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.""I believe the expression is, 'the hell you can,'" André replied dispassionately."The doctor was most adamant about not putting weight upon that ankle, and even more so about not allowing you to walk where you might slip."She closed her eyes, because the moving steps were making her dizzy, and when she opened them again, André was putting her carefully down on her own couch.Her brain was working slowly, but now it was finally working.And a hundred consequences of this night's work were flashing across it.She grabbed his arm as he started to move away, and peered up at his sober, worried face, into his expressive eyes."I'm beginning to wake up," she said."André, what happened.after? What excuse did you give the hospital?""You do not remember?"She shook her head."Not a thing.""When—we heard the last shot, you pushed me down the stairs ahead of you; told me to get Keith while you and Lenny brought up the rear.We ran, but when we were a block away, you told us to stop."He gave her a very strange look."You truly do not remember?""No.Honestly." Bizarre.My gods.Sounds like somebody took me over for a while.I sure wasn't that copacetic."So, you told us to stop, and—'act casual, man,' is exactly what you said.You began singing, loudly, as if you were very drunk.Something about a 'whiskey bar'; young Lenny joined you.And at precisely that moment the police arrived.They passed us by without a second look.We reached Keith's car, and you proceeded to faint dead away." He grimaced."Unsurprising, since the doctor informs me that you have torn the ligaments upon that ankle.""I thought it hurt a little bit more than a sprain," she replied vaguely, still trying to figure out what had happened.She didn't know any songs about a "whiskey bar.""We took you to the hospital; we asked for Doctor Grame, but before he could arrive, a most officious young man attempted to deal with you.You nearly"—his mouth twitched—"relocated his private parts to somewhere near his larynx.""I don't remember that, either." Her mouth twitched."Too bad.""When Doctor Grame arrived, he wanted to put you into the hospital.I convinced him that this would not be wise; that your friends could care for you adequately.You were kinder to the doctor, although there was a point where I had to restrain you.""I think I remember that—André, the fight—""Is already upon the news; there was a radio in the emergency room." He took her hands, and his eyes grew infinitely sad."It was a good thing, your David did, that he locked the door against us.The police have no notion that there was anyone in the place except the four they found.They are reporting it as a quarrel over drugs.""André—" Her throat closed."All of them?" she whispered.He nodded, and looked down at their linked hands."He was very brave, and very wise, at the end.And at the end, he chose rightly.I shall treasure that memory of him.I think I shall always admire what he became." He sighed deeply."He did what few have the strength of character to do; to overcome the consequences of his mistakes, and to take responsibility for them.""There was so much he never had a chance to do—" She mourned for that as well as for him.Tears came, slower tears this time, like a quiet rain.André hesitated for a moment, and then took her into his arms, holding her close when she didn't resist him." Cherie, " he said quietly, "I did not guess he meant so much—""No." She sobbed into his shoulder."No, it isn't that—it's that I failed him.I couldn't help him, André—I couldn't save him—""Ah," he replied, and held her until she had no more tears left.***She was resting in his arms, completely spent, when it occurred to her that the sky was growing lighter."André—it's almost dawn," she said into his sweater."I know, cherie, " he replied."I thought that I might avail myself of your couch once more before I return to my Lowara."Once more? Then he's going— I never pictured him not being here.She pulled away, slowly, and sat up."I thought you said something about last night not being the equivalent of the condemned man's last meal—""I did.But—" He looked away."I did not intend to make an infernal nuisance of myself.I—I wish to give you time to consider things.""Things?""Consequences, cherie." He smoothed her hair behind her ears, and smiled faintly."There are always consequences.For instance, you know, my Lowara feel that they owe you a great debt.They will not be happy until it is repaid."She sighed, momentarily distracted.Just what I need.Another karmic burden."I'm sure it'll all even out one of these days.Maybe I can hit them up for a lot of tarot readings."He quirked an eyebrow at her, and settled back against the arm of the sofa."You know that they call you the Starchild? For the brightness.They are almost as afraid of you as they were of the captors of their children."She grimaced."Lovely.So now I'm a Rom bogeyman."He touched her cheek, gently, with one of his long, graceful hands."Oh, not that.Something lower