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.It appeared that ReverendShoemaker had finally landed herself in a growth industry, and she didn't wantto screw it up, even if she had begun wondering, in her heart of hearts,whether perhaps some of her other drugs didn't have Elephants that might beridden just as successfully.Not that the idea of getting shit-faced drunk wasall that attractive to her, compared to the world on blood.Nick meanwhile was working double shifts trying to service all the newclients he'd managed to land over the summer, so when Whistler invited allthree of them down to Santa Luz for the full-moon ceremony in November, he'dhad to beg off.Betty, though, having decided that a freeCaribbean vacation (the Winters'Night Foundation was picking up the tab) would be eminently manageable, hadaccepted with alacrity.She and Nick had enjoyed a blood-filled bon voyageparty two nights before her departure and ridden the Elephant on the eve.Andif, as Betty noted, there was still half a bag of blood left in therefrigerator when Nick drove his happy family to the airport the followingafternoon; and if he decided to have a nip and go cruising across thebay perhaps revisit the Kingdom of the Castro in search of true happiness why,she knew, it was nobody's business but his own.And his Elephant, of course.Betty looked up at Nanny Eames, who was smiling tenderly at the infant Leonin her arms his Tasting would precede his mother's initiation and watchedtensely as Nanny rubbed the magic rain-forest salve into Leon's tiny instep.Beside her on the lower tier around the well,Lourdes watched just as tensely:Cora was not yet three months old her Tasting would come in twenty-eightdays butLourdes could imagine only too well how Betty was feeling.She tookBetty's hand, and squeezed it for support.Betty forced herself not to close her eyes as Nanny bent to her task, thebaby in the crook of her left arm and a needle-thin quill tapered at both endsin her right hand.But there must not have been any pain, for the sleepingLeonbarely stirred when the crone inserted the quill.Quickly Nanny brought thetiny foot to her mouth and sucked a few drops of baby-blood through the quill,then a few more.Betty grippedLourdes 's hand tighter."Well?" she started to ask.Whistler,flanking her on the other side, held up a forefinger.It was not a questionpermitted by the ritual.She had to wait they all had to wait.Page 257ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlA minute passed, then another.Finally Nanny turned and smiled."I have goodnews," she declared, and all the vampires of Santa Luz cheered.So did Betty, until it occurred to her that she hadn't the slightest ideawhat that good news might be.Page 258 [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]