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ns e。
A great loneliness。 That was the first thing。 Loneliness for Arkady； wanting him； wanting his arrogance； his self…assurance。 Misgivings in spite of the desire to trust； and then the conviction that Arkady was never ing back from Paris。 A void。 A slew of things to fill the void…alcohol and opium； lovers and new leather boots…but still the late nights crept in； and Arkady was never ing back； never could； never 。 。 。
Then two familiar faces rose up before him； two pairs of silvery eyes； a tangle of scarlet and yellow hair。 They were stuffing at Ghost as they had the last time he'd seen them； sitting astride the branch of the old oak in the clearing； on that first night of strangeness。 But this time their ripe mouths were smeared with blood and other juices； with shreds of tissue。
Ghost felt sick。 A stupid panic welled up in his throat。 But he put the skull back in Arkady's hands and said only； 〃Your brother was very handsome； wasn't he？〃
〃Not handsome。 Beautiful。 Did I mention that Ashley was the beauty of the Raventons？〃 Arkady pressed his lips to the top of the ivory cranium before continuing。 〃His hair was the color of burgundy； and he wore it long down his back； and it sparkled when he walked in the rain。 His cheekbones were like razors…I always thought that I might cut my finger on one of them； but I never did。〃 With the tip of one forefinger； Arkady touched the skull gently。 〃And those eyes…I used to say to him； 'O Ashley； those eyes； those eyes'…so dark and lost when they tilted up to me…like holes through time。〃 He ran his finger around the edge of one of the empty eye sockets。 〃Those eyes…how they could slay me。
〃But he died。 Yes； I came back home and he had died。 My Ashley。 My brother。 And now I am alone。〃
〃Wait a second。〃 Ghost's voice was halting； there was no doubt in it； only wonder。 〃You came home。 You were there。 Why didn't you bring Ashley back from the dead； too？〃
Arkady held the skull a moment longer。 Then he knelt and slid it back under the altar。 He spent some time rearranging the velvet； brushing away dust； picking up some black feathers that had fallen from the altartop to the floor。 When he stood； the joints of his knees cracked as loudly as shots in the silent room。
He met Ghost's eyes； and when he spoke； his voice was soft and even。
〃Ashley didn't want to e back；〃 he said。
〃So was it vampires that killed your brother？〃 Ghost asked Arkady a little later。 He figured it couldn't hurt to find out just what the twins were。 Allowing for the existence of one kind of vampire； it seemed to follow that there might be other kinds； feeding on things other than blood。 The existence of the first type scared him but didn't really surprise him。 All his life he had been accepting as normal things that most people didn't even believe in。
They were sitting in the front room； talking over a decanter of sherry that Arkady had brought out from some recess of the shop。 At least Ghost hoped it was sherry。 It tasted funny； musty and a little sour； but Steve was putting it away with no problem。 Ghost sipped from his first glass as Arkady poured Steve's third。
〃Vampires？〃 Arkady's hand twitched； he almost dropped the bottle of sherry。 He crossed himself twice； first upside down； then right side up。 〃Lord； child。 Why do you want to know about vampires？〃
〃Jesus； Ghost；〃 Steve muttered。 Ghost glanced at him； but Steve was bent over the counter examining things in the glass case。 Ball canning jars full of pale rubbery orbs； the lids labelled CATS' EYES and TOADS' HEARTS in a faded flowing script that must be Arkady's。 Jewelry in the shape of silver pentagrams； ankhs； razor blades。 A bowl of tiny； carefully molded clay skulls marked 50 CENTS APIECE。
〃I just wondered；〃 Ghost said lamely。
Arkady looked hard at him。 〃Ghost。 My child。 It is difficult to imagine you 'just wondering' about anything。〃 He clasped Ghost's hand between both of his。 Ghost resisted the urge to pull his hand from the confines of that cool parched skin； all those tiny crackling bones。 〃You are a far more powerful sensitive than I could ever be。 I pick up bits and pieces。 I can hear thoughts when they are as pure and lucid as yours。 And I can do little more than that。 But you…you have an eye in your heart； Ghost。 An eye that shines。 An eye that feels。〃
〃What the fuck is he babbling about？〃 Steve asked thickly。
I'm the only person in this room who isn't at least half…drunk； Ghost thought。 He made himself drink more of his sherry； though the rancid taste lay upon his tongue like a sour old blanket。 Sherry got worse with every sip； it seemed。
〃I should never； never like to lose your favor；〃 Arkady slurred。 His hand was on Ghost's knee now。 His fingers brushed skin through a hole in Ghost's sweatpants； and Ghost shivered at that dry touch。 〃But vampires； Ghost 。 。 。 vampires！ They are not to be mentioned lightly。 Not as in the cheap novels； the Hollywood legends。 You think vampires are the Undead； the children of the night。 You believe they rise from their graves when the moon hangs high； sucking the blood of virgins； melting into misty wraiths at sunrise； turning into bats and swooping away 。 。 。〃
〃I don't think they turn into bats；〃 said Ghost； and Steve surprised him by saying； 〃Me neither。〃
Arkady ignored them。 〃You see； Ghost child； the myths are wrong。 And that very wrongness makes the creatures all the more dangerous。 They are not undead。 They have never died。 Some of them never do； or not for hundreds upon hundreds of years。 They are a separate race…or races。 There are those who suck blood； those who suck souls； those who feed on the pain of others。 Some of them can walk among us； free in the sunlight。 Some of them are able to live as human beings from day to day； from year to year。 Of course； they must move about like nomads； because after a point they do not age。 They are beautiful； and they stay beautiful。 And no one must notice。 So they move； and they live among us； and then one day…〃
〃One day…BOOM；〃 Steve said。