than a saint, but not so low as a 'bogeyman.'" He stood up, and faced the window, looking out at the false dawn."Well, it is over.We worked well together, I think—"He began to walk away from her."André—""I shall take my leave after sunset.Young Lenny said that he and Keith shall look in on you—"" André—"He stopped in mid-sentence, and looked back over his shoulder at her, expression unreadable."Top drawer of the desk.The brass box."He turned around and walked slowly to the desk and put his hand hesitantly on the drawer pull, opening it as if he expected something to leap out at him.He took out the little brass box and opened it just as gingerly.And held up the set of keys with an enigmatic frown on his face."I don't like the idea of somebody as vulnerable as you spending his daylight hours in public libraries and cheap movie houses," she said, trying to put her thoughts in order.She spoke slowly andcarefully to keep the pain that was returning from creeping into her intonation.I don't want his decisions based on the fact that I'm not exactly in top shape."Especially not—somebody I care for.Someday someone who knows what you are is going to feed you a nice thick stake."Despite her best efforts, some of her pain must have shown in her face, if not her voice.He took a tiny white paper envelope out of his pants pocket and silently handed her a pair of pills, and she swallowed them dry."I thought we had agreed that it might be dangerous to become—entangled," he said, standing between her and the light, so that his face was in shadow.Just as it had been the night they met.Children of the night.All of us.Him, me, Davey.the night brought us together.Be damned if I'm going to let it take him away without a fight."We did," she admitted."But we didn't discuss how dangerous it might be not to be entangled.You mentioned consequences.There are consequences there, too.""True." He returned to her side, dangling the keys from his long, sensitive hand."And would that be dangerous?""It might." She waited until he seated himself."For you, because living the way you do, you're vulnerable.For me—" She faltered.I hadn't thought about this, not really.But it's happened all the same.What I swore wouldn't.Ever."You're tied into me on a lot of levels, André.I like you, and I don't have to hide anything from you."She took a very deep breath, and made the last confession."I've been alone too much, and too lonely.You changed that, and I—I don't want to be alone anymore [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.""I believe the expression is, 'the hell you can,'" André replied dispassionately."The doctor was most adamant about not putting weight upon that ankle, and even more so about not allowing you to walk where you might slip."She closed her eyes, because the moving steps were making her dizzy, and when she opened them again, André was putting her carefully down on her own couch.Her brain was working slowly, but now it was finally working.And a hundred consequences of this night's work were flashing across it.She grabbed his arm as he started to move away, and peered up at his sober, worried face, into his expressive eyes."I'm beginning to wake up," she said."André, what happened.after? What excuse did you give the hospital?""You do not remember?"She shook her head."Not a thing.""When—we heard the last shot, you pushed me down the stairs ahead of you; told me to get Keith while you and Lenny brought up the rear.We ran, but when we were a block away, you told us to stop."He gave her a very strange look."You truly do not remember?""No.Honestly." Bizarre.My gods.Sounds like somebody took me over for a while.I sure wasn't that copacetic."So, you told us to stop, and—'act casual, man,' is exactly what you said.You began singing, loudly, as if you were very drunk.Something about a 'whiskey bar'; young Lenny joined you.And at precisely that moment the police arrived.They passed us by without a second look.We reached Keith's car, and you proceeded to faint dead away." He grimaced."Unsurprising, since the doctor informs me that you have torn the ligaments upon that ankle.""I thought it hurt a little bit more than a sprain," she replied vaguely, still trying to figure out what had happened.She didn't know any songs about a "whiskey bar.""We took you to the hospital; we asked for Doctor Grame, but before he could arrive, a most officious young man attempted to deal with you.You nearly"—his mouth twitched—"relocated his private parts to somewhere near his larynx.""I don't remember that, either." Her mouth twitched."Too bad.""When Doctor Grame arrived, he wanted to put you into the hospital.I convinced him that this would not be wise; that your friends could care for you adequately.You were kinder to the doctor, although there was a point where I had to restrain you.""I think I remember that—André, the fight—""Is already upon the news; there was a radio in the emergency room." He took her hands, and his eyes grew infinitely sad."It was a good thing, your David