Ruling Rue Royale

Chapter Seven

Desiree Glapion and Coco Robicheaux arrived at Royal Street at 8 am. Mojo greeted them with enthusiasm.

"Somebody done give you a bath, huh? 'Bout time." Desiree went into the kitchen, with Mojo at her heels. She took the box of dog snacks from the cabinet and threw him one.

Coco followed her, carrying a case of Pepsi. She put it into the refrigerator. "I'm gonna start on da dusting. You wanna do da laundry?"

"Yeah, t'row me a Pepsi. Hey, dere's a note on da table." Desiree unfolded the paper.

"Read it out."

"Mademoiselles Glapion and Robicheaux, if Mojo must go out in the rain, please dry him thoroughly and see that his paws are clean. Thank you, L. Pointedulac."Desiree looked down to Mojo and laughed. "Damn! You da SPOILTEST dog I ever heard tell of!"

Coco took the note. "L. Pointedulac. Is he da cute one?"

"Chere, dey ALL da cute one."

"Which one is he in da pictures?" Coco walked into the parlour to look at the frames on the mantlepiece.

Desiree followed her. "Okay, dis one dat says 'Me' on da bottom. Did ain't his handwriting. So he not da blond one. What's dat one say?"

"Just says 'LL and LP' and under dat, 'Miami'," Coco said. "And 'LL' is 'Me' so dis is 'LP'."

"He got some black black hair, don't he?" Desiree observed.

"Mmm hmm, and some white white skin. He must be da one wit' da condition."

"I guess, poor t'ing." Desiree replaced the pictures on the mantle. "Okay, I'm goin' to start da laundry."

Coco watched her go down stairs. She took up the polish and cloths and began in the upper hall. Desiree emptied and washed Mojo's dishes as the washing machine went through it's cycle. After she put the first load into the dryer and loaded a second in the washer, she began vacuuming. All that accomplished, and Mojo let out and back in and out and back in again, they began cleaning the windows, mirrors and various ceramics, vases and general brick-a-brack. When they reached the mantle, they took up their discussion of the subjects.

"Look at him, Des. You know I love me a blond man."

"Yeah, but dis one just so . . .serious. I wanna take him in my arms and cuddle him up." She gave an almost love-sick sigh. "I bet has a pretty smile."

"Maybe, but I KNOW he got a pretty smile." Coco said, taking up a picture of Lestat. "Look at dat man. He'd light up a whole room. And Desiree, LOOK at dat butt!"

Desiree laughed, "Coco, dat's all you care 'bout!"

"If a man's got a nice ass. He don't need nothin' else."

"What a sexist t'ing ta say!" Desiree looked at another picture of Louis. "Look at dem green eyes."

"I swear, if you saw green eyes on a duck, you'd fall in love wit' it."

The timer went off in the laundry room. They brought up the baskets of dry laundry up to the parlour and turned on the television to sit and fold.

"It's 'bout noon, I'm gonna get me a samwich, you want one?" Coco asked.

"We outta dat turkey yet?"

"Don't matter, dey left us another fifty bucks to make groceries wit'."

"Maybe dey're some kinda mental patients," Desiree said.

"Mental patients ain't got dis kinda money."

"Why would you give money to somebody to make groceries, whatever dey want, and keep 'em in YOUR refrigerator, and then you never even eat none of it?" Desiree puzzled.

"Don't t'ink 'bout it so much. You t'ink too much 'bout a good t'ing, chere, next you know it's gone. You wanna samwich or what?"

"Yeah."

They sat and ate lunch, folded the laundry, put it away, got the mail, separated it into the in-boxes and then began on the bathrooms and kitchen.

That done, they took Mojo out into the courtyard with them and enjoyed the garden.

"What days dat gardener s'posed ta come?" Coco asked, fingering a vine of Queen's Wreath.

"Tuesdays and Fridays." Desiree answered, as she scratched Mojo's ears.

The fresh flowers arrived at 2:30. They went through the house replacing all of the flowers with the fresh ones. Then they put the paper on Louis's desk, watered all of the plants, took out all of the garbage and locked up the house. Their day was over.

They were paid well, obscenely well, $100 a day, after taxes. They had medical and dental plans, life insurance, unlimited paid sick, personal and vacation days and they had all holidays off, also paid, including Lundi Gras, Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday and all of Jazzfest. And all this to clean a house that barely ever got dirty and take care of a dog who slept most of the day.

