"Christopher Pike - The Last Vampire 03 - Red Dice" - читать интересную книгу автора (Pike Christopher)

I take the drums into the living room. From the freezer, I remove Eddie's body, severed head, and even
the hard blood on the freezer floor. I pick them all up and place them on my living room barbecue. Next I
begin to break up the couch and tables into easy-to-burn pieces. The noise causes Joel to stir but he
does not waken. Newborn vampires sleep deep and wake up hungry. I wonder if Joel will be like my
beloved Ray, reluctant to drink from the living. I hope not. I loved Ray above all things, but as a vampire,
he was a pain in the ass.

I think of Ray.

He has been dead less than two days.

"My love," I whisper. "My sorrow."

There is no time for grief; there never is. There is no time for joy, I think bitterly. Only for life, pain,
death. God did not plan this creation. It was a joke to him, a dream. Once, in a dream, Krishna told me
many secrets. But he may have lied to me. It would have been like him.

I am almost done throwing the fuel around and tearing up the house when I hear the sound of
approaching cars. There are no sirens but I know these are police cruisers. Police drive differently from
nor-mal people, worse actually. They drive faster and the officers in these squad cars are anxious to get
here. I have incredibly sensitive hearing--I count at least twenty vehicles. What brings them here?

I glance at Joel.

"Are they coming for Eddie?" I ask him. "Or for me? What did you tell your superiors?"

But perhaps I am too quick to judge, too harsh. Los Angeles has seen many strange sights lately, many
bodies killed by superhumans. Perhaps Joel has not betrayed me, at least not intentionally. Perhaps I
have betrayed myself. I have gotten sloppy in my old age. I hurry to Joel's side and shake him roughly.

"Wake up," I say. "We have to get out of here."

He opens his drowsy eyes. "You look different," he whispers.

"Your eyes are different."

Realization crosses his face. "Did you change me?"

"Yes."

He swallows weakly. "Am I still human?"

I sigh. "You're a vampire."

"Sita."

I put a finger to his lips. "Later. We must leave here quickly. Many cops are coming." I pull him to his
feet and he groans. "You will feel stronger in a few minutes. Stronger than you have ever felt before."
 I find a Bic lighter in the kitchen, and we head forthe front door. But before we can reach it I hear three
cruisers skid to a halt outside. We hurry to the back, but the situation is the same. Cops, weapons