The witching hour - By Anne Rice Page 0,493

that house.”

“Tell her. Just tell her simply and quietly what happened. Don’t give her the reaction which will upset her, unless of course she asks for it. But don’t keep any secrets, Michael, especially not a secret like that.”

He was quiet for a long time. Aaron had almost finished his drink.

“Aaron, the power she has. Is there any way to test it, or work with it, or learn what it can do?”

Aaron nodded. “Yes, but she feels she’s worked with it all her life in her healing. And she’s right. As for the negative potential, she doesn’t want to develop it; she wants to rein it in completely.”

“Yes, but you’d think she’d want to play with it once in a while, in a laboratory situation.”

“In time, perhaps. Right now I think she’s focused completely upon the idea of the medical center. As you said, she wants to be with the family and realize these plans. And I have to admit this Mayfair Medical is a magnificent conception. I think Mayfair and Mayfair are impressed, though they’re reluctant to say so.” Aaron finished his wine. “What about you?” Aaron gestured to Michael’s hands.

“Oh, it’s getting better. I take the gloves off more and more often. I don’t know … ”

“And when you were swimming?”

“Well, I took them off, I guess. God, I didn’t even think about it. I … You don’t think it had to do with that, do you?”

“No, I don’t think so. But I think you’re very right to assume it might not have been Langtry. It’s no more than a feeling perhaps, but I don’t think Langtry would try to come through in that way. But do tell Rowan. You want Rowan to be perfectly honest with you in return, don’t you? Tell her the whole thing.”

He knew Aaron was right. He was dressed for dinner and waiting in the living room of the suite when Rowan came in. He fixed her a club soda with ice, and explained the whole incident as briefly and concisely as he could.

At once, he saw the anxiety in her face. It was almost a disappointment, that something ugly and dark and awful had once again blighted her stubborn sense that everything was going well. She seemed incapable of saying anything. She merely sat on the couch, beside the heap of packages she’d brought home with her. She did not touch the drink.

“I think it was one of his tricks,” said Michael. “That was my feeling. The lily, that was some kind of trick. I think we should just go right on.”

That’s what she wanted to hear, wasn’t it?

“Yes, that’s exactly what we should do,” she said, with slight irritation. “Did it … shake you up?” she asked. “I think I might have gone crazy seeing something like that.”

“No,” he said. “It was shocking. But it was sort of fascinating. I guess it made me angry. I kind of … well, had one of those attacks, sort of … ”

“Oh, Christ, Michael.”

“No, no! Sit back down, Dr. Mayfair. I’m fine. It’s just that when these things happen, there’s an exertion, an overall systemic reaction or something. I don’t know. Maybe I’m scared and I don’t know it. That’s probably what it is. One time when I was a kid, I was riding the roller coaster at Pontchartrain Beach. We got right to the top and I figured, well, I won’t brace myself for once. I’ll just go down the big dip completely relaxed. Well, the strangest thing happened. I felt these cramps in my stomach and my chest. Painful! It was like my body tensed for me, without permission. It was sort of like that. In fact, it was exactly like that.”

She was really losing it. She sat there with her arms folded, and her lips pressed together, and she was losing it. Finally in a low voice she said, “People die of heart attacks on roller coasters. Just the way they die from other forms of stress.”

“I’m not going to die.”

“What makes you so sure?”

“Because I’ve done it before,” he said. “And I know it’s not time.”

She gave a little bitter laugh. “Very funny,” she said.

“I’m completely serious.”

“Don’t go over there anymore alone. Don’t give it any opportunity to do this to you.”

“Bullshit, Rowan! I’m not scared of that damned thing. Besides, I like going over there. And … ”

“And what?”

“The thing is going to show itself sooner or later.”

“And what makes you so sure it was Lasher?” she asked in