The only restrictions were that they were never to have anyone else in the house, never open a locked door, could not arrive before 8 am, and must leave by 3 pm.

Besides the cleaning, they were there to take deliveries, make certain the outgoing mail was posted, be there to admit the gardener and piano tuner, and any other workmen, such as plumbers or electricians, who would need entry.

By their second week, the gardener, Andre O'Brien, began coming every day as well. He had taken on the responsibility of keeping the cars and motorcycle washed, waxed, running smoothly and always full of fuel. He also took Mojo to the vet, when necessary.

By the fourth week, an odd thing happened. There was a note to clean the three upstairs rooms that had always been locked and the bathrooms adjoining them. They all three rushed up the stairs to see the mystery rooms.

"Andre, you ain't got no bidness up dere!" Coco said, as he passed her, taking three stairsteps at a time.

"If you t'ink I'm NOT goin' up dere, you crazy!" He shot back.

One room was dark, with ornately carved furniture and dark red walls. There was a small crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling and several candle holders around the room. The artwork was in rich vibrant colors. The full tester bed was draped with white mosquito netting, though the window was obviously sealed. There were bookshelves filled to bursting, and piles of books on the floor. The bathroom was black and green with silver fixtures. There was a small mirror above the sink, and an antique full length mirror stood in the bedroom.

The largest room was brighter and far more cluttered. The walls were a bright blue. The bed was at least king size, if not larger, covered with a gold and blur velvet coverlet. There were tables and chairs, bookcases, dressers, night tables and a bureau, all in a golden wood. There were two free standing mirrors and a mirror over the dresser. The carpet was light blue, deep and soft. The bathroom was white marble and blue enameled tiles, and everywhere the gleam of gold. Gold fixtures and light holders, smaller gold framed mirrors over the sink and a full length mirror on the door.

The third suite was more exotic. Purples and brass, feathers and silk, sumptious and foreign. The large brass bed had a purple silken canopy. There was a huge brass chest at the foot of the bed. There were wooden dressers with brass fittings and a full length brass mirror. There was a vase of peacock feathers, a tigerskin rug, and strange things like a leather bag filled with animal claws, vials of powders and dust, fetishes of fur, feathers and what seemed to be dried blood.

"It's voodoo." Desiree said.

"Or something close to it." Andre opened the closet to see a long string of garlic hanging inside. Entwined with the garlic was a golden rosary, there was a sign tied to it.

        "Beware! Nosferatu!"

"Hey, Des!" Coco laughed, "It's your boyfriend's handwriting."

"You t'ink dis his room?" Desiree asked.

"Uh-uh, dere's a big T monogrammed on dis robe." Andre showed her the burgundy velvet.

"Da towels in dat green bathroom have Ls and Ps on 'em." Coco said. "Dat's his room."

They went to work, cleaning the rooms. The next night those rooms were locked again. Every week they would be unlocked to be cleaned. Sometimes other rooms would be locked those nights, sometimes not. Though they had all signed a contract never to reveal anything they ever saw in the house, this was the only odd thing that ever went on.

Louis woke and descended the stairs. He petted Mojo and sat at his desk to read the paper. He could hear Lestat typing in his office, as he had been for the past seven weeks. He looked down to see a note from David on his paper.

Louis,
I will return by 9:00 pm. I leave it to you -
movie or opera tonight?
David

Louis checked his watch, 6:14, he had hours before the verdict was due. He went to the office and knocked at the door. He heard a deep irritated sigh from inside and the typing stopped.

"Louis, I am in the middle of revisions, what do you want?"

"May I come in?"

Another sigh. "Alright."

He opened the door. He was happy to see that Lestat had fed, his tan was darker. "I wondered if you needed anything."

"You couldn't have asked me that through the door?!"

"I wanted to see you."

"You've SEEN me!"

"Yes, well . . .you don't need anything, then?"

"NO!"

Louis nodded and quickly closed the door. He was stung by the tone Lestat took with him, but he was always irritable when he was writing. He should consider himself lucky that Lestat had acknowledged him at all. He tried to shrug it off.

