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“ ‘Oh, but you’d behi in Never had I feltfrustration to be so clear I could not conceivably satisfy him I could not satisfy Claudia I’d never been able to satisfy Lestat And my own mortal brother, Paul: how dismally, mortally I had disappointed him!

“ ‘No I e,’ he said to s froallery or read in an hour in the thickest books… you are the spirit, you are the heart,’ he persisted

“ ‘No, no’ I threw up hter ‘Don’t you see? I’ and always have been! I have never belonged anywhere with anyone at any time!’ It was too painful, too perfectly true

“But his face only brightened with an irresistible s at hter ‘But Louis,’ he said softly ‘This is the very spirit of your age Don’t you see that? Everyone else feels as you feel Your fall frorace and faith has been the fall of a century’

“I was so stunned by this, that for a long ti into the fire It had all but consuray and red landscape that would have collapsed at the touch of the poker Yet it was very warht I saw my life in complete perspective

“ ‘And the vampires of the Theatre…’ I asked softly

“ ‘They reflect the age in cynicism which cannot comprehend the death of possibilities, fatuous sophisticated indulgence in the parody of the e is self-ridicule, a mannered helplessness You saw thee differently You reflect its broken heart’

“ ‘This is unhappiness Unhappiness you don’t begin to understand’

“ ‘I don’t doubt it Tell me what you feel nohat makes you unhappy Tell me why for a period of seven days you haven’t co to come Tell me what holds you still to Claudia and the other woman’

“I shook my head ‘You don’t knohat you ask You see, it was i Madeleine into a vampire I broke a promise to myself that I would never do this, that my own loneliness would never drive ifts I see it as a curse I haven’t the courage to die But toon another, and to condemn to death all those men and worave pro…’

“ ‘But if it’s any consolation to you… surely you realize I had a hand in it’

“ ‘That I did it to be free of Claudia, to be free to come to you… yes, I realize that But the ultimate responsibility lies with me!’ I said

“ ‘No I ht you did it I exerted est power to persuade you to do it Didn’t you know this?’

“ ‘No’ I bowed my head

“ ‘I would have ht it best you have a hand in it Otherwise you would not give Claudia up You must know you wanted it…’