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　　　In　those　ancient　times；　when　it　was　scarce　two　centuries　that　we　lived　together；　it　was　I　who　destroyed　our　union　in　a　foolish　and　dreadful　way。　We　had　spent　almost　every　night　of　our　lives　quarreling；　and　I　could　not　admit　her　advantages；　and　her　victories；　and　it　was　as　the　result　of　my　weakness　that　I　foolishly　and　impetuously　left　her　when　I　did。
　　　This　was　the　single　worst　mistake　of　all　my　long　years。
　　　But　let　me　tell　quickly　the　little　tale　of　how　we　came　to　be　divided　by　my　bitterness　and　pride。
　　　Now　as　we　kept　the　Mother　and　the　Father；　the　old　gods　of　the　dark　groves　of　the　North　woods　died　out。　Nevertheless　an　occasional　blood　drinker　would　discover　us　and　e　to　press　his　suit　for　the　blood　of　Those　Who　Must　Be　Kept。
　　　Most　often　such　a　monster　was　violent　and　easily　dispatched　in　the　heat　of　anger；　and　we　would　return　to　our　civilized　life。
　　　One　evening；　however；　there　appeared　in　our　villa　outside　Antioch　a　band　of　newly　made　blood　drinkers；　some　five　in　number；　all　dressed　in　simple　robes。
　　　I　was　soon　amazed　to　discover　that　they　perceived　themselves　as　serving　Satan　within　a　Divine　Plan　that　held　the　Devil　to　be　equal　in　power　to　the　Christian　God。
　　　They　did　not　know　of　the　Mother　and　the　Father；　and　understand；　the　shrine　was　in　that　very　house；　down；　beneath　the　floor。　Yet　they　could　hear　no　inkling　of　the　Divine　Parents。　They　were　far　too　young　and　too　innocent。　Indeed；　their　zeal　and　sincerity　was　enough　to　break　one's　heart。
　　　But　though　deeply　touched　by　their　mishmash　of　Christian　and　Persian　ideas；　of　their　wild　notions；　and　by　their　curious　appearance　of　innocence；　I　was　also　horrified　by　the　fact　that　this　was　a　new　religion　among　the　blood　drinkers；　and　they　spoke　of　other　adherents。　They　spoke　of　a　cult。
　　　The　human　in　me　was　revolted；　and　the　rational　Roman　was　more　confused　and　alarmed　than　I　can　express。
　　　
　　　
　　　It　was　Pandora　who　quickly　brought　me　to　my　senses　and　gave　me　to　know　that　we　must　slaughter　the　whole　band。　Were　we　to　let　them　go；　others　would　e　to　us；　and　soon　the　Mother　and　Father　might　fall　into　their　hands。
　　　I；　who　had　slain　old　pagan　blood　drinkers　with　ease；　seemed　　somehow　unable　to　obey　her；　perhaps　because　I　realized　for　the　first　time　that　if　we　remained　in　Antioch；　if　we　maintained　our　household　and　our　lives；　more　and　more　blood　drinkers　would　e　and　there　would　be　no　end　to　killing　them　in　order　to　protect　our　fine　secret。　And　my　soul　suddenly　could　not　endure　this　possibility。　Indeed　I　thought　once　more　of　death　for　myself　and　even　for　Those　Who　Must　Be　Kept。
　　　We　slaughtered　the　zealots。　It　was　a　simple　thing　to　do　for　they　were　so　young。　It　took　only　moments　with　torches　and　with　our　swords。　We　burnt　them　to　ashes　and　then　scattered　those　ashes　as；　I'm　sure　you　know；　must　be　done。
　　　But　after　it　was　over；　I　lapsed　into　a　terrible　silence　and　for　months　would　not　leave　the　shrine。　I　abandoned　Pandora　for　my　own　suffering。
　　　　　I　couldn't　explain　to　her　that　I　had　foreseen　a　grim　future；　and　when　she　had　gone　out　to　hunt　the　city　or　to　do　whatever　amused　her；　I　went　to　Akasha。
　　　I　went　to　my　Queen。　I　knelt　before　her　and　I　asked　her　what　she　meant　for　me　to　do。
　　　〃After　all；〃　I　said；　〃these　are　your　children；　are　they　not？　They　e　in　new　battalions　and　they　don't　know　your　name。　They　likened　their　fangs　to　those　of　serpents。　They　spoke　of　the　Hebrew　prophet　Moses；　holding　up　the　serpent　staff　in　the　desert。　They　spoke　of　others　who　might　e。〃
