"Oui, ma petite. Vous dispose a apprendre."
"Stop it," I said.
"As you like." He lowered his voice to a seductive whisper, as if it wasn't already the voice of wet dreams. "What were you doing when I awoke today?"
I'd almost forgotten about my little hospital adventure. Now it came rushing back hard enough to bring heat to my face. "Nothing."
"No, no, ma petite, that is not correct. You were most certainly doing something."
"Did Stephen and Nathaniel arrive at the house?"
"They did."
"Great. I'll talk to you later."
"You refuse to answer my question?"
"No, I just don't know a short version that doesn't make me feel like a slut. I don't have time for a longer version right now. So, can you wait?"
"I will wait for all eternity, if my lady asks it."
"Can the crap, Jean-Claude."
"If I wish you luck with the council, would that please you more?"
"Yeah, yeah."
"It is all right to be a lady, Anita. It is not a bad thing being a woman."
"You try being one, then talk to me," I said. I hung up. "My lady" sounded like my dog. Ownership. I was his human servant. Short of killing him, I couldn't change that. But I didn't belong to him. If I belonged to anybody, I belonged to me. And that was how I was going to approach the council, as me: Anita Blake, vampire executioner, police liaison for the monsters. They wouldn't listen to Jean-Claude's human servant, but they might listen to me.
44
Thomas answered the phone at the Circus. "They have you doing flunky work?" I asked.
"Excuse me?" he said.
"Sorry, this is Anita Blake."
He was quiet for a second, then, "I'm sorry, we are not open for business until nightfall."
"Is Fernando there?"
"Yes, that's right. Nightfall."
"I need to talk to the Traveler, Thomas. I'm asking this on police business, not as Jean-Claude's human servant. We've got some vampires in trouble, and I think he can help."
"Yes, we do take reservations," he said.
I gave him the number of Dolph's car phone. "We don't have a lot of time, Thomas. If he won't help me, I've got to go in with cops and firemen on my own."
"I look forward to seeing you tonight." He hung up.
Life would be so much easier if Fernando were dead. Besides, I'd promised Sylvie we'd kill him. I always tried to keep my promises.
Dolph was leaning in the door wanting to know what was taking so long, when the phone rang. I looked at him. He nodded and moved away. I picked up.
"Yes."