"Evan, whom we knew as Maurice Crandall wanted to know more about me. He wondered what connection I could have with the Amos Benchley he had known then, and who he had used to enslave Irina. He found out."
-0-
"He is the same one, all right." He said to Irina who listened patiently, though her downcast eyes hid the fury in her face. "He is a vampire, too."
"The same one."
"Yes." He looked deeply into the water he used to scry "He's got a spirit of revenge attached to him…. An African spirit of revenge… and he is jealous… which means that anyone who tries to steal Amos from that spirit will come to a messy end. Amos is his to torture, no one else may apply."
"This means…"
"This means that no matter how much you hate him, you are not to seek revenge on him. Is that understood? You know what disobedience means, Irina."
"I understand."
"Will you obey?"
"I will obey."
-0-
"Reverend Moore is coming to Benchleytown "Thatcher told Amos. "Probably to be at Dame Alice's bedside as she dies and try to get influence her to let him get close to Benchley money."
"Dame Alice knows him for the fraud he is." Amos said, then noted Thatcher's expression. "He is bringing his daughter with him, isn't he?"
"His daughter and wife."
"And this is the daughter that you love."
"Yes."
-0-
"I remembered that Albert's Thatcher great grandmother was named Patience Moore. I was dealing with both of Albert's ancestors."
-0-
"I can get her a message and help you elope."
"Why would you do that?"
"So that your great grandchild can be born. You write to her, and I will see that she gets the letter."
"You will fly into her bedroom, I take it."
"Yes."
"And feed off her."
"Which will allow her to trust me."
"I cannot let you do that."
"Why? You know that no harm comes off it."
"It is the idea of you touching her, of putting your lips on her throat, of…"
"I am not seducing her. I am just having a meal. It is more like picking her pocket than anything else. She can spare it, and in exchange she will be with you and have children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. A good bargain, if you ask me."
"I cannot."
"I tell you; I have no designs on her virtue, only on her blood, which she can spare."
-0-
"Jealous and stubborn. Like too many people he thought that there is a sexual component in feeding. There is not. Yes, I project feelings of pleasure, and wellbeing. But that is so that they do not fight me, and so that they may be willing to repeat the experience. There is no sex involved unless I choose it to be so. And I would not choose to do it with a friends' great grandma."
"So you helped Patience Moore elope with Thatcher."
"We made plans for it.' Later, as I was getting hungry, I went to Miriam, who had information to give me. What I did not know was that Irina was watching."
-0-
Irina saw him bending over Miriam's throat and saw the way he held her, the expression in his face.
"So, this is his new love. Well, I cannot hurt him, as I promised him to obey. But I can do what I want to this pretty toy of his."