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"Help un I'll pay for, but do not let it fail I need you now "

At once, I went to join hi the flesh of my wrist with my eye teeth Merrick knelt at the very foot of the coffin, and froun to flow

A pungent smoke rose from the remains in front of us The blood appeared to seep into every pore of the figure It drenched the burnt clothing And, tearing aside this fabric, Lestat gave yet another gush of blood to his frantic work

The smoke was a thick layer above the bloody reh it But I could hear a faint roan On and on I let the blood flow,to heal and halt the operation, and ain

Suddenly a cry caure of Louis sitting up from the coffin, his face a mass of tiny lines and wrinkles I saw Lestat reach out for him and take hold of his head and press it to his throat

"Drink now, Louis," he commanded

"Don't stop, David," said Merrick "The blood, he needs it, every part of his body is drinking it "

I obeyed, only then realizing that I was groeaker and weaker, that I could not re forward yet still detero on

I saw below , and then, quite visible in the semidarkness, the hard muscles of a man's chest

"Harder, yes, take it from me," came Lestat's low insistent command He spoke in French now "Harder, ive "

My vision was hopeless It seeent vapor, and the two forms¡ªLouis and Lestat¡ªshimmered for astones, before I felt Merrick's soft body snuggled beside me, before I smelled the sweet lovely perfume of Merrick's hair My head rolled on the stones as I tried to raise my hands, but could not

I closed , and then when I opened the down at h he were a newborn, and I saw the green of his eyes, and the white of his teeth

I heard Lestat's sore voice again "More, Louis," he said "More, take it "

"But David and Merrick¡ª," said Louis

And Lestat answered, "David and Merrick will be all right "