title: Louis Blue's On a Tight wire

Author: Kris

Fandom: Vampire Chronicals

pairing: Louis and Armand

category: Drama

archive: Yes

feedback: yes

email: myost@charter.net

site: http://louis3004212.nstemp.net

series: on going

disclaimer: I don't own them

warning: Blood, gore, rape, mild m/m sex

summary: Louis and Armand go on a crazed adventure with two ex-durid preists, Trevor and Richard.

notes: This is my all time favorite story. Inspired by the song Velvet Goldmine

spoliers: To Interview with a Vampire and The Vampire Lestat series: Louis Blue

Louis Blue's On a Tight Wire
by Kris

"Add another stick on the fire," Louis said.

The leaves of the forest surrounding them, and the light from the flames made bewitching half shadows on Louis' usually pale face which was at the moment tinted to be flesh colored by the early consumption of fresh human blood.

"Louis, I want to talk," Armand mumbled, breaking a dry stick across his knee. He cast it into the flames. "Please," he whispered.

"You always want to talk," Louis sighed. His emerald eyes clearly sliced into Armand's calm, making the auburn haired vampire tremble.

"And you, you never make any observations, no small talk, no opinions. You have nothing to say to me. If I speak you stare off into space as if my words have less significance than the bleats of mortals, and of nature. I will be heard."

"You will be heard by someone else. You're talking loudly enough. Perhaps someone who cares will eavesdrop on you. What do you want?"

"At least an audience of one," Armand said. He stretched out his legs, then crossed them, setting his elbows on his knees. "I want to talk about Claudia."

"I don't, " Louis said flatly, "Claudia's private life, her affair of the heart with Jean is forever off limits."

"Do you think she really loved the boy? Loved any of you?" Armand asked.

Did she love me? Armand thought dismally. Perhaps I have chosen the wrong companion. He thought of Claudia. Her small faced raised for one of his tantalizing blood kisses.

"What has this to do with you? Whether or not she loved Jean is not our concern. We will not debate what she felt about me, or Lestat. What she felt is not up for speculation. I will never have my brother's or my daughter's private lives spoken of in a conversation between you and I , or between anyone else for that matter. Have I made myself clear?" Louis said, his voice and eyes dangerously expressionless.

Louis wearily rubbed his hands, remembering his dead. Claudia with her furious sense of wanting to be loved, only to fail continuously at all her attempts to escape from her parents' love and into the arms of a lover. She accidentally killed Jean, a boy she had fallen in love with, she never forgave him or Lestat for the boy's death. Paul, his life ending mysteriously.

Non, Louis thought I will guard your private lives with my life. Even though I failed you both so miserably. Your privacy I will preserve at least for all of eternity.

"I'm not in any mood to hear my loved one's names defiled by your filthy gossip," Louis said in a low voice.

"Shall we talk about Lestat then?" Armand cried stung.

"He's dead, " Louis said for the second time in their acquaintance. He tied to make it sound like it was not so much of a question.

"Yes, he's dead. He died in the fire," Armand lied. Armand then said, "A fire I didn't force you to set. Lestat was locked away in the theatre. Even though I wanted him to live every bit as much as you wanted him to live there was no saving him. Lestat knew Claudia and you were marked for death."

"Why did you imprison him? What was his crime?" Louis said softy, poking at the burning logs with a stick, turning one blackened log over. The exposed underside of the log glowed in red and orange embers.

Armand threw his hands in the air. "He was insane. He had to have been to have created Claudia. I locked him away for his own protection from my coven's condemnation. To keep him safe! I took you away for your safety too. I saved your life! Remember it was almost dawn after you burned down the theatre. How was I supposed to know you were going to return to the theatre to set that tragic event of Lestat's death in motion?"

"I warned you," Louis said quietly, "I warned you to stay away from the theatre. You knew I was going to get my revenge."

"Yes, you warned me. But, I didn't believe you. Not till I saw the flames for myself did I believe you. By the time I got there with my carriage it was too late for me to save Lestat, but not for you, not for us," Armand implored him.

"And what of Claudia's safety? Were you really ever concerned with her safety?" Louis asked, coldly mocking him.

"I had my orders," Armand said numbly.

"From whom?"

"From myself! My sense of order and decorum. From long traditions of vampire coven governing. Damn it, Louis. Where would we be without laws? Even creatures like ourselves need limitations over what we can do if we are to survive as a species,'" Armand pleaded.

The truth almost tore itself from his self imposed silence on what really happened. Claudia committed suicide. Through Armand had to admit he cornered her into taking her own life by telling her he loved Louis and not her, and by his decision to murder Madeleine.

Claudia's death was pathetic. Weak vampires die, It's an unavoidable fact of life. Sure, I made a game of it, Armand thought. Seducing her first to fall in love with me. Why not? Simple murders are boring. I had to make it more complicated, more dramatic. Didn't I?

Armand leaned back, and sighed. He was dressed in a peasant's shirt, and rough hewn trousers as was his partner in wandering. The year was 1926.

Both of them looked like two runaways from some corner of heaven. Louis, laser thin, a pointed chin. A face holding marvelous cheek bones, he had an expression of being forbidden to all. He was unapproachable.

Armand was more of a wise angel. Full lipped, tender cheeked, and with amber eyes which enthralled. He didn't possess the demonic beautiful of his cold companion. He looked like a sophisticated boy who gave an air of having wisdom till his face broke out into a ruffian's grin. His face, when smiling, had the unabated sensuality of a beautiful boy when he had cause to be happy. This side of him was becoming rarer and rarer.

There was a night in the Louvre when he took Louis to see the Rembrandt's, the Hieronymous Bosch's, the Da Vinci's, and with each view of art Louis turned more and more inwardly into himself. That night they didn't share anything, not even blood. The earnest, affectionate, young vampire Armand had so fallen in love with to such a degree he even sent Lestat away to grieve over Louis' fallacious death, had disappeared. In his place was a vampire made more of dead stone than of living, undead flesh.

And with the painful labors of our love why wasn't lasting love born? Armand thought, For you did love me once. Don't you remember how starved you once were for love? How grateful you were to me when I loved you back. Before the reality of our situation. Claudia's existence being a breech of propriety which had to be addressed and corrected. And you blamed me for the circumstances of her death, circumstances which was really out of the realm of my control. I didn't will her into existence did I? Was it really my fault? I did not make the society we live in.

"I must tell you something about the night in the Louvre. The paintings, the sculptures, I cannot fathom what they meant to you. Did you take the paintings you saw to be your example on how to conduct your future existence? A blurb of colors, one dimensional, aimlessly here with no purpose, but to be looked at? Is that the lesson you took from the museum? A painting to me is more purely emotional. More emotional than a human being. You see the Venus on a canvas and she is nothing more than absolute sensuality. A child painted to be frightened is nothing more or less than untainted fear. Paintings are a single emotions illustrated with color, with symbols which poor us, and poor mortals, can only relate to however poorly. Humans are too distracted, made up of too many mental abstractions to really fully appreciate art. Humans cannot feel anything intensely. As for us vampires. We feel things so deeply, we can be transformed, absorbed by an emotion to the point where we learn to fear the intensity of our hearts, our miseries, and our delights, so we stop the feelings which threaten to overwhelm us. And we forget how to feel. Sometimes the feelings we are trying to avoid wins out, and we are nothing but violent, ungoverned emotions," Armand whispered.

"What do you want from me? Anger? Tears? A temper tantrum? Oui, I view a painting of a devil, and I'm swept away by his steadfast immorality. His single-minded delight in sin, as much as an angel single mindedly delights in justice and virtue. And I think why can't I feel as an angel feels, or how a devil feels without, without contradiction and reproach. I have questioned everything I ever felt. Now, I am tired of questions, tired of lies, belief, and faith. I am what I am, Armand. Pretty as a picture to look at. Cold to hold."

"When I panted my Icons. My virgins. Do you know what emotion the Christ Child felt in my paintings? He felt pride. I painted small crosses into the liquid brown eyes of a Jewish Christ Children. Crosses no one could see but me. If you look at the face of one of my Madonnas, if you looked at the Christ Child in one of my paintings, you would see the color of the emotion of pride. 'See what I have for you,' my clever virgins all seem to say, 'See the magnificent gift I produced. Isn't my creation lovely?'"

"And now?" Louis said, made curious by the passion which crept into Armand's voice. "What do you feel now?"

"I feel aware of the cold, Louis," Armand said sadly, "That is all I am aware of. The cold." He wrapped his arms around himself.

"I'm going to lay down for a while before I dig my grave," Louis said, curling up by the fire.

The Carpthain mountains loomed around them in the horizon. They were in Romana, near the town of Sigisoara which was first settled by the Romans. The town's forums, and circuses were now replaced by simple homes, and magnificent, baroque. Romanesque churches with spires which saluted the heavens.

"You once took Claudia to this province, Translvania. Tell me again what did you find here?"

"Mad men and Englishmen," Louis said lightly.

A smile weathered the desolation Armand felt at being so encroached upon by the pitch darkness of the forest. He spooned against the ball Louis had made of himself.

Our gentle, bitter intimacies, Armand thought as he hugged Louis. At least it is our skin which I am holding. Another like myself, not a mortal. I cling to you for the comfort of your skin, not for any warmth inside of you. Inside of you is nothing but a force to live on blindly. You're more revenant than vampire, yet, I love you. For it's better to have a companion than no one at all.

Springing up off of Louis, Armand's face took a look of strained alertness, his body tightly coiled in the anticipation of a fine kill.

"Leave it be," Louis whispered indifferently.

Breaking into a run, Armand broke through the underbrush. Body slamming his victim, Armand held his dagger high, his eyes a liquid red. Plunging his blade's point to head home right into a rogue vampire's heart. Armand cursed with indignation. His killing hand was grasped by an other's hand to be held at a stand still.

The rogue vampire, underneath Armand's knife, smirked nervously up at him.

"We were eavesdropping," said a pleasant voice from the vampire who had the capture of Armand's hand.

"Good stuff to listen to on a boring night like this. You and your companion bickering away at each other," the vampire whom Armand was inches away from killing, said "So, you're an artist. Pleased to meet you. I lost the first name given to me in a card game."

"He lost his first given name to me as a matter of fact," the other vampire said.

"And the silly old cock won't tell me what my name used to be. So call me, Trevor."

"I happen to be be Richard. It's not my mortal name. I felt I needed a new name for a new life," Richard said, yanking Armand's arm, twisting it securely behind Armand's back, "I got the name from one of England's kings long ago. King Richard was on a crusade when I met him. I deeply adored him. So blood thirsty he was, and without having the actual thirst for blood! I find that to be a curious attribute in a mortal. He wasn't a very religious man to be going on all these holy crusades, sacking villages, stealing relics, gold, and silver, raping Moslem women, and even some Moslem boys! Goodness! Without even so much as a heartfelt "amen" afterwards."

"Can I kill him?" Trevor said, his gray eyes glittering dangerously under his furious mane of thick, wild, black hair. His lithe body reared up, and he put his dagger to Armand's Adam's apple.

"You're not serious?" Richard said scandalized.

"Might I bring to your attention: HE TRIED TO KILL ME FIRST!" Trevor yelled, sticking his point into Armand's flesh.

"Yes, there is no debating the fact he did try to kill you," Richard said, smiling, "But, Trevor take in account he could have set you on fire rather than going at you in hand to hand combat."

"What do you take me for? A eunuch? A lady faced male? Not even the females of our kind would resort to such a churlish tactic," Armand said contemptuously, "I agree with Santino, only a coward fights with fire when a dagger will do the job."

"See Trevor? Now would you kill him while I am holding him helpless?"

"He hit me from behind! Ah well, you're right he didn't crisp me. And he well could have. I suppose I have at least the pleasure of knowing I have a man at the end of my knife's thirsty point," Trevor said smiling sardonically, "Your boyish appearance is false, you do indeed have the mind and heart of a man."

"I suggest you unhand my friend," Louis said, coming out of the shadows, pulling out his cross blade.

"Oh my! Save me! Save me Richard! Save me once again! He's armed with a tooth pick! Good! I have this nasty piece of flesh caught between my tooth and my fang which I've been trying to work out with my tongue to no avail, now hand me over that toy of a tooth pick you're holding else I spank you with it," Trevor teased.

Swinging his knife into an arch which had the hiss of death to it, Louis barely missed Richard's neck. He took off his ear.

"Oww! The pup has credible fangs to him," Richard said approvingly. Carelessly, he reached down for his ear, letting his sticky blood reattached flesh back to flesh.

"Enough of such boy's sport you two," Trevor said cheerfully, "You, your name is Armand, don't lie. Be ashamed! Vampire killer! So you thought you had a couple of easy marks to murder did you?"

"Trevor to be fair he did catch you off guard. I think he has every right to kill you" Richard said his lips twitching.

"Kiss my big, fat, hairy balls, Richard!" Trevor yelled, "He did not catch me off guard! I, I was laying in wait for him. Um, luring him out for you to capture!"

"Ha!" Richard teased "Kiss your what!??" he said shaking his head in profound disapproval, "No, I'd rather not. I feel a trade must be made."

Both he and Trevor leapt up into the air, catching a current of wind, hanging upside down above Armand's and Louis' heads.

"Come vampire killer," Richard cried, extending his hand, "I will trade you my careless but dear friend's life for the life of another."

"Whose life are we speaking of?" Armand said, standing protectively by Louis.

"Why the Virgin's life," Richard said innocently, bewildered at Armand's show of concern for Louis.

"The Virgin's?" Armand said confused.

"Aye, the Virgin's'" Richard patiently said, "I know where your last surviving Ikon is. Molest my friend no longer, molest no vampire here, and I will take you to the Mother of God who belongs to you. A bargain then?"

"A bargain done," Armand said coolly, shaking his hand, "And if you fail to live up to your end of the bargain, then you and your companion will allow me to peg you both out for the sun to cook. I have no pity for incompetence."

"Scary, isn't he?" Trevor chuckled.

"At the moment he is very scary," Richard said benignly, "Death by your hands is the least of our problems, and the least of yours."

"What do you mean by that?" Armand said his nerves becoming on fire.

"Only that!" Richard said, drawing his sword.

A Beelzebub of a demon with black wings, and a cauldron of a mouth, sent fire spilling out. It leaped on top of Armand. It's poisonous toad's face roared at him. It's scaly tail smacked Louis off of his feet. It had the body of a gray hound.

Armand twisted his head before his face became a fire ball. Slamming his dagger into the clumsy demon's throat, Armand howled with pain as the creature's blood of acid rained upon his face. Louis drove his cross blade into the creature's scaly back. Richard swiped his sword at its eyes.

The monster screamed, shrinking itself into becoming a scurrying white mouse. It tried to escape.

Pouncing down on top of the hapless rodent, Trevor grabbed it by the scuff of its fur, and thrust it into his mouth.

The three vampires watched in amazement as Trevor chewed up the bones and fur, and sucked the blood out of the broken mouthful of mouse. He spit out the tail, the meats, and everything else not drinkable.

