"Christopher Pike - The Last Vampire 01 - The Last Vampire" - читать интересную книгу автора (Pike Christopher)

"Of course." I stare at him; my Stare is very powerful. Sometimes, if I am not careful, and I stare too
long at a flower, it shrivels and dies. Mr. Riley loses his smile and shifts uneasily. "Why are you
researching me?"

"You admit that my facts are accurate?" he asks.

"Do you need my assurances?" I pause, my eyes still on him. Sweat glistens on his forehead. "Why the
research?"

He blinks and turns away with effort. He dabs at the perspiration on his head. "Because you fascinate
me," he says. "I think to myself, here is one of the wealthi-est women in the world, and no one knows
who she is. Plus she can't be more than twenty-five years old, and she has no family. It makes me
wonder."

"What do you wonder, Mr. Riley?"

He ventures a swift glance at me; he really does not like to look at me, even though I am very beautiful.
"Why you go to such extremes to remain invisible," he says.

"It also makes you wonder if I would pay to stay invisible," I say.

He acts surprised. "I didn't say that."

"How much do you want?"

My question stuns him, yet pleases him. He does not have to be the first to dirty his hands. What lie does
not realize is that blood stains deeper than dirt, and that the stains last much longer. Yes, I think again, he
may not have that long to live.

"How much are you offering?" he ventures.

I shrug. "It depends."

"On what?"

"On whether you tell me who pointed you in my direction."

He is indignant. "I assure you that I needed no one to point me in your direction. I discovered your
interesting qualities all by myself."

He is lying, of that I am positive. I can always tell when a person lies, almost always. Only remarkable
people can fool me, and then they have to be lucky. But I do not like to be fooled--so one has to
wonder at even their luck.

"Then my offer is nothing," I say.

He straightens. He believes he is ready to pounce. Then my counteroffer, Miss Perne, is to make what I
have discovered public knowledge." He pauses. "What do you think of that?"
"It will never happen.""