
　　I　have　no　credit　cards；　money；　or　identification；　but　the　woman　at　the　reservation　desk　hands　me　a　key　to　a　luxury　suite　after　staring　hard　into　my　beautiful　blue　eyes。　Inside　my　room；　I　place　a　call　to　my　primary　business　manager　in　New　York　City。　His　voice　is　unaffected…the　government　has　not　gotten　to　him　yet。　We　do　not　talk　long。
　　〃Code　red；〃　I　say。　〃Have　the　package　delivered　to　the　Mirage　Hotel；　Las　Vegas。　Room　Two…One…Three…Four。　Immediately。〃
　　〃Understood；〃　lie　says　and　hangs　up。
　　The　package　will　include　everything　I　need　to　start　a　new　life：　passport；　driver's　license；　cash；　and　credit　cards。　It　will　arrive　at　my　door　in　the　next　hour。　There　will　also　be　an　elaborate　makeup　kit　inside；　wigs　and　different…colored　contacts。　Over　the　last　fifty　centuries；　I　have　prepared　for　every　eventuality；　including　this　one。　Tomorrow　I　will　look　like　someone　else；　and　Andrew　Kane　will　meet　a　mysterious　young　woman；　and　fall　in　love。
　　　
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　　The　following　evening　a　demure　redhead　with　short　bangs　and　green　eyes　waits　outside　Andrew　Kane's　house。　Actually；　I　have　been　in　the　front　seat　of　my　newly　purchased　Jeep　since　noon；　but　the　mad　scientist　has　been　fast　asleep；　as　most　normal　people　would　be　after　staying　up　all　night。　I　came　to　his　house　early　because　I　am　anxious　to　go　through　his　things；　learn　exactly　what　he　does　before　I　make　a　move　on　him。　The　one　fact　that　guides　me　as　to　his　importance　is　that　the　general　spoke　only　to　him　after　Joel　was　brought　inside　the　pound。　Yet　intuitively　I　sense　Andy's　value。　There　is　something　fascinating　in　his　gray　eyes；　even　though　he　is　a　degenerate　gambler。　This　quality　does　not　bother　me；　however；　because　I　might　be　able　to　use　his　obvious　casino　debt　against　him。　Of　course；　I　plan　to　use　Andy　to　get　into　the　pound　to　rescue　Joel。
　　Quickly。　I　feel　the　pressure　of　each　passing　hour。
　　Joel　will　be　thirsty　already；　unless　they　happen　to　feed　him。
　　A　newborn's　thirst　is　agonizing。
　　The　papers　are　shouting　about　the　barbaric　terrorist　attack　in　Los　Angeles。　Authorities　estimate　that　there　were　at　least　three　dozen　Islamic　fanatics　involved；　and　that　the　local　police　were　overwhelmed　by　superior　forces　and　military　equipment　The　mayor　has　vowed　that　the　city　officials　will　not　rest　until　the　murderers　are　brought　to　justice。
　　When　in　doubt；　blame　it　on　the　Arabs。
　　The　hot　sun　is　draining　for　me　after　such　an　intense　night。　Yet　I　bear　it　better　than　I　would　have　before　drinking　Yaksha's　blood。　I　suspect；　after　five　thousand　years；　the　sun　had　no　effect　on　Yaksha。　I　sure　could　use　his　power　now。　I　pray　he　is　finally　at　peace；　in　Krishna's　blue　abode。　How　often　I　pray　to　Krishna。　How　curious；　since　I　am　supposed　to　hate　him。　Oh　well；　the　heart　of　a　vampire　is　unfathomable。　No　wonder　superstitious　people　are　always　trying　to　drive　stakes　through　our　hearts。
　　It　is　five　in　the　evening　before　Andrew　Kane　emerges　from　his　house　and　climbs　in　his　car。　He　has　no　time　for　the　casinos　now。　No　doubt　the　general　waits　for　him。　Andy　drives　the　five　miles　on　Highway　IS；　then　turns　onto　the　government　road；　once　again　pushing　his　speed　up　to　near　a　hundred。　My　Jeep　has　a　powerful　engine…I　cruise　five　fortable　miles　behind　him。　Actually；　it　is　probably　something　of　a　waste　to　follow　him　all　the　way　into　work。　He'll　just　drive　inside　and　disappear　into　one　of　the　buildings。　But　I　want　to　see　how　long　it　takes　him　to　pass　through　security；　how　many　checks　he　goes　through。　Close　to　the　pound；　I　veer　off　the　road　and　tear　across　the　desert；　parking　near　the　hill　I　hid　behind　before。　On　the　seat　beside　me　are　high…powered　binoculars。　Even　my　supernatural　sight　can　be　improved　by　mechanical　aids。