"These demons, they are not immortal," Richard said soothingly, "Through they are powerful enough to kill vampires weaker than ourselves. Your partner for example would make for an excellent enough kill for them. They haven't mastered the skills or the strategies to kill we ancients, not yet anyway."

"My friend has a name. His name is Louis."

"But, this is impossible!" Louis said still staring at Trevor amazed.

"Almost as impossible as vampires wouldn't you say?" Trevor scoffed, making Louis look away by his pretending to belch. "We heard about this new race of shape changers," Trevor said, pulling up his shirt tucked into his slacks, daintily wiping his mouth, "They are killing our kind and human kind too. We came out here to Romana to destroy them."

"I see," Louis said, "Is that how you justify your gift of immortality? By being saviors to humans, the very humans you kill too?"

"Saviors?" Trevor cried.

"No, this race of monsters, they make good hunting," Richard said patiently. With a puzzled smile, he then said, "You're very strange Louis."

"That what I've been trying to tell him in my own subtle way," Armand said.

"The dawn is approaching as you can discern from the hues in the horizon," Richard said politely, "We avoid the cemeteries. Too many mortals of late have an eccentric habit of digging up bodies due to this outbreak of monster plague. A good, clean hole in the forest earth is good enough for us. And thou?"

"A hole in the ground will do for us too," Armand said, finding himself attracted somehow to the wholesome, masculine, simplicity of the two he just minutes ago was bent on murdering.

They seem so remarkably untouched by the dark gift, Armand thought to himself.

Armand felt a careful inclination to fall in love with them both, an inclination which was but a twitch in the morass of his lonely existence. Both Richard and Trevor were wearing elegant, linen suits with knitted ties, and trench coats. They both would have carried off their disguise perfectly as twentieth century men if they didn't have their long hair tied back to fall down to their waists. Richard's hair was dyed black, his ends a flashing red. Both had scabbards hidden in their coats. Trevor always had an evil smirk on his face, while Richard looked like a dreamer. They made a most unusual pair.

"Tomorrow you will tell us more of this race of beings we shall pit ourselves against for the greater good," Armand said, walking beside Richard, " Taking pleasure in bloodshed for the slaking of my thirst alone has grown to become repugnant to me. Enjoy yourselves by all means the hunt and kill of these beasts for no other reason but for the thrill of the chase. For myself, ridding the world of an evil weaker than myself is cause enough to strike!"

"I must agree with Armand. If these demons are the scourge you make them out to be is true, they must be stopped. I too will take part in causing them to submit to terms of peace."

Submit to terms of peace? What's more peaceful than a grave? At least for the most part a grave is peaceful, Trevor thought, You're more than peculiar, Louis. Enormously pretty. Makes up up for some of your glaring personality defects.

They dig through the leaves and dirt until they had their graves secured under slabs of forest earth.

The next night evening shocked them into animation. Digging themselves out, they arose into the cool of the night, dusting dry earth off of themselves.

"You asked me about justification concerning our existence," Richard said with shy courtesy to Louis.

"Oui, I do not meant to pry. I want to understand the motivation other vampires have for keeping themselves in existence."

"Why we choose to continue with the dance we do upon the cobweb which connects us all? I've seen it in my dreams. Cosmic webs we all lay upon in a vast universe. The blood which we consume feeds one soul, the source of our essence, the vampire spirit Amel," Richard said, "Come, I'll show you why I keep myself dancing on the cobweb to the tune of my thrist."

Slicing through the paths between the trees, the four came to a newly planted field.

It's time to hunt," Trevor said softly. He broke into a loping run along side of Richard. Armand and Louis followed them. They dived behind a wall. Their breath held fast and icy in the cores of their preternatural lungs.

"Trevor, take them to the cottage," Richard whispered. He scaled over the wall.

A nun, a young one of seventeen stole herself from the convent, her black habit make her all most invisible amongst the drapery of night; her white collar shone eerily pale.

"Fritz?" she whispered amongst the roses in the convent's well tended garden.

"Sister," Richard said, coming out of hiding, "How goes with you?"

"Sir." she blushed, "you startled me. How did you get beyond the locked gate? The convent walls?"

"It doesn't matter how I got here, the only thing which matters is I'm here for you. Can I say a prayer for you?" Richard said in a kind voice.

"Why? Who are you to pray for me? Slinking about here like a theif in the night. Do you know Father Hemlick?"

"This girdle of black beads you wear around your waist. What meaning has it for you?" Richard curiously said, falling to his knees before her. He held the simple crucifix in the palm of his hand The points of the little cross dug into his flesh. With charm, he put the crucifix in his mouth, sucking upon it and the beads. His eyes seemed bottomless; she fell into emptiness. She was too small of an entity to take much space in those empty eyes.

She tried to break away. The rosary was caught fast in his mouth.

"Stop making fun of me, of God. You sinful hound," she cursed.

Taking her small hands in his cold ones, he looked up to her from where he was kneeling. "The truth now. You are unhappy here."

"How did you know? It was a mistake ," she whispered, startled at her desire to confide in the handsome young man with his chevalier's face, the calm of a priest wafted out from the concern and from the rapt , sympathetic attention he was paying her.

Perfumed smoke seemed to be seeping out of the ground. A fog of gray desended on the grass and flowers making everything seem like it was occuring in a dream.

"I'm looking for a May Queen," Richard said, the words slipping out, untangling her hopes and dreams to become a thrall, "A Queen of May, I shall pay for such a maiden. Pay enough for you to escape here."

"You have to understand me first. I look up in the sky and the face of God I thought was there is know obscured by airplanes. I was orphaned by the war. I was taking starved by the nuns here at a young age. The explosions, the death, all of it, I was closeted here to be safe from the war. And the nuns they filled my mind with a belly full of notions that here war could not touch me. Such lies at least they are lies to me. I hear the music. The Charleston, the Lindy, the jazz when I go to town on errands, and my legs they twitch not to kneel but to dance. Do you understand me to dance! I want to leave Romania forever. I want to escape to Berlin to join a cabaret. To be an actress. A vamp. My eyes are just as seductive as Clara Bows. Someday, I might become a movie star in America."

"My Lady of May for a night service with me and mine, I will rescue you from here," Richard said gallantly.

"Your speech. The way you talk. Like from another world," she whispered, "I do not belong here in this convent. I do not belong to these beads." She flung the rosary into a hedge, "I am a child of Israel. The nuns tried to convert me. And I was converted for a while. I am who I am, and I am no true nun, this is why they snub me, punish me for every little thing. For bread alone I converted. My soul belongs to my true faith and heritage. Shouldn't I be afraid of you? Who are you? How can you ask me to whore for you?"

"Out of necessity. I need a May Queen. You need to appease your hunger to leave here. Money is the key to your departure. Is there my forgiveness in your faith? I shall take the sin upon myself. For I am tempting you with what any poor soul desires above all things; self determination. Choose how you will. The choice is left to you. I will not drag you away."

"Then take me then," she said in a voice full of despair.

"Drink first it will go better down with intoxication," Richard said, pulling out a flash.

Headily, she downed the spicy liquor. A languor took up her apprehensions and threw them away, smoothing out her fears to become acceptance of what she thought was to come.

Taking her hand, he led her out of the garden, her feet crushed the leaves beneath the canopy of the nightmarish trees. Whispers from their branches tickled her ears. Crows flew overhead watching with their yellow eyes.

Richard took her into a small, stone cottage. Deftly, he stripped her of her habit. Her full breasts hung over the bones of her small rib cage, her pelvis was wide and fruitful looking, legs, sturdy and strong, useful when she had to carry things.

"The world starts in wombs such as yours, " Richard said caressing her throat, face and shoulders with his long dazzlingly, white fingers.

"Is this who you brought for us?" Trevor said in a wolfish voice. He mockingly bowed to Sister Helene.

Modestly, she covered her breasts and her sex with her hands. Her hair heavy and of the colors of chestnuts fell down her naked back. Her modesty and the tone of Trevor's voice troubled and stung Richard.

"You like to strip your victims?" Armand said with a charming smile, coming into the room, "She's a healthy filly. Of course I want to watch. Even participate with your permission."

"Do you want to join in?" Richard said, his mouth feeling parched, his body feeling dry. Trevor stripped himself His body held a semi hard erection. Grabbing the nun by her wrists, he shackled her to the chains hanging from the ceiling.

"You lied to me. I changed my mind!" Sister Helene screamed.

"Your mind? I bought your mind blessed May Queen," Richard said, undressing himself "I didn't lie. You will never see the convent again. Never be hungry for adventure, never be thirsty for what is beyond your closeted existence. I am setting you free from the suffering of a life which has become aimless to you."

"Be done with our tormenting of this poor child," Louis said sternly, "Dress her. There is no reason for her to be naked."

"The capture of clothing. Who would wear the clothing of victims?" Richard sad taking a handkerchief from her habit laying on the floor. "Tell me who would wear such clothing? Wouldn't the cloth have stains, a smell to them? He put the handkerchief to the salty tears of the woman's face. "Fleece the victims of their wool waste not want not. Shall we look for gold in hr mouth. Every little bit helps."

"Enough kill her. You can't let her go. This is intolerable," Louis hissed. "I will not stand for this mistreatment of her."

"Good chaplain," Richard said now amused, "Is this your council to me then? Her conditions are intolerable. So out of your sense of decency because you can not stand how she is being treated your command to me is to be merciful to her, and to humanely kill her fast. Here," he took out a revolver from his trench coat thrown on the floor, "I will show her mercy."

Richard pulled the trigger, her head flew forwards, bits of brain and skull flew across the room.

"It was quick, she wasn't aware of dying, not like she would have been if I had sucked off of her," Richard said, "She is no longer even here anymore."

Diving at her chained corpse, Trevor slammed his fangs into the blood pouring out off her neck, lapping, sucking choking on the wound.

Taking up her wrist, Richard drained her blood out of her body through the new wound he made with his mouth.

"How can you stand the blood of a corpse?" Armand asked, nonchalant at the novel way to kill a mortal.

"A fresh kill tastes as well as a living one Even better to my taste because from the very first sip of blood I can taste death. It's a strong drink, not for those with weak stomachs," Trevor said, removing his bloody face from the wound, "A drink perhaps for you my friends?"

"No thank you. I will procure my own," Armand said. Armand stifled a gasp as Richard took out a knife which was surgical sharp. Skillfully, Richard dissected her corpse, throwing finely chopped up organs into a wide bowl.

He then unshackled the remains. Taking the bones and torn remnants of flesh outside, he called, "My brothers, come out and dine. For I have prepared for you an offering. A feast most rare."

Wolves emerged from between the trees. Their huge hairy bodies advanced to the corpse, lapping, and chewing at her bones, her quiet face.

"Now, Trevor said happily, "if you will follow us we will teach you more about ourselves. If not. Who cares? Let the darkness take you up, and spit you out." Trevor picked up his and Richard's clothing. Naked, he and Richard left the cottage.

Armand didn't even check to see if Louis was following him He ran along with Richard and Trevor, curious over what they were going to do with the woman's chopped up innards.

Between the furrows, Trevor and Richard strolled in the field, tossing minced up meat to the planted wheat seed. They chanted pagan prayers.

"You see Louis. This justifies what I am. I take blood from the sheep I prey on, and I give them to their fields. Bread for them to eat," said Richard.

"You ignorant savage," Louis cursed, "Didn't the age of enlightenment mean anything to you? It's a modern world. People do not act in this way."

"But, Louis, I am not a modern man," Richard said perplexed.

"Why her, why a nun?" Louis said scornfully.

"Why her?" Richard said confused, "I've been stalking her for a month. I knew of her unhappiness and her habits. Her disappearance is easily explained away. I see what you are suggesting. Louis I lived and died without the concepts of the infidel. The Druid religion was all I knew. I really didn't put much notice in how the Roman's worshipped. I only thought of the Romans as invaders. I do admit I admire people who believe in their religious charms however they might worship. My motivations are not the same as a human being's. I'm not a human being. I can not pass human judgment on individuals based on human concepts which stopped applying to me centuries ago."

"You're very strange Louis," Trevor said, scooting down to clean the blood of of his hands with the dirt of the earth. "For centuries civilizations have chosen kings, queens to die so the earth can be fed on their sacrifice of blood. Scrape goats too have been used. Tortured and punished to atone for tribal sins."

"I assure you both of this fact," Richard said putting down his bowl of offerings, "Long ago as a druid priest, I made such offerings to the fields, perhaps not exactly like this. Tell me is her remains workable fertilizer?"

"Of course," Louis said gritting his teeth and fangs, "But."

"And I will have to kill a human being. So, will you. Correct me if I'm wrong about this."

"Non, you're not wrong. It's ignorance."

"It's ignorance to put fertilizer on a farmer's field?" Richard said.

"City boys," Trevor said.

"I am not a city boy! I had a plantation. Vast fields. And I, I," Louis thought of the slaves he used on his vast fields.

"Yes, I'm waiting," Richard said patiently.

"There is no excuse my past offers, no excuse for such ignorance," Louis said furiously, "You're just another evil vampire with no sense of right or wrong."

"Besides," Armand smirked, "Look the crows are eating what you tossed."

"At least they are not eating the wheat seed. And they won't eat all of the flesh," Trevor protested.

"Someone's coming," Armand said, "Mortals, not monsters."

"As your host for the night, might I suggest that we hide from them," Richard said politely.

Spiriting themselves to a grove of oaks they watched a man and a woman go to the edge of the field. In a mass of black feathers, the crows flew off into the night. Carefully, in the darkness, the woman laid down and pulled up her skirt. The man pulled down his pants. Laying down on top his wife, he started to make hurried love to her.

"Let's kill them," Armand said licking his lips.

"Not while they are planting their seeds, " Richard said dreamily, "Not after the seed has been planted."

"You claimed Richard hasn't a sense of right and wrong. Yes, he does," Trevor said, watching the mortals copulate.

"I do not suck blood of a mortal carrying an unborn child. Through I've heard it is a strange kind of delicacy, sucking the blood of two all at once is wrong to me, " Richard said, "I also do not kill other vampires unless forced to. Look, they are done. The harvest is insured in both earth and woman."

"And if it doesn't work?" Louis said scornfully.

"Then the planets were out of alignment," Richard said patiently, "We can't help control what the planets do."

"You have an explanation for everything," Louis said coldly, "You're never wrong."

"How angry, how bitter you are," Richard said tenderly. Clasping his arm over Trevor's shoulders, he projected Greek folk music into their minds. "Let's not dance as lovers do. My friends, lets dance as men do."

