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The Harlequin :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 9 из 330Whose blissful death will you disturb tonight, Anita? Whose zombie will you raise so some human can get their inheritance, or a wife can be consoled?»
«No zombies tonight,» I said. I was too puzzled by his attitude on the zombies to be insulted. I'd never heard a vampire claim any kinship with zombies, or ghouls, or anything but other vamps.
«Then what will keep you from your master's arms?»
«I've got a date, not that it's any of your business.»
«But not a date with Jean-Claude, or Asher?»
I shook my head.
«Your wolf king then, Richard?»
I shook my head, again.
«For whom would you abandon those three, Anita? Ah, your leopard king, Micah.»
«Wrong again.»
«I am amazed that you are answering my questions.»
«So am I, actually. I think it's because you keep calling me a whore, and I think I want to rub your face in it.»
«What, the fact that you are a whore?» His face showed nothing when he said it.
«I knew you couldn't do it,» I said.
«Do what, Ms. Blake?»
«I knew you couldn't play nice long enough to get my help. I knew if I kept at you, you'd get snotty and mean.»
He gave a small bow, just from the neck. «I told you, Ms. Blake, my sin is pride.»
«And what's my sin, Malcolm?»
«Do you want me to insult you, Ms. Blake?»
«I just want to hear you say it.»
«Why?»
«Why not?» I said.
«Very well; your sin is lust, Ms. Blake, as it is the sin of your master and all his vampires.»
I shook my head and felt that unpleasant smile curl my lips. The smile that left my eyes cold, and usually meant I was well and truly pissed. «That's not my sin, Malcolm, not the one nearest and dearest to my heart.»
«And what would your sin be, Ms. Blake?»
«Wrath, Malcolm, it's wrath.»
«Are you saying I've made you angry?»
«I'm always angry, Malcolm; you just gave me a target to focus it on.»
«Do you envy anyone, Ms. Blake?»
I thought about it, then shook my head. «Not really, no.»
«I will not ask about sloth; you work entirely too hard for that to be an issue. You are not greedy, nor a glutton. Are you prideful?»
«Sometimes,» I said.
«Wrath, lust, and pride, then?»
I nodded. «I guess, if we're keeping score.»
«Oh, someone is keeping score, Ms. Blake, never doubt that.»
«I'm Christian, too, Malcolm.»
«Do you worry about getting into heaven, Ms. Blake?»
It was such an odd question that I answered it. «I did, for a while, but my faith still makes my cross glow.
«No zombies tonight,» I said. I was too puzzled by his attitude on the zombies to be insulted. I'd never heard a vampire claim any kinship with zombies, or ghouls, or anything but other vamps.
«Then what will keep you from your master's arms?»
«I've got a date, not that it's any of your business.»
«But not a date with Jean-Claude, or Asher?»
I shook my head.
«Your wolf king then, Richard?»
I shook my head, again.
«For whom would you abandon those three, Anita? Ah, your leopard king, Micah.»
«Wrong again.»
«I am amazed that you are answering my questions.»
«So am I, actually. I think it's because you keep calling me a whore, and I think I want to rub your face in it.»
«What, the fact that you are a whore?» His face showed nothing when he said it.
«I knew you couldn't do it,» I said.
«Do what, Ms. Blake?»
«I knew you couldn't play nice long enough to get my help. I knew if I kept at you, you'd get snotty and mean.»
He gave a small bow, just from the neck. «I told you, Ms. Blake, my sin is pride.»
«And what's my sin, Malcolm?»
«Do you want me to insult you, Ms. Blake?»
«I just want to hear you say it.»
«Why?»
«Why not?» I said.
«Very well; your sin is lust, Ms. Blake, as it is the sin of your master and all his vampires.»
I shook my head and felt that unpleasant smile curl my lips. The smile that left my eyes cold, and usually meant I was well and truly pissed. «That's not my sin, Malcolm, not the one nearest and dearest to my heart.»
«And what would your sin be, Ms. Blake?»
«Wrath, Malcolm, it's wrath.»
«Are you saying I've made you angry?»
«I'm always angry, Malcolm; you just gave me a target to focus it on.»
«Do you envy anyone, Ms. Blake?»
I thought about it, then shook my head. «Not really, no.»
«I will not ask about sloth; you work entirely too hard for that to be an issue. You are not greedy, nor a glutton. Are you prideful?»
«Sometimes,» I said.
«Wrath, lust, and pride, then?»
I nodded. «I guess, if we're keeping score.»
«Oh, someone is keeping score, Ms. Blake, never doubt that.»
«I'm Christian, too, Malcolm.»
«Do you worry about getting into heaven, Ms. Blake?»
It was such an odd question that I answered it. «I did, for a while, but my faith still makes my cross glow.