JК
Burnt Offerings :: Гамильтон Лорел
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"You try being one, then talk to me," I said. I hung up. "My lady" sounded like my dog . Ownership. I was his human servant. Short of killing him, I couldn't change that. But I didn't belong to him. If I belonged to anybody, I belonged to me. And that was how I was going to approach the council, as me: Anita Blake, vampire executioner, police liaison for the monsters. They wouldn't listen to Jean-Claude's human servant, but they might listen to me.
44
Thomas answered the phone at the Circus. "They have you doing flunky work?" I asked.
"Excuse me?" he said.
"Sorry, this is Anita Blake."
He was quiet for a second, then, "I'm sorry, we are not open for business until nightfall."
"Is Fernando there?"
"Yes, that's right. Nightfall."
"I need to talk to the Traveler, Thomas. I'm asking this on police business, not as Jean-Claude's human servant. We've got some vampires in trouble, and I think he can help."
"Yes, we do take reservations," he said.
I gave him the number of Dolph's car phone. "We don't have a lot of time, Thomas. If he won't help me, I've got to go in with cops and firemen on my own."
"I look forward to seeing you tonight." He hung up.
Life would be so much easier if Fernando were dead. Besides, I'd promised Sylvie we'd kill him. I always tried to keep my promises.
Dolph was leaning in the door wanting to know what was taking so long, when the phone rang. I looked at him. He nodded and moved away. I picked up.
"Yes."
"I am told you needed to speak with me."
I wondered whose lips he was using, whose body. "Thank you for calling me back, Traveler." A little politeness couldn't hurt.
"Thomas was surprisingly eloquent on your behalf. What do you wish of me?"
I explained as briefly as possible.
"And what do you wish me to do about this problem of yours?"
"You can stop taking energy through them. That would help."
"Then I must feed on live humans. Is there someone you would offer in their place for each of us?"
"No, no offers, no bargains. This is police business, Traveler. I'm speaking with the authority of human law behind me, not Jean-Claude."
"What is human law to me? To us?"
"If we go down there and they attack us, I'll end up killing some of them. They may kill policemen, firemen. That's bad publicity with Brewster's Law to be decided this fall. The council has stopped all vampires in this country from fighting amongst themselves until the law is finalized.
"You try being one, then talk to me," I said. I hung up. "My lady" sounded like my dog . Ownership. I was his human servant. Short of killing him, I couldn't change that. But I didn't belong to him. If I belonged to anybody, I belonged to me. And that was how I was going to approach the council, as me: Anita Blake, vampire executioner, police liaison for the monsters. They wouldn't listen to Jean-Claude's human servant, but they might listen to me.
44
Thomas answered the phone at the Circus. "They have you doing flunky work?" I asked.
"Excuse me?" he said.
"Sorry, this is Anita Blake."
He was quiet for a second, then, "I'm sorry, we are not open for business until nightfall."
"Is Fernando there?"
"Yes, that's right. Nightfall."
"I need to talk to the Traveler, Thomas. I'm asking this on police business, not as Jean-Claude's human servant. We've got some vampires in trouble, and I think he can help."
"Yes, we do take reservations," he said.
I gave him the number of Dolph's car phone. "We don't have a lot of time, Thomas. If he won't help me, I've got to go in with cops and firemen on my own."
"I look forward to seeing you tonight." He hung up.
Life would be so much easier if Fernando were dead. Besides, I'd promised Sylvie we'd kill him. I always tried to keep my promises.
Dolph was leaning in the door wanting to know what was taking so long, when the phone rang. I looked at him. He nodded and moved away. I picked up.
"Yes."
"I am told you needed to speak with me."
I wondered whose lips he was using, whose body. "Thank you for calling me back, Traveler." A little politeness couldn't hurt.
"Thomas was surprisingly eloquent on your behalf. What do you wish of me?"
I explained as briefly as possible.
"And what do you wish me to do about this problem of yours?"
"You can stop taking energy through them. That would help."
"Then I must feed on live humans. Is there someone you would offer in their place for each of us?"
"No, no offers, no bargains. This is police business, Traveler. I'm speaking with the authority of human law behind me, not Jean-Claude."
"What is human law to me? To us?"
"If we go down there and they attack us, I'll end up killing some of them. They may kill policemen, firemen. That's bad publicity with Brewster's Law to be decided this fall. The council has stopped all vampires in this country from fighting amongst themselves until the law is finalized.