The Story of the Vampire, L (Completed | Featured )

Leis, Part 10 - The Origin of All Things

After Quinny had been put to bed, Dasius took me to his study to look at my face. I submitted silently to his gaze, and let him touch me for as long it took to make certain the gashes in my cheeks would knit in the right shape. He breathed heavily, as if to speak to me, but we never have had much to say to each other, and I would not meet his eye. In later years, if he were close, he would tape me up for this purpose, but in those times there wasn't tape so he held me together with his fingers.

I do care about my face. Is it bad? He cleaned my eyes of crusted blood with a wet cloth, without tenderness that would threaten me. He pulled my hair back roughly and pinned it with thick pins made of gold. He never said a word but he meant me to keep them for money.

After a time, again without speaking, he went away and came back with a stack of black velvet boxes. He put them beside me and slid out the one on the bottom, opened it with a click. Inside there was a necklace of flawless rubies and white diamonds, with matching bracelet on black silk. It was the most money I had ever seen in one place, a necklace for the neck of a queen. I stopped breathing.

He opened the next box, a smaller one, with the same click. In it there was a Renaissance pocket watch, recognizable from its scrollwork and workmanship. Though it were closed I could hear its strong ticking. I could not find the words to say that it was too good, too obviously precious and sentimental.

He opened the next box, a tennis bracelet of rubies. In the next, unfinished drop pearls the size of my thumbnail. In the next, Medieval rings of garnets and emeralds, the rare diamond. In the last box, of medium size, a diadem for a child of fine craftsmanship, fitted with small but exquisite sapphires.

"Leave the boxes," Dasius says. "Laurent will know that you have them. Do not be tempted to take less for them than they are worth. They have been paid for with flesh and with blood. You will understand what that means. If there is money left after you have established yourself in America, write to me and I will tell you where to invest it."

"I don't need money."

He didn't respond, did not even take the breath to respond, and left.

Before retiring to bed, I took the boxes and placed them near our few things, shivering with cold, and spent the night you have already heard of. The next morning Quinny seemed well again, though frail, happy to be touched behind the ears and hear good things about himself. He kissed me many and sundry times, and so I found myself in quite good mood. And even he admired the work Dasius had done on my face and said, "Look he is like it never happened," and for me it never did. He took one of our new gold pins and drew it between his lips, tasting the gold, and I said, "You are too beautiful to me," and he kissed my tears away without telling me I cry much. I do. I know. He gives me strength. I asked him if he wanted to take anything, and Quinny, who has not much taste for fine things, said only my shirts and cufflinks, because he had come to like me looking smart, so we wrapped the jewels in our clothing, and Quinny swallowed the smaller things to keep them safe. His constitution is better than mine.

Dasius's Julien brought word of a steamer departing for America that evening, very lucky. But I knew about Julien already, and how he was Laurent's completely and would tell him what we were doing, and so steeled myself for a confrontation.

But it didn't come. I told Quinny, go and get a coat, because it will be cold on the steamer. I gave him the name of Dasius's tailor, who had our measure already. He went and did, and he kept that coat many years, because it were finer than the money it cost and very warm. It kept him away awhile. I went up the stairs to my master's bedroom, resolved to be cold to him, to be formal and say goodbye. I could not countenance the idea of leaving without seeing him all right, for though he tortures me, and often sweetly, he is my master, and great love. I will not lie about it.