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And as for the Queen's true intent, that continued

to baffle him

She had slain hundreds of blood drinkers the world over, yet left others unhar her shrine, she had punished him but not killed him, which would have been simple He called to the older ones fro for assistance And effortlessly, Khayh one, Marius's own child, could not even hear it Pandora was that one's na one The other, called Santino, did not have her power, but he could hear Marius's voice, as he struggled to keep pace with her

Without doubt the Queen could have struck them down had she chosen to do it Yet on and on they moved, clearly visible, clearly audible, yet unmolested

How did the Queen make such choices? Surely there were those in this very hall whom she had spared for some purpose

Chapter 16

Daniel

They had reached the doors, and now had to push the last few feet down a narrow raiant open oval of the main floor

The crowd loosened, likein all directions Daniel ers hooked around Ar over the horseshoe-shaped theater, the high banks of seats rising to the ceiling Mortals everywhere swars, or flowed into thecrowd around him

A blur it was suddenly, the noise of it like the low grind of a giant machine But then in the moment of deliberately distorted vision, he saw the others He saw the si and the dead Beings like himself in every direction, concealed in the ht of the lasses or shapeless hats or hooded capes could ever conceivably hide them from each other And it wasn't merely the unearthly sheen to their faces or hands It was the slow, lissorace of their movements, as if they were more spirit than flesh

Ah, my brothers and sisters, at last!

But it was hatred he felt around him A rather dishonest hatred! They loved Lestat and conde, punishing Suddenly, he caught the eye of a powerful hulking creature with greasy black hair who bared his fangs in an ugly flash and then revealed the plan in stunning co eyes of mortals, they would hack Lestat's limbs from his body; they would sever his head; then the remains would be burnt on a pyre by the sea The end of the ainst us?

Daniel laughed out loud "You'll never kill hiliainst his chest inside his coat Then the beast turned and vanished Daniel gazed upwards through the siddy, on the verge of madness

Armand's hand closed on his shoulder They had co denser by the second Pretty girls in black silk gowns shoved and pushed against the crude bikers in their worn black leather Soft feathers brushed his cheek; he saw a red devil with giant horns; a bony skeleton face topped with golden curls and pearl coloom The bikers howled like wolves; so voice, and others took up the call instantly

Ared to deep concentration, as if what he saw before hi at all