Blood Canticle - Anne Rice [110]
He took out of his linen coat a single folded page on which somebody had written my name.
“What is this?” I asked.
“An E-mail I received for you, care of me, an hour ago. Came in from London. I’ve been on the road since to bring it to you.”
“Then this means you read it?” I took him by the arm. “Let’s go into the house.”
We went up the front steps. The door was never locked. And apparently the lights in the parlor were never turned off.
I sat on the couch.
“Did you read it or not?” I said, staring at the page.
“I did,” he said. “That would have been very difficult to avoid. It was also read by our man in London who sent it to me. He doesn’t know where it originated, and he doesn’t really know what it means. I’ve bound him to confidentiality.”
“Why am I afraid to open this?” I asked. I unfolded the sheet.
To: Lestat de Lioncourt
New Orleans, Louisiana
c/o Stirling Oliver
Talamasca
Hand deliver without delay
My dearest indefatigable one:
If you absolutely must: Private isle, St. Ponticus, southeast of Haiti, once a resort, apparently taken over by those you seek six years ago. Harbor, airstrip, heliport, hotel, beach houses closed to public. Population of those you seek once numerous, cautious, secretive. Heavy human presence from beginning. Present state extremely unclear. Sense conflict, danger, rapid and confusing activity. Approach with caution from undeveloped east coast. Guard your children. Weigh wisdom of intervention if such is even possible. Ponder question of inevitability. Situation apparently localized. And s’il vous plaît, Monsieur, take the time to learn how to use E-mail! Both your young ones possess this knowledge! For shame! Be assured of my love, and the love of those here. M.
I was speechless. I read the letter over again.
“And this, all this confusing information, this is how I reach her by E-mail?” I said, pointing to the other data contained on the page.
“Yes,” said Stirling. “And you can reach her instantly. Show this to either Mona or Quinn. Dictate your message to either Mona or Quinn. They’ll send it.”
“But why would she betray her location like that?”
“She hasn’t betrayed anything. All you know is her screen name. And the message was probably relayed through several points. Believe me, she’s quite clever enough to be untraceable.”
“You don’t have to tell me how clever she is,” I said. “But I guess I asked you, didn’t I?”
I was still stunned. I was holding in my hand a response to my most serious telepathic communication.
He handed me a map. He had folded it to the appropriate section and circled the island. I instantly committed it to memory.
“Why do you think she sent this message through you?” I asked.
“For convenience, obviously. She gathered the intelligence. She wanted you to have a precise summary of it. And also, it shows a kind of trust in us. She’s acknowledging that the Talamasca is not your enemy or her enemy.”
“That’s certainly true,” I said. “But what can she mean with all this about intervention and inevitability?”
“Lestat, if you’ll forgive me, it’s plain. She’s asking you not to become involved in something where Darwinian forces may be at work. And she’s telling you a drama is being played out on an isolated island where the world might not take notice.”
“That isn’t what she said. She said she couldn’t tell what was going on. This message is extremely tantalizing. Well, to me, anyway. I don’t think it will be to Mona.”
“Both interpretations are correct,” he said with a sigh. “What are you going to do?”
“Go there, old boy, what do you think?” I said with relish. “I can’t wait. I mean, I have to wait. But I’ll head out with them at sunset.”
I folded the letter and put it inside my coat. I did the same with the map.
“Tomorrow I teach Mona about our most frightening gift. I’ve been putting it off—not wanting to overwhelm her. Quinn and I can take her to that island in less than half an hour.”
“You have to teach her more than the art of flight,” Stirling said. “The Taltos are much