　　I　am　not　given　a　chance　to　reach　my　vantage　point　before　Andy　gets　to　the　front　gate　of　the　pound。　Still；　I　can　see　well　enough。　He　is　stopped；　naturally；　but　the　guards　know　him　well。　He　hardly　has　to…flash　his　badge。　The　guards　do　not　search　his　trunk。　He　parks　his　car　in　the　same　spot　and　enters　the　building　where　Joel　was　taken；　the　largest；　most　modern　building　in　the　whole　plex。　Chemical　smells　drift　out　from　the　building。　It　definitely　has　a　lab　inside。
　　I　would　like　to　examine　the　pound　further　but　night　is　the　time　to　do　it。　Plus　I　am　anxious　to　get　into　Andy's　house。　I　tear　back　to　Las　Vegas；　not　passing　anyone　on　the　road。　I　wonder　if　the　scuba　divers　are　still　searching　the　bottom　of　Lake　Mead　for　my　body。　I　wonder　if　the　general　suspects　I　will　try　to　rescue　Joel。　I　doubt　it。
　　Andy's　house　is　a　three…bedroom　affair　at　the　end　of　a　quiet　cul…de…sac。　This　being　Las　Vegas；　there　is　the　obligatory　pool　in　the　backyard。　Leaving　my　Jeep　on　the　adjoining　street；　I　climb　his　wall　and　pick　his　back　door　lock。　Inside　it　is　cool；　he　left　the　air　conditioning　on。　I　shut　the　door　and　stand　listening　for　a　moment；　smelling。　Many　aromas　e　to　me　then。　They　tell　me　much　about　the　man；　even　though　we　have　never　been　formally　introduced。
　　He　is　a　vegetarian。　There　is　no　smell　of　animal　flesh。　He　doesn't　smoke；　but　he　does　drink。　I　see　as　well　as　smell　the　bottles　of　liquor　in　a　walnut　cabinet。　He　does　not　use　cologne；　but　there　is　a　faint　odor　of　various　makeup　products。　Our　Mr。　Andrew　Kane　resents　middle　age。
　　He　is　a　bachelor；　there　are　no　pictures　of　a　wife　or　kids　on　the　walls。　I　step　into　the　kitchen。　He　eats　out　mostly；　there　is　little　food　in　the　refrigerator。　I　riffle　through　his　bills　on　the　kitchen　counter。　There　are　a　couple　of　envelopes　from　banks。　He　is　up　to　his　limit　on　three　credit　cards。
　　I　walk　into　the　bedroom　he　uses　as　an　office。
　　I　almost　faint。
　　On　his　desk　is　a　black　and　white　and　red　plastic　model　of　the　double　helix　DNA　molecule。　That　is　not　what　staggers　me。　Beside　it　is　a　much　more　plex　model　of　a　different　kind　of　DNA…one　that　has　twelve　strands　of　encoded　information　instead　of　two。　It　is　not　the　first　time　I　have　seen　it。　Seven　hundred　years　ago；　the　great　Italian　alchemist；　Arturo　Evola；　created　a　similar　model　after　spending　six　months　in　my　pany。
　　〃It's　not　possible；〃　I　whisper。
　　Andrew　Kane　has　already　begun　to　crack　the　DNA　of　the　vampire。
　　　
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　　Italy；　during　the　thirteenth　century；　embodied　all　that　was　wonderful　and　horrible　about　the　Middle　Ages。　The　Catholic　Church　was　the　supreme　power。　Monarchs　came　and　went。　Kings　and　queens　fought　and　died。　But　the　Roman　Pope　wielded　the　true　power　over　life　and　death。
　　Art　was　the　gift　of　the　Church　to　the　people　in　those　days。　This　was　above　and　beyond　the　gift　of　their　strict　theology；　which　did　nothing　for　the　poor　masses　except　keep　them　confused　until　the　day　they　died。　I　say　that　with　well…deserved　bitterness。　It　would　have　been　impossible　to　live　in　those　days　and　not　bee　angry　at　the　Church。　Today；　however；　I　think　the　Church　does　much　that　is　good；　and　much　that　is　questionable。　No　religion　is　perfect；　not　after　man　gets　through　with　it。
　　I　lived　in　Florence　from　1212　till　1245　and　spent　many　months　touring　the　churches　where　the　finest　paintings　and　sculptures　were　displayed。　The　Renaissance　was；　of　course；　a　long　way　off；　and　Michelangelo　and　Da　Vinci　had　yet　to　be　born。　Still；　these　earlier　days　were　remarkable　for　their　creativity。　I　remember　well　Bonaventura　Berlinghieri's　radiant　St。　Franca　and　Niccola　Pisano's　hypnotic　sculpture　Annunciation　to　the　Shepherds。
　　The　Inquisition　was　another　gift　of　the　Church。　The　boon　of　the　devil　in　the　minds　of　most　people　in　those　days。　Two　informants；　whose　identities　could　remain　unknown　to　the　victim；　were　all　that　was　necessary　to　charge　someone　with　being　a　heretic。　The　informants　could　be　heretics　themselves；　or　witches…not　pleasant　titles　to　earn　in　old　Ital