lhamilton.thekillingdance-第66部分

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　put　the　vampires　back　without　screwing　them　up？〃
　〃Define　screwing　them　up；〃　Dominic　said。
　〃Do　not　joke；　Dominic；〃　Jean…Claude　said。　〃You　know　precisely　what　she　means。〃
　〃I　want　to　hear　it　from　her　lips。〃
　Jean…Claude　looked　at　me　and　gave　a　barely　perceptible　shrug。
　〃When　darkness　falls；　I　want　them　to　rise　as　vampires。　I'm　afraid　if　I　do　this　wrong；　they'll　just　be　dead；　permanently。〃
　〃You　surprise　me；　Anita。　Perhaps　your　reputation　as　the　scourge　of　the　local　vampire　populace　is　exaggerated。〃
　I　stared　at　him。　Before　I　could　say　something　that　sounded　like　bragging；　Jean…Claude　spoke。　〃I　would　think　what　she　has　done　today　is　proof　enough　of　how　very　much　she　deserves　her　reputation。〃
　Dominic　and　the　vampire　stared　at　each　other。　Something　seemed　to　pass　between　them。　A　challenge；　a　knowledge；　something。　〃She　would　make　an　amazing　human　servant　if　only　some　vampire　could　tame　her；〃　Dominic　said。
　Jean…Claude　laughed。　The　sound　filled　the　room　with　echoes　that　shivered　and　danced　across　the　skin。　The　laughter　swept　through　my　body；　and　for　the　briefest　moment；　I　could　feel　something　touch　me　deep　inside　where　no　hand　belonged。　In　another　context　Jean…Claude　might　have　made　it　sexual；　now　it　was　simply　disturbing。
　〃Don't　ever　do　that　again；〃　Richard　said。　He　rubbed　his　bare　arms　as　if　he　were　cold　or　trying　to　erase　the　memory　of　that　invasive　laughter。
　Jason　trotted　over　to　Jean…Claude；　to　butt　his　head　against　the　vampire's　hand。　He'd　liked　it。
　Dominic　gave　a　little　bow。　〃My　apologies；　Jean…Claude；　you　have　made　your　point。　If　you　wished　to；　you　could　cause　the　damage　that　my　master　caused　by　accident　at　your　office。〃
　〃My　office；〃　I　said。　Personally；　I　didn't　think　that　Jean…Claude　could　cause　damage　with　just　his　voice。　I'd　been　in　situations　where　if　he　could　have　done　it；　he　would　have。　No　sense　telling　Dominic　that；　though。
　Dominic　gave　an　even　lower　bow　in　my　direction。　〃Your　office；　of　course。〃
　〃Can　we　cut　the　grandstanding？〃　I　said。　〃Can　you　help　us？〃
　〃I　am　more　than　willing　to　try。〃
　I　walked　up　to　him；　picking　my　way　over　the　broken　stones。　When　I　was　standing　as　close　as　was　polite　and　maybe　an　inch　or　so　more；　I　said；　〃These　three　vampires　are　not　an　experiment。　This　is　not　some　graduate　study　in　magical　metaphysics。　You　offered　to　teach　me　necromancy；　Dominic。　I　think　you're　not　up　to　the　job。　How　can　you　teach　me　when　I　can　do　things　you　can't？　Unless；　of　course；　you　can　raise　vampires　from　their　coffins？〃
　I　stared　into　his　dark　eyes　the　entire　time　I　spoke；　watching　the　anger　narrow　his　eyes；　tighten　his　lips。　His　ego　was　as　big　as　I'd　hoped。　I　knew　he　wouldn't　disappoint　me。　Dominic　would　do　his　best　for　us　now。　His　pride　was　at　stake。
　〃Tell　me　exactly　how　you　called　the　power；　Anita；　and　I　will　build　you　a　spell　that　should　work…if　you　have　the　control　to　make　it　work。〃
　I　smiled　at　him；　and　I　made　sure　it　was　just　this　side　of　condescending。　〃You　e　up　with　it；　I　can　pull　it　off。〃
　He　smiled。　〃Arrogance　is　not　a　being　trait　in　a　woman。〃
　〃I　find　it　a　very　being　trait；〃　Jean…Claude　said。　〃If　it's　deserved。　If　you　had　just　raised　three　vampires　from　their　daytime　rest；　wouldn't　you　be　arrogant；　Dominic？〃
　His　smile　widened。　〃Yes；　I　would　be。〃
　Truth　was；　I　didn't　feel　arrogant。　I　was　scared。　Scared　that　I'd　screwed　Willie　up　and　he　would　never　rise　again。　I　felt　bad　too；　about　Liv　and　Damian。　It　wasn't　a　matter　of　liking　them　or　not；　I　didn't　mean　to　do　it。　You　shouldn't　extinguish　someone's　life　force　by　accident。　If　I　felt　half　as　secure　as　my　words　to　Dominic；　why　did　my　stomach　hurt？
　
　
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　Dominic；　Cassandra；　and　I　came　up　with　a　spell。　The　part　of　the　plan　that　was　my　idea　was　very　simple。　I　had　put　zombies　back　in　their　graves　for　years。　I　was　good　at　it。　As　far　as　I　was　able；　I　was　going　to　treat　this　like　just　another　job：　laying　the　dead　to　rest；　nothing　special。　Lay　the　zombies　first；　worry　about　the　vamps　later。
