anner.vittoriothevampire-第34部分

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　And　then　upwards　she　flew；　just　missing　my　outstretched　arms。　She　had　fled　to　the　chapel　above。
　〃Witchlet；　monster；　larva；　you　tricked　me　with　your　illusions；　with　your　visions；　you　made　me　one　of　you；　you　did　it　to　me！〃　My　roars　echoed　one　upon　the　other　as　I　scrambled　about　in　the　dark　till　I　found　my　sword；　and　then　dancing　back　to　gain　my　momentum；　I　too　made　the　leap　and　cleared　the　spears　and　found　myself　high　up　on　the　floor　of　the　church；　and　she　hovering　with　glittering　tears　before　the　altar。
　She　backed　up　into　the　bank　of　red　flowers　that　barely　showed　in　the　starlight　that　passed　through　the　darkened　windows。
　〃No；　Vittorio；　don't　kill　me；　don't　do　it。　Don't；〃　she　sobbed　and　wailed。　〃I　am　a　child；　like　you；　please；　don't。〃
　I　tore　at　her；　and　she　scrambled　to　the　end　of　the　sanctuary。　In　a　rage；　I　swung　at　the　statue　of　Lucifer　with　my　sword。　It　tottered　and　then　crashed　down；　breaking　on　the　marble　floor　of　the　cursed　sanctuary。
　She　hovered　at　the　far　end。　She　dropped　down　on　her　knees　and　threw　out　her　hands。　She　shook　her　head；　her　hair　flying　wildly　from　side　to　side。
　〃Don't　kill　me；　don't　kill　me；　don't　kill　me。　You　send　me　to　Hell　if　you　do；　don't　do　it。〃
　〃Wretch！〃　I　moaned。　〃Wretch！〃　My　tears　fell　as　freely　as　hers。　〃I　thirst；　you　wretch。　I　thirst；　and　I　can　smell　them；　the　slaves　in　the　coop。　I　can　smell　them；　their　blood；　damn　you！〃
　I　too　had　gone　down　on　my　knees。　I　lay　down　on　the　marble；　and　kicked　aside　the　broken　fragments　of　the　hideous　statue。　With　my　sword　I　snagged　the　lace　of　the　altar　cloth　and　brought　it　down　with　all　its　many　red　flowers　tumbling　on　me；　so　that　I　could　roll　over　into　them　and　crush　my　face　into　their　softness。
　A　silence　fell；　a　terrible　silence　full　of　my　own　wailing。　I　could　feel　my　strength；　feel　it　even　in　the　timbre　of　my　voice；　and　the　arm　that　held　the　sword　without　exhaustion　or　restraint；　and　feel　it　in　the　painless　calm　with　which　I　lay　on　what　should　have　been　cold　and　was　not　cold；　or　only　goodly　cold。　Oh；　she　had　made　me　mighty。
　A　scent　overcame　me。　I　looked　up。　She　stood　just　above　me；　tender；　loving　thing　that　she　was；　with　her　eyes　so　full　of　the　starlight　now；　so　glinting　and　quiet　and　unjudging。　In　her　arms　she　held　a　young　human；　a　feeble…minded　one；　who　did　not　know　his　danger。
　How　pink　and　succulent　he　was；　how　like　the　roasted　pig　ready　for　my　lips；　how　full　of　naturally　cooking　and　bubbling　mortal　blood　and　ready　for　me。　She　set　him　down　before　me。
　He　was　naked；　thin　buttocks　on　his　heels；　his　trembling　chest　very　pink　and　his　hair　black　and　long　and　soft　around　his　guileless　face。　He　appeared　to　be　dreaming　or　searching　the　darkness；　perhaps　for　angels？
　〃Drink；　my　darling；　drink　from　him；〃　she　said；　〃and　then　you'll　have　the　strength　to　take　us　both　to　the　Good　Father　for　Confession。〃
　I　smiled。　The　desire　for　the　feeble…minded　boy　before　me　was　almost　more　than　I　could　endure。　But　it　was　a　whole　new　book　now；　was　it　not；　what　I　might　endure；　and　I　took　my　time；　rising　up　on　my　elbow　as　I　looked　at　her。
　〃To　the　Good　Father？　You　think　that's　where　we'll　go？　Right　away；　just　like　that；　the　two　of　us？〃
　She　began　to　cry　again。　〃Not　right　away；　no；　not　right　away；〃　she　cried。　She　shook　her　head。　Beaten。
　I　took　him。　I　broke　his　neck　when　I　drained　him　dry。　He　made　not　a　sound。　There　was　no　time　for　fear　or　pain　or　crying。　Do　we　ever　forget　the　first　kill？　Do　we　ever？