Arkady and Ghost turned to look at him。 He grinned rather humorlessly at them and filled his glass again； slopping sherry onto the counter。
'Then one day；〃 Arkady continued smoothly； 〃they discover their particular hunger。 Some may live for ten； twenty； even thirty years before the lust es upon them。 Some can digest nothing but blood； and must be fed upon it from the time of their birth。 But the hunger always es。〃
Timidly； Ghost interrupted。 〃How e you know so much about them？〃
〃I have known vampires of all sorts；〃 said Arkady。 〃On my first visit to Paris I met a most charming one。 A blood drinker。 She was elegant； well…mannered； cultured。 Most of them are。〃
Ghost thought of the wine…swilling； Twinkie…gobbling occupants of the black van。 He tried to stretch his imagination to picture Molochai and Twig as elegant； well…mannered； or cultured。 Then he shook his head。 Either those two were aberrations； or Arkady Raventon didn't know as much about vampires as he thought he did。
〃We were never lovers；〃 Arkady went on； 〃though how badly I wanted her 。 。 。 Richelle。 Violet…eyed； though she always wore dark glasses。 Even at night。 Hair as black as a thousand midnights； as eyeless sockets…with tips dyed white and fuchsia。 She had lived two hundred years or more； and she knew where all the underground clubs in Paris were。 I could never count the nights we danced away on dark smoky floors below the level of the street…〃
〃How e you didn't fuck her？〃 Steve interrupted。
Arkady lowered his eyelids at Steve and gazed coldly from beneath them。 Steve glared back。 Arkady poured himself more sherry。 He topped off Ghost's glass too； though it was still half full。 Ghost eyed it bleakly。
〃Richelle was celibate。 She had a terror of being pregnant。 She insisted that no precautions were reliable enough。 Should she conceive； she told me； it would mean the end of her。
〃We occupied ourselves in other ways。 We spent whole nights driving each other mad。 She tasted lovely； hot and rich and always faintly bloody。 Once…only once…she took me out on a kill。 She found a child begging for milk money in some gutter far from the lights of the city； and she bent as if to whisper something to the child and sank her teeth into that soft face。 When she had drunk； she undressed me and smeared the child's blood over my body。 She lathered me with it。 And then 。 。 。 then her exquisite tongue lapped me clean。。。 〃
〃Wait a second；〃 said Ghost。 He was afraid that soon Arkady would start panting and clutching at himself。 〃How e she was so scared of getting pregnant？ What would have happened？〃
〃Did happen；〃 said Arkady。 〃Poor Richelle； her worst fear came true。 One night she went to her favorite club； the Cafe Zeitgeist； without me。 She met a boy 。 。 。 just a boy； she told me。 Perhaps sixteen or seventeen。 She took him behind the club； into an alley。 I don't know whether she meant to feed upon him or only to engage him in her usual sort of love。 She needed blood； but semen would do in a pinch。 〃For a snack； you might say。
〃At any rate； he was a randy boy。 He became too excited by Richelle's beauty。 Perhaps by the smell of bloody lust she exuded。 Richelle should have been able to overpower him； she was very strong； but she had drunk too much vodka…that was easy to do at the Cafe Zeitgeist； where they flavored the vodka with essence of rosewater。 The boy ripped her dress open 。 。 。 and he took her by force。〃
〃Fucker；〃 said Steve。 He let his head thump down on the glass counter。 〃But some girls don't hafta be raped； huh； Ghost？ Some girls just 。 。 。〃 He mumbled and subsided。
〃What would happen if she got pregnant？〃 asked Ghost。
〃It would have eaten its way out of her；〃 Arkady told him with relish。 〃It was half vampire。 Even in the womb they are killers。 Our babies are born without teeth； Richelle told me； but even so they manage to chew their way out。 Perhaps they have a set of womb…teeth。 Perhaps they claw their way out with their tiny fingers。 But they kill； always they kill。 Just as I ripped my mother apart。
〃I begged her to see one of the back…alley surgeons； to have the child removed as one would excise a cancer； but she refused。 By that time she was half…mad with fear。 It would know； she insisted。 It is too late。 It has already started eating me…I can feel it churning inside me； shredding my womb 。。。。
〃So Richelle took a little stiletto that she sometimes wore in her boot…to slit her lovers' veins； of course； though she could use her teeth when she wanted to。 She had very sharp teeth。 Teeth that could give pleasure as well as pain。
〃She tried to cut the child out of her body。 I found it in the ruins of her belly； half…hidden behind coils of entrails； it was shrivelled； bloody； long dead。 It was still tiny； as large as a red bean。 But I found it because her fingers were cupped around it。 She had been trying to pull it out。 She did not want to die with it still inside her。〃
Ghost's mind was rocketing in too many directions； rebounding off the walls of his skull。 A voice in his head was saying； Wait a second； wait a second。 Maybe we need to think some more about this business of killer vampire babies that eat their way out of their mothers' wombs。 Maybe we need to think a whole LOT about it。 That voice was still faint； but getting louder。
At last Ghost was about half…drunk on the sherry too。 Apparently it was strong stuff if you could keep it down。 So he was able to keep his voice steady when he said； 〃I don't get it。 Richelle was your friend。 How e you're afraid of them now？〃
Arkady lowered his eyelids。 〃You might say I have a bone to pick with them now。 You guessed right； Ghost。 Ashley's lovers were vampires。 A different sort of vampire。 They appreciate the taste of blood but do not need it。 They feed on willing souls； they e into your dreams and try to find a niche in your brain； but they are real； and if you let them in； they will destroy you as surely as any bloodsucker。 These were Ashley's lovers。 The lovers who killed him。〃
〃Where are they now？〃 asked Ghost。
〃They took no blood from Ashley； but they sucked from him something just as vital；〃 Arkady went on； apparently unhearing。 〃They suc