　　　No　answer　came　from　Akasha。　No　real　answer　was　to　e　from　Akasha　for　two　thousand　years。
　　　But　I　was　only　beginning　my　awful　journey　then。　And　all　I　knew　in　those　anxious　moments　was　that　I　had　to　conceal　my　prayers　from　Pandora；　that　I　couldn't　let　her　see　me…Marius；　the　philosopher…on　bended　knee。　I　went　on　with　my　praying；　I　went　on　with　my　feverish　worship。　And　as　always　happens　when　one　prays　to　an　immobile　thing；　the　light　played　upon　the　face　of　Akasha；　the　light　gave　some　
　　　semblance　of　life。
　　　Meantime；　Pandora；　as　embittered　by　my　silence　as　I　was　by　Akasha's　silence；　became　utterly　distraught。
　　　And　one　night　she　hurled　at　me　a　simple　household　insult；　〃Would　that　I　were　rid　of　them　and　rid　of　you。〃
　　　
　　　She　left　the　house　and　she　did　not　return　the　next　night　or　the　night　after　that。
　　　As　you　can　see；　she　was　merely　playing　the　same　game　with　me　that　I　had　played　with　her。　She　refused　to　be　a　witness　to　my　hardness。　But　she　could　not　understand　how　desperately　I　needed　her　presence；　and　even　her　vain　pleas。
　　　Oh；　it　was　so　shamefully　selfish　of　me。　It　was　such　a　needless　disaster
　　　　but　powerfully　angry　with　her；　I　took　the　irrevocable　step　of　arranging　for　my　departure　from　Antioch　by　day。
　　　Indeed；　by　the　light　of　the　dim　lamp；　so　as　not　to　arouse　my　mortal　agents；　I　gave　orders　for　myself　and　Those　Who　Must　Be　Kept　to　be　transported　in　three　immense　sarcophaghi　to　Rome　by　sea。　I　abandoned
　　　　my　Pandora。　I　took　with　me　all　that　was　mine　and　left　her　only　the　empty　villa；　with　her　own　possessions　strewn　rather　carelessly　and　insultingly　around　it。　I　left　the　only　creature　in　the　world　who　could　have　patience　with　me；　who　could　give　me　understanding；　and　who　had　done　so；　no　matter　how　often　or　how　hard　we　had　fought。
　　　I　left　the　only　being　who　knew　what　I　was！
　　　Of　course　I　didn't　know　the　consequences。　I　didn't　realize　that　I　would　not　find　Pandora　for　hundreds　of　years。　I　didn't　know　that　she　would　bee　a　goddess　in　my　mind；　a　being　as　powerful　in　my　
　　　memory　as　Akasha　was　to　me　night　after　night。
　　　You　see；　it　was　another　lie；　like　unto　the　lie　I've　told　about　Akasha。　I　loved　Pandora　and　I　needed　her。　But　in　our　verbal　bat；　I　had　always；　no　matter　how　emotional；　played　the　role　of　the　superior　mind　who　was　in　no　need　of　her　seemingly　irrational　discourse　and　always　evident　affection。　I　remember　the　very　night　that　I　gave　her　the　Dark　Blood　how　she　had　argued　with　me。
　　　She　said；　〃Don't　make　a　religion　of　reason　and　logic。　Because　in　the　passage　of　time　reason　may　fail　you　and　when　it　does；　you　may　find　yourself　taking　refuge　in　madness。〃　I　was　so　offended　by　these　words　ing　from　the　mouth　of　this　beautiful　woman　whose　eyes　so　entranced　me　that　I　could　scarce　follow　her　thoughts。
　　　Yet　in　those　months　of　silence；　after　we　had　slain　the　New　Believers；
　　　　this　was　precisely　what　had　happened。　I　had　lapsed　into　a　form　of　badness　and　refused　to　speak　a　word。
　　　And　only　now　can　I　admit　the　full　folly　of　it；　that　my　own　weakness　was　unsupportable　to　me；　and　that　I　could　not　endure　having　her　as　the
　　　witness　of　the　melancholy　which　shrouded　my　soul。
　　　Even　now；　I　cannot　have　her　as　a　witness　to　my　suffering。　I　live　here　alone；　with　Daniel。　I　speak　to　you　because　you　are　a　new　friend　and　can　take　from　me　fresh　impressions　and　fresh　suggestions。　You　don't　look　at　me　with　old　knowledge　and　old　fear。　But　let　me　go　on　with　my　tale。
