“And for the love of Heaven,” I said, “beware of Goblin.”

“What are you going to do about him, Quinn?” she asked. She was trembling and her face was puffy from crying.

“I’m going to destroy him, Jasmine. But it will take just a little time. Until I can get it done, beware of him. Tell all the others. Beware of him. He’s swollen with power—.”

“You can’t leave here now, Quinn,” she said.

“I have to, Jasmine,” I said. “I’ll see you at the funeral parlor in New Orleans at seven tomorrow.”

She was horrified, and I didn’t blame her.

Lestat stepped in front of me and he gently took her by the shoulders, looking intently into her eyes. “Jasmine,” he said in a low tone, “we have to go and find the woman who can put an end to Goblin. It’s imperative that we do that. Do you understand?”

She nodded. She was still crying and she licked the tears from her lips as they fell. But she couldn’t take her eyes off his.

“Keep little Jerome close to you,” said Lestat, his voice soft and persuasive. “This creature wants to hurt everyone dear to Quinn. See that everybody is on guard.”

He kissed her forehead.

Quietly, we withdrew.

At last, Lestat and I were alone on Sugar Devil Island and I gave vent to my grief, sobbing like a child. “I can’t imagine the world without her, I don’t want the world without her, I hate him with my whole soul that he did it, how in the name of God did he get the power, she was too old, too fragile, how can we make him suffer, how can we make him suffer so much that he’ll want to die, how can we send him to whatever Hell exists for him?”

On and on I raved. And then we went to our rest together.

CHAPTER 45

45

AT SUNSET I rose hungry and miserable, but I understood that Lestat had to leave me to my mortal commitments so that he could contact Merrick Mayfair and see if she would render me support.

As soon as I reached the big house I realized that Nash and Tommy were both there. Tommy had flown all day and some of the evening to get home from England, and Nash had just arrived much earlier from the West Coast. The look of grief on both their faces was dreadful, and I could scarcely hold back my tears.