I didn’t like this line of discussion. I didn’t like anything that was happening. I was tempted to finish it now. And then quite suddenly, I knew I was going to go through with this. I knew.

A curious calm descended on me. Yes, we were going to do this in a matter of minutes. And it was going to work. I felt the color drain from my face—an imperceptible cooling of the skin, which was still hurting from its terrible ordeal in the sun.

I doubt he noted this change, or any hardening of my expression, for he went right on talking as before.

“The observations written in the 1970s after the publication of Interview with the Vampire are most interesting. And then the very recent chapters, inspired by your fractured and fanciful history of the species—my word! No, I know all about your body. I know more about it perhaps than you do. Do you know what the Talamasca really wants? A sample of your tissue, a specimen of your vampiric cells! You’d be wise to see that they never acquire such a specimen. You’ve been too free with Talbot, really. Perhaps he pared your fingernails or cut off a lock of your hair while you slept beneath his roof.”

Lock of hair. Wasn’t there a lock of blond hair in that locket? It had to be vampire hair! Claudia’s hair. I shuddered, drawing deeper into myself and shutting him away. Centuries ago there had been a dreadful night when Gabrielle, my mortal mother and newborn fledgling, had cut off her vampire hair. Through the long hours of the day, as she lay in the coffin, it had all grown back. I did not want to remember her screams when she discovered it—those magnificent tresses once again luxuriant and long over her shoulders. I did not want to think of her and what she might say to me now about what I meant to do. It had been years since I had laid eyes upon her. It might be centuries before I saw her again.

I looked again at James, as he sat there radiant with expectation, straining to appear patient, face glowing in the warm light.

“Forget the Talamasca,” I said under my breath. “Why do you have such a hard time with this body? You’re clumsy. You’re only comfortable when you’re sitting in a chair and you can leave matters entirely to your voice and your face.”

“Very perceptive,” he said, with unshakable decorum.

“I don’t think so. It’s rather obvious.”

“It’s simply too big a body,” he said calmly. “It’s too muscular, too … shall we say, athletic? But it’s perfect for you.”

He paused, looked at the teacup thoughtfully and then up at me again. The eyes seemed so wide, so innocent.

“Lestat, come now,” he said. “Why are we wasting time with this conversation? I don’t intend to dance with the Royal Ballet once I’m inside you. I simply mean to enjoy the whole experience, to experiment, to see the world through your eyes.” He glanced at his watch. “Well, I’d offer you a little drink to screw up your courage, but that would be self-defeating in the long run, wouldn’t it? Oh, and by the way, the passport. Were you able to obtain it? You remember I asked you to provide me with a passport. I do hope you remembered, and of course I have a passport for you. I fear you won’t be going anywhere, on account of this blizzard—”