Page 80 (2/2)

She reached out suddenly and caught his right hand gently in both of hers It was rather like being held in the h Marius had inflicted that very i ones hi strength himself

"Marius, we need you now," she said warht that poured out of the door behind her, and out of the s to the right and to the left

"For the love of heaven, why?"

"Don't jest," she answered "Come into the house We must talk while we have time "

"About what?" he insisted "About why the Mother has allowed us to live? I know the answer to that question It h You she cannot kill, obviously, and wewe are spared because Lestat wants it You realize this, don't you? Two thousand years I cared for her, protected her, worshiped her, and she has spared ling named Lestat "

"Don't be so sure of it!" Santino said suddenly

"No," the wos we must consider-"

"I know you're right " he said "But I haven't the spirit for it My illusions are gone, you see, and I didn't even know they were illusions I thought I had attained such wisdom! It was s Then, when I saw her standing there in the shrine, I knew that all my deepest hopes and dreams had come true! She was alive inside that body Alive, while I played the acolyte, the slave, the eternal guardian of the tomb!"

But why try to explain it? Her vicious s The cold darkness afterwards and the twins Ah, yes, the twins That was at the heart of it aselse, and it occurred to him suddenly that the dreams had cast a spell on him He should have questioned this before now He looked at her, and the dreams seemed to surround her suddenly, to take her out of the ht; he saw the dead body of the mother; he saw the twins poised above the body So many questions

"But what have these dreams to do with this catastrophe!" he deainst those endless dreams

The wo "This I will tell you, insofar as I know But you ot your youth back, and what a curse it must be "

He laughed "I was never young But what do you mean by this?"

"You rant and rave And I can't console you "

"And you would if you could?"

"Yes "