　　　Our　ship　arrived　at　the　port　of　Ostia　in　good　order；　and　once　we　had　been　transported　in　three　sarcophaghi　to　the　city　of　Rome；　I　rose　from　my　〃grave；〃　made　arrangements　for　an　expensive　villa　just　outside　the　city　walls；　and　arranged　an　underground　shrine　for　Those　Who　Must　Be　Kept　in　the　hills　well　away　from　the　house。
　　　A　great　guilt　weighed　me　down　that　I　had　placed　them　at　such　a　　distance　from　the　place　in　which　I　lived；　read　my　books；　and　took　to　my　crypt　at　night。　After　all；　they　had　been　within　my　very　house　in　Antioch；
　　　　though　safely　beneath　it；　and　now　they　were　some　miles　away。
　　　But　I　wanted　to　live　close　to　the　great　city；　and　indeed　within　a　few　short　years；　the　walls　of　Rome　were　built　out　and　around　my　house　so　that　Rome　enclosed　it。　I　had　a　country　villa　in　town。
　　　It　was　no　safe　place　for　Those　Who　Must　Be　Kept。　So　it　proved　most　wise　that　I　had　created　their　shrine　well　away　from　the　burgeoning　city；　and　settling　into　my　villa；　I　played　〃a　Roman　gentleman〃　to　those　around　me；　the　loving　master　of　several　simple…minded　and　gullible　slaves。
　　　Now　understand　that　I　had　been　away　from　Rome　for　over　two　hundred　years。
　　　Glorying　in　the　cultural　riches　of　Antioch；　a　Roman　city；　yes；　but　an　Eastern　city；　listening　to　her　poets　and　teachers　in　the　Forum；　roaming　her　libraries　by　torchlight；　I　had　been　horrified　by　descriptions　of　the　latest　Roman　Emperors　who　had　disgraced　the　title　altogether　by　their　antics　and　inevitably　been　murdered　by　their　bodyguards　or　their　troops。
　　　But　I　was　far　wrong　that　the　Eternal　City　had　fallen　into　degradation。
　　　　　Great　Emperors　of　the　past　hundred　years　there　had　been　such　as　Hadrian　and　Marcus　Aurelius；　and　Septimius　Severus；　and　there　had　been　an　enormous　number　of　monumental　buildings　added　to　the　capital　as　well　as　a　great　increase　of　population。　Not　even　a　blood　drinker　such　as　myself　could　have　inspected　all　of　Rome's　temples；　
　　　amphitheaters　and　baths。
　　　Indeed　Rome　was　more　than　likely　the　largest　and　most　impressive　city　in　the　world。　Some　two　million　people　made　up　the　populace；　many　of　the　plebs；　as　the　poor　were　called；　receiving　a　daily　ration　of　corn　and　wine。
　　　
　　　I　yielded　to　the　spell　of　the　city　immediately。　And　shutting　out　the　horrors　of　the　Imperial　quarrels　and　continuous　war　along　the　frontiers
　　　　I　diverted　myself　by　studying　the　intellectual　and　aesthetic　handiwork
　　　　of　mankind　as　I've　always　done。
　　　Of　course　I　went　immediately　to　play　the　hovering　ghost　about　the　town　houses　of　my　descendants；　for　I　had　kept　some　track　of　them；　though　never　admitting　it　to　Pandora；　and　I　found　them　to　be　good　members　of　the　old　Senatorial　class；　striving　desperately　to　maintain　some　order　in　government；　while　the　army　elevated　Emperor　after　Emperor　in　a　desperate　attempt　to　secure　power　for　this　or　that　faction　in　this　or　that　far…flung　place。
　　　It　broke　my　heart　actually　to　see　these　young　men　and　women　whom　I　knew　to　have　e　down　from　my　uncles　and　aunts；　from　my　nieces　and　nephews；　and　it　was　during　this　period　that　I　broke　my　record　of　them　forever；　though　why　precisely　I　cannot　say。
　　　It　was　a　time　for　me　of　breaking　all　ties。　I　had　abandoned　Pandora。　I　had　put　Those　Who　Must　Be　Kept　at　some　remove　from　me；　and　now　I　came　home　one　night；　from　spying　upon　a　supper　party　at