Joining Trevor, putting his arm around his naked shoulders, Armand put his other arm around Louis' shoulder. Trevor and Richard's nudity was a beautiful contrast to Louis' and Armand's peasant clothing. They danced a choral dance, their minds wiped out by the joyous rhythms which binded them, their movements forceful and synched. Richard waved the nun's handkerchief. First, they did a restrained shuffling dance, moving to the left and the right, dipping their bodies up and down. They stepped to the side, followed by the closing of feet, passing one foot in front of the other, pointing the toes, increasing the speed, the number of twists and turns. Armand broke away, going into a frantic kicking dance of intricate maneuvers showing off his strength. Trevor and Richard stamped their feet whistling and cheering him on.

Non, This is insanity," Louis yelled "to dance like this!"

"Insanity?" Richard said amazed, "Louis there is no such thing as insanity."

"Its all subjective," Trevor said, motioning to Armand to stop his capering.

"Listen, would you call a man who murders other men, eats their body parts so they will remain with him forever, would you call him insane?"

"Of course," Louis said, "What you are saying is outrageous!"

"Yet, would you call a person insane who by law takes part in the murder of millions of people men, women, and children let's say using their fat for soap, wearing their clothing, would you call such people insane? How can that be? A whole nation of people who run their trains on time, how can they all be insane? Impossible. The sheep meat of it all. Human beings are sheep meat incapable of being insane. In times of trouble they look for leaders to instruct them to use their sheep meat bodies to fill their uniforms, to give them permission to feel good about themselves, to either participate or to look the other way. This happens to sheep who are insecure. Insecure mortals look for stronger personalities to replace their own weak personalties. To tell them what to do, what to think, to set the rules for them about what is ignorance, and what is not. And they will gladly kill, rob, rape, rape men who love other men with broom sticks, force women they deem to be unnatural because these women love other women to be camp whores, and torture just out of a chance to have the self esteem they lack. This is perfectly sane. I've seen things like this occur in the old world and the new. How can you call anyone insane?"

"The man who killed his lovers was delusional," Armand protested, thinking of his coven, "He broke the rules. He took it upon himself the kill without society's approval. That is what makes the killing of a man, and cooking his parts, using his corpse for pleasure an act of insanity. It's the law which determines if a man is sane or not.

Insanity is a legal term. It's amusingly insidious really how a greater personality takes over a lesser one. A natural leader will flatter the insecure. The insecure gratefully makes him out to be a hero. They feel a precious oneness with the greater personality.

They are taught conformity, and then the greater personality, the leader, points out trouble makers amongst their ranks, desenters. The leader sets the so called trouble makers up for a fall, calls them unpatriotic, then little by little rights are taken away from these trouble makers, at first seemingly trivial rights such as the making it legal for trouble makers to read a newspaper, or to own writing paper. Nothing life threatening, at first, then later the slaughter. The sheep, his followers, are anesthetized to what's happening. They don't care. They think of the leader as the "Good Shepherd" who can do no wrong. The sheep are only too happy to go along with what's happening to the troublemakers, the "others". In fact it makes the majority feel rather happier about themselves to not be an "other". I've done such tactics myself to keep my coven loyal, and cowed. I taught them similarity is a virtue, differences are a sin against me personally, and against everyone else in the coven, such sins are punishable by death. The weak personalities stop thinking of themselves as individuals. They think of themselves as "we." They start thinking, 'This is how we like things to be. This is how we think things should be done.' For destruction to the death I would forgo all sorts of advanced fire power for just a mob of weak personalities holding sticks and stones. Tell me Richard do you have a great personality or a weak one?"

Armand intimately brushed his hand against Richard's wrist, making a little stab at it with his finger.

I'm surprised I'm not making Trevor jealous, Armand thought resentfully, Of course Louis could careless about what I do.

"Aye, there is the rub," Trevor said, "It is perfectly sane, even commendable, to pick up a two year old by his hair, thrust a gun to his baby's mouth and shoot him. In fact, such acts can get you rewarded with an extra sausage."

"It's societal rewards which makes a cruel act an act of sanity," Richard said with approval, "The sausages."

"Such kinds of acts may have happened in the ignorant past , may yet happen again, through I doubt it," Louis said coldly, "but we! We do not have to be as ignorant as the past!"

"How do you think vampires live as long as they do? Do you think it's easy?" Richard said hotly, "How many of us during the first five years or less lose our sense of survival, and end up staking ourselves to be out in the sun, driven to suicide? Damn you Louis, how many ? Sure, you may think suicide among our kind to be delightful. A good thing. We have to compartmentalize the things we do. Learn how not to look back at the corpses we fed on. And hold on to simple expressions, of love, the love between others of our kind. I love Trevor. He is more than just a friend to me, he is my brother. I could even love the two of you as companions if you will allow me too. Yes, I dance, yes, I lose myself to the the suffering I cause to the mania of dancing and with the love for another. So, call me what you wish to call me. Might I suggest killer, how about ogre, will monster do?"

"I cannot believe you can relate to such things, and call them sane!" Louis screamed.

"I can only relate to reality," Richard said coldly, "And if I choose to escape from reality with a dance, I will."

"There was this torturer in Elizabeth's tower. It was quite well know by the government he sexually abused Catholic priests and lay men and women he tortured. He was quite inventive about abusing with his cock, foreign objects, and with his hands. Of course the good Protestants who knew they overlooked his zealousness After all his heart was in the right place. So was his dick. His motivation was based on his hatred of Catholics," Trevor said wickedly, winking at a furious Louis.

"He had a wonderful career. Considered to be quite the professional," Richard said seriously, "Till the good fathers found out he was having sexual fantasies of putting Good Queen Protestant Bess on the rack, and squeezing her titties as he was stretching her out. Masturbating to these fantasies."

"All of a sudden his motivations were deemed not to be good. He was certifiably insane," Trevor said.

"Insane torturers torture Protestant breasts, while sane torturers torture Catholic breasts," Richard explained.

To be perfectly fair it was totally sane to burn Protestants at the fire." Trevor said smiling, "In an earlier reign."

"Ah, Protestants roasting on an open fire while frost is nipping at your nose and fingers on a cold February, do you remember the last time we saw a Protestant burning?" Richard said smiling.

"Why yes, I collected a finger out of the ashes for a keepsake," Trevor said smiling, "Not as big of productions as we put on with our wicker baskets. Now the Romans! They put on extravaganzas They even included animal acts!"

"I know that torturer you are talking about who used to do his act in the Tower," Armand said, wrinkling his nose, "He never washed his hands."

"See insanity is subjective. And I prefer you would not call me insane. Unless, you feel you really have to. That Richard, he's one crazy guy, he is. Listen Louis, we didn't hate Sister Helene," Richard said moodily, "We just wanted a May Queen on a full moon lit night to give to the earth, to give to the seeds, to give to life all around us. What shall be and what will end, the sun shall still rise. You're very strange Louis."

"You couldn't possibly have seen a Protestant burning! They did it in the day time!" Louis accused.

"We read our victim's minds who were actually there for the event," Trevor said saucily, "So there!"

"Louis' brother, Paul, was insane. He heard voices. Saw monsters chasing him," Armand said spitefully, "There insanity exists. I've proven it with a perfect example of a perfect madman."

Richard looked thoughtfully at Armand. Louis turned as pale as a page with nothing written on it. Armand scowled at Louis, daring him to be angry at him, desiring nothing more. Slowly, Richard said, "How do you now there wasn't monsters after him?"

"Because there wasn't," Armand said flatly, knowing what Louis did not know, it was he, himself who threw Paul down the stairs.

"Shut up the two of you," Trevor said, "I hear someone screaming for help."

"It's one of our kind," Armand said, "it's not important. Whoever it is they are a stranger. They can fend for themselves."

"Come on, Mister Chilly Bones," Trevor teased, prodding Armand with his dagger "How can you ever be truly alive to possibilities with such an attitude?"

Following Trevor, they burst into a cottage. The three came across a demon ripping at a vampire woman's throat.

Brandishing his sword, Richard hacked at the demon's pointy chin. The monster sprang off off the woman. Smashing into the ceiling, it fell to the floor with a scream. The monster's face and body fused into the elegant form of a Christ like man.

"Maris," whispered, Armand, "Maris."

"It isn't Mairus you dolt, it's," Trevor said.

Before Trevor could go any further the creature' s eyes tuned into an acid yellow, taking up it's own sword it slashed at Armand's face.

Pulling Armand out of the way, Louis dashed forward stabbing the monster's shoulder.

Howling with pain the monster turned from looking like Mairus into a frightened thing which appeared to be a handsome man in his prime. Jumping out the window the demon scurried away.

Trevor cut into his wrist to offer the vampire woman his blood.

She ignored him. Throwing herself at Louis, ripping at his face with her nails, she ranted, "You, you monster, murderer! How could you think I could forget you! You killed my husband. He killed my husband Helmuth. You and that demon child."

Fending her off, Louis pinned her arms to her side. Spitting in his face, she roared "Do you deny it? Why did you come back!"

"Madam, I am sorry for your husband," Louis said tightly, remembering the vampire he killed long ago when he was traveling with his daughter. The vampire who killed an English women named Emily, and later attacked the dead woman's husband. Claudia ended up killing the husband after they killed the vampire. " I didn't know he was your husband. In all fairness he attacked me and my child first."

"We were afraid of you! Other vampires have killed us for sport, calling us backwards, revenants. Him," she sobbed, shrinking in Louis's arm, "We all know who you are, monster, tyrant. How many of us have you murdered?"

"A few," Armand said easily, stroking her face with the tip of his knife. He raised it to plunge into her throat.

"No!" Louis screamed, pushing her back, so Armand's tip hit merely air. Tripping Armand, Louis made him fall into a heap on the ground.

Louis picked up the shaking vampire in his arms, "Leave her alone!" he ordered.

"I was just trying to teach her a lesson on what happens when she doesn't behave herself," Armand snickered.

"Why did you chase after Helmuth Why did you seek him out? We only wanted to be left alone," she wept.

"Madam, I read his mind. His mind was a blank," Louis said nervously, "So was yours when I last saw you."

"He was using his shields Louis, that is why you couldn't read his mind," Richard said sympathetically.

"Madam you're bleeding," Trevor said, "here drink from me, it will make you feel better."

"I haven't felt better since the night Helmuth died. No, the flesh in mending. I do not need your blood kind sir," she tilted her head proudly back. "Do you remember chasing me, Louis? When I was wearing my wedding dress I was buried in?"

"I, my daughter, and I only wanted to talk to you."

"We did not ask for your intrusion into our lives. Richard, thank you for saving my life."

"Madam Eva we all saved your life," he said with a bow, "We must take chase of the monster."

"Non, leave him alone for now. What are they?" Louis demanded.

"They are witches," Eva whispered, "Witches, two of them are brothers sentenced to death for killing a mortal during a Satanic rite. They escaped, killing their jailors. Then killing more mortals and others like us."

"Are you sure of this?" Louis asked.

"Am I sure?" she sneered "I'm as sure as this as this cut on my throat."

"We will eradicate this menace from out mist," Richard said taking up her hand, "You needn't fear. Should she Armand?"

"Enchante, Madam," Armand said kissing her hand also.

Her flesh tingled with repulsion against the cold boldness of Armand's searching lips. He squeezing of her hand didn't reassure her. Not, when she felt the way his eyes mockingly stared at her breasts.

After they left her cottage, she wandered outside.

"Who is out there?' she whispered, fearfully. Going behind some hedges armed with a knife, she found the demon unconscious.

Putting the blade to his throat her hand trembled, "I never killed someone who wasn't aware. What will happen to me if you wake up? I must tell Richard. He'll kill you for me."

She put her hand to his bleeding shoulder. Sighing, she shook her head.

He wasn't pretty. He was just handsome. Thick, dirty, blond hair, a ruddy face, and beard. An average man.

"I'm surprised your blood doesn't attract my lust to kill you," she said, putting her hand underneath his arms, dragging him inside. She first tied his hands and feet together. Then she put water to his head to clean off the crusting blood, using the sheet on her bed to tear into a bandage.

His eyes started to flutter open.

"I have a knife at your throat," she said fearfully.

"Where am I?" he croaked.

Don't move, don't change into something. Why did you attack me?"

"I came to your house thinking it abandoned. You screamed, I was frightened your screams would bring others like you. I panicked. I tried to silence you."

"Permanently," she hissed, "You tried to silence me permanently."

"Yes, I tried to kill you," he said simply, "Now what are you gong to do to me?"

"Why did you kill the mortal girl? Do you feed then on mortals too?"

"No, we do not kill mortals for their flesh or blood, my name is Joachim. I didn't kill any girl. There was no Satanic rite. My brother and I," he swallowed, "My brother is dead. Your friends killed him. He tried to escape, and they killed him."

"Never mind that, just tell me about the mortal girl," Eva demanded.

"We devour corpses. My brother and I. We were born with this ability to change our shapes at will. We hunger for carrion," he said shamed faced, "Neither he nor I have ever murdered anyone. The girl they found with us, she was already dead when we found her. I might add her corpse was drained of most of her blood," he said both fearfully, and bravely. "It wasn't me, nor my brother Klaus who killed her. Was it you? It could have been, couldn't it have been you?"

"It wasn't me," she said stoutly, "But you are right it could have been," she warned, banishing her fangs at him. "The vampires when you attacked them. You killed them. Your brother Klaus, he was trying to kill Armand and the other vampires he attacked."

"We were attacked first! Weeks before he attacked your friends. My brother was wandering thought the forest. A vampire tried to feed off of him. I came from up behind the vampire as he was biting into Klaus' throat. I tuned by arm into a sword and sliced off the vampire's head. There had been a blood feud against my brother and I ever since then. Mortals, vampires, we have been hunted down by both."

"But, isn't there hundreds of you?" Eva cried, "And what about all the vampires I have heard you are responsible for killing?"

"There was only two of us. Now there is just one, myself. There was only one vampire we killed, the first one who attacked Klaus." he cried in a heated voice, "You must believe me."

"Shh, the vampire who tried to kill your brother. He didn't mean it as a personal affront. I've only heard rumors that you were a vampire killer. I thought the rumors were true. He, I, I'm sorry your brother is dead."

"You can not possibly mean it. You're lying!" he cried wildly, "Impossible for one such as you to be sincere."

"There exists in me kindness, compassion," she said tensely, "I lost love one too. I know how it feels."

"What are you going to do with me?" he asked wearily.

"I don't know. I could try to convince Richard and Armand to let you live."

"You know the impossibility of that, let me rest here, I beg you I mean you no harm. Please, I'll leave in the morning. I swear it."

"Stay here the night," she said determinedly, surprising him by cutting the ropes binding his hands and feet. "They will not think to find you here. Stay as long as you like. Are you sure there is no more like you?"

"No, there was just my brother and I. He was a hot headed one, Klaus. He was fed up with being chased, he chose to fight, so he attacked the vampire you call Armand. He hoped he would scare them away. Neither of us knows how to fight. We have been nothing but farmers all our lives till we got caught with the girl's corpse. We haven't the urge to kill which you have. We balk in a fight."

