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Tex sees I am serious。 My eyes and voice appear devilishly wicked when I am in the mood； and I'm starving right now。 Tex turns deathly pale； matching the color of the moonlight that pours down on us。
〃You can't kill me！〃 he cries。
I laugh。 〃Yes。 It will be very easy to kill you。 Do you want me to demonstrate？〃
He trembles。 〃No！〃
〃I will give you a demonstration anyway。〃 I call over to Tex's partner； who has begun to perspire heavily。 〃What is your name？〃
〃Go to hell；〃 he swears； trying to circle around us； to get off a lucky shot。
〃That cannot be your name；〃 I say。 〃〃Your mother would never have called you that。 It doesn't matter。 You are going to be nobody in a minute。 But before I kill you； is there anything you want to say？〃
He pauses； angry。 〃Say to who？〃
I shrug。 〃I don't know。 God； maybe。 Do you believe in God？〃
I exasperate him。 〃You are one weird bitch。〃
I nod solemnly。 〃I am weird。〃 The full power of my gaze locks into his eyes。 With me boring into him； he is unable to look away。 All he sees； I know； is my fathomless pupils； swelling in size like black holes。 I speak very slowly； softly。 〃Now my dear man； you are going to take your gun and put it in your mouth。〃
The man freezes for a moment。
Then； as if in a dream； he opens his mouth and puts the gun between his lips。
〃Chuck！〃 Tex screams。 〃Don't listen to her！ She's trying to hypnotize you！〃
〃Now I want you to grasp the trigger；〃 I continue in my penetrating voice。 〃I want you to place a certain amount of pressure on the trigger。 Not enough to fire the bullet； mind you； but almost enough。 There； that is perfect； you have done well。 You are half an inch from death。〃 I pause and turn down the power of my eyes。 My voice returns to normal。 〃How does it feel？〃
The man blinks and then notices the barrel in his mouth。 He almost has a heart attack。 He is so scared； he actually drops the gun。 〃Jesus Christ！〃 he cries。
〃See；〃 I say。 〃You must believe in God。 And because I do as well； and I can only drink the blood of one of you at a time； I think I will let you go as well。 Quick； join your partners out in the desert； before I change my mind。〃
The man nods。 〃No problem。〃 He dashes away。
〃Chuck！〃 Tex screams。 〃e back here！〃
〃He is not ing back；〃 I tell Tex seriously。 〃You cannot buy that kind of loyalty。 You certainly cannot buy me。 You can't even buy my dinner。〃 I pause。 〃You must understand by now that you are dinner。〃
He weeps like a child。 〃Please！ I don't want to die。〃
I pull him closer； whisper my favorite line。
〃Then you should never have been born；〃 I say。
I enjoy my meal
When I am finished draining the Texan and have buried him far from his car； I go for a walk in the desert。 My thirst is satisfied but my mind is restless。 Andy will be off work in a few hours。 I should be planning how I will convince him to help me； yet I cannot concentrate。 I keep thinking I'm missing something important。 I contemplate the last few days and somehow I know something is missing…a piece of the puzzle。 This piece exists just beyond the edge of my vision。 What it is； I cannot grasp。
Arturo's ghost haunts me。 The world never knew what it had lost in him。 What greater sorrow could there be？ I ask myself how he would have been remembered if there had been no Inquisition。 If there had been no Sita and no magical blood to poison his dreams。 Perhaps his name would have been uttered in the same breath as that of Leonardo da Vinci； of Einstein。 It tortures me to think of the lost possibilities： Arturo the alchemist…the founder of a secret science。
〃What did you do to Ralphe？〃 I whisper aloud。 〃Why did you do it？ Why did you refuse to talk to me when we were in jail？〃
But his ghost has questions of its own。
Why were you so quick to kill Ralphe？
〃I had to；〃 I tell the night。
Why did you betray me； Sita？
〃I had to；〃 I say again。 〃You were out of control。〃
But I never accused you； Sita。 And you were the real witch。
I sigh。 〃I know； Arturo。 And I was not a good witch。〃
I have e far from where I started。 A steep hill stands before me and I climb to the top of it。 Twenty miles off to my left is Las Vegas； glowing with extravagance and decadence。 The almost full moon is high and to my right。 The hike has left me hot and sweaty。 After shedding my clothes； I once more bow to the lunar goddess。 This time I feel the rays enter my body； a tingling coolness that is strangely forting。 My breathing bees deep and expanded。 I feel as if my lungs can draw in the whole atmosphere； as if my skin can soak up the entire night sky。 My heart pounds in my chest； now circulating a milky white substance instead of sticky red blood。 Without using my eyes； I know I am being transparent。
I feel extraordinarily light。
As if I could fly。
The thought es from an unknown place。 It is like a hissed whisper spoken to me from the eternal abyss。 Perhaps Yaksha's soul returns to grant me one final lesson。
The soles of my feet leave the top of the hill。
But I have not jumped。 No。
I am floating…a few inches above the cool sand。
10
When I return to my room； I call Seymour Dorsten； my friend and personal biographer； the young man I cured of AIDS with a few drops of my blood。 Seymour is my psychic twin…he often writes about what I am experiencing； without my having to tell him what it is。 Lately； I've been broadcasting him great material。 I wake him up； but as soon as he hears my voice he is instantly alert。
〃I knew you'd be calling me soon；〃 he says。 〃Was that you down in Los Angeles？〃
〃Joel and I。〃
He takes a moment to absorb what I am saying。 〃Joel is a vampire now？〃
〃Yes。 Eddie roughed him up bad。 He was dying。 I had no choice。〃
〃You've broken your vow。〃
〃Do you need to remind me？〃
〃Sorry。〃 He pauses。 〃Can I bee a vampire？〃
〃You don't want the headache。 Let me tell you what's been happening。〃
For the next ninety minutes Seymour listens while I detail everything that has occurred since just before I rescued Yaksha and battled with Eddie。 I mention Tex； sleeping in his shallow grave in the desert； and my levitating in the moonlight。 Seymour ponders my words for a long time。
〃Well？〃 I ask finally。 〃Have you been writing about all of this already？〃
He hesitates。 〃I was writing a story about you。 In it you were an angel。〃
〃Did I have wings？〃
〃You were glowing white and flying high above a ruined landscape。〃
〃Sounds like the end of the world；〃 I remark。
Seymour is serious。 〃It will be the end of the world if you don't get Joel away from these people。 You think they really have another vampire in addition to Joel？〃
〃Yes。 Andy has constructed a model of vampire DNA。 He wouldn't have had time to do it after Joel was brought to him。〃
〃How do you know what vampire DNA looks like？〃
I haven't told Seymour about Arturo。 The story is too painful； and besides； I don't think it applies to the situation。
〃Trust me； I have experience in the matter；〃 I reply。 〃Andy's model is accurate。 Anyway； whether I have to rescue one or two； my dilemma is the same。 I