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I was stunned

"Stirling!" I whispered "For the love of Christ, don't argue "

Again Lestat looked at

Stirling hadn't finished He went on firmly: "You still feed off the riffraff," he said "The authorities don't care, but we recognize the patterns We know it's you "

I wastalk like this?

Lestat broke into an irrepressible laugh

"And even so, you caht find you here?"

"I think" Stirling hesitated, then went on "I think I wanted to challenge you I think, as I said, that I committed a sin of pride "

Thank God for this confession, I thought "Co the two of the's fearless tone

"We respect you," said Stirling, "more than you deserve "

I gasped

"Oh, do explain that to"In what form comes this respect, I should like to know If I'm truly in your debt, I should like to say thanks "

"St Elizabeth's," said Stirling, his voice rolling gracefully now, "the building where you lay for so ht to enter it or discover what goes on there And as you said we're very good at bribing guards Your Chronicles made your sleep fa We could gli on thevas of a coffin A dark deadly inverse of the sleeping King Arthur, waiting for England to need his As I said, I think we respected you more than you deserve "

I shut my eyes for an instant, certain of disaster

But Lestat only broke into another fit of chuckling and laughing