cp.reddice-第12节

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　　I　shake　my　head；　wondering　if　he　senses　the　similarities　between　Joel　and　myself。　〃We　have　never　met；〃　I　tell　him。
　　　
　　　7
　　　We　go　back　to　his　place。　He　offers　me　a　drink。　When　I　decline；　he　has　one　himself…a　Scotch　on　the　rocks。　The　food　in　his　stomach　has　sobered　him　up　somewhat；　but　he　quickly　proceeds　to　get　drunk　again。　He　has　a　real　problem；　and　now　it　is　my　problem　as　well。　Granted；　his　intoxicated　state　makes　his　tongue　loose　and　he　tells　me　far　more　about　his　work　than　he　should；　although　he　has　yet　to　mention　Joel　or　vampires。　Still；　I　will　need　him　clear　headed　to　help　me。　I　have　no　time　to　repair　his　wounded　psyche。　I　wonder　what　makes　him　drink　so　much。　He　lied　when　he　said　he　didn't　resent　his　boss。　Obviously　he　hates　the　general。　But　I　cannot　read　his　mind；　probably　because　he　keeps　it　scrambled　with　booze。　I　sense　only　deep　emotional　conflicts；　coupled　with　intellectual　excitement。　He　is　grateful　to　be　working　on　Joel；　analyzing　his　blood；　and　yet　it　bothers　him　that　he　is　directly　involved　in　the　project。　I　have　no　doubt　of　this。
　　We　sit　on　the　couch　in　the　living　room。　He　riffles　through　his　mail　and　then　throws　it　on　the　floor。　〃Bills；〃　he　mutters；　sipping　his　drink。　〃The　hardest　reality　of　life；　besides　death。〃
　　〃The　way　you　gamble；　I　hope　the　government　pays　you　well。〃
　　He　snorts　softly；　staring　at　the　eastern　sky；　which　has　begun　to　brighten。　〃They　don't　pay　me　what　I'm　worth；　that's　for　sure。〃　He　glances　at　my　strand　of　pearls。　〃You　look　like　you　don't　have　to　worry　about　money。〃
　　〃Daddy　made　millions　in　oil　before　he　died。〃　I　shrug。　〃I　was　his　only　child。〃
　　〃He　left　it　all　to　you？〃
　　〃Every　last　penny。〃
　　〃Must　be　nice。〃
　　〃It　is　very　nice。〃　I　move　closer　to　him　on　the　sofa；　touch　his　knee。　I　have　an　alluring　touch。　I　swear　sometimes　I　could　seduce　an　evangelist's　wife　as　easily　as　I　could　a　horny　Marine。　Sex　holds　no　mystery　for　me；　and　I　have　no　scruples。　I　use　my　body　as　easily　as　any　other　weapon。　I　add；　〃What　exactly　do　you　do　at　your　lab？〃
　　He　gestures　to　his　office。　〃It's　in　there。〃
　　〃What's　in　there？〃
　　He　takes　another　swallow　of　Scotch。　〃My　greatest　　discovery。　I　keep　a　model　of　it　at　home　to　inspire　me。〃　He　burps。　〃But　right　now　a　fat　taise　would　inspire　me　more。〃
　　Even　though　I　know　what's　in　his　office；　I　walk　over　and　have　a　peep　at　the　two　models　of　the　DNA；　the　human　one　and　the　vampiric　molecule。　〃What　are　they？〃　I　ask。
　　He　is　enjoying　his　drink　too　much　to　get　up。　〃Have　you　heard　of　DNA？〃
　　〃Yes；　of　course。　I　graduated　from　college。〃　〃What　school　did　you　go　to？〃　
　　〃Florida　State。〃　I　return　to　my　place　on　the　couch；　closer　to　him　than　before。　〃I　graduated　with　honors。〃　
　　〃What　was　your　major？〃
　　〃English　lit；　but　I　took　several　biology　classes。　I　know　that　DNA　is　a　double　helix　molecule　that　encodes　all　the　information　necessary　for　life　to　exist。〃　I　pause。　〃Are　those　models　of　human　DNA？〃　He　sets　his　drink　down。　〃One　of　them　is。〃　〃What's　the　other　one？〃
