“ ‘Do you believe my nephew?’ Aunt Queen asked. ‘Does all of this make any sense to you?’ She was very kind in her tone. She sat to my right and pressed my shoulder softly as she spoke. ‘My nephew is prepared for what you have to say.’

“ ‘Yes, I am prepared,’ I said. ‘I know you to be a frank and truthful person. Michael and Rowan respect you. Mona respects you. I know what I see in you. Tell me what you believe.’

“ ‘Very well,’ said Stirling. He took another swallow of his wine and set the glass aside. ‘Let me advise you first as if you were my son. Go away now. Take the trip with your Aunt Queen that she wants you to take. No, don’t be upset with me. Let me explain. Mona Mayfair is sick. But she may get sicker. The time to leave Mona is now. You will obviously write to her, call her, stay in touch with her. And when and if she takes the turn for the worse, perhaps with your aunt’s permission you can come home.’

“ ‘Oh, absolutely,’ said Aunt Queen. ‘I think that’s a very sensible way of looking at it, and we can ascertain from Dr. Winn Mayfair whether or not he agrees. We can talk to Dr. Rowan Mayfair. And of course, Quinn, you’ll speak to Mona herself.’

“ ‘Now, let me explain further,’ said Stirling. ‘I think you should leave on this trip at once. I think you should get away from Petronia. I think you should leave tonight if you can, and if not tonight then tomorrow, and if not tomorrow the day after that. But go. And go quickly, and in the meantime, have all the refurbishments done to the Hermitage on the island, exactly as the creature has insisted, but never, and I mean, never, have a workman on Sugar Devil Island after dark.’

“ ‘Well, that’s no problem,’ I said hastily. ‘These guys come on at six a.m. and they want to be home in front of the television with a beer in hand by four o’clock in the afternoon.’

“But my speedy rejoinder hadn’t taken the edge off Aunt Queen’s response to this last remark on the part of Stirling, as I had hoped.

“ ‘You’re saying that everything Quinn saw . . . happened?’ she asked.

“ ‘Yes, I am saying that,’ said Stirling. ‘He’s sane; if he testified in a court of law, I’d believe him. I believe him here and now.’

“ ‘Stirling Oliver,’ said Aunt Queen, ‘are you telling me that the swamps hereabouts are infested with vampires?’