"I know. I should have guessed. When we were fighting, if I wasn't so afraid of you, I could have known what I know now about you. You didn't use half your strength, No one will bother you here. I am far enough from the prying eyes of mortals. The men in our vampire tribe, they are but few. Only two year ago we were considered an unclean caste by others of our kind. They hunted mostly the men in our tribe. And now we mostly number women."

"But why?"

"For whatever the reason, the blood in the veins of vampires in this region has always been poor. Weak. And we had practices which other felt were unclean," she aid biting her lips.

"What did you do?"

"We took children into our tribe First, we made them vampires, Then when we saw the disaster this caused, we adopted children, and made then into vampires at the age of twenty-one. This was a life unnatural for the mortal little ones, Most became insane. We couldn't teach them the concept of good and evil, because how can you teach such concepts when you're murdering mortals left and right? It was too much for them to understand that we had to kill to survive. They didn't have that innate understanding which allows us to be killers. They grew up becoming cruel to animals, to other children, and finally once they were given the dark gift, they were cruel to their own makers. We no longer commit this sin against humanity. I have a sense of right and wrong. Richard fought in hand to hand combat with the coven of vampires which were hunting us down. They used what we had done to children in the past as an excuse to kill our tribe out, not that they needed an excuse. After the battle with Richard, the coven of Norse vampires swore not to kill us for sport anymore. Richard is quite a hero amongst these parts. My husband and I were afraid of the vampire Louis, because we felt he was trying to trap us into admiring what he did to the child with him. We thought he was out to prove we still approve of such evil practices. Now, that we have spoken, I see no evil in you, I wish such misunderstandings could be abolished from the scheme of life. I doubt if the vampire who tried to feed off your brother would have actually sucked off of him. I feel no hunger for you," she said, looking away, "Except."

"Except?"

"I have hunger for your company," she said timidly, "I must go into my coffin."

"Thank you for allowing me to stay."

The next evening Eva awoke. She pried open the lid of her coffin. Joachim was warming himself by the fire.

"I cut wood for you. I should leave now," he said wistfully.

"Must you leave?" she said sadly, placing herself beside him.

Their hands by accident touched.

"You didn't have to repay me by cutting wood for me," she said gruffly, "I'm perfectly capable of cutting wood for myself. Do you think I'm a woman to be taken cared of? I'm not. I may look like a woman, but I'm not. I'm a demon. I don't need you to do anything for me. You must," she looked down at the neatly, swept floor, "You must find me to be repulsive. The clammy cold in my hands" She tried to pull her hand away.

He caught it back, placing it to his cheek," I do not, and could not find you to be repulsive." he said.

The honestly in his voice caused her to move her face to his. Lips timidly touched, then their kiss deepened. He undid her black dress with her enormous buttons of jet. Her breasts fell readily out to be embraced by his searching hands.

"Forgive me for hurting you last night," he asked.

"Forgiven," she said huskily, her hands shaking, confused, disturbed over what she was doing. Wanting him out of love? Out of pleasure? No wanting to belong to someone, to have someone to talk to in the evening, wanting to grow to love someone who could eventually love her back, too. Her flesh wanted to remember what it felt like to rub once again against a man's flesh. To hear a man say her name endearingly.

Her lips opened to the warmth of his tongue. Feverishly, they undressed each other more. Moaning, he parted her legs, touching her hairy sex, stimulating her clitoris with his finger. She felt wonderful moist, molded within his arms.

His stiff penis entered inside of her, he pulled almost out then plunged back in, fucking her, driving her to an organism of enchantment.

Discharging inside of her, he kissed her face over and over again while the fire burned in the fireplace.

Later, while she was getting dressed, she stopped, and said, "Something has happened."

"What do you mean?" he said to her affectionately, loving to watch her pull up her stockings.

"I hear something inside of me," she said in awe, putting her hand to her abdomen, "I hear."

The door flew open Armand and Richard stepped inside.

"Richard, it is all right You need not kill him! His name is Joachim. He's the only one of his kind. He's harmless."

"Stand aside Eva, he's unclean," Richard said in an even voice.

"I was unclean too once. Richard do you remember?"

"I do. I put a stop to the killing field here didn't I? I put you under my protection Eva. He is of a different species. He competes with us for humans. There is little enough to go around."

"He doesn't. I swear he doesn't. Richard listen, listen hard. And count how many heart beats you hear."

Pausing Richard cocked his head. Surprise and dread dawned on him, taking her to a rocker, he laid his head on her lap. it's a miracle," he whispered.

"It's a catastrophe Armand hissed.

"Richard, I'm with child, You can't kill him."

""He isn't one of us." Richard insisted. "You know the rules. We kill any supernatural being we come across. Witches, werewolves, it doesn't matter The more creatures of the night out there the more we risk human's believing in the possibility of our existence."

"Why don't you transform yourself into a little bird, and fly away?" Armand sneered.

"I am not going to run away. I'm facing you both man to man," Joachim said quietly, "It's up to you to decide what is to be done."

"Your child, Joachim, it belongs to the vampire race by means of Eva's blood in its veins. As for you, Eva, I am astounded by your promiscuousness," Richard said bleakly.

Slashing his sword in the air, Richard in one easy swipe beheaded Joachim. His head rolled to the floor, his body collapsed.

Eva screamed. The look on Richard's face silenced her. Going up behind her, he smoothed out her hair. "Coven Master," he said to Armand, "We live by different rules, through I will not kill the child. It is the rule of your caste to murder children. What is your verdict?"

"Armand, have mercy! What happened to the little girl who traveled with your companion?" Eva begged.

"She wasn't a little girl," Armand said coolly, remembering each of Claudia's screams as she was dying. "I withhold for the moment from passing a sentence of execution. If the child develops normally, I am indifferent to its existence, except as a curiosity. Take up the body Richard. We will bury him for you Madam. Good luck with your offspring."

Richard took up Joachim's body up in his arm, Armand obligingly took up the head. They made a bonfire of the remains in the yard. A vampire Elyse, watched from behind a tree. Once the two left, she hurried to Eva's cottage, beating on the door. "Let me in," she said in a low voice.

Eva hurried opened the door, Elyse reached out and put her hands to Eva's womb. Eva did the same to her.

"You are with?"

"Yes, with child. And you, too?"

"Yes, with Klaus' child," she admitted.

Swiftly they embraced. "They killed Joachim then," Elyse said.

''Yes, this is no time yet for tears. He will come for our children Armand once they are born, He may even experiment on them. I saw in his mind what he did to the vampire Claudia! Slicing her head off, and attaching it to various vampires. He wanted me to see what he had done to her! We have to get away. No way will he want the babies to live too long. Think Elyse. They will be stronger than vampires than witches."

"What if he tracks us? What if he tells the vampire world of your pregnancy? And they find out about my child! We will not live past a week!"

"No, we will can't think like that. We will hide our children, teach them how to shield We will find a mortal slave to care for them. And when others ask us what became of them, we will show the them the ash remains of two infants who we will turn into vampires, before we kill them."

"To kill mortal infants, to make them monsters first, then to murder them with fire!"

"It must be done so our children will live,. It must be done without mercy, for if our children are discovered no mercy will be shows to them. Let us pack. We'll leave here for, for, I know not where."

"You find a mortal infant to kill," Elyse said, stroking her stomach, "I can't. They do not know about me."

"Then you cannot travel with me," Eva said coldly, "We're both on our own then."

Elyse twisted her eyes shut, she shielded her unborn's child's heartbeat. Swallowing, she said in a strange hurt voice, "I will do what has to be then. You are not alone, nor or we."

Squeezing her hand, Eva kissed her cheek.

As the two vampire woman packed, Armand and Richard wandered lazily through the woods.

"What did you feel about my act of compassion towards, Eva?" Armand gaily said.

"False, I thought it to be false."

"What? You would have wanted me to perform an abortion on her right then and there? Nothing like this has ever happened."

"It's terrible making her carry the child for how many months it will take for it to form inside of her, allowing her time to fall in love with it. It would be kinder to kill it right now."

"She'll more than likely miscarry the freak. Or her body will die trying to keep it alive on a diet of blood. You worry too much. You should talk. Killing her lover before her eyes."

I was quick about it. I left her with no doubts. Nothing to imagine about. She knew how he died."

"Yes, she knew how he died," Armand said, caressing Richard's back. Taking his wrist, forcing Richard to his knees.

"The night you prevented me for killing your companion, I didn't kill him because you are stronger than he is. My strength out classes yours," Armand said challengingly.

"Does it?" Richard said meekly. Ignoring the pain, getting up to his feet, he tried to pull away.

"What saved your miserable Trevor's life was my interest in you," Armand said softly, reaching for Richard's slacks. "You and I will make quite a coven. As long as you know Richard who is on top."

"Don't. I don't," Richard said weakly, "This is sick. Perverted."

"Why?" Armand said amused.

"Nothing you are doing is perverted. It is what I will want to do to you," Richard pleaded.

"To me?"

"Yes, when I was a boy, I was taken from my family at the age of five. I resigned myself to my destiny of becoming a Druid priest. First, I had to be the servant of Mael. It was a good life, he was a fine master. I have no bitterness towards the one who made me. When I was thirteen, I made love to another boy my age," Richard swallowed, "When I climaxed inside of him, the release, it wasn't enough. I took my dagger, and I cut his throat. The blood ribboned out on his chest, on my hands, I felt released finally when his body did its death jerks in my arms."

"Did it make you feel all better? Like a real man?" Armand said amused.

"It made me hate myself. I pulled at my cock. I wanted to pull it out of myself. I didn't want it anymore. I was so confused about what to do. If I should tell. Trevor saw what happened. He was my brother in the priesthood. A servant like myself. We buried the boy. No one knew but Trevor. He knew I would be executed as an evil doer if our tribe found out. I would be put in a wicker basked after being whipped, and then I would be burned alive. Perhaps even drained of my blood by the Tree God, himself. A vampire who lived in the sacred oak tree. At first, I, I used everything I could to keep myself in a drugged stupor whenever I felt sexual urges to keep myself from killing again. People assumed Trevor and I were lovers because he looked out for me. I starved myself so I would stop feeling anything. I started to hallucinate, talk in tongues, people thought I was blessed, a host to the gods. They would ask for my blessings, to bless their fields, their children. I became a celebrity for my gift of making good guesses about the future. If it wasn't for Trevor I would have taken my own life simply to escape from the truth about what I was, what I had done to my first lover."

"How did you get to be so strong?"

"Mael, the night after he was tuned into a vampire by the Tree God, he wanted to watch Trevor and I. Watch two mortal boys make love. He was curious about things mortal. I begged him, tried to refuse him. He arrogantly threatened me with death. He had changed. He was bitter, angry. So I died, before I did; he did this to me. Can't you see? I knew I would hurt, maybe even kill Trevor if I had obeyed Mael, and made love to him. I then made Trevor into a vampire. I told him because I wanted to reward him with eternal life for keeping my secret and saving my life. He knows the real reason. I couldn't part from my brother. I had to keep him with me. Always."

"Surely you are not afraid of hurting me?" Armand said, caressing his throat.

"I knew those Who Must Be Kept."

"You what?" Armand said, taking his hand away.

"Marius would leave for long periods of a time. He was a fool to think no other vampires had commerce with Queen Akasha and King Enkil, but him. Trevor and I bribed his servants to allow us to visit them. I tore a piece of paper in front of Akasha's oblique eyes, and I said, "Everything stays the same. Eternal. Nothing dies."

"She awakened. She let you drink?"

"No, it was Enkil."

"The king?" Armand gasped.

"He awakened, he said I was a young vampire who knew things. He took me to a bedroom. Understand, he walked as if his legs were wrapped in linen, he was stiff, terrifying. He laid me down and begin to kiss and undress me. I was too terrified to kiss him back. He smelled so old. He reeked of blood, dead, dried blood. When he opened his mouth rusty dust fell out of it. I didn't want him. Glass was shattering around us as he toyed with me, unseen hands were projecting vases to smash against walls. He protected Trevor, I, and himself from Akasha's mental rampage. Trevor took my hand, no reproachful look from the king would drive him away. He wept as Enkil, he, he entered me. Caressed me, kissed me, while Trevor cried, and I, I couldn't take it. The arousal I felt burning inside myself, my prick, the ejaculation, it wasn't enough. I grabbed my knife, and I stabbed him, and I drank myself sick."

"There wasn't a sound then in the room, but for her wicked laughter, I drank. I expected for him to crush me, burn me alive. Instead, he cooed at me, and he drank from me. And I, I stabbed him again. This time he let out a murderous howl. Trevor dived between us taking the blow to his chest. Even Trevor's vampire skin can not rid itself of the bruise from Enkil's fist to this very night. Then it was dawn. Enkil somehow made it back to Akaha's side. Trevor and I left. I've been powerful ever since then."

"Not as powerful as me," Armand laughed, putting his fingers to Richard's lips, caressing the curves of his ass, "I want you. Want to make something of it?"

"No, you don't want me. You're as empty of a personality as I am. We do not compliment each other. I am on a crusade. I'm searching for a savior. Yes, I am. Don't laugh. So are you. All your life, Marius, Santino, you're well known Armand, finally Lestat. You looked to them to show you the way. I'm like you Armand . I live for a vision. I thought Akasha and Enkil could prove to be the vampire messiahs. And all Enkil wanted from me was nothing but a piece of tail. I was disappointed. Perhaps they will prove me wrong. Perhaps she will prove me wrong someday. You can't give up Armand."

"I don't need a savior. That's the difference between you and me. What stops me from pulling down your slacks and fucking you as hard as I can, proving to you who is the master here?"

"You're not happy being a master. You're not happy being a slave. No lover can make you happy. We're too equal in strength, you and I. Both of us, together, would fight and wrestle for centuries before you could force me to give in to you. You're a dog taking a piss Armand, trying to prove he's the bigger dog."

"Why not admit it? You love Trevor. Trevor can be part of my coven too," Armand said coldly, "He's not unattractive. It's been a while since I've had a lover. Trevor and you both can be part of my," Armand smiled, "personal coven. "The way you kill mortals. Gruesome, that can change through. You want some one to guide you? A savior to save you from yourself. I hate that word, savior, but if you prefer it to master, than savior it is."

"No. I don't think you're the one I'm looking for. You're only out for yourself. I do love Trevor, too much to do the things I so deeply desire to do to a lover," Richard said bleakly. "I refuse to be in a coven with you. It wouldn't be right."

"Keep your virtue Richard," Armand said coolly, "You're a ridiculous figure. I think you to be too afraid of love, of passion. That's why you killed the boy you desired. That's way you attempted to kill Enkil. You're emotionally impotent. I cannot abide a coward."

"For that, I'm forever grateful," Richard said, scrambling away form Armand.

Trevor and Louis set a fire while waiting for Armand and Richard to come back.

"Why do you travel with Armand?" Trevor asked, "And this wandering of yours through the wilderness. I understand it for me and Richard. Our mortal life was one big camp out, but you, you're used to heath and home."

"I travel with Armand? You are mistaken. He travels with me. I simply let my feet lead me to which ever direction they must go."

