JК
Bloody Bones :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 121 из 272Stirling that it isn't the gunfight that's going to makeme bail. I read the cemetery tonight. Some of the corpses are closer to three hundred than two hundred. Three hundred years, Lionel; that's an old zombie."
"Can you raise them?" He had stepped closer, hands fidgeting with his lapels. He was close to invading my space. I'd have rather had Jean-Claude next to me.
"Maybe. The question isn't can I, but will I, Lionel."
"What do you mean?"
"You lied to me, Lionel. You underestimated the age of the dead by nearly a century."
"Not deliberately, Ms. Blake, I assure you. I merely repeated what our research department told me. I did not deliberately mislead you."
"Sure."
He reached out almost like he wanted to touch me. I moved back, just enough. He seemed terribly intense. He let his hand drop. "Please, Ms. Blake, I did not lie on purpose."
"The problem, Lionel, is that I'm not sure I can raise zombies this old without a human sacrifice. Even I have my limits."
"So nice to know," Jean-Claude said softly.
I frowned at him. He smiled.
"You will try, won't you, Ms. Blake?"
"Maybe. I haven't decided yet."
He shook his head. "We will do anything to make this oversight up to you, Ms. Blake. It is entirely my fault that I did not double-check the research department's findings. Is there anything that I can do personally to make it up to you?"
"Just leave. I'll call your office tomorrow to discuss details. I may need some extra. . paraphernalia to attempt the raising."
"Anything, anything at all, Ms. Blake."
"Fine; I'll call." I opened the door and stood by it. I thought it was enough of a hint. It was. Bayard went to the door and almost backed out, apologizing as he went.
I closed the door and stood there for a minute.
"That little man is up to something," Jean-Claude said.
I turned and looked at him. He was still curled in the chair, looking scrumptious.
"I didn't need vampiric powers to tell me that."
"Neither," he said, "did I." He rose from the chair easily. If I'd curled up in a chair like that, I'd have been stiff.
"I've got to tell Larry that he can stop packing. I don't understand why we're still hired, but we are."
"Can anyone else raise the graveyard?"
"Not without a human sacrifice, maybe not even then," I said.
"They need you, Ma petite . From the little man's anxiety, they must need the dead raised very badly."
"Millions of dollars are at stake."
"I do not think money is all that is at stake," he said.
"Can you raise them?" He had stepped closer, hands fidgeting with his lapels. He was close to invading my space. I'd have rather had Jean-Claude next to me.
"Maybe. The question isn't can I, but will I, Lionel."
"What do you mean?"
"You lied to me, Lionel. You underestimated the age of the dead by nearly a century."
"Not deliberately, Ms. Blake, I assure you. I merely repeated what our research department told me. I did not deliberately mislead you."
"Sure."
He reached out almost like he wanted to touch me. I moved back, just enough. He seemed terribly intense. He let his hand drop. "Please, Ms. Blake, I did not lie on purpose."
"The problem, Lionel, is that I'm not sure I can raise zombies this old without a human sacrifice. Even I have my limits."
"So nice to know," Jean-Claude said softly.
I frowned at him. He smiled.
"You will try, won't you, Ms. Blake?"
"Maybe. I haven't decided yet."
He shook his head. "We will do anything to make this oversight up to you, Ms. Blake. It is entirely my fault that I did not double-check the research department's findings. Is there anything that I can do personally to make it up to you?"
"Just leave. I'll call your office tomorrow to discuss details. I may need some extra. . paraphernalia to attempt the raising."
"Anything, anything at all, Ms. Blake."
"Fine; I'll call." I opened the door and stood by it. I thought it was enough of a hint. It was. Bayard went to the door and almost backed out, apologizing as he went.
I closed the door and stood there for a minute.
"That little man is up to something," Jean-Claude said.
I turned and looked at him. He was still curled in the chair, looking scrumptious.
"I didn't need vampiric powers to tell me that."
"Neither," he said, "did I." He rose from the chair easily. If I'd curled up in a chair like that, I'd have been stiff.
"I've got to tell Larry that he can stop packing. I don't understand why we're still hired, but we are."
"Can anyone else raise the graveyard?"
"Not without a human sacrifice, maybe not even then," I said.
"They need you, Ma petite . From the little man's anxiety, they must need the dead raised very badly."
"Millions of dollars are at stake."
"I do not think money is all that is at stake," he said.