Louis went into the front parlour and switched on the television set. Mojo jumped up and Louis allowed the dog to settle himself in his lap. He knew he shouldn't, but no one else was there to see it, and he liked the feel of it. He needed the weight and the warmth of Mojo against him just now. He petted the dog and they watched the second half of MRS. MINIVER, on one of the old movie channels. When it had ended, he found that Mojo had fallen asleep in his lap, and he hated to disturb him. So he found himself watching PENNY SERENADE. The film followed the main characters as they met, married, faced various troubles and triumphs, adopt a baby daughter and raise her for five years until she dies, suddenly and tragically, on Christmas Eve.

David returned to find Louis lying on the couch, crying his eyes out. He used the barest amount of mind reading and simple observation to determine that it was the television and memories affecting Louis, and not any terrible occurrence. David went to the couch and put his arms around Louis so swiftly that he seemed to appear from thin air.

"It's alright, Louis." David kissed his hair. "Alright now."

"Oh, David!" Louis was surprised. He started laughing, but he hadn't stopped crying, and so it was a bit muddled. "I'm sorry. I am fine, really." He wiped his eyes. "It's only the silly film. I am sorry. It's nothing."

David smiled at him. "Shhh, I know. I know. Often times films will move me to tears as well. Don't be embarrassed."

Louis shook his head at himself and relaxed against David. He only then realized that Mojo had abandoned his lap, probably sometime in the middle of the film. Louis took a few deep breaths, stopped his tears and wiped his eyes with his handkerchief.

The credits were rolling. David shifted Louis to his lap.

"David, please, thank you but I-"

"You're beautiful in tears." David said, half teasingly, kissing Louis's mouth. Looking just a bit deeper into Louis's mind, David saw Lestat's earlier nastiness.

Louis kissed back, but laughed at the remark. David put his hand under Louis's shirt.

"Don't you want to know if I decided on the movie or the opera?"

David shook his head.

David began roughly rubbing Louis's nipples. Louis swallowed. He leaned forward and kissed David. He combed his hands through the thick, soft, golden brown hair. David's skin was warm, he had fed well.

"Let us go upstairs." Louis whispered into David's ear.

"Yes, love."

Louis stood and took David by the hand, leading him to his room. Once there, Louis closed the door behind him. He leaned against the door and folded his arms. David stood by the window, his hands clasped behind his back. They regarded each other appreciatively for a moment.

They both walked forward into a kiss. Louis pulled David's shirt free from his trousers and slid his hands up David's back. David dropped his head to Louis's shoulder and kissed his neck. Louis pulled his nails down David's back. David moaned in pleasure. David pulled Louis's shirt off of him. Louis tucked his hands inside the waist band of David's briefs. David unbuttoned his trousers and lowered the zipper. Louis helped him to slip out of his pants. Louis kissed David's hip and then ran his tongue along the crease where the thigh met the torso. David took a long shivering breath. Louis continued, bestowing light cool kisses to David's inner thigh. David's knees grew weak , he looked around for something to take hold of, to keep him upright but there was nothing close enough for him to grab.

"Oh God, Louis." David managed to gasp. Louis ignored his obvious predicament. David felt silky hair brush his organ. He felt a wet lick against his scrotum. Suddenly he felt a pull, a hard pull, as Louis engulfed him. "Ah!" David cried out, his legs were shaking hard, he thought he might collapse on top of Louis. "Louis! Oh, God, stop! I. . .my head is spinning. I cannot stand!" Louis ignored this as well. David felt his right gland sucked into the warm, moist cavern. His knees gave out. He found himself off balance, half sitting, half kneeling, one knee hooked over Louis's shoulder. Spasms of pain and pleasure were going through his legs, up his chest, chasing the air from his lungs and crashing into his head. He grabbed Louis's shoulders for balance. Louis was expertly tonguing a trail to the tip of David's organ, leaving David to deal with his precarious position. David had just gotten a bit of control and was braced, leaning with his hands on Louis's shoulders and one foot on the floor when he felt Louis's thumb invade his passage. "Oh, oh god!" It felt so good he thought he might faint. He let go of Louis's shoulder with one hand, to reach and remove the thumb before he collapsed from it, when Louis shifted to the other side, forcing David to grab hold of him again, or fall to the ground. Falling to the floor however was not an option with a very important limb locked within Louis's mouth, and no sign of it being released should David fall.