"I'm gong to hunt There are shepherds out here. They seem to be put here for that purpose alone."

"What do you mean?" Louis asked.

"Alone, all alone, watching their flocks. Accidents happen to them so easily," Trevor said warning his hands, "I mastered the little drink. What after ages of survival. Tonight, I feel the need to drink in full. Not the hunger, but the need. Yourself?"

"I drink in full yet out of hunger," Louis said, shivering.

"There is an old man I know of watching his flock. I've taken several drinks from him already. First, I get him drunk, then I pretend to let him sleep with me. It's pleasant for him. All in his mind. He thinks a young vagabond is so in love with him that this young imp comes every night to suckle off of what's between his legs. Pity for him, he doesn't know in his dream blasted mind which part of him I'm actually sucking on. Doesn't know the ejaculation he's having is of blood and not of old man's seed. He does have a lovely throat."

"Why torment the man?"

"He finds it to be far from a torment You're so very strange Louis, can I escort you to him? I'm sure he isn't so much in love with me, he would not like to be with another young man."

"I can hunt on my own," Louis said carelessly.

"You do everything on your own. Don't you? Has it always been like this? I can't imagine being as alone as the two of you are. You and Armand."

"My privacy is as valuable to me as your friendship with Richard is to you."

"Don't tell me then about yourself. I was only trying to make you someone to me rather than you being just a part of the scenery."

"Why?"

"Because, I don't know. Richard, you're right he is my friend. He directs every move I make. I sometimes would like to make a move without his overseeing it."

"Ah, resentment."

"Not at all! I just, we protect each other, or so I think. Sometimes, I wonder about my usefulness to him, After all, he's so powerful. And I've always been a tag-a-long to his brilliancy. "

"I'm gong to hunt now," Louis said, noting with diastase the look of longing in the other's eyes.

Smashing a rock onto Louis' head, Trevor ducked. Louis swung at him, kicking him sharply in the groin. Trevor jumped, him, hitting him repeatedly till Louis lay unconscious on the ground.

Louis awoke hanging in chains from the meat hook in the small cottage. His naked body shook in the moist cold of the compact room. "So you sacrifice the undead too?" Louis cursed, "End my existence then."

"I'll do no such thing," Trevor said, his naked body white in the darkness, "I, I. Sorry about hitting you. Look candles." He took a small riding whip smacking Louis semi-aroused erection with it. Smacking his thighs till blood streamed down his long legs.

"How else could I have gotten you here, but by hitting you?" he asked lustfully, " I have pride of my own. The foreplay is over. It's your choice now. I don't want you, unless you want me too. If you're not interested, I have my old man waiting for me to stuff in his coffin. I could careless. How does it feel?" Trevor said, soulfully, his sharp tongue making contact with the bloody skin, he rubbed his face on Louis' chest, looking guiltily up at him, very carefully, he licked the blood off of the whip, "how does it feel?" Trevor asked, slowly.

"It feels the way you desire to feel," Louis said, the pain between his legs, in his thighs making delicious patterns of mixed emotions in his mind. The vampire licking his bloody cock looked like a vulnerable man.

How can I resist you? Louis thought greedily, the way you cower and crawl in your skin. Trying to act so tough. So ready to seek my approval. You're a fake tough guy. You lie when you say to me you don't give a damn. All your brashness is gone. The way you almost seeked my permission even as you were whipping me.

Wrapping his long legs around Trevor's head, he pulled Trevor to his groin, "You want to know how this feels because you want to be hanging here."

No," Trevor whispered against Louis' abdomen.

"I want you. I want to take the whip and show you how to really break skin. I want to make your flesh wet and sticky. Blood free and available to taste, free to rape, I want to put my cock deep inside of you, Trevor, Uncuff me," Louis said in a smooth voice.

Nervously, Trevor took the key, releasing Louis. Louis fell lightly on his feet to the floor. He cuffed up Trevor's wrists. Trevor's flesh trembled, trapped, he struggled to free himself, his feet dangling inches from the floor. He thought briefly of Sister Helene hanging in the exact spot. The thought of her made him tremble with fear and shame. His arms stretched out in taunt teasing pain, "Do what you want," he said with his dry lips.

"I want," Louis said seductively, rubbing the lash against Trevor's lips.

"Yes, yes, do what you want," Trevor said, breathlessly.

"I want to take a bath," Louis said,

"A what!" Trevor's eyes snapped open.

"A bath," Louis said lightly, tapping the whip handle against Trevor's face. Louis' fingers itched to slap the helpless vampire with the whip harder across the face. His breath became excited, and fast. His cock ached between his legs.

"You want me?" Trevor said choking on his anger, "Or are you aroused because you made me your dupe? Damn you, let me out of these chains."

"Non. Have you learned a lesson here? I am not interested in acquiring a lover, not interested at all. I'm going to bathe in the stream. You can stay here till someone frees you," Louis said in an amused voice. "And Trevor," he smacked him on the butt with the whip making him yelp. "Don't you ever hit me again."

"You made your position on this matter quite perfectly clear!" Trevor spat, twisting, biting at the chains, his shoulders collapsing in impotent fury, "This hurts. I want out. You can't leave me like this. Have a heart, Louis. Let's call it even."

"He doesn't have a heart, and yes, he can leave you like this," Armand said, standing at the door. He shut it. "Leave Louis," Armand said, taking off his shirt.

"Armand don't," Louis said harshly.

"Don't leave, Louis, don't leave, I changed my mind Louis," Trevor pleaded. "I don't want to do this. Not with him. Please."

"You heard me Louis. He wants it. He's a monster. Remember Sister Helene? He isn't worthy of your sympathy," Armand said licking his lips, "leave us."

"You don't give a damn what happened to Sister Helene," Trevor yelled, "Armand you know you don't give a damn. Louis, don't leave."

Louis tied to kindle within himself some type of feeling for Trevor weeping in chains. How can you kindle fire from dead ashes, he thought. I feel nothing. Not even anything for myself.

Without looking at Trevor, Louis left him alone with Armand.

"Fuck you, I don't care. Where's Richard," Trevor yelled in defiance.

"Out procuring meat for us," Armand purred, going to Trevor, he slapped his face as hard as he could. Trevor's neck made a cracking sound as it flew backwards.

"Tell me who I am," Armand said softly.

Trevor spit in his face, The spittle ran red on Armand's cheek. Slapping his face again, Armand laughed, "Tell me who I am."

"You're, you're my master," Trevor croaked, blood gushing from his broken lips. With a sigh he allowed Armand to cauterize the pain with a passionate kiss.

Pulling down his trousers, Armand fondled his erection so Trevor could watch it lengthen. Taking up the whip Armand rained it upon Trevor's white flesh, slashing at his cock , thighs, legs, no piece of flesh on his body was spared. Tasting the blood from his skin, his tongue slide between Trevor's crack, tonguing his firm buttocks, his hands pressed and caressed between his balls, and ass hole, he pocked his thumb inside to try out his tightness.

"What are going going to do?" Trevor asked fearfully, "You hit too hard! Why are you so angry? Because of what I did to Louis? Stop it Armand. This has gone far enough. It's my fault. I'm not your slave do you hear me? I choose how I will react to this. I will not choose to want you."

"You think you have a choice? You little tease," Armand laughed, delighting in Trevor's pain and fear, "You think you'll have a choice about how you will feel? I'll make you feel what ever I want you to feel."

Leave him alone," Richard said in a deadly tone, coming into the room.

"Go outside Richard. This doesn't concern you. Or does it? Look at him, He's delicious," Armand said taking Trevor's balls up in his hands, fondling them. "Want to try him?"

"Richard, no leave, I can't" Trevor screamed, trying to pull away.

"I caught your little friend here with Louis. He was chained as he is now. He wanted Louis to fuck him. Ask him."

"Louis told me," Richard said sternly, "he's outside waiting for you. I suggest you join him."

"Join that puffed up corpse? No, I'm happy where I'm at," Armband said coolly, stroking the tears of humiliation on Trevor's face. "I'm going to fuck my lover now. Ah, Richard, he is a virgin isn't he? He must be."

Richard watched as Armand's cock penetrated into Trevor's stiff bleeding body.

"The whip is over there, beat him, while I fuck him," Armand gasped, "Look at him. He's enjoying this. He's prefect for me. I'm taking him from you Richard. You can come with us if you want. After I'm done fucking him I'll invite you to fuck him, Richard. Then he can fuck me. Only one who knows the pleasure of pain as well as he will is able to inflect upon me the pleasure I want. Take the whip. Beat him."

Richard shook with rage and desire, he could smell the mixture of sex and blood emanating from Trevor's tortured body, he imagined it was himself inside of Trevor. His cock tight inside of him, thrusting in him, kissing Trevor's bloody, screaming lips, taking up a knife, slicing into the skin, deeper, slicing into Trevor's spinal cord. Trevor's screams becoming gurgles. Trevor choking on his screams. Trevor dying. Trevor dead.

"No!" Richard yelled, sweat running down his face, yanking Armand off, throwing him against the stone wall.

"The only reason we are together is because we struck a bargain to get your painting," Richard cursed.

Blood seeped out from Armand's scalp.

Going to Trevor, Richard said coldly, "You allowed yourself to be tricked."

"What do you want of me, Richard?" Trevor wept, "What did you expect from me? For me to live all eternity as a priest, as a virgin? I wanted to see what it was like. Wanted to be able to think of something else when we hang people up here."

"You're weak. I don't care what you want. I never care what you want. You will never allow a man to penetrate you. Find a lover if you want. I don't care, Trevor. But, you will not allow a man to treat you in this fashion, or our friendship is terminated. I will never see you again. You will be dead to me."

"Never, never, I promise," Trevor whimpered.

"Listen to me. I am going to cause you to sleep. Look into my eyes Trevor. I'm gong to take you to a safe place. Trust me?"

"You let him enter me, you watched. Louis knew I didn't want to, he left me," Trevor said, weakly, "And you watched."

"Trust me." Richard whispered.

"Yes," Trevor said helplessly.

Mesmerizing his friend's mind, freezing the electrons and neurons in his brain, Richard watched as Trevor's head fell sideways. Trevor's lips were crusty with dry blood.

You look like the five year old child who was my friend so long ago, Richard thought, tenderly caressing his cut face, Do you remember how we laid together, two lonely boys staring up at a strange thatch roof. The fire was so smoky. The smoke smarted our eyes, remember? And we talked till you fell asleep. We missed our families. They sold us, didn't they my friend, to another tribe. And all we had was each other, and the priests we were so afraid of. I couldn't sleep till I threw my arm around you. Only then could I sleep.

"I love you Trevor," Richard whispered, placing his lips against Trevor's throat. He could feel his warm the stickiness of his moist, injured flesh, Trevor's fresh blood was staining Richard's clothing, The tips of Richard's fangs were against Trevor's throat.

A tear slide down Richard's face. This is how I kill people, the thought.

Victims crowded into his mind, victims who bled into his mouth, only to become thrown away corpses, abandoned, "No, no," Richard moaned , taking his lips away from Trevor's throat.

"You won't kill him," Armand said quietly, "If you drink from him."

"Leave it alone, Armand, Filthy, perverted, that's what I am. Worse than you. I won't make love to him. Through you are right. Blood sucking is the only way for vampires to make love. I've had covens. Surprise you? I allowed my followers to make love. I would even have allowed them to make love to Trevor in blood sharing, if he wanted to, he never tried to take a lover till tonight. He didn't want you Armand. You were so unkind to him. Why? Because of me? You had to win the pissing match you imagine there is between us? Because he tried to make love to your companion. Louis thinks of Trevor as being nothing but a joke. Why did you do this Armand? Mortal sex is perverted. Mortal sex is unnatural to us."

"So, have vampire sex with him," Armand said critically.

"No, he's my friend not my lover. He's my bother by adoption. He shouldn't have let down his guard. He shouldn't have made himself vulnerable to you, or to me."

"Like the boy you killed so long ago? Was it his fault too?" Armand sneered.

"It wasn't the boy's fault. It was an accident. Neither of us knew what would happen. Trevor knows what can happen," Richard said numbly, taking Trevor out of his chains.

"Put Trevor down," Armand commanded.

He stepped over to Richard laying his head on his shoulder, putting his hand gently to Trevor's unconscious face. "Put him down. I can cure you of what afflicts you."

Richard could smell his perfume. Armand's beautiful face kissed his. A face different from the sharp, calculating face of Trevor's. He was startled at the sophistication in the voice coming from such an guileless appearing boy. It was like the monster who had beaten and sodomized his friend no longer existed. Couldn't have existed.

"I can cure you," Armand said knowingly, "you can not kill me; I can certainly kill you. You're a wonderful challenge for me, Richard. I can sense in you your unhappiness over the ritual murders you do against humans."

"Once I found a savior there will be no reason to kill," Richard said softly, "I know this." He kissed Armand back. Their tongues slid into each other's mouth, seeking out each others fangs, blood started to fall.

"I am the savior. I will beat the devil out of you," Armand said earnestly, blood trailing down his chin from their kiss. "I am so anticipating the moment we will make love. Hard steel against hard steel. When you move to strike me, I will strike you harder, I will tame you to where the very idea of striking me, will cause you terror. I will even put a bit in your mouth when we make love. I will make you normal. I will cure your insanity. Make you subservient to me. Take you to the ninth degree of obedience. You will belong to me. Trevor can be mine too. Give him to me, give yourself to me. Let me put you on the leash you deserve. Learn to worship me. I will make it easy for you both. I will be a good master to you and Trevor. You will be at my right hand, Trevor at my left."

"I don't believe you. I don't love you. I don't need you," Richard said calmly, "What you're suggesting isn't what I want, if I can't have what I want, I want nothing at all. You are as abnormal as I am. How can you cure me? How can you keep my kills to simple thirst alone. Armand? We both know you are as calculated as a killer as myself. You killed, and had others kill for you for power. I always, even when mortal, killed out of a compulsive need to be satisfied. We both have killed for fame. As innocent as I would like to be, I know I can't be innocent. Neither of us can make the each other into innocent men. Neither of us can love each other without ultimately being disgusted with each other."

"Have it your own way. Love? You speak of love? Such a nicety, Richard, and coming from you, who would expect it?" Armand said amused, "You have refused me, but what about him? And if he decides to come with me, will you interfere with us?"

Armand's face seemed melt from a boy's wondering face into a puddle of mature, evil sensuality. Richard stepped back impressed.

"Why should he go with you after you hurt him the way you did?" Richard said.

"He knows I was playing with him. I'm sure he's flattered I paid him any attention at all," Armand said, pretending to look at his nails. He looked up smiling, "I can show him another side of myself, I can make love to him with such tenderness it would it would make the angels cry. Then I can make love to him with an imagination so depraved that you wouldn't want to ponder on what I can do to him. I can do anything for him. Including love him. Can you?" Armand said mockingly,

"I will not interfere if he chooses you. Tomorrow night, we go to Berlin. Your painting is there," he said softly, holding Trevor tightly.

