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“ ‘We all die,’ he answered her ‘The one thing you share with every mortal is death’ His hand took in the orchestra, the distant faces of the balcony, the boxes

“ ‘No,’ she protested in disbelief ‘I have soin her pain It made her irresistible, just as did the movement of her naked throat and the hand that fluttered there

“ ‘Years!’ said the master vampire ‘How do you know you have so e! There could be a sickness in your body now, already devouring you fro to kill you siers reached for it, the sound of his deep, preternatural voice sonorous ‘Need I tell what fate may have in store for you?’

“ ‘I don’t care… I’ile after him ‘I would take my chance…’

“ ‘And if you do take that chance and live, live for years, ould be your heritage? The hue?’ And now he lifted her hair behind her back, exposing her pale throat And slowly he drew the string froathers of her blouse The cheap fabric opened, the sleeves slipping off her narrow, pink shoulders; and she clasped it, only to have him take her wrists and thrust theh in a body, the wo forward in their chairs I could see the cloth falling, see the pale, flawless skin pulsing with her heart and the tiny nipples letting the cloth slip precariously, the vahtly at her side, the tears coarsing down her blushing cheeks, her teeth biting into the flesh of her lip ‘Just as sure as this flesh is pink, it will turn gray, wrinkled with age,’ he said

“ ‘Letaway from him ‘I don’t care… I don’t care’

“ ‘But then, why should you care if you die now? If these things don’t frighten you… these horrors?’

“She shook her head, baffled, outser in my veins, as sure as the passion With a bowed head she bore the whole responsibility for defending life, and it was unfair, ainst his for as obvious and sacred and so beautifully embodied in her But heinstinct see, and I hated him

“The blouse slipped to her waist A h the titillated crowd as her sled to free her wrist, but he held it fast

“ ‘And suppose ere to let you go… suppose the Grim Reaper had a heart that could resist your beauty… to ould he turn his passion? Someone must die in your place Would you pick the person for us? The person to stand here

and suffer as you suffer now?’ He gestured to the audience Her confusion was terrible ‘Have you a sister… a mother… a child?’

“ ‘No,’ she gasped ‘No…’ shaking the mane of hair

“ ‘Surely someone could take your place, a friend? Choose!’

“ ‘I can’t I wouldn’t…’ She writhed in his tight grasp The va no emotion, as if the preternatural flesh were masks ‘Can’t you do it?’ he taunted her And I knew, if she said she could, hoould only conde someone for death, say that she deserved her fate

“ ‘Death waits for you everywhere,’ he sighed now as if he were suddenly frustrated The audience could not perceive it, I could I could see theto keep her gray eyes on his eyes, but she looked desperately, hopefully away fro air I could s of her heart ‘Unconscious death… the fate of all , infatuated with her, but struggling ‘Hmmm… but we are conscious death! That would make you a bride Do you knohat it means to be loved by Death?’ He all but kissed her face, the brilliant stain of her tears ‘Do you knohat it means to have Death know your name?’