　Through　the　coop　I　went　all　that　night；　devouring；　feasting；　gorging　on　their　throats；　taking　what　I　wanted　from　each；　sending　each　to　God　or　to　Hell；　how　could　I　ever　know；　bound　now　to　this　earth　with　her；　and　she　feasting　with　me　in　her　dainty　way；　ever　watching　for　my　howls　and　wails；　and　ever　catching　hold　of　me　to　kiss　me　and　ply　me　with　her　sobs　when　I　shook　with　rage。
　〃e　out　of　here；〃　I　said。
　It　was　just　before　sunrise。　I　told　her　I　would　spend　no　day　beneath　these　pointed　towers；　in　this　house　of　horrors；　in　this　place　of　evil　and　filthy　birth。
　〃I　know　of　a　cave；〃　she　said。　〃Far　down　the　mountains；　past　the　farmlands。〃
　〃Yes；　somewhere　on　the　edge　of　a　true　meadow？〃
　〃There　are　meadows　in　this　fair　land　without　count；　my　love；〃　she　said。　〃And　under　the　moon　their　flowers　shine　as　prettily　for　our　magical　eyes　as　ever　they　do　for　humans　by　the　light　of　God's　sun。　Remember　His　moon　is　ours。
　〃And　tomorrow　night。。。　before　you　think　of　the　priest。。。　you　must　take　your　time　to　think　of　the　priest　…　〃
　〃Don't　make　me　laugh　again。　Show　me　how　to　fly。　Wrap　your　arm　around　my　waist　and　show　me　how　to　drop　from　the　high　walls　to　safety　in　a　descent　that　would　shatter　a　man's　limbs。　Don't　talk　of　priests　anymore。　Don't　mock　me！〃
　〃。。。　before　you　think　of　the　priest；　of　Confession；〃　she　went　on；　undeterred　in　her　dainty　sweet　small　voice；　her　eyes　brimming　with　tears　of　love；　〃we'll　go　back　to　the　town　of　Santa　Maddalana　while　it's　fast　asleep；　and　we'll　burn　it　all　down　around　them。〃
　
　
　13
　CHILD　BRIDE
　
　WE　didn't　put　the　torch　to　Santa　Maddalana。　It　was　too　much　of　a　pleasure　to　hunt　the　town。
　By　the　third　night；　I　had　stopped　weeping　at　sunrise；　when　we　retired　together；　locked　in　each　other's　arms　inside　our　concealed　and　unreachable　cave。
　And　by　the　third　night；　the　townspeople　knew　what　had　befallen　them　…　how　their　clever　bargain　with　the　Devil　had　rebounded　upon　them　…　and　they　were　in　a　panic；　and　it　was　a　great　game　to　outsmart　them；　to　hide　in　the　multitude　of　shadows　that　made　up　their　twisted　streets；　and　to　tear　open　their　most　extravagant　and　clever　locks。
　In　the　early　hours；　when　no　one　dared　to　stir；　and　the　good　Franciscan　priest　knelt　awake　in　his　cell；　saying　his　rosary；　and　begging　God　for　understanding　of　what　was　happening　…　this　priest；　you　remember；　who　had　befriended　me　at　the　inn；　who　had　dined　with　me　and　warned　me；　not　in　anger　like　his　Dominican　brother；　but　in　kindness　…　while　this　priest　prayed；　I　crept　into　the　Franciscan　church　and　I　too　prayed。
　But　each　night　I　told　myself　what　a　man　says　to　himself　under　his　breath　when　he　couches　with　his　adulterous　whore：　〃One　more　night；　God；　and　then　I'll　go　to　Confession。　One　more　night　of　bliss；　Lord；　and　then　I'll　go　home　to　my　wife。〃　The　townspeople　had　no　chance　against　us。
　What　skills　I　did　not　acquire　naturally　and　through　experimentation；　my　beloved　Ursula　taught　to　me　with　patience　and　grace。　I　could　scan　a　mind；　find　a　sin　and　eat　it　with　a　flick　of　my　tongue　as　I　sucked　the　blood　from　a　lazy；　lying　merchant　who　had　put　out　his　own　tender　children　once　for　the　mysterious　Lord　Florian；　who　had　kept　the　peace。
　One　night　we　found　that　the　townsmen　had　been　by　day　to　the　abandoned　castle。　There　was　evidence　of　hasty　entry；　with　little　stolen　or　disturbed。　How　it　must　have　frightened　them；　the　horrid　saints　still　flanking　the　pedestal　of　the　Fallen　Lucifer　in　the　church。　They　had　not　taken　the　golden　candlesticks　or　the　old　tabernacle　in　which　I　discovered；　with　my　groping　hand；　a　shriveled　human　heart。
