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"Would y’allvoice

The gendarh," the leader finally said

"Then I’ll thank you for your tiendarmes" I went up on tiptoe to kiss each of them on the cheek and turned to stroll a few short blocks to Paradis, where the brightly gowned daiirls and their tuxedoed escorts had crowded out behind a very annoyed barricade of Madauste was already running toward me with a real cloak, but I wanted to keep the tailcoat for ht hold about its owner

"Please give the prince rets," I said to Sylvie as I sashayed past

The crowd split to allow le-eyed gentlemen and ered onand out of sight, I cracked my back and allowed ht upstairs and lockedthe oil-stained tailcoat onunusual, just a handkerchief soiled with engine grease and a half-s cards and bills like so entlemen carried in their breast pockets Whoever the bastard was, he’d planned the kidnapping far enough ahead that he’d remembered to empty his pockets

I wadded up the coat and hid it in the petticoat drawer of my armoire, undressed, and fell into bed My head swa adrenaline Someone knocked on nored theht

The nextcame all too soon and, with it, the ache of bruises in places that had never been bruised before I stretched and pointedat the door, which they probably had, Mel and Bea slipped in and approached ht bite their heads off or faint

"Oh, la I can’t believe it I just can’t Are you"

Bea signed alive, and I laughed

"Y’all, I’m fine Giant metal elephants run aith me all the time, and I haven’t died yet"

"It’s all over the papers Shows are sold out for weeks Everyone wishes to see you Mon dieu, chérie You’re the irl in Mortmartre Ever"

I could not care less that everyone wanted to see me But wait So ht of that dizzy, drunken, golden ti and dreahty powerful lure I would heal faster and not feel astongues and clutching hands of the gentleirl who’d lived through a pachydere

Bea held out a tube of blood, and I took it and thanked her They had a rushed conversation of signs, and I barely understood that there was so Bea wanted to tell me that Mel didn’t want me to know And I did want to know, but I didn’t want thee And I also didn’t want anything to come between me and Lenoir’s studio

I drank the blood faster than usual--not that I needed it after draining the pilot last night When I went to an to bathe hurriedly, Mel rushed over

"Maissurely you’re not going out today, are you? You need to rest"

I srease and blood "I’m off today And I have an appointed a weighty glance

"It can wait"

I pulled clothes out of e "It really can’t"

"Demi, ma chérie We understand We really do But you are already a star A portrait by Lenoir will not o already But you have to take care of yourself"

I stopped furiously pulling the strings of lare at her over the screen I’d had just about enough of this line from her and from Vale And I couldn’t even tell the dai was si care of myself But what I need most is not a bunch ofto Lenoir’s studio because I think it’s going tothere Because he’s the only person who understandshere is ever relaxing Here, I feel like someone owns every aspect ofyou, you don’t feel like that?" Mel asked carefully