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She followed David silently through one locked storage room after another She saw books, a skull on a shelf, what sees, trunks and strongboxes, dust

"All this paraphernalia," David said, with a disesture, "is in one way or another connected to our blood-drinking immortal friends They tend to be a rather materialistic lot, actually And they leave behind them all sorts of refuse It is not unknown for thes, clothing, and even coffins-very ornate and interesting coffins-when they tire of a particular location or identity But there are sos which I must show you It will all be rather conclusive, I should think "

Conclusive? There was so conclusive in this work? This was certainly an afternoon f

or surprises

David led her into a final chae room, paneled in tin and ihts

She saw an enorainst the far wall She placed it at once as Renaissance, and probably Venetian It was done in egg tes, a gloss that no syntheticwith the name of the artist, in sht corner

"The Temptation of Amadeo" by Marius

She stood back to study it

A splendid choir of black-winged angels hovered around a single kneeling figure, that of a young auburn-haired boy The cobalt sky behind theh a series of arches, was splendidly done with ures had a photographic perfection to it One could feel its coldness, see the veins in the stone

But the figures were the true glory of the picture The faces of the angels were exquisitely antly detailed And the boy, the boy was very silistened as he stared forward out of the painting His skin appeared moist He was about to move or speak

In fact, it was all too realistic to be Renaissance The figures were particular rather than ideal The angels wore expressions of faint amusement, als, it was too exactly rendered She could even see the mends in it, a tiny tear, the dust on his sleeve There were other such details--dried leaves here and there on the floor, and two paintbrushes lying to one side for no apparent reason

"Who is this Marius?" she whispered The na with so els

David didn't answer He pointed to the boy "It's the boy I want you to observe," he said "He's not the real subject of your investigation, merely a very important link "

Subject? LinkShe was too engrossed in the picture "And look, bones in the corner, human bones covered with dust, as if someone had merely swept them out of the way But what on earth does it all mean?"

"Yes," David murmured "When you see the word 'te a saint "