　On　our　last　visit　to　the　Court　of　the　Ruby　Grail；　I　took　the　burned　leathery　heads　of　the　vampires　from　the　deep　cellar　and　I　hurled　them　like　so　many　stones　through　the　stained…glass　windows。　The　last　of　the　brilliant　art　of　the　castle　was　gone。
　Together；　Ursula　and　I　roamed　the　bedchambers　of　the　castle；　which　I　had　never　glimpsed　or　even　imagined；　and　she　showed　me　those　rooms　in　which　the　members　of　the　Court　had　gathered　for　dice　or　chess　or　to　listen　to　small　ensembles　of　music。　Here　and　there　we　saw　evidence　of　something　stolen　…　a　coverlet　ripped　from　a　bed　and　a　pillow　fallen　to　the　floor。
　But　obviously　the　townspeople　were　more　afraid　than　greedy。　They　took　little　from　the　castle。
　And　as　we　continued　to　prey　upon　them；　artfully　defeating　them；　they　began　to　desert　Santa　Maddalana。　Shops　lay　open　when　we　came　into　the　empty　streets　at　midnight；　windows　were　unbolted；　cradles　empty。　The　Dominican　church　had　been　deconsecrated　and　abandoned；　its　altar　stone　removed。　The　cowardly　priests；　whom　I　had　not　granted　the　mercy　of　a　quick　death；　had　abandoned　their　flock。
　The　game　became　ever　more　invigorating　to　me。　For　now；　those　who　remained　were　quarrelsome　and　avaricious　and　refusing　to　give　up　without　a　fight。　It　was　simple　to　sort　the　innocent；　who　believed　in　the　faith　of　the　vigil　light　or　the　saints　to　protect　them；　from　those　who　had　played　with　the　Devil　and　now　kept　an　uneasy　watch　in　the　dark　with　sword　in　hand。
　I　liked　to　talk　to　them；　spar　with　them　verbally；　as　I　killed　them。　〃Did　you　think　your　game　would　go　on　forever？　Did　you　think　the　thing　you　fed　would　never　feed　on　you？〃
　As　for　my　Ursula；　she　had　no　stomach　for　such　sport。　She　could　not　endure　the　spectacle　of　suffering。　The　old　munion　of　Blood　in　the　castle　had　for　her　been　tolerable　only　because　of　the　music；　the　incense　and　the　supreme　authority　of　Florian　and　Godric；　who　had　led　her　in　it　with　every　step。
　Night　after　night；　as　the　town　was　slowly　emptied；　as　the　farms　were　deserted；　as　Santa　Maddalana；　my　school　town；　became　ever　more　ruined；　Ursula　took　to　playing　with　orphaned　children。　She　sat　sometimes　on　the　church　steps　cradling　a　human　infant　and　cooing　to　it；　and　telling　it　stories　in　French。
　She　sang　old　songs　in　Latin　from　the　courts　of　her　time；　which　had　been　two　hundred　years　ago；　she　told　me；　and　she　talked　of　battles　in　France　and　in　Germany　whose　names　meant　nothing　to　me。
　〃Don't　play　with　the　children；〃　I　said。　〃They'll　remember　it。　They'll　remember　us。〃
　A　fortnight　went　by　before　the　munity　was　irreparably　destroyed。　Only　the　orphans　remained　and　a　few　of　the　very　old；　and　the　Franciscan　father；　and　his　father；　the　elfin　little　man　who　sat　in　his　lighted　room　at　night；　playing　a　game　of　cards　with　himself；　as　if　he　did　not　even　now　guess　what　was　going　on。
　On　the　fifteenth　night；　it　must　have　been；　when　we　arrived　in　the　town；　we　knew　at　once　that　only　two　persons　were　left。　We　could　hear　the　little　old　man　singing　to　himself　in　the　empty　Inn　with　the　doors　open。　He　was　very　drunk；　and　his　wet　pink　head　gleamed　in　the　light　of　the　candle。　He　slapped　the　cards　down　on　the　table　in　a　circle；　playing　a　game　of　solitaire　called　〃clock。〃　The　Franciscan　priest　sat　beside　him。　He　looked　up　at　us；　fearlessly　and　ca