　　He　stretches　and　yawns。　〃A　project　my　partners　and　I　have　been　working　on　for　the　last　month。*'
　　My　blood　turns　cold。　It　was　in　the　last　month　that　Eddie　began　to　produce　his　horde　of　vampiric　gangbangers。　Andy　has　been　able　to　duplicate　Arturo's　visions　of　vampire　DNA　because　he　has　been　analyzing　the　molecules　for　a　while；　long　before　Joel　was　captured。　That　can　only　mean　one　of　Eddie's　offspring　escaped　my　slaughter。
　　〃/　don't　know。　I　destroyed　your　silly　gang。〃
　　〃You're　not　sure　of　that。〃
　　〃Now　I　am　sure。　You　see；　I　can　tell　when　someone　lies。　It's　one　of　those　great　gifts　I　possess　that　you　don't。　There　is　only　you　left；　and　we　both　know　it。〃
　　〃What　of　it？　I　can　make　more　whenever　I　feel　the　need。〃
　　Eddie　admitted　that　there　were　no　others。　He　couldn't　have　tricked　me；　yet　perhaps　he　himself　was　tricked。　Maybe　one　of　his　offspring　had　made　another　vampire　and　didn't　tell　him。　It's　the　only　explanation。　That　vampire　must　have　been　caught　by　the　government　and　taken　to　the　desert　pound。　I　wonder　if　the　mystery　vampire　is　still　in　the　place。　My　rescue　effort　has　just　been　plicated。
　　I　have　to　wonder　if　I'm　already　too　late。　Andy　has…at　the　least…an　outline　of　the　DNA　code　of　the　vampire。　How　long　will　it　be　before　he　and　his　partners　are　able　to　create　more　bloodsuckers？　The　only　thing　that　gives　me　hope　is　that　the　general　struck　me　as　a　man　who　keeps　everything　under　wraps；　until　it　is　time　to　make　his　move。　Andy　has　said　as　much　about　him。　Everything　connected　to　vampires　is　still　probably　locked　up　in　the　pound。
　　In　response　to　Andy's　ment；　I　force　a　chuckle。　Boy；　do　I　force　it。　〃Are　you　making　a　modern　Frankenstein　monster？〃　I　ask；　kidding；　but　not　kidding。
　　My　question　hits　a　nerve；　for　obvious　reasons；　and　Andy　sits　quietly　for　a　moment；　staring　at　his　drink　as　if　it　were　a　crystal　bait。
　　〃We　are　playing　a　high…stakes　game；〃　he　admits。
　　〃Altering　the　DNA　code　of　any　species　is　like　rolling　the　dice。　You　can　win　and　you　can　lose。〃　
　　〃But　it　must　be　exciting　to　be　playing　such　a　game？〃　
　　He　sighs。　〃We　have　the　wrong　pit　boss　in　charge。〃　I　put　my　hand　on　his　shoulder。　〃What's　his　name？〃　
　　〃General　Havor。　He's　a　hard　ass…I　don't　think　his　mother　gave　him　a　first　name。　At　least　I　don't　know　it。　We　call　him　'General'　or　'Sir。'　He　believes　in　order；　performance；　　sacrifice；　　discipline；　　power。〃　　Andy　shakes　his　head。　〃He　definitely　doesn't　create　an　environment　for　free　thinking　and　loving　cooperation。〃　I　am　the　understanding　girlfriend。　
　　〃You　should　quit　then。〃
　　Andy　flashes　an　amused；　bitter　grin。　〃If　I　quit　now　I'd　be　walking　away　from　one　of　the　greatest　discoveries　of　modern　time。　Plus　I　need　the　job。　I　need　the　money。〃
　　I　caress　his　hair。　My　voice　is　soft　and　seductive。　〃You　need　to　relax；　Andy；　and　not　think　of　this　stupid　general。　Tell　you　what…when　you　get　off　work　tomorrow；　e　straight　to　my　suite。　I'm　staying　at　the　Mirage；　Room　Two…One…Three…Four。　We　can　play　the　tables　and　have　another　late　dinner　together。〃
　　Gently　he　takes　my　hand。　His　eyes　momentarily　e　into　focus；　and　I　see　his　intellect　again；　feel　his　warmth。　He　is　a　good　man；　working　in　a　bad　　place。
