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ut over Rome with cold； shame…filled eyes； unable for long moments to hear with my blood drinker's ears no matter how I struggled to gain control of myself。
But I soon satisfied myself； through the Mind Gift； that there were only a few blood drinkers to be found in Rome； and these were lone hunters without the consolation of panions。 They were also weak。 And as I raped their minds； I realized they knew little of Santino！
How had this e about？ How had this one who had destroyed so much of my life freed himself from his own miserable existence？
Full of rage； I drew close to one of these lone blood drinkers； and soon accosted him； terrifying him and with reason。
〃What of Santino and the Roman coven？〃 I demanded。 〃Gone； all gone；〃 he said； 〃years ago。 Who are you that you know of such things？〃
〃Santino！〃 I said。 〃Where did he go！ Tell me。〃 〃But no one knows the answer；〃 he said。 〃I never laid eyes on him。〃 〃But someone made you；〃 I said。 〃Tell me。〃
〃My maker lives in the catabs still where the coven used to gather。 He's mad。 He can't help you。〃
〃Prepare to meet God or the Devil；〃 I said。 And just that quick I put an end to him。 I did it as mercifully as I could。 And then he was no more but a spot of grease in the dirt and in this I rubbed my foot before I moved towards the catabs。 He had spoken the truth。
There was but one blood drinker in this place； but I found it full of skulls just as it had been over a thousand years ago。
The blood drinker was a babbling fool； and when he saw me in my fine gentleman's clothes； he stared at me and pointed his finger。 〃The Devil es in style；〃 he said。
〃No； death has e；〃 I said。 〃Why did you make that other one whom I've destroyed this night？〃
My confession made no impression on him。
〃I make others to be my panions。 But what good does it do？ They turn on me。〃
〃Where is Santino？〃 I demanded。
〃Long gone；〃 he said。 〃And who would have ever thought？〃 I tried to read his mind； but he was too crazed and full of distracted thoughts。 It was like chasing scattered mice。 〃Look at me； when did you last see him！〃
〃Oh； decades ago；〃 he said。 〃I don't know the year。 What do years mean here？〃
I could get nothing further from him。 I looked about the miserable place with its few candles dripping wax upon yellowed skulls； and then turning on this creature I destroyed him with the Fire Gift as mercifully as I had destroyed the other。 And I do think that it was truly a mercy。
There was but one left； and this one led a far better existence than the other two。 I found him in handsome lodgings an hour before sunrise。 With little difficulty I learnt that he kept a hiding place beneath the house； but that he spent his idle hours reading in his few well…appointed rooms； and that he dressed tolerably well。
I also learnt that he couldn't detect my presence。 He cut the figure of a man of some thirty mortal years； and he had been in the Blood for some three hundred。
At last I opened his door； breaking the lock； and stepped before him as he stood up； in horror； from his writing desk。
〃Santino；〃 I said； 〃what became of him？〃
Though he had fed like a glutton； he was gaunt with huge bones； and long black hair； and though he was very finely dressed in the style of the i6oos； his lace was soiled and dusty。
〃In the name of Hell；〃 he whispered； 〃who are you？ Where do you e from？〃
Again there came that terrific confusion of mind which defeated my ability to subtract thoughts or knowledge from it。
〃I'll satisfy you on those points；〃 I said； 〃but you must answer me first。 Santino。 What happened to him。〃
I took several deliberate steps towards him which put him into a paroxysm of terror。
〃Be quiet now；〃 I said。 Again I tried to read his mind； but I failed。 〃Don't try to flee；〃 I said。 〃You won't succeed with it。 Answer my questions。〃
〃I'll tell you what I know；〃 he said； fearfully。
〃That ought to be plenty。〃
He shook his head。 〃I came here from Paris；〃 he said。 He was quaking。 〃I was sent by a vampire named Armand who is the leader of that coven。〃
I nodded as though all this were quite intelligible to me； and as though I weren't experiencing agony。
〃That was a hundred years ago； maybe more。 Armand had heard no word from Rome in a long time。 I came to see the where and why of it。 I found the Roman coven in plete confusion。〃
He stopped； catching his breath； backing away from me。
〃Speak quickly and tell me more；〃 I said。 〃I'm impatient。〃
〃Only if you swear on your honor that you won't harm me。 I've done you no harm after all。 I was no child of Santino。〃
〃What makes you think I have honor？〃 I asked。
〃I know you do；〃 he said。 〃I can sense such things。 Swear on your honor to me and I'll tell you everything。〃
〃Very well； I swear。 I'll leave you alive which is more than I've done with two others tonight who haunted the Roman streets like ghosts。 Now talk to me。〃
〃I came from Paris as I told you。 The Roman coven was weak。 All ceremony had fallen away。 One or two of the old ones had deliberately gone into the fire。 Others had simply run away； and Santino had made no move to catch them and punish them。 Once it was known that such escape was possible many more fled； and the coven was in a state of disaster。〃
〃Santino； did you see him？〃
〃Yes； I saw him。 He had taken to dressing in fine clothes and jewels； and he received me in a palazzo much larger than this one。 He told me strange things。 I can't really remember all of them。〃
〃You must remember。〃
〃He said he had seen old ones； too many old ones； and his faith in Satan had been shaken。 He spoke of creatures who seemed to be made of marble； though he knew they could burn。 He said he could no longer lead。 He told me not to return to Paris； to do as I pleased； and so I have。〃
〃Old ones；〃 I said； repeating his words。 〃Did he tell you nothing of these old ones？〃
〃He spoke of the great Marius； and of a creature named Mael。 And he spoke of beautiful women。〃
〃What were the names of these women？〃
〃He didn't say their names to me。 He said only that one had e to the coven on the night of its ceremonial dance； a woman like a living statue； and she had walked through the fire to show that it was useless against her。 She had destroyed many of the fledglings who attacked her。
〃When Santino showed attention and patience； she talked with him for several nights； telling him of her wanderings。 He had no taste for the coven after that。。。
〃。。。 But it was the other woman who truly destroyed him。〃
〃And who was this？〃 I demanded。 〃You can't speak fast enough for me。〃
〃The other woman was of the world； dressing in high style； and traveling by coach in the pany of a dark…skinned Asian。〃
I was dumbstruck； and maddened that he said nothing more。
〃What happened with this other woman？〃 I finally asked； though a thousand other words flooded my mind。
〃Santino wanted her love most desperately。 Of course the Asian threatened him with pure destruction if he didn't give up this course； but it was the woman's condemnations that ruined him。〃
〃What condemnations； what did she say and why？〃 I demanded。
〃I'm not certain。 Santino spoke to her of his old piety and his fervor in directing the coven。 She condemned him。 She said time would punish him for what he'd done to his own kind。 She turned away from him in disgust with him。〃
I smiled； a bitter smile。
〃Do you understand these things？〃 he asked。 〃Are they what you wanted？〃
〃Oh； yes； I understand them；〃 I said。
I turned and went to the window。 I unfastened the wooden shutter； and stood looking down into the street。
I saw nothing； but I couldn't reason。
〃What became of the woman and her Asian panion？〃 I asked。
〃I don't know。 I have seen them in Rome since。 Maybe it was fifty years ago。 They are easy to recognize； for she is very pale and her panion has a creamy brown skin and while she dresses always as the great lady； he tends toward the exotic。〃
I took a deep easy breath。
〃And Santino？ Where did he go？〃 I demanded。
〃That I can't tell you； except that he had n