Silence. Then the fragrance of the room again, damp stone, the soot from the little fireplace for which there was neither wood nor coal. The smell of the blood drinkers, of skin that had been in the sun to burn it by day as they slept so they could pass for human, and the scents of their clothes and their perfume. The smell of books, of old pages. Thou know’st ’tis common; all that lives must die, passing through nature to eternity. Well, not me.

“It tasted like human blood, the finest of human blood, only it was thicker, and a little sweeter. Just a little…”

“Yes.”

“It has nutrients that human blood does not have.”

“Perhaps. But I don’t know what the Hell they are. It lasts longer.”

“What is this creature?”

“It would be nice to have an entire stable of such creatures, wouldn’t it?” Roland laughed. And laughed. How Derek hated that laugh. “And look at it, the blood’s already being regenerated. Look at his hands, his fingers, his nails.”

Something touched Derek but he couldn’t locate the sensation. All through him he felt tingling and the tingling was Derek.

But they continued to talk. And his soul recorded every heartless word they spoke.

“He doesn’t die, not from anything,” said Roland, the cruel one, the one without feeling. “Not from starvation, not from thirst. I’ve left him a month without either food or drink. I haven’t tried other means. But what did you see? What did you see that he couldn’t conceal? Did he give you anything?”

Then came the warmer voice of Rhoshamandes….

“I saw this place, this spectacular city, and this amazing phenomenon. It was as if a skyscraper, an intricate high-rise tower made of glass were growing from an egg!”

No. How did he see these things? Help me. Derek felt the tears slide down his cheeks. He tried to raise a hand to his face but he couldn’t find his hand. It would be a while before he could feel his body again. But he could feel his tears. Help me. Find me. Get me out of here—Garekyn. Garekyn, was it you that they saw in Saint Petersburg? Garekyn, your brother is alive.

“But it was a great city, humming as if alive with electricity, running water, power, illimitable power—and the towers, I’ve never beheld anything like it, these giant spectacular towers…everything looked to be translucent as if made of glass…and beyond there were huge walls of glass…a great roof of glass….”

“Could you identify the city!”

“No, I’ve never seen anything like it! And I saw his companions with him, creatures who looked like him as you said.”

“I knew it. I knew you could go deeper than I’ve ever gone,” said Roland. “What else, tell me!”