　　〃Do　you　have　to　go　now？〃　he　asks　sadly。　I　lean　over　and　kiss　him　on　the　cheek。　〃Yes。　But　we'll　see　each　other　tomorrow。〃　I　sit　back　and　wink。　〃We'll　have　fun。〃
　　He　is　pleased。　〃You　know　what　I　like　about　you；　Lara？〃
　　〃What？〃
　　〃You　have　a　good　heart。　I　feel　I　can　trust　you。〃
　　I　nod。　〃You　can　trust　me；　Andy。　You　really　can。〃
　　　
　　　8
　　One　of　the　saddest　stories　told　in　modern　literature；　to　me　at　least；　is　Mary　Shelley's　Frankenstein。　Because　in　a　sense　I　am　that　monster。　Knowingly　or　unknowingly；　to　much　of　history；　I　am　the　inspiration　of　nightmares。　I　am　the　primeval　fear；　something　dead　e　to　life；　or　better　yet…and　more　accurate…　something　that　refuses　to　die。　Yet　I　consider　myself　more　human　than　Shelley's　creation；　more　humane　than　Arturo's　offspring。　I　am　a　monster；　but　I　can　also　love　deeply。　Yet　even　my　love　for　Arturo　could　not　spare　him　from　plunging　us　into　a　nightmare　from　which　there　seemed　to　be　no　waking。
　　His　secret　of　transformation　was　very　simple；　and　profound　beyond　belief。　It　is　fashionable　among　New　Age　adherents　to　use　crystals　to　develop　higher　states　　of　consciousness。　What　most　of　these　people　do　not　know　is　that　a　crystal　is　merely　an　amplifier；　and　that　it　has　to　be　used　very　carefully。　Whatever　is　present　in　the　aura　of　the　person；　in　the　psychic　field；　gets　magnified。　Hate　can　be　boosted　as　easily　as　passion。　In　fact；　cruel　emotions　expand　more　easily　when　given　the　chance。　Arturo　had　an　intuitive　sense　of　the　proper　crystal　to　use　with　each　person。　Indeed；　on　most　people　he　refused　to　use　crystals　at　all。　Few；　he　said；　were　ready　for　such　high　vibrations。　How　tragic　it　was　that　when　he　had　a　vial　of　my　blood　in　his　hand；　his　intuition　deserted　him。　It　is　a　pity　his　special　genius　did　not　leave　him　as　well。　It　took　a　genius　to　take　us　as　far　as　he　did。
　　A　mad　one。
　　Using　the　magnets　and　copper　sheets；　in　his　secret　geometric　arrangements；　the　vibrations　from　whatever　Arturo　placed　over　the　person　were　transmitted　into　the　aura。　For　example；　when　he　placed　a　clear　quartz　crystal　above　my　head；　a　deep　peaceful　state　settled　in　my　mind。　Yet　if　he　used　a　similar　crystal　with　young　Ralphe；　the　boy　would　bee　irritated。　Ralphe　had　too　much　going　on　in　his　mind　and　was　not　ready　for　crystals。　Arturo　understood　that。　He　was　an　alchemist　in　the　truest　sense　of　the　word。　He　could　transform　what　could　not　be　changed。　Souls　as　well　as　bodies。
　　Arturo　did　not　believe　the　body　created　the　mind。　He　felt　it　was　the　other　way　around；　and　I　believe　he　was　correct。　When　he　altered　an　aura；　he　changed　the　person's　physiology　as　well。　He　just　needed　the　proper　materials；　he　said；　to　change　anything。　A　flawed　human　into　a　glorious　god。　A　sterile　vampire　into　a　loving　mother。
　　It　was；　in　the　end；　the　chance　to　bee　human　again　that　caused　me　to　give　him　my　blood。　To　hold　my　daughter　in　my　hands　again…what　ecstasy！　I　was　seduced　by　ancient　griefs。　Yaksha　had　made　me　pay　dearly　for　my　immortality；　with　the　loss　of　Rama　and　Lalita。　Arturo　promised　to　give　me　back　half　of　what　had　been　st