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"But on't she admit it?" he asked

"They all thought that Goblin was bad for e it, don't you see? And that hy they didn't want ht that Stirling and the Talahosts and spirits, and so, if any of therandparents Sweetheart and Pops ever saw him, they didn't say "

Lestat appeared to ponder this for a ht difference between his eyes I tried to shut it out of hter than the other, and definitely tinged with blood

He said, "I think it's time I read your letter to me, don't you?"

"Perhaps so," was all I could say

He drew the envelope out of his inside coat pocket and he tore open the end of the envelope neatly, letting the onyx caht hand, and then he smiled

He looked rapidly several tiain, and then he rubbed the iently with his thumb

"I may keep this?" he asked

"It's ift to you, if you want it," I said "Yes, I ht we'd never meet face-to-face But yes, keep it It was made for Aunt Queen, let ive it to her But I don't knohy I' on about such a point I'm honored you ask to keep it It's yours "

He slipped it into his side coat pocket, and then he opened the letter and read it carefully, or so it seemed to me

There wasfor his patience that I dared to enter New Orleans in search of him, and my report of how I had known and loved the Tala intoand what I had alht There was my admission of how I loved Aunt Queen and hoanted to take my leave of her, if Lestat chose to punishhis only rules

I realized now that much of the letter's contents had been revealed to him in every other way, and that what he held was only a formal document of what he already knew

Very respectfully he refolded the pages and doubled theh he wanted to save the letter, though why I didn't know The envelope had been cast aside

He regarded enerous, which seemed a natural expression for it, and then he spoke:

"You knoas on the scent of Stirling Oliver when I ca ht it was time that he should have a little scare I wasn't certain how Imyself to him, but then I came upon you about to make the little scare quite final for Mr Oliver, and it was froht the reason you'd come "