I sat back in the chair, eyes roving the ceiling, trying not to cough or sneeze or weep or make a fist out of my right hand which I might drive through the tabletop or perhaps the nearby wall. “I loathe cowardice!” I whispered.

“I know,” he said kindly. He studied me for a few quiet moments, and then blotted his lips with his napkin, and reached for his coffee. Then he spoke again. “Assuming that James is still running about in your old body, you are absolutely certain that you want to make the switch back into it—that you do want to be Lestat in his old body again.”

I laughed sadly to myself. “How can I make that any plainer?” I asked wearily. “How in the hell can I make the switch again! That is the question upon which my sanity depends.”

“Well, first we must locate James. We shall devote our entire energy to finding him. We shall not give up until we are convinced that there is no James to be found.”

“Again, you’re making it sound so simple! How can such a thing be done?”

“Shhh, you’re attracting needless attention,” he said with quiet authority. “Drink the orange juice. You need it. I’ll order some more.”

“I don’t need the orange juice and I don’t need any more nursing,” I said. “Are you seriously suggesting that we have a chance of catching this fiend?”

“Lestat, as I told you before—think on the most obvious and unchangeable limitation of your former state. A vampire cannot move about in the day. A vampire is almost entirely helpless in the day. Granted, there is a reflex to reach out for and harm anyone disturbing his rest. But otherwise, he is helpless. And for some eight to twelve hours he must remain in one place. That gives us the traditional advantage, especially since we know so much about the being in question. And all we require is an opportunity to confront the creature, and confuse him sufficiently for the switch to be made.”

“We can force it?”

“Yes, I know that we can. He can be knocked loose from that body long enough for you to get in.”

“David, I must tell you something. In this body I have no psychic power at all. I didn’t have any when I was a mortal boy. I don’t think I can … rise out of this body. I tried once in Georgetown. I couldn’t budge from the flesh.”

“Anyone can do this little trick, Lestat; you were merely afraid. And some of what you learned in the vampiric body, you now carry with you. Obviously the preternatural cells gave you an advantage, but the mind itself does hot forget. Obviously James took his mental powers from body to body. You must have taken some part of your knowledge with you as well.”

“Well, I was frightened. I’ve been afraid to try since—afraid I’d get out and then couldn’t get back in.”