Louis reached and grasped David's hands in his own. He released David from his mouth and kissed his stomach. Louis moved out from between David's legs and allowed him drop to a sitting position. David sat on the hard wood floor, still shaking with little shocks of orgasmic energy.

Louis stood before him and slowly unzipped his jeans. David opened his mouth to speak, but could not. Louis let the denim fall to the ground and stepped out of it. He stood over David and removed David's shirt. David looked up at him. He was nearly in shock from the abrupt ending of such overwhelming sensations. Louis helped him to his feet and led him to his bed, parting the filmy mosquito netting to roll David on to his mattress. Louis took David in his arms and held him close, rubbing his arms and his back, until David's breathing returned to normal. When it had, Louis lifted David's chin and looked into his eyes with concern.

"I'm alright." David answered before he could ask. "I have just never experienced such a thing as that. Just when it would seem that the fear of falling would overcome the pleasure, it seemed to meld with it and make the pleasure even more irresistible. That was . . . oh , beyond . . .I don't know. It was incredible."

Louis smiled and kissed his forehead. "Merci."

"No," David laughed, breathlessly. "I believe it is my privilege to thank you."

Louis ducked his head shyly and held David tighter. He rubbed his cheek against the smooth caramel skin of David's shoulder.

David stretched to his full height and encircled Louis in his arms. He kissed his sweet tender lips and took Louis's face in his hands, looking searchingly into the deep green eyes with wonder. "You have such strength, Louis, such unconquerable silent strength. Where does it come from?"

Louis thought for a moment. "Acceptance. I accept who I am and what I have become. I accept what I must do and I do not romanticize it, nor seek to make it what it is not. I am still myself, though I cannot walk in the light of day. I can see and experience things in a far better, far superior way than mortals, but I am still an earthbound creature. I do not forget that I was born a mortal, and killing mortals is murder.

"I take other's lives to sustain my own, and in taking that sustenance I experience an intellectual, emotional and sensual ecstasy that is unparalleled and irresistible. In taking their lives, I experience life in a way that is supernatural and transcendent. I enjoy it. I crave it and I have not ever and will not ever willingly stop. And I could. I know that I could. I could bury myself until I become too weak to rise, I could immolate myself, I could step into the sun, but I do not. Regardless of my reasons for this, I accept that the fact of it is that I willingly remain a murderer.

" I am not a god, I am not a demon, but I am a vampire. I accept what that means. But in accepting that, I do not obliterate myself. I am not only a vampire. That is my condition, not my identity. I am still Louis de Pointe du Lac, though there is no Pointe du Lac." Louis smiled. "I have the same parents, though they are dead. New Orleans is still my home, though I have traveled and in returning found it to be much changed. I speak Creole French and accented English, though both are obsolete in New Orleans. I do not do these things in an attempt to cling to my mortal life. I do these things because I am myself; it is my name, it is my home, it is the way I speak.

"I have grown, of course. I was born in 1766 and lived day and night until 1791, but my life did not stop then. I have awoken and lived every night since. I can drive an automobile, I love film, I do read the newspapers and comprehend what they say, at least as well as most mortals. I am not bewildered by the modern world because this is my world. I do not throw myself into participation in the modern world, because I enjoy serenity and quiet pursuits, and also because the world is peopled with my prey. The cat does not live in the mouse-hole."

"I see," David said. He had moved his hands from Louis's face, pulling him close, but he could not, and did not want to look away from Louis's expressive and soulful eyes. Gently he continued, "And yet the guilt, the living in a house which falls apart around you, the awkwardness and prudishness in public, what is all of this? I do not understand."

"I am not perfect, David. Those things are a part of me, also. I had many bad habits and unattractive qualities as a mortal and in my time I have acquired many more." Louis smiled. "I accept the guilt as I accept the murder. I do not always take care of myself or my surroundings. My sensibilities are far removed from modern morals and standards, I know, but it does not shock me to see others behaving in a way that is normal for them. It is only that I am uncomfortable exhibiting immodesty." Louis glanced meaningfully down at his own body and David's. "At least in public."

They both laughed. They curled around each other, entwining their arms and legs. The dawn was coming and Louis's eyes were already closing. David felt Louis fall into the death sleep, allowing himself to be helpless in David's arms. The trust and the surrender in that simple act humbled him almost unbearably. He thought of Lestat, to whom Louis had first given this gift, and he finally understood completely Lestat's fierce devotion to Louis and his determination to protect Louis from all things, including Louis himself. David felt complete comprehension of Lestat as a savage protectiveness toward this precious green-eyed seraph washed through him as well.

