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"And have you brought me a cameo?" she asked "This is our custom, Lestat," she explained, and then: "It's been a week since you have been in this room, Tarquin Blackwood I want my cameo You must have one I won't let you off the hook "

"Oh, yes, you know I alot about it," I said (And with reason!) I felt in e that I'd put there nights ago "It's from New York, this one, a lovely shell cameo "

I unwrapped the paper and put it before her in all its glory, one of the largest shell cae was froround a dark pink The cameo was a perfect oval with a particularly exquisite scalloped fraold

"Medusa," she said, with obvious satisfaction, identifying the woed head and the wild snakes for hair "And so large and so sharply carved "

"Fearsoht of the wing, and a bit of the orange strata on the wing tip Iit sooner I wish that I had "

"Oh, there's no point to that, ret it when you don't come to see me I think I'm timeless You're here now and you've reerly "You know the story of Medusa, don't you?" she asked

Lestat hesitated, only s her to speak more than he wanted to speak himself He looked rather radiant in his rapture with her, and she was bea back

"Once beautiful, then turned into athe moment immensely "With a face that could turn ht her by her reflection in his polished shield, and once he'd slain her the winged horse Pegasus was born from the drops of blood that fell to earth from her severed head "

"And it was that head," said Lestat confidingly, "that Athena then emblazoned on her shield "

"You're so very right," said Aunt Queen

"A charainst harm," said Lestat softly "That's what she became once beheaded Another wondrous transformation, I think -- beauty to monster, monster to charm "

"Yes, you're right on all counts," said Aunt Queen "A charainst harm," she repeated "Here, come, Quinn, help old chain for me I want to wear Medusa on my neck "

It was a simple matter to do as she asked I ca table and re her a sly kiss on the cheek, and put the diamond necklace in its custo table on the right-hand side The gold chains were in a box in the top drawer, each in its plastic pouch

Froold, and one that would give her a snug but good fit I threaded it through the bail attached to the cameo, and then put the chain around her neck for her and snapped the clasp

After another quick couple of kisses, very powdery and rather like kissing a person ar, I caain The caathered silk of the scarf and looked both i and rich