did, that he locked the door against us.The police have no notion that there was anyone in the place except the four they found.They are reporting it as a quarrel over drugs.""André—" Her throat closed."All of them?" she whispered.He nodded, and looked down at their linked hands."He was very brave, and very wise, at the end.And at the end, he chose rightly.I shall treasure that memory of him.I think I shall always admire what he became." He sighed deeply."He did what few have the strength of character to do; to overcome the consequences of his mistakes, and to take responsibility for them.""There was so much he never had a chance to do—" She mourned for that as well as for him.Tears came, slower tears this time, like a quiet rain.André hesitated for a moment, and then took her into his arms, holding her close when she didn't resist him." Cherie, " he said quietly, "I did not guess he meant so much—""No." She sobbed into his shoulder."No, it isn't that—it's that I failed him.I couldn't help him, André—I couldn't save him—""Ah," he replied, and held her until she had no more tears left.***She was resting in his arms, completely spent, when it occurred to her that the sky was growing lighter."André—it's almost dawn," she said into his sweater."I know, cherie, " he replied."I thought that I might avail myself of your couch once more before I return to my Lowara."Once more? Then he's going— I never pictured him not being here.She pulled away, slowly, and sat up."I thought you said something about last night not being the equivalent of the condemned man's last meal—""I did.But—" He looked away."I did not intend to make an infernal nuisance of myself.I—I wish to give you time to consider things.""Things?""Consequences, cherie." He smoothed her hair behind her ears, and smiled faintly."There are always consequences.For instance, you know, my Lowara feel that they owe you a great debt.They will not be happy until it is repaid."She sighed, momentarily distracted.Just what I need.Another karmic burden."I'm sure it'll all even out one of these days.Maybe I can hit them up for a lot of tarot readings."He quirked an eyebrow at her, and settled back against the arm of the sofa."You know that they call you the Starchild? For the brightness.They are almost as afraid of you as they were of the captors of their children."She grimaced."Lovely.So now I'm a Rom bogeyman."He touched her cheek, gently, with one of his long, graceful hands."Oh, not that.Something lower than a saint, but not so low as a 'bogeyman.'" He stood up, and faced the window, looking out at the false dawn."Well, it is over.We worked well together, I think—"He began to walk away from her."André—""I shall take my leave after sunset.Young Lenny said that he and Keith shall look in on you—"" André—"He stopped in mid-sentence, and looked back over his shoulder at her, expression unreadable."Top drawer of the desk.The brass box."He turned around and walked slowly to the desk and put his hand hesitantly on the drawer pull, opening it as if he expected something to leap out at him.He took out the little brass box and opened it just as gingerly.And held up the set of keys with an enigmatic frown on his face."I don't like the idea of somebody as vulnerable as you spending his daylight hours in public libraries and cheap movie houses," she said, trying to put her thoughts in order.She spoke slowly andcarefully to keep the pain that was returning from creeping into her intonation.I don't want his decisions based on the fact that I'm not exactly in top shape."Especially not—somebody I care for.Someday someone who knows what you are is going to feed you a nice thick stake."Despite her best efforts, some of her pain must have shown in her face, if not her voice.He took a tiny white paper envelope out of his pants pocket and silently handed her a pair of pills, and she swallowed them dry."I thought we had agreed that it might be dangerous to become—entangled," he said, standing between her and the light, so that his face was in shadow.Just as it had been the night they met.Children of the night.All of us.Him, me, Davey.the night brought us together.Be damned if I'm going to let it take him away without a fight."We did," she admitted."But we didn't discuss how dangerous it might be not to be entangled.You mentioned consequences.There are consequences there, too.""True." He returned to her side, dangling the keys from his long, sensitive hand."And would that be dangerous?""It might." She waited until he seated himself."For you, because living the way you do, you're vulnerable.For me—" She faltered.I hadn't thought about this, not really.But it's happened all the same.What I swore wouldn't.Ever."You're tied into me on a lot of levels, André.I like you, and I don't have to hide anything from you."She took a very deep breath, and made the last confession."I've been alone too much, and too lonely.You changed that, and I—I don't want to be alone anymore [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]