David opened his eyes at dusk, with Louis still unconscious in his embrace. David slipped his arms out and rubbed them, they were unusually cold. David got out of Louis's bed and dressed. He went to his room to get fresh clothing and a sweater, thinking distractedly about the cold. There was something wrong.

' My God, it is Louis!' David rushed back to Louis's room and put his hands against the pale skin. Louis was a sculpture of ice. 'Bloody Hell! He didn't go out! He has had no blood since the night before last!'

David paced the room with a confusion of panicked thoughts running in his mind. 'Will he be alright? Has he starved himself? Is one night without blood enough to truly hurt him? In his book he speaks of vampires locked away without blood for years, but then how old were they? Will he wake as usual? Should I try and wake him? Should I procure a victim for him so that he can feed as soon as he wakes? It is less than hour until the time that Louis usually wakes. Should I wait until then? Am I in terror over nothing?' David walked back to the bed. Louis skin, which had already begun fading from the tan his unfortunate burn had left him, was now white as a ghost. David turned Louis's face toward him. The cheeks were sunken, there seemed to be shadows beneath the eyelids and even around the mouth. The David could see that the bones of Louis face and chest protruded sharply. 'Oh Lord no, this isn't right. What shall I do? I can hear Lestat tapping away downstairs already. Should I inform him? Ask him what would be best? Would Lestat know? Lestat will be angry. Angry with me or angry with Louis? Both probably.' David walked in circles, nervous and unsure. He was hungry. Of course he would not leave Louis. He sat on the bed.

"Goddamn it, Louis! Aren't you old enough to know better than this?" David said aloud in anger and anxious frustration and even fear. He took Louis in his arms. He rubbed the cold skin. He wrapped the blankets around Louis and held him. He fretted in turmoil until finally Louis began to stir.

Louis blinked and turned his head toward David. "Bonsoir," he said weakly.

"You didn't feed last night." David said accusatorily.

Louis tried to sit up, but David had him tightly cocooned in blankets and firmly ensconced in his lap. He looked up at David with a slight grin. "It must have slipped my mind."

"Louis! This isn't a joke! I have been frantic that you would not wake at all!" David was working himself well into a rage.

"David, please, calm yourself. I am sorry. Sometimes this happens. I am alright, I simply need to go and feed now."

"I should say so!" David agreed with vehemence. He quickly unwrapped Louis and helped him out of the blankets.

Louis was momentarily embarrassed to be completely exposed in front of David. In the middle of passionate play, one wasn't so aware of such things. Stark naked with an audience, first thing upon waking, was something else all together. He looked for his jeans and quickly pulled them on, nearly losing his balance due to his being undernourished. He ran his fingers through his hair, straightening it. David was suddenly behind him, helping him into his shirt.

"Come let's go." David said brusquely. He opened the window and then took hold of Louis.

"No, David." Louis said, calmly removing David's hands.

"Louis-"

Louis put up a hand to silence him. "David, I understand that you are upset. Yes, I am a bit weaker than usual, but I am perfectly capable of hunting by myself."

"Louis, this is no time for foolish pride!" David said in a condescendingly irritated voice. "Let me help you!"

"David I do not require it." Louis said, coldly. He turned and walked a bit unsteadily to the door. He opened it and descended the steps with David determinedly at his heels. Louis reached the front door and turned to David. "I will return shortly."

"Louis, please, let me accompany you, at least!" David took Louis's arm.

Louis smiled, though there was annoyance in his eyes. "David, you are being extremely disrespectful to your elder."

David exhaled loudly in exasperation. "Louis! You are being a damn stubborn idiot!"

Louis stopped smiling and pulled out of David's grip. Calmly, but with a controlled hostility Louis said, "Child, I have been a vampire for over 200 years. You have been a vampire for not even one. Your expertise in the subject is sorely lacking, and your advice is not needed. Do you understand?"

David was taken aback by the venom in Louis's voice. Chastened, he nodded.

"You should go and feed yourself." Louis turned and walked out the door.

Ruling Rue Royale - Chapter Eight

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