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At this dreadful moment, the elders rose, the ones of the First Brood who had been made blood drinkers within her very lifetime, and those Children of the Millennia such as Pandora and myself and Mael and others.

But before the murderous little struggle could begin, there came another into our midst, approaching loudly up the iron steps of the forest compound where we met, until in the doorway we beheld the twin of Maharet: her mute sister, the sister from whom Akasha had torn the tongue: Mekare.

It was she who, snatching the long black hair of the Queen, bashed her head against the glass wall, breaking it, and severing the head from the body. It was she and her sister who dropped down on their knees, to retrieve from the decapitated Queen, the Sacred Core of all the vampires.

Whether that Sacred Core¡ªthat fatal root¡ªwas imbibed from heart or brain, I know not. I know only that the mute Mekare became its new tabernacle.

And after a few moments of sputtering darkness in which we all of us wondered whether or not death should take us now, we regained our strength and looked up to see the twins standing before us.

Maharet put her arm around Mekare's waist, and Mekare, come from brutal isolation I know not where, merely stared into space as though she knew some quiet peace but no more than that. And from Maharet's lips there came the words:

"Behold. The Queen of the Damned. "

It was finished.

The reign of my beloved Akasha¡ªwith all its hopes and dreams¡ª had come abruptly to an end.

And I carried through the world the burden of Those Who Must Be Kept no longer.

THE LISTENER

The End of the Story of Marius

Chapter 36

36

MARIUS STOOD at the glass window looking out at the snow. Thorne sat by the dying fire, merely looking at Marius.

"So you have woven for me a long, fine tale," said Thorne, "and I have found myself marvelously caught up in it. "

"Have you?" said Marius quietly. "And perhaps I now find myself woven within my hatred of Santino. "

"But Pandora was with you," said Thorne. "You were reunited with her again. Why is she not with you now? What's happened?"

"I was united with Pandora and Amadeo," said Marius. "It all came about in those nights. And I have seen them often since. But I am an injured creature. And it was I who left their company. I could go now to Lestat, and those who are with him. But I don't.

"My soul still aches over the losses I've suffered. I don't know which causes me the greater pain¡ªthe loss of my goddess, or my hatred of Santino. She is gone beyond my reach forever. But Santino still lives. "

"Why don't you do away with him?" asked Thorne. "I'll help you find him. "

"I can find him," said Marius. "But without her permission I can't do it. "

"Maharet?" Thorne asked. "But why?"

"Because she's the eldest of us now, she and her mute twin, and we must have a leader. Mekare cannot speak and might not have wits to speak even if she could. And so it's Maharet. And even if she refuses to allow or judge, I must put the question to her. "

"I understand," said Thorne. "In my time, we gathered to settle such questions, and a man might seek payment from one who had injured him. "

Marius nodded.

"I think I must seek Santino's death," he whispered. "I am at peace with all others, but to him I would do violence. "

"And very well you should," said Thorne, "from all that you've told me. "

"I've called to Maharet," said Marius. "I've let her know that you are here and that you're seeking her. I've let her know that I must ask her about Santino. I'm hungry for her wise words. Perhaps I want to see her weary mortal eyes gazing on me with compassion.

"I remember her brilliant resistance of the Queen. I remember her strength and maybe now I need it. . . . Perhaps by now she's found the eyes of a blood drinker for herself, and need not suffer anymore with the eyes of her human victims. "