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The Lunatic Cafe :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 133 из 234If you get past me with the cross, I will have failed."
This was getting tiresome. "Can Stephen go ask?"
Robert nodded.
Stephen sort of hung by me. He hadn't recovered from Buzz's remarks. "Is Jean-Claude mad at me for missing my set?"
"You should have called if you couldn't make your set," Robert said. "I had to go on in your place."
"Good to be useful," I said.
Robert frowned at me. "Stephen should have called."
"He was taking me to a doctor. You got a problem with that?"
"Jean-Claude may."
"Then bring the great man out and let's ask him. I'm tired of standing in the door."
"Anita, how good of you to grace us with your presence." Gretchen was practically purring with anticipation.
"Robert won't let me pass."
She turned her eyes to the vampire. He took a step back. She hadn't even unleashed any of that impressive magic yet. Robert scared easy for a century-old corpse.
"We have been awaiting her, Robert. Jean-Claude is most anxious to see her."
He swallowed hard. "I was told that no one came inside with a holy item other than the police. No exceptions were to be made."
"Not even for the master's sweetheart." She put a lot of irony in that last part.
Robert either didn't get it or ignored it. "Until Jean-Claude tells me differently, she doesn't go through with a cross."
Gretchen stalked around us all. I wasn't sure who looked more worried. "Take off the little cross and let us get this over with."
I shook my head. "Nope."
"It didn't do you a lot of good earlier tonight," she said.
She had a point. For the first time I realized I hadn't even thought of bringing out my cross earlier. I'd gone for my weapons, but not my faith. Pretty damn sad.
I fingered the cool silver of the chain. "The cross stays."
"You are both spoiling my fun," she said. The way she said it made that sound like a very bad thing. "I'll give you one of your weapons back."
A moment before I'd have agreed, but not now. I was embarrassed that I had not gone for my cross earlier. It wouldn't have kept her from jumping me at the beginning. She was too powerful for that. But it might have chased her off Louie. I was going to have to stop skipping church even if I didn't get to sleep at all.
"No."
"Is this your way of getting out of our bargain?" Her voice was low and warm with the first stirrings of anger.
"I keep my word," I said.
"I will escort her through, Robert.
This was getting tiresome. "Can Stephen go ask?"
Robert nodded.
Stephen sort of hung by me. He hadn't recovered from Buzz's remarks. "Is Jean-Claude mad at me for missing my set?"
"You should have called if you couldn't make your set," Robert said. "I had to go on in your place."
"Good to be useful," I said.
Robert frowned at me. "Stephen should have called."
"He was taking me to a doctor. You got a problem with that?"
"Jean-Claude may."
"Then bring the great man out and let's ask him. I'm tired of standing in the door."
"Anita, how good of you to grace us with your presence." Gretchen was practically purring with anticipation.
"Robert won't let me pass."
She turned her eyes to the vampire. He took a step back. She hadn't even unleashed any of that impressive magic yet. Robert scared easy for a century-old corpse.
"We have been awaiting her, Robert. Jean-Claude is most anxious to see her."
He swallowed hard. "I was told that no one came inside with a holy item other than the police. No exceptions were to be made."
"Not even for the master's sweetheart." She put a lot of irony in that last part.
Robert either didn't get it or ignored it. "Until Jean-Claude tells me differently, she doesn't go through with a cross."
Gretchen stalked around us all. I wasn't sure who looked more worried. "Take off the little cross and let us get this over with."
I shook my head. "Nope."
"It didn't do you a lot of good earlier tonight," she said.
She had a point. For the first time I realized I hadn't even thought of bringing out my cross earlier. I'd gone for my weapons, but not my faith. Pretty damn sad.
I fingered the cool silver of the chain. "The cross stays."
"You are both spoiling my fun," she said. The way she said it made that sound like a very bad thing. "I'll give you one of your weapons back."
A moment before I'd have agreed, but not now. I was embarrassed that I had not gone for my cross earlier. It wouldn't have kept her from jumping me at the beginning. She was too powerful for that. But it might have chased her off Louie. I was going to have to stop skipping church even if I didn't get to sleep at all.
"No."
"Is this your way of getting out of our bargain?" Her voice was low and warm with the first stirrings of anger.
"I keep my word," I said.
"I will escort her through, Robert.