"In a museum, no doubt, collecting dust," Armand said, casually, getting dressed, "I've proven my point Richard. I am the master vampire. I take what I want, when I want it. And if I can't have what I want, if I feel insulted, or slighted in any way, I can be a terrible beast. You've been punished properly enough. Take your shabby Trevor and yourself out of my sight for now. You best watch your step around me, otherwise if I feel you to be a threat to me, or to my companion, Louis."

"We are no threat to either of you. You've proven your point Armand. You are the more powerful one," Richard said. "Now leave us the both alone."

Armand watched Richard carry Trevor out. A tear fell down Armand's face, he whispered, "Why is it no impossible for you to care about me? Any of you? You got what you deserve. The both of you. Louis, Lestat, Claudia too. I wish sometimes I cared enough about Marius to give him what he deserves for his desertion of me. For loving Pandora more. For judging me for killing innocents in my theatre, and in my coven. If you're capable of being hurt Richard, I hope I hurt you tonight. I hope I hurt you good."

Nights later they were on a ship headed for Berlin. Looking in a mirror, Louis carefully fixed his tie. The ship, he and his fellow travelers were on, had all the modern conveniences any modern man would feel naked without. Running water for hot steamy baths and showers, electric lights, and a radio, made his room completely modern. The song, "Yes, We have No Bananas" was playing on the radio.

I don't need these things, Louis thought smugly. Machinery ran by the magic of electricity. I don't need these things. I'm not at all dependent on them. Life by the light of candles in the eightieth century was better, it wasn't as glaring.

Strolling out of his cabin he had to admit it was a kind of cultural shock to be on a luxury cruise after spending months in Europe. After what happened between Trevor and Armand, they had ended up in southern Europe. Armand surprisingly did not want to part with Richard and Trevor. He made an excuse every time Richard proposed they go to Berlin Even more surprising, Trevor and Richard were willing to be in Armand's company. It seemed a feeling of, if not sympathy, but of understanding, and of shared experiences, adhered the three together in an uneasy camaraderie which Louis could only wonder at. Armand seemed to delight in playing little head games with Richard. Richard would barely acknowledge him when he became this way. As long as Trevor and Richard kept their kills to themselves, their company was tolerable. All three of them seemed to need each other in a strange way, if only to validate that they were others like themselves, and they were not alone. They would sit together, speaking in hushed voices about their pasts. Louis couldn't fathom their deep seated need to be with others of their kind. One night, Armand was particularly attentive to Trevor. He accepted Armand's attentions with a blank stare, and edgy smart remarks. Richard whispered to Louis, 'Armand is sniffing at crotches again.' Trevor heard Richard's remark, his face turned a furious red, and he ran away. Richard ran after him. Louis and Armand heard some angry words and threats of leaving hurled at Richard from Trevor. The next night, Richard was determined on their going to Berlin. He booked their passage on a ship, and told them he was going, the devil take who ever wasn't going with him. They all agreed to go.

Louis listened attentively to the German passengers around him, absorbing their speech patterns.

Entering the bar, he made his way to where Trevor, Armand, and Richard were seated.

Armand was wearing a sturdy pair of tan knickers, a V-necked sweater, and a bow tie. The outfit made him look younger than the seventeen year old boy he once was when he had died.

Richard and Trevor both wore light colored blazers, and white pleated slacks called "Oxford bags," wide legged cuffed pants which dragged along the ground when they walked. Trevor even had an English driving cap on. Louis' own suit was a conservative three button affair of shark skin, and a silk tie. He had to smile about how everyone's long locks including his own had been shorn off, everyone's hair was parted in the middle, slicked back with brillintine. They looked right out of the book Armand was reading, F. Scott's Fitzgerald's, "This Side Of Paradise."

I wonder if Armand ever misses the look of a muscular calf in a silk white stocking as much as I do? Louis thought briefly about how dashing Lestat looked in an embroidered French coat, breeches, and stockings.

Trevor pulled a little bit at his shirt, missing the home spun tunic he used to wear as a mortal young man. Richard could careless about what he was wearing. Clothing was simply part of the strategy to blend in with current affairs. Armand felt perfectly at ease in his young mortal garments. Cheerfully, he noticed the lustful looks his appearance caused in older men's eyes, he felt like a mortal feels when reading a menu as he studied the flesh of this man, or that woman, really as if he was a mortal trying to decide which lobster he wanted out of the lobster tank.

Women were wearing clothing by Chanel, or Elsa Schiparlli's line of surrealist print clothing.

The women look much prettier than they did when they once wore corsets which formed them into hour glass shapes with waists as tiny as twenty inches. They used to look like pigeons with their chests forced out, and their hips pointed backwards and slightly up to make their bodes to be fashionably contorted like the letter, "S". This "garconne," the so called boyish look now in vogue, ironically makes them look more like real women. I do miss the heavy length of a woman's perfumed hair through. The "bobbed" look and the "bee-stung" lips seem a little disturbing to me, Louis thought.

A jazz band was playing frantically, catching the upbeat mood of the dancers flaying their hands and feet. The saxophone player and trumpet player swayed on their toes. Louis couldn't help but wish he was dancing along with the mortals. Dancing with one of the pretty girls, one with her ankles and even her knees showing.

A woman wearing a sleeveless chiffon evening gown embellished with elaborate bead work and a long trailing slash rubbed against Louis playfully from behind.

"Ah, I thought I might make an acquaintance with you," she said, "You care to dance?"

He almost slipped by quaintly asking his name be included on her dance card, and also by saying he would be delighted to meet her mother who certainly had to be chaperoning her. Of course she had no chaperone, he reminded himself.

These modern day women how positively daring they have become, he thought smiling at her with his brilliant whire teeth, admitting to himself her bobbed hair, and her turban was very elegant on her sleek head, "Mademoiselle, I would be delighted to dance with you later."

"French. I do not speak your language of love," she laughed, "Someone will have to teach me. Perhaps you will teach me? About how to speak in French. Or perhaps you will teach me about love?" she flirted in German.

"Pardon me," Louis said, speaking German with a delightful accent, "I would love to dance with you later. Do not stray far."

"My name is Clare. I will not stray far," she said cheerfully.

He took up her gloved hand planting a ardent kiss on it. He then joined the others at the table. Louis was surprised when Armand pulled out a deck of cards.

Armand is a game player, Louis thought to himself. A different kind of game player than Trevor and Richard, but a game player none the less.

Trevor and Richard sometimes made Louis feel like the head master of a school for wayward boys.

Trevor put a mouse in one of the dining room's china sugar bowls. Richard replaced the Captain's fine brand of tobacco with chocolate powder. The two of them were constantly playing silly pranks on the passengers.

Louis kept the ship clean of rats, and took little drinks as they all did from different passengers. Armand taught him how to divide his thirst between three different passengers.

"I'm glad you finally made it here. A bad habit you learned from Lestat? To take so long with your grooming?' Armand said lightly.

Louis colored, he could tell Armand was in the mood to be spiteful. Using Lestat to make me angry is incorrigible, he thought taking up his cards.

"What shall we play for gentlemen?" Armand said, "I know. The winner of this hand gets to bed Trevor tonight."

"And if I win?" Trevor said annoyed.

"You get to bed me. Or who ever you want to go to bed with," Armand said winking at Richard, "Maybe you'll win Richard. Wouldn't that be nice for you both?"

"Haven't you a Teddy Bear to bed with Junior?" Trevor said coldly.

"The card game is over," Richard said, throwing the cards on the table. He wanted to take Trevor by the hand and pull him to him, just to touch him, reassure him. Take him to his bedroom and make love to him, like he wished he could make love. With passion and tenderness. Where will it lead to? Richard thought sadly. He gave a barely polite nod to Armand and left the bar.

"Trevor, Louis are we playing? Or have I won by default?" Armand sneered, teasing one of the buttons on Trevor's shirt then meaninglyfully tapping on it.

Trevor looked at Armand with clear, expressionless eyes, "I have to see if Richard's all right, He's been having nightmares."

Placing his cards down on the table he left too.

"Armand why do you push the both of them," Louis said, placing his cards on he table.

"It pleases me to mock them. There isn't much else to do on this damn ship," Armand said peevishly, "Come on. Let's go up on the deck."

Leaving together, they found Trevor and Richard looking out to sea. Trevor's hands were on the railing. Richard's hands clasped behind his back. The two of them perfectly apart, yet linked together.

Louis stopped to listen to their conversation, To his surprise Richard was talking about an article written about an anti-Semitic speech Charles Lindbergh the celebrated aviator gave. Trevor mentioned the anti-Semitic tone of Hemmingway's novel the "Sun Also Rises." They both discussed back and forth the struggle between the Communist party, and the newest political party in Germany, the National Socialist Party. Trevor mentioned in article he read by
Elbermayer concerning the need to bring back the idealized version of Greek love which older men have for youths in order to produce excellent solders out of young boys, The older men would bestow happiness, devotion and pride to youthful, beautiful, enlightened, asexual boys. The boys would become obligated out of love and gratitude for their father figures to be good followers.

Trevor made an obscene joke which made Richard laugh.

"Come on, I don't want to disturb them," Louis whispered to Armand.

"How can we disturb them? When they are already disturbed? Armand whispered back, "I want to talk to you alone. Louis, I want to make an admission to you. Please come to my cabin," Armand said, taking Louis by the arm. Louis couldn't help but think they looked ludicrously like an older brother being pestered by his earnest younger sibling. If mortals only knew Louis thought.

Armand opened the door to his fist class cabin. "Louis, what I did with Trevor. You know it was an act of anger, of violence."

"I couldn't imagine it to be anything but," Louis said quietly.

Armand started to pace, "I was upset about being rejected once again."

"You shouldn't have done it. Richard is very protective of Trevor."

"That little street rat? He's more than capable of causing havoc. Trevor can take care of himself. I wanted to taunt Richard. Show him I was capable of doing what he can't do. He knew the only reason Trevor was begging me to stop was because he caught us in the act. Richard knew Trevor wanted it, wanted it bad. We would have enjoyed ourselves if Richard hadn't discovered us."

"Have you and Trevor actually talked alone since?" Louis asked looking down at his hands.

"He avoids me. Richard doesn't let him out of his sight. Even if he wanted to slip into my coffin one night, he knows Richard wouldn't allow it, despite Richard's protestations it's up to what Trevor wants."

"Do you want Trevor?"

"Maybe for a year, ten years," Armand laughed. His face became serious. "Trevor isn't very interesting to me. Louis, I never hurt you, have I?"

"Not physically," Louis aid softly.

"Mentally? Emotionally? Is that how I hurt you?" Armand asked, taking his hands, "Louis I would never hurt you. Unlike how I feel about Trevor, I respect you too much to ever want to hurt you."

"Armand," Louis said gently.

"Wait, don't talk, hear me out. I bought you this ring, if it means anything to you at all, I want you to wear it," Armand said huskily, "hear me out, I did my best to save all three of you. In the end it was not my choice how Claduia died, It was Claudia's choice. She killed herself. It wasn't I who killed her."

"You led me to believe Santiago, your coven killed her," Louis cried, "I don't believe you. I'll never believe you. Claudia would never!"

"I tried to save her, I told her to leave, to escape, she refused," Armand pleaded.

"Why? Why? Why did she kill herself?"

"She was losing her mind," Armand lied, knowing the truth. Claudia refused to let Madeleine face her death alone." Louis, she was insane, her insanity frightened her finally, She wanted to be the queen of my coven. She wanted you to be dead. She wanted Lestat to be dead. When I refused to kill you and Lestat, she wept. She killed herself because she was in love with me, and I loved you."

Louis went pale, "I see."

"I do love you, I want us to be companions for life,. You're my escape from the brutal episodes in my life. I want us to sleep together tonight, as lovers, as partners," Armand begged, "Don't you see. You can make me gentle, calm, if you would but only choose to love me."

"Don't you understand, the night Claduia died, the night Lestat died, I died too. I care about you, Armand, but I cannot be in love you."

"You care about me?"

"Yes, I care about what happens to you at least, I care that much," Louis said, surprised that he meant it. He put his hand under Armand's chin, tilting Armand's head back to better see the sadness on Armand's face. Louis felt a vague pity for the vampire's loneliness.

"I see," Armand said coldly, "Then I suppose we must part ways."

"It that is your wish," Louis said humbly.

"Do you believe me?"

"You've told me so many lies. It really doesn't matter does it? Suicide, murder. She's dead," Louis said picking up a white glove, remembering his daughter in his heart, "Armand you can travel with me if you want."

"You're indifference towards me is killing me," Armand despaired, "Yes, Louis, I would very much like to travel with you. I want to go to New Orleans after we have my painting back,"

"The memories there," Louis said shaking his head.

"It's home to you Louis, I want to take you home," Armand said gently, thinking bitterly, back home to Lestat.

"Louis, please let me," he said, getting on his knees, taking his wrist. Carefully kissing it, stoking it with his tongue, he send pleasure through out Louis' body. Armand tenderly bit into the skin. Louis stroked Armand's hair, the drain of his blood made him light headed, tight, then loose, falling in a swoon. He was moved physically. Emotionally, he didn't care, not in the way Armand was so desperate for him to care. A tear fell from his green eye. Pulling away his wrist from Armand's blood kiss, he walked out of the room. Leaving Armand and the ring alone in the room.

Nights later, the four got off at the ship onto the docks of Berlin. The city still had the after effects of the last war evident on it's ravaged face. Burned out buildinsg stood sillouted in the darkness.. Slowly, the Berliners were trying to dig their way out of ruin. The Versailles Treaty forced Germany to take the full responsibility of the war, making economic recovery seem impossible. Poverty, homelessness was every where. Inflation made buying a loaf of bread a
financial nightmare.

"The moral of this country is very low," Armand remarked as they rode in the deceptive taxi.
The taxi dropped them off at a luxurious hotel only foreigners and the rich could afford to stay at.

"Where are you doing Richard?" Armand asked.

"He's getting our painting of course," Trevor said, shutting the door of the cab.

"Let me got with you," Armand demanded.

"No this is dirty work for me to do, not you," Richard said, holding his hands up in protest.

He left the three to settle themselves into their lodgings.

Snow flakes danced in big fluffy flurries all around him, making damp white specs on his black overcoat. A steady wind drove the snow along the streets into drifts against the buildings. Richard found a bony young lad of nighteen, shivering on a park bench trying to keep himself warm under his thin blanket. Richard knew the lad would be frozen to death by morning, perhaps the boy knew it too. By his clothing, Richard guessed he was a young man who left his family's farm to find nonexistent employment in Berlin.

Sitting on a bench where the boy lay shivering, Richard peered up at the golden moon peeking out of the thin gray clouds.

"Hungry?" he asked the boy.

"Sir, " the boy said, "I have a sturdy back. And I know my math, and reading," he swallowed his male pride, "I can do other things, anything."

