Fevre Dream Page 0,86

still felt cold, remembering the way that York's gray, gray eyes had touched his own, and found him wanting. There had been such bitter contempt there that Billy had wrenched his gaze away at once.

"Tell us, Billy," said Damon Julian, "what is he like, this other? This Joshua York. This bloodmaster."

"He's..." Billy began, fumbling for words, "he's... white, I mean, his skin and all is real pale, and his hair ain't got no color in it. He even wore a white suit, like some kind of ha'nt. And silver, he wore lots of silver. The way he moves... like one of them damn Creoles, Mister Julian, high and lordly. He's... he's like you, Mister Julian. His eyes..."

"Pale and strong," murmured Cynthia from the far corner of the room. "And with a wine that conquers the red thirst. Is he the one, Damon? He must be. It must be true. Valerie always believed the stories, and I mocked her for it, but it must be so. He will bring us all together, lead us back to the lost city, the dark city. Our kingdom, our own. It is true, isn't it? He is bloodmaster of bloodmasters, the king we have waited for." She looked at Damon Julian for an answer.

Damon Julian tasted his sazerac and smiled a sly, feline smile. "A king," he mused. "And what did this king say to you, Billy? Tell us."

"He said to come to the steamer, all of you. Tomorrow, after dark. For dinner, he said. Him and Marsh, they won't come here, not like you wanted, alone. Marsh, he said that if they come to you it's goin' to be with others."

"The king is strangely timid," Julian commented.

"Kill him!" Sour Billy blurted suddenly. "Go to that damn boat and kill him, kill 'em all. He's wrong. Mister Julian. His eyes, like some damn Creole, the way he looked at me. Like I was a bug, a no-count, even though I come from you. He thinks he's better'n you, and them others, that warty cap'n and this damn clerk, all dandied up, let me cut him, bleed him some all over them fine clothes of his, you got to go kill him, you got to."

The room was silent after Sour Billy's outburst. Julian stared out the window, off into the night. The windows had been thrown wide, so the curtains stirred lazily in the night air and street noises drifted up from below. Julian's eyes were dark, hooded, fixed on distant lights.

When at last he turned his head, his pupils caught the gleam of the single candle flame again, and held it within, red and nickering. His face took on a lean, feral cast. "The drink, Billy," he prompted.

"He makes 'em all drink it," Sour Billy said. He leaned back against the door and pulled out his knife. It made him feel better to have it in hand. He began scraping crud out from under his nails as he spoke. "It ain't just blood, Cara said. Something else in it. It kills the thirst, they all say that. I went all over that boat, talked to Raymond and Jean and Jorge, a couple others. They told me. Jean kept ravin' about this drink, about what a relief it was, if you can believe that."

"Jean," said Julian with disdain.

"It is true, then," Cynthia said. "He is greater than the thirst."

"There's more," Sour Billy added. "Raymond says York has taken up with Valerie."

The stillness in the parlor was full of tension. Kurt frowned. Michelle averted her eyes. Cynthia sipped at her drink. All of them knew that Valerie, beautiful Valerie, had been Julian's special pet; all of them watched him carefully. Julian seemed pensive. "Valerie?" he said. "I see." Long, pale fingers tapped on the arm of his chair.

Sour Billy Tipton picked at his teeth with the point of his knife, pleased. He'd figured that bit about Valerie would settle it. Damon Julian had had plans for Valerie, and Julian did not like his plans disturbed. He'd told Billy all about it, with an air of sly amusement, when Billy had asked him why he'd gone and sent her away. "Raymond is young and strong, and he can hold her," Julian had said. "They will be alone, the two of them, alone with each other and the thirst. Such a romantic vision, don't you think? And in a year, or two, or five, Valerie will be with child. I would almost bet on it, Billy." And then he