　I　had　Cassandra　fetch　one　of　my　knives　and　a　wrist　sheath　from　the　bedroom。　If　I'd　been　acting　as　a　focus　for　another　animator；　I　wouldn't　have　let　him　sink　teeth　into　me；　so　why　did　the　blood　have　to　e　from　Jean…Claude　drinking　it？　It　didn't；　or　I　didn't　think　it　did。　Dominic　agreed　with　me；　but　he　wasn't　a　hundred　percent　sure。　So　zombies　first。　They'd　be　the　practice。　If　the　knife　didn't　work；　we'd　go　to　fangs；　but　what　little　normalcy　was　left　to　me；　I　was　going　to　cling　to。
　I'd　sent　Stephen　for　a　bowl　to　hold　the　blood。　He'd　returned　with　a　small；　golden　bowl。　I　wondered　if　the　size　was　deliberate；　to　encourage　me　not　to　spill　too　much　blood。　For　a　werewolf；　Stephen　didn't　seem　to　like　blood　very　much。　The　bowl　was　polished　to　a　shine　so　bright　it　almost　glowed。　The　inside　showed　the　dimpled　blows　of　hammer　work。　Beaten　gold；　and　I　knew　as　soon　as　I　touched　it；　it　was　old。　Why　does　everyone　think　you　have　to　have　something　special　to　hold　the　blood？　Tupperware　would　have　worked。
　We　stood　in　the　rubble…strewn　room　where　the　zombies　waited；　patient　as　only　the　dead　can　be。　Some　of　the　eyes　that　watched　me　were　sunken　like　the　blind　eyes　of　dead　fish；　a　few　skulls　were　empty；　and　even　without　eyes；　they　all　seerned　to　be　looking　at　me。
　I　stood；　knife　strapped　to　my　left　wrist；　facing　them。　Richard　stood　to　my　left；　Jean…Claude　to　my　right。　They　weren't　touching　me；　by　my　request。
　Dominic　had　asked　for　enough　details　of　the　first　triumvirate　that　I'd　been　embarrassed。　He　agreed　with　me　that　the　power　was　probably　there　without　us　having　to　crawl　all　over　each　other。　Agreeing　to　that　alone　earned　him　brownie　points。　After　all；　the　plan　was　to　raise　the　magic　tonight　in　front　of　the　whole　pack。　I　didn't　really　want　to　be　having　sex　in　front　of　that　many　strangers。　All　right；　it　wasn't　exactly　sex；　but　it　was　close　enough　that　I　didn't　want　an　audience。
　The　glow　was　fading。　Staring　at　the　partially　rotting　zombies；　it　was　hard　to　regain　the　mood。　〃My　zombies　usually　hold　together　better　than　this；〃　I　said。
　〃If　you　had　pulled　this　much　power　from　two　other　necromancers；　the　zombies　would　be　better；〃　Dominic　said。
　〃Perhaps　it　was　the　lack　of　control；〃　Jean…Claude　said。
　I　turned　and　looked　at　him。　〃I　think　Dominic　means　that　some　of　the　power　that　raised　them　was　taken　from　a　dead　man。〃
　〃Do　you　believe　I　am　a　dead　man；　ma　petite？〃
　I　stared　into　that　lovely　face　and　nodded。　〃The　vampires　I　raised　are　just　corpses。　Whatever　you　are；　it's　a　form　of　necromancy。　Necromancy　only　works　when　you　start　with　a　dead　body。〃
　He　cocked　his　head　to　one　side。　〃I　hear　your　words；　ma　petite；　but　I　do　not　think　you　believe　them；　not　pletely。〃
　I　shook　my　head。　〃I　don't　know　what　I　believe　anymore。〃
　〃Actually；〃　Dominic　said；　〃I　don't　believe　it　matters　that　Jean…Claude　is　a　vampire。　I　think　it　is　more　that　neither　he　nor　Richard　know　anything　of　raising　the　dead。　That　is　your　talent　alone。　I　think　with　practice；　you　could　channel　the　power　into　perfect　zombies；　but　in　a　way；　Jean…Claude　is　right。　The　wildness　of　it；　the　lack　of　control；　made　the　zombies　less　perfect。〃
　Something　must　have　shown　on　my　face；　because　he　said；　〃You　had　too　many　things　to　control　to　pay　attention　to　all　the　details。　I　think　you　instinctively　let　the　zombies　go；　because　it　was　the　part　you　were　most　sure　of。　You　have　excellent　instincts。〃
　〃Thanks；　I　guess；〃　I　said。
　He　smiled。　〃I　know　time　is　growing　short。　As　we　can　see　from　Jean…Claude's　presence；　not　all　vampires　sleep　until　full　dark。　I　fear　that　if　one　of　the　vampires　passes　its　waking　hour；　that　he　or　she　will　be　lost。　But　I　would　ask　Anita　to　do　one　thing　for　me　that　has　nothing　to　do　with　her　problem；　but　everything　to　do　with　mine。〃
　〃What　problem？〃　I　asked。
　〃Sabin；〃　Jean…Claude　said。
　Dominic　nodded。　〃Sabin's　time　is　running　short。〃
　〃Sabin；　the　vampire　at　the　club？〃　Cassandra　asked。
　〃Yeah；〃　I　said。　〃What　do　you　need；　Dominic？　Make　it　quick；　and　I'm　your　girl。〃
　Dominic　smiled。　〃Thank　you；　Anita。　Concentrate　on　one　of　your　zombies。　Try　to　bring　it　closer　to　perfection。〃
　I　frowned　at　him。
　〃Heal　one　of　your　zombies；　ma　petite。〃
　〃You　can't　heal　the　dead；〃　I　said；　〃but　I　can　make　them　more　lifelike。〃
　Dominic　nodded。　〃That　would　do　very　nicel