"I'm hungry too, boy, Richard said taking off his over coat placing it on top of him. He knelt on the ground so he could be eye level with the young man, he was just an average looking young man, unremarkable except for how he was destined to die. Richard's face went closer to his. The boy's steamy breath fell onto Richard's face. He caressed the boy's cold cheeks, the boy's face was so cold, he didn't even notice how cold Richard's hands were. Pulling back the boy's collar, he sank his teeth into his shivering flesh.

The boy gasped. He was so weak from hunger and exposure he slept through most of his death.

Richard stood up. The bottoms of his pants legs up to his knees were wet. He took the over coat off of the young man. He was almost tempted to leave the coat on top of the boy, It would look too strange to see a well dressed man like himself out in an evening like this without a coat. He left to go to the head quarters of the National Socialist Party A strange looking young man with a funny chopped off mustache like the one the actor Charlie Chaplain wore, was screaming on the stage.

Richard stood in the audience. He was totally nonjudgmental as he listened to what the wind up toy of a man had to say. The mortal creature on the stage seemed to be having a fit. After the man's speech, after the applause, and the stomping of feet were over, Richard followed the man out. When they were alone, he reached out and grabbed the man's shoulder.

"Excuse me, I want to buy one of your paintings."

"You want to buy one of my paintings?" the man said in surprise, "You, I saw you in the audience. Did you like my speech?"

"I don't know. I wasn't really following it too closely. I came only because I was in a restaurant two years ago, and I saw you in the streets, selling your paintings. One in particular struck me. It stayed in my memory for what seems to be forever. I would like to buy it from you."

"Come on then. I am more than happy to sell it to you. I have given up on being an artist. I seem to have more luck being a party leader. Rohn, Hess we have started a party to rescue Germany."

"Have you?' Richard said noncommittally "It looks like it could use some saving."

"Call me, Adi. I had a friend, August Kubizek, who used to call me Adi," he said, talking Richard through the streets, to a men's hostel. They went up a flight of stairs. Richard kicked garbage out of his way. He could smell urine in the hall. Stale beer had been carelessly dropped on the thread bare carpet runner, and walls. He wondered about the curious way Adi stressed the word, friend when he mentioned August Kubizek. The way he made it sound significant.

"This is my place," Adi said, letting him inside his room, "It nothing much." He threw some newspapers off of a couch with ripped cushions. "It's warm here at least."

Adi looked through some canvases leaning against the wall. "Which painting was it?"

"It was of a sail boat," "Richard said, "yes, that one."

Richard held up the painting of a gray sail boat sailing on a silver, rippling sea. The panted sky had swirls of gray, silver, and white in it. Clouds were panted to be patches of gold. It was mediocre, but pretty, Richard supposed.

"I'm asking sixty for it," Adi said, putting his hand to Richard's shoulder, starting to stoke it. Adi moved his hand down Richard's back.

Richard raised an eye brow astounded at the man's boldness.

"You are rich, Yes? You could help my party out," Adi said intimately, "I remember you too in the restaurant. You had a young man with you."

"And you think I'm a homosexual?" Richard said amused.

"There is nothing wrong with two comrades keeping each other warm. Wagner was a pederast, and I do not enjoy his music, his operas, any less for it. Those kind of things they do not bother me," Adi said, hastily removing his hand.

"I heard stories about you. You sold more than your painting, didn't you?" Richard asked.

"I don't know what you are talking about," Adi said nervously, licking his lips, thinking of hungry nights when he was a homeless teenager and he prostituted himself to older men.

"Nothing," Richard said, disgusted at the way Adi was starting to chew on his mustache, "It must have been someone else. I must leave now."

"Must you?" Adi said, putting his hands on his shoulders. "I think we understand each other. You should join the military service. A strong boy like you. Germany needs strong men. Men to defeat our enemies, the communists, the eternal Jews who betrayed Germany during the last war. It is up to men like us with vision to return the father land to its past and deserved glories."

"I see," Richard said politely, his heart pounding, there was no denying the man was arresting, hypnotizing, and for all his friendliness, Richard could sense an evil in this man. "I do not understand. Isn't the Jews Germans? Generations have been born here, worked here, owned businesses, fought in wars for Germany."

"Being a German National does not make you a true German. A real German is unquestionably loyal to the fatherland. No one who isn't a Nazi is a true German. We decide who is or isn't a German. The unintelligent will naturally exclude themselves from joining our party. Any so-called German who isn't a Nazi is dispensable We are a new breed, a new race."

"Funny, you look terribly human to me," Richard said smiling.

"The only truly evolved humans," Adi said shaking his finger playfully at him. "We will winnow out from good stock the most intelligent, the most beautiful to produce a superior human race. It's a pity you are not blond," he said in a throaty whisper.

"If you bred me to a blond, I suppose I would reproduce marvels?' Richard said.

"Yes, you're very handsome," Adi said hungrily.

"You inspire me," Richard whispered placing his lips to the man's collar, drawing his lips back from his fangs.

"Adolf," screamed a heavy set man who barged into the room, "there is a journalist who wants to talk to you, leave your friend alone, " Rohn practically leered at Richard, "Save him for later."

"You will stay here?" Adi asked his eyes glittering.

"I," Richard, noticed, the sky was staring to turn lighter. I cannot kill you, he thought dismayed, For whatever reason fate had decided you will not die by my thirst. Any man who escapes me the first time is free from danger from me forever.

"I have to go," Richard said, shaking hands with Adi, thinking, Look at him, improvised, a lout. He couldn't possible be too dangerous. Who could possibly take him seriously? He isn't important enough to worry about.

Hurrying out of the hostel, Richard practically flew to the hotel, he and his companions were staying at, Traveled so fast, he went unnoticed through the lobby, He dashed into Armand's room.

"The painting," Armand cried, "You have it?"

"Yes," Richard said, holding out the canvas to him

"Are you a fool?" Armand said menacingly. "This isn't my painting. What are you up too?"

"Nothing, look behind it." Richard tore off the brown paper from behind the canvas. The painted icon of the virgin appeared before their eyes on the other side of Hitler's painting.

"It's beautiful," Trevor whispered, "you did this Armand? I don't believe it. Her eyes are so bold. Other icons I have seen have such sad pitiful expressions in their eyes, not her, not your Madonna, her eyes are laughing."

"When I was mortal I panted this," Armand said lovingly, stroking the painting with his finger tips, "Look at the child's eyes. Can you see the crosses? I painted those crosses. Richard, thank you. Where are the gems that were in her halo?"

"Stolen long ago," Richard said softly, "now coven master what are you going to do?"

Armand's body stiffened up, taking up the canvas, he took it to the fireplace.

"What are you doing?" Louis cried horrified.

"He's doing what he knows has to be done. No evidence of who, or what we are may exist," Richard said tightly.

Tenderly at first, then roughly, Armand tore the painting apart, putting the pieces in the fire. The virgin's face started to melt. It made a small explosion of sparks. Flames swallowed up her face,
and the face of the child on her lap.

"It has to be done. The mortal Andrei, he died centuries ago. There can be no evidence of him, or of me, the immortal Armand," he said, as he watched the colors in the flames turn to black ashes.

"It's like a bonfire," Trevor said sardonically, watching the flames in the fireplace. "Shall we dance? Let's dance! I beg of you all. The way you all look offends me. Did somebody die? Was somebody hurt? It was only a painting. So what if it was beautiful? I think we should dance ourselves to oblivion."

"No," Richard said, seeing the sadness on Armand's face, "This is one bonfire we will not dance to."

Louis put his hand on Armand's shoulder.

Armand tilted his head, pressing it against Louis' hand.

"It's dawn. Almost dawn," Louis said. The comfort of Louis' voice wrapped it self around Armand's broken heart. "We should go to our coffins."

Richard reached out to take Trevor's hand. The anger on Trevor's face kept him from touching him. Sighing, Richard went to his coffin, leaving Trevor alone to stare into the flames.

"It isn't fair, or is it? What is fair?" Trevor whispered. Angrily, Trevor took off his shirt and threw it on the flames. He could still feel Armand's hands, and lips against him. Armand raping him, laughing at him. "Everything, yes, everything is fair in this world we call ours. It's only a painting why should I care? It's all about the killing and maiming of the weak. How can a painting defend itself? What about me? What about what happened to me? Why is the gods so far, so high up there that paintings matter more than me, than anyone? I have no power over fate, but neither does Armand. So let Armand's painting burn, " Trevor said spitefully, heading for his coffin.

The next evening the four vampires walked through the snowy streets, taking care that they trod heavily enough to make footprints in the snow.

"Where are you two going then?" Trevor asked. He stretched up his arms, tilting back his head. Inviting the touch of snowflakes to fall against his face. The cold soothed his hidden anger against Armand and Louis, but didn't kill how he felt about what happened.

"We are going to New Orleans. We have ties there. At least Louis does," Armand said, "How about you two?"

"We are staying here," Richard said crisply, "There is much death here. If the poverty first doesn't kill a person out here in the streets then we will."

"There is liquid gold to be found in the veins here. It's a killer's banquet," Trevor said with morbid glee.

"Then this is good-bye. Good-bye, Armand, Louis, Trevor." Richard spun on his heels, and walked away from the three.

"You would leave me here with them? The gall of you," Trevor shouted at Richard. "Fine! It just so happens I've decided to stay with Armand!" Trevor threw his arm around Armand's shoulder. "Did you hear me Richard? I'm with Armand now. If you don't want me."

Richard kept on walking. He turned suddenly around, snow and light weathed his head. "Walk away from them Trevor. Leave them behind. I know you are hurt and humiliated. Leave what happened behind you and follow me."

"Sorry Armand. Richard saw me first," Trevor said coldly. He spit his words in Armand's face. Then Trevor sighed, "I'm in love with a prayer which will never be answered."

"Wait for me!" Trevor yelled, running to Richard, linking arm in arm with him. They stated to dance amongst the snow flakes, swinging each other around, surrounded by long, shadows of buildings which had many broken windows.

"The both of you are mad!" Armand yelled as they danced away, "We're well rid of you both. Right Louis? Louis?"

Louis was walking towards the docks.

"Wait for me," Armand yelled, catching up with him.

Years later, Louis was in Rome. He stood in a large court yard. Skillfully, he painted a bewitching rendering of the coliseum. He noticed the time. Picking up his gear and his canvas he hurried himself away to the catacombs where he now lived.

Quietly and efficiently, he put his artist's tools in their proper places. Through the small room inside the vast catacombs with its niches filled with bones seemed like a total chaos he did have an organization to his busy universe which only he could discern. He blew out the candles.

Getting ready to enter his coffin, he heard a small noise behind him.

Turning around, he cried, "Richard."

"Where is Armand?" Richard asked, his eyes adjusting to the dark.

"I separated myself from him a long time ago," Louis said, cautiously, "Sit up here with me on my coffin. How are you? How is Trevor?"

"I, I've been having nightmares between the hellish nights I've been living through," Richard said sitting on the coffin, "Louis, explain to me my dreams. I dream of yellow stars, pink, and black triangles spinning out of orbit, exploding, then disappearing. I dream of pink triangles which can not put their hands under their covers else they will be beaten. These pink triangles can not even talk to others like themselves. They are not allowed to talk to the stars or to different colored triangles because pink triangles are considered by all to be the lowest of the low. I dreamed of swastikas wearing red crosses shooting down women and children who came for soup. I dreamed of empty sanitariums Louis All the so called crazy people, the mentally handicapped have disappeared. There is no insanity within the boarders of Germany."

"Except for you and your insane dreams? Can they be real? Are you telling me about things which are real?"

"I dreamed it first, and now," Richard repeated, "I dreamed it first and now. Louis I saw people who were handicapped given over by their families to be mercifully killed. The quality of life in how it affects the whole of society is more important than the sanity of life. And I sit back where I am perched, and I wonder about this concept. Will it result in reform? I puzzle it out. Why is reform so violent?"

"Richard, you are not making any sense," Louis said.

"Why do you live like this? In the catacombs with dead people? Do you feel like you don't deserve quality in your life?" Richard asked, picking up a human thigh bone then dropping it.

"I don't care how I live. I just live," Louis said.

"Do you feel guilty abut killing Eva's husband?"

"No, we were both afraid of each other," Louis said calmly.

"How about Armand's coven?"

"So Armand told you. Oui, I did kill them. I set the theatre on fire. Amongst our own kind, you know. We easily kill each other," Louis said with a shrug. "Do you feel guilty about killing Eva's lover, Joachum?"

"No, I don't. We are vampires," Richard said, jumping off the coffin. He picked up a human skull, "Why should I feel guilty? Ours is a different world. We are not about life Louis. We are about death. Humans, now they are about life. I came here because thought you may not have a conscience where vampires are concerned. You do seem to have feelings for humans. I dreamed about men being castrated, of things, Louis things I can not tell you. Last night, they call it the Night of Long Knives, Hitler murdered Rohm because Rohm was going to tell the world about the scandals of his sexual past. Rohm thought he could blackmail his way into staying in power, and in staying alive. He was going to tell about the men Hitler used to take up to his room Who will believe what Hitler is when he is killing off those who know? Louis, they are rounding up undesirables to be in ghettos, Jews, Jehovah witnesses, gypsies, homosexuals. He's rounding them up."

"He must be stopped. Kill him."

"And what scrape goat will his party go after if you or I, or anyone of us kill him?" Richard said furiously, "They will make an innocent mortal take the blame for it. Don't you understand we can't kill history. We can't kill a nation. Not us! We will be responsible for whoever they put in a mass grave. Should we gather all the vampire covens together and fight this? Make our presence known at last? You know most covens will not agree to this. They will not think it is worth their being discovered. What if we did go to war with them? Then what after victory? Do we keep the Nazis in camps as the only humans to be used for our hunger? Do we breed them to keep out belly's full? Do you think on those terms the human race will let us live amongst them in peace? We can only be quiet and watch if we want to survive this."

"Richard," Louis said quietly.

"Look at what I did. I killed a species off. It's our way to kill. Louis listen to me, and hate me. I am looking for a Messiah to kill off the dominion of the human race. I'm in a grave Louis, buried by mankind. Buried alive by the sheer weight and numbers of mortal men in this world. I want to be able to walk the streets as I truly am I can't! Not while there is so many humans. Someday one of us will be the chosen one who will rule over the world. I'm tired of hiding what I am."

"You remind me of someone I know. Someone who talks as madly as this," Louis said softly, thinking of Lestat.

"Do I ?"Richard said, plunging his hands in his pockets.

"Don't do that. Its unseemly," Louis said gently, "You'll ruin the crease in your pants."

Bewildered, Richard pulled out his hands.

"Why not follow this Hitler then if you hate humanity?"

"He's mortal, Louis, he's only a mortal. You're so very strange. Why would I follow a mortal? No, one day an immortal will take the lead. Humans, they burn my eyes with their frailties their savagery, their beauty, what can be more moving than humanity? I love and I hate humanity."

"And Trevor?"

