[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
partake, when the recent snacks had been brought forth and offered round. I did not think it altogether
beyond the bounds of possibility that she might have been persuaded to join Radu and his colleagues in
their appetizer. For my own peace of mind, I never questioned her on the matter.
But, as I have already indicated, the supply of treats was not yet exhausted. The single set of operating
lungs, whose presence I had noted upon arrival, now sharply drew in air, filling themselves for a
desperate effort. A small heart raced. There was a stir of motion in a far corner of the long room. The
child who was to be the lasthors d'oeuvre(she had hardly blood enough to provide the main course for
such a gathering as this) was a small girl of five or six (thoughtfully provided by Radu? One of his
colleagues thanked him for the treat), who had evidently been kept immobilized, by hypnotically
enhanced fear, at the far side or end of the room.
It was soon quite clear to me that the child had mistaken my black-garbed figure for that of a priest her
eyes must have been quite well adapted to the dark by this time. She uttered a cry of desperation and
came running barefoot, in her small ragged dress, to clasp both arms about the waist of the deceptively
familiar figure of the newcome vampire, appealing to him in a shrill wordless cry for help.
Naturally this outburst attracted the attention of the company. One of Radu's less mature companions
giggled, as a normal human might at some bizarre behavior on the part of a dog or cat; the rest reacted
only in an abstracted way, even as their attention might have been drawn to a chicken bursting out of
some breather's kitchen and scampering a half-winged progress across the floor. Even Constantia, I
could see, was no more moved by the victim's anguished effort to escape than she would have been by
the squawking of some barnyard fowl.
But I, Vlad Dracula, regarded the event quite differently. The longer I lived, the less it seemed to me that
human children and chickens ought to be considered on the same level regarding human adults I am not
always so sure and I felt constrained to honor such an appeal. Even if considerations of honor could
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
have been set aside, the innocent but ardent contact awakened in me something that had been sleeping,
perhaps for centuries. No doubt it may surprise some of my hearers now, to reflect that there had been a
time when Prince Dracula's own offspring had embraced him so.
The others, except for Constantia and Radu himself, both of whom had known me for centuries, were
much surprised to observe my reaction.
Listening to Radu talk, one might assume that he had never been a father. Of course I knew that, in a
biological sense at least, that was not true.
Besides, though I would not have chosen this time to force a confrontation with Radu, I was not going to
retreat from one. And it crossed my mind that, even leaving aside all considerations of honor, to
postpone indefinitely the devouring of this particular little girl would be quite certain to irritate my brother
immensely. So much for attempting to reach an accommodation.
With this in mind, I lifted the desperate child gently into my arms. Her hands clutched at my black robe
briefly, but as her head came down upon my shoulder I could feel the small body express, in a long
shudder, the end of its capacity to struggle. In the next moment its muscles all relaxed, in a total surrender
of consciousness to exhaustion. Small mind and childish body had done all that they could do, to achieve
their own survival.
My peers if that is not too generous a term for them watched this act in silence.
Meeting one curious set of eyes after another, I remarked: "I see now that all the talk about a truce was
foolishness, and I do not intend to remain here long. Is there any business under discussion here that
might affect my future welfare? If so, it would be courteous of you to let me hear it."
The members of the group exchanged looks among themselves. But as a group they could not agree
upon an answer; and as individuals they were silent.
Now I concentrated my gaze upon Radu. "No doubt my brother will let me know if any important
decisions on such matters are taken after my departure. His welfare and my own are very closely bound
together."
Receiving no better reply from Radu than from the others, I turned to leave.
At that point another vampire, one of the younger men who did not know me very well even by
reputation in fact the one who had originally challenged me moved to block my way.
I turned an inquiring gaze upon this human obstacle, and I have no doubt that my dark eyes expressed a
keen and compassionate interest in his welfare. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl fopke.keep.pl
partake, when the recent snacks had been brought forth and offered round. I did not think it altogether
beyond the bounds of possibility that she might have been persuaded to join Radu and his colleagues in
their appetizer. For my own peace of mind, I never questioned her on the matter.
But, as I have already indicated, the supply of treats was not yet exhausted. The single set of operating
lungs, whose presence I had noted upon arrival, now sharply drew in air, filling themselves for a
desperate effort. A small heart raced. There was a stir of motion in a far corner of the long room. The
child who was to be the lasthors d'oeuvre(she had hardly blood enough to provide the main course for
such a gathering as this) was a small girl of five or six (thoughtfully provided by Radu? One of his
colleagues thanked him for the treat), who had evidently been kept immobilized, by hypnotically
enhanced fear, at the far side or end of the room.
It was soon quite clear to me that the child had mistaken my black-garbed figure for that of a priest her
eyes must have been quite well adapted to the dark by this time. She uttered a cry of desperation and
came running barefoot, in her small ragged dress, to clasp both arms about the waist of the deceptively
familiar figure of the newcome vampire, appealing to him in a shrill wordless cry for help.
Naturally this outburst attracted the attention of the company. One of Radu's less mature companions
giggled, as a normal human might at some bizarre behavior on the part of a dog or cat; the rest reacted
only in an abstracted way, even as their attention might have been drawn to a chicken bursting out of
some breather's kitchen and scampering a half-winged progress across the floor. Even Constantia, I
could see, was no more moved by the victim's anguished effort to escape than she would have been by
the squawking of some barnyard fowl.
But I, Vlad Dracula, regarded the event quite differently. The longer I lived, the less it seemed to me that
human children and chickens ought to be considered on the same level regarding human adults I am not
always so sure and I felt constrained to honor such an appeal. Even if considerations of honor could
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
have been set aside, the innocent but ardent contact awakened in me something that had been sleeping,
perhaps for centuries. No doubt it may surprise some of my hearers now, to reflect that there had been a
time when Prince Dracula's own offspring had embraced him so.
The others, except for Constantia and Radu himself, both of whom had known me for centuries, were
much surprised to observe my reaction.
Listening to Radu talk, one might assume that he had never been a father. Of course I knew that, in a
biological sense at least, that was not true.
Besides, though I would not have chosen this time to force a confrontation with Radu, I was not going to
retreat from one. And it crossed my mind that, even leaving aside all considerations of honor, to
postpone indefinitely the devouring of this particular little girl would be quite certain to irritate my brother
immensely. So much for attempting to reach an accommodation.
With this in mind, I lifted the desperate child gently into my arms. Her hands clutched at my black robe
briefly, but as her head came down upon my shoulder I could feel the small body express, in a long
shudder, the end of its capacity to struggle. In the next moment its muscles all relaxed, in a total surrender
of consciousness to exhaustion. Small mind and childish body had done all that they could do, to achieve
their own survival.
My peers if that is not too generous a term for them watched this act in silence.
Meeting one curious set of eyes after another, I remarked: "I see now that all the talk about a truce was
foolishness, and I do not intend to remain here long. Is there any business under discussion here that
might affect my future welfare? If so, it would be courteous of you to let me hear it."
The members of the group exchanged looks among themselves. But as a group they could not agree
upon an answer; and as individuals they were silent.
Now I concentrated my gaze upon Radu. "No doubt my brother will let me know if any important
decisions on such matters are taken after my departure. His welfare and my own are very closely bound
together."
Receiving no better reply from Radu than from the others, I turned to leave.
At that point another vampire, one of the younger men who did not know me very well even by
reputation in fact the one who had originally challenged me moved to block my way.
I turned an inquiring gaze upon this human obstacle, and I have no doubt that my dark eyes expressed a
keen and compassionate interest in his welfare. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]