"You, you charming matchmaker you," Richard said uneasily, "No, he and I have an understanding. He knows I love him, but I am not in love with him. I have an idea of what kind of lover I want. I want a lover who believes, who had faith in charms, a stubborn superstitious lover. Who laughs at me."

A lover I won't kill, Richard thought dismally.

"You created this imaginary lover to protect yourself from falling in love."

"No, I will find such a man someday,. Or Trevor, he will find someone else. And with my approval he will leave me someday."

"Your approval?" Louis said dryly.

"Of course, I would not allow him to be with someone who doesn't appreciate him," Richard said stuffily.

They talked to dispel the helplessness they both felt to change the human world's destructive course. "And what about you? You great liar. Do not tell me you didn't feel anything for Armand," Richard asked, tossing Louis the skull.

I have, or I had an idealized lover all along," Louis said thinking of Lestat, "I did feel something for Armand once. I could have even fallen in love with him, if my heart hadn't have died along with those I so deeply fallen in love with in my past. I almost felt I owed it to those I loved to fall in love with Armand. After all, if it wasn't for Armand falling in love with me, and my encouragement of him, perhaps he would have left them both alone. It's my fault they are dead. I couldn't protect them. I deserve Armand's evil. My heart is dead, Richard, that is what I deserve."

"You don't look dead to me," Richard said quietly, "Was it your choice to become a vampire?"

"Oui."

"Knowing what it meant. Why?"

I thought I had fallen in love with a vampire named Lestat. I still think it was love. And." Louis looked off in space.

"And?"

"Is there an "and"? An excuse? I felt I was evil. I felt I deserved to be cast out from the company of men. From God and heaven. When Lestat offered me damnation I took it with both hands."

"Is that why you traveled with Armand?"

"At first. I told you I thought I was obliged to continue to love Armand.. Now, I know I never really did love Armand beyond the attraction I have for pretty men."

"And?"

"Richard, I'm evil. There was no question of it, I didn't stop Lestat from making my daughter, Claudia. A little girl who was only six years old. I taunted my brother. He became so angry he lost his footing on the gallery step, and fell to his death. I didn't save Claudia and Lestat from Armand. You are right we are all about death. Who else did I deserve to be with but with Armand?"

"Louis do you want to know the true nature of evil? Its the sausages, the rewards, the permission a group gives to its members to hurt others. It's myths that people have about others. It's desperation. It's compulsion."

"And for creatures like us. What is the root of evil for creatures like us?"

"Like us? It's the competition between us which makes for evil situations. Louis you were not a completely evil mortal man. You're completely evil vampire. You do not play at being God. I like you for that. You have not developed a taste for a particular race of men, or a taste for evil or goodness you find in a man's soul. Yet, you're a double edged sword. You judge no mortal, But, you have no compassion for yourself or for anyone else. No, you are not totally evil. You're nothing. You became a vampire solely because you were attracted to this individual Lestat."

"An angel," Louis said, softy, "Doesn't that make my kind of evil shallow? That I would murder to be with this pretty person? A pretty person who I showed very little love to after he brought me on the devil's road? I couldn't stand him for his faults, and all I looked for was faults. I wish I could take it all back."

"You can be shallow and weak. But you're not always evil," Richard said, putting his arm around him.

"The slaves I kept. "

"Did you starve them, work them to death? Did you take a slave woman against her will? "

Non, but I knew it was happening in other plantations. Places right next door, I didn't pay attention. Everyone had slaves. It was good for the economy. I was complacent."

"Then perhaps it was guilt which drive you to vampirism?" Richard said

"Guilt over slavery? Non Richard, how I feel now about slavery is the result of hindsight," Louis said smiling sadly.

"Why did you leave Armand?"

Do you miss Armand?" Louis regretted his words after seeing Richard flinch. "We parted ways over one too many lies."

"Armand told me my lover Lestat was alive. He told me where to find him. I had a terrible dream about Lestat. He was in a house, really it was a shack. He was shabby, surrounded by garbage, dead animals. He was still wounded from the fire. He had a lover who brought victims to him because he was to dispirited to hunt. I dreamed Lestat wanted me to return to him. He told me that all of his lovers always left him. He was terrified of the modern world. Everything outside of his shack frightened him. Armand too is getting to be more like this. Armand avoids everything modern. Abstract paintings, telephones. He won't even try to dial a telephone. I emerged out of my coffin in a cold sweat, still holding onto the scrap of paper which had Lestat's address written on it. I was about ready to leave, when Armand told me he once again lied. That Lestat was really dead, and he made everything up about Lestat being alive. He told me he loved me and we could have a life together, and I should accept the fact of Lestat's death. That I should be angry, grieve, and go on with my life. I didn't know which one of Armand's stories to believe in. I'm a coward. I couldn't bear to go to the address and find no Lestat living there. So, I did nothing. The dream I had is my last memory of Lestat. Armand left me. Really, mentally I left him years ago. That one last cruel act of Armand's telling me Lestat was alive, then telling me he wasn't, hoping I would become angry with him, that I would forgive him, and fall in love with him, it ended any feelings I might of had for Armand. I was killing Armand with coldness, and I'm glad for it. Through, I did once love Armand. I wasn't even interested in being indifferent towards him anymore. I just wanted him to be gone from my life forever.

"I'm sorry for your loss. Still Louis, I think you'll love again," Richard said, sitting along side of him.

"What can the damned say to the damned?"

"What can the damned say to the damned?" Richard said amused, "Are you serious? They talk to each other about current events, the weather, movies, honestly, the damned talk about the same subjects as the virtuous." Richard slid off of the coffin. "Louis, the night Armand, he raped Trevor. Trevor begged you not to leave him. I know outwardly he acts as if what happened didn't matter, but it did. You taught him creatures like himself, creatures like us, do not matter. Why did you leave him?"

"I decided to look the other way. I didn't want to get involved. Trevor was, he is, Trevor is damned."

"I see. So you felt he was far too unworthy for you to feel any compassion for him."

"I wish I cared enough to tell you I am sorry. I didn't know what Armand was going to do. I knew, but I didn't want to know. I wanted to think Armand wouldn't go through with it. Does it matter what happens to something like Trevor? Armand could have killed him. He didn't."

"I came here because I wanted to see if the sight of you and Armand would cause me to break my rule of not killing those who are like us. I should kill you both. I dare say Trevor hates me too for taking time out to watch what Armand was doing to him. I will not kill you. Trevor is not so self righteous that he blames Armand too deeply for what he did. Trevor is without a conscience. Whatever happens to him, he doesn't see it as injustice or justice. He thinks of it as cold hearted Fate playing tricks on him."

"I would not have any ill feelings towards anyone who manages to kill me. What a hypocrite that would make me if I died resenting my killer. So, Richard are you going to kill me?" Louis said with a thin smile.

"You're very self destructive. I think I would be doing you a favor, and I'm not in the mood to grant you such a favor. I feel this way not out of spite. I simply want you to live. Armand is wise in the ways of our world. This wisdom makes a vampire brutal. So I do not hate Armand. I even can admire him for some of the things he does. Through I will never agree with his killing of weak rogue vampires. He is the coven master and he lives up to what he is. Not many of us have the resolution, or strength to do that," Richard said calmly.

"I can not admire him. He does what he does to survive. I suppose he thinks he has to be the coven master to insure the continuance of our race. Why should a race such as ours be kept safe? Be kept in existence?"

"Because that is what he believes, and I do too. So should you. Louis have hope for the future. Once we all have hope for the future, real hope. Armand will no longer feel the need to kill rogue vampires. Hope for a savor, Louis."

"Since I have been born into darkness it's been hard for me to tell who is friend or foe."

"So you allows yourself neither," Richard said, "That is your choice. Before I leave Louis tell me the truth. Who is more sane? Who is more insane? A thirteen year old child who murders another child he is making love to so he can achieve a climax, or the world in my dreams which efficiently fills mass graves. Tell me the truth."

"I don't know," Louis confessed, "I don't want to know. If this is happening in Germany, Richard we vampires, we have impressionable minds. We adopt the customs around us. We're social chameleons. This may mark you for life. You and Trevor should leave Germany."

"It's amazing how the human world becomes for us a dream world which we wander through. Reality and unreality becomes a question. Like we are constantly watching a play unfolding. No, I must witness these events. I must know how much of my humanity resides in me still. What humanity is. Was I ever a part of the human race? Or was I always a monster even while mortal set apart from being a normal, functioning human being. I have a responsibility to know. I have to see what humanity is to better know what I once was."

"You do not have to know," Louis said, "It's folly to know such things. Forget the world of mortals. Live in this vampire world of ours. Isn't our existence cross enough to bear? Why meddle yourself
with the human race?"

Stroking Louis' hair, Richard said, "I meddle because they attract me. And I need May Queens and Kings to kill for the seeds to grow. I need my sacrifices to insure the sun will rise and set. I still need to be the priest, the seeker of saviors and gods, the one who ushers in every day miracles with kills. Louis, I sense in you a kind of greatness. You are meant to be the consort of a powerful man."

"Kiss my big, fat, hairy balls. Richard I am not interested in your lunacy," Louis said, smartly, "And stop playing with my hair."

"Now you sound like Trevor," Richard laughed, "I wasn't referring to myself. Your beauty is unquenchable. No one would ever get tired of looking at you. What if I could fall in love? What if you could? Do you think it is possible? When we traded the sun, our ability to have a family, to live normal lives for our capacity to live long lives, do you think along the way we also traded away our ability to love? For a man like myself who even while mortal did not have the ability to love another human being normally, I guess not being able to love someone now that I am dead is no great loss, not like it is for someone like you. Still, I can't help but feel someday I will fall in love with someone. It's a pity you believe we are such monsters we can not love someone deeply and loyally without being in love with them. That is how I love Trevor."

"Do you love me, too?" Louis said, smiling cynically.

"If I said I did you would laugh in my face. So no, I do not love you. I hope someday when you look at me you will not see a monster. And when you look at yourself in a mirror it will not be a monster you see looking back at you."

"Maybe someday. For now nothing but monsters."

"Louis you're impossible. You're on a tight wire, balancing yourself so carefully, protecting yourself from emotions, from making choices, from making moral decisions. You keep yourself on your tight wire. Neither human nor vampire. You're simply ice."

"Stop worrying about me having feelings or not. Do you want me to say I am sorry for what happened to Trevor? Do you want me to say I'm sorry for making the choices I did? I'm sorry. There I said it. Now leave me in peace Richard. Stop playing the priest residing in his confessional box and look to yourself. You should protect yourself, and Trevor too. Leave Germany."

No, I'm returning tonight," Richard said solemnly.

"Then go. Protect yourself if you can, Richard," Louis said, calmly.

"Protect yourself too," Richard said, smiling, "You're very strange Louis,"

"So are you Richard, so are you."

A year later after Richard left, Louis took up his quill and wrote a letter.

Dearest Armand:

Yes, I can call you dearest, through we parted on terms most people would call terms of hate rather than love. I heard from Richard in a letter. He and Trevor have attached themselves to a troupe of actors. They are fascinated by the world of dreams, of film making. The director is an Italian Jew, a greifer, he seeks out other Jews for the Gestapo to keep himself safe. This troupe of actors produces propaganda films for the Third Reich. Trevor and Richard are fascinated by this misty world on film this troupe of actors have created for Hitler. Richard has been seduced by the darkness ruling Germany and Austria. I often wondered what Richard would learn in witnessing what is happening in Germany, and what does he do? He stopped witnessing reality for the bigger than life world of these demented movies. I have written him and told him I no longer want to acknowledge his or Trevor's acquaintance, and they no longer wish to acknowledge me. He also wrote me, that you confronted Eva about the existence of her child. She blew her dead infant's ashes in your face. I heard you were very upset with her for not scattering the child's ashes earlier, that you told her a fang tooth would have sufficed for you to believe the child was dead. And you screamed at her for not freeing the child's soul properly before hand. Armand, I can understand your anger at her. It must have been terrifying for you to insist on the death of an infant. At least I hope it was terrifying for you. No one has heard from Eva since. Some say she more than likely went underground with her female companion Elise. It was for the best for all that the child didn't survive Armand. I am sure of this.

Louis stopped writing a serge of anger ran through him as he thought of Claudia, he knew Armand would appreciate the irony of what he had just written. Taking up his quill he continued on with his letter.

I'm happy for the most part here in Rome. I am busy painting, oui, painting. I know you will disapprove. I have this desire to create something, anything. I've met a caravan of Gypsy vampires. We are not close through we occasionally talk. I feel as if someone is stalking me. I try to dismiss the idea as foolishness. Juan, one of the gypsies, feels I'm being followed too. Sometimes I feel frightened to leave my shelter. I refuse to be intimidated. Armand, I know when we last spoke, the last night between us, we were furious with each other. And the accusations flew like fists. I hope you forgive me. I hope someday I can forgive you. I do not know what truth what lie you have told me about Claudia's or Lestat's death is real. All I can do is remember them for the rest of my life. Through we will never be friends Armand, I trust we will never be enemies. I did love you once, and not all of what happened to Claudia, Lestat, or to me was your fault. I hope someday the cruelty which is within you can change.

Louis paused. He almost forgot he couldn't sign the letter with his real name. Brushing the quill against his face, he then signed the letter,

Louis Blue

Blowing out a candle, he stood still in the darkness. Armand's delicate, school boy's face haunted his thoughts. The night at the Louvre Armand had been so desperate, so needing to be loved.

I'm part of what made you hard, Louis thought, Oh, you always have been hard. You had to be. Why lie to myself? You were a lost boy, now you are a lost man. Why should I have such a ego that I should believe I made you to be the bitter person you are. If I could have loved you, could I have taken some of that hurt away from you? Could you have done the same for me? Did I throw another opportunity away like I did with Lestat?

Lighting a candle, taking up the letter, Louis wrote:

Armand, I will always love you. You are my brother. Remember that always. Whatever happened in the past, and whatever will happen, I will always think of you as my brother in darkness. I forgive you about Claudia and about Lestat. Really, there is nothing to forgive. We both know Claudia should never have been created. You did what you had to do. We both had our roles to play in hers and Lestat's tragedy. Yours was more preordained than mine. You were the coven master who had to up hold the law no matter what you felt for me. My role was one of acceptance of the evil done to the mortal we ended up baptizing in blood with the name Claudia. And Lestat's role? His was a role he chose. Still, in my heart of hearts, I will never be able to accept Claudia's death. There was no justice in her death for me, only guilt, ashes, and loss. I forgive you, more than I can forgive myself. That is why we can never be lovers, because I can not forgive myself. I never thanked you for saving me from being consumed by the sun the night I set the theatre on fire. I never thanked you for loving me, for being my companion. I love you my brother, and Armand, thank you.

Blowing out the candle, gathering up his art supplies, Louis accidentally spilled linseed oil on the letter ruining it. Sighing, he tossed it to the floor. He left the catacombs to spend the evening painting.

The end