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           "Forwhattohappen?"

           "Iknowthatatsomepoint,somethingItellyouorsomethingyouseeisgoingtobetoomuch.Andthenyou’llrunawayfromme,screamingasyougo."Hesmiledhalfasmile,buthiseyeswereserious."Iwon’tstop

           you.Iwantthistohappen,becauseIwantyoutobesafe.Andyet,Iwanttobewithyou.Thetwodesiresareimpossibletoreconcile..."Hetrailedoff,staringatmyface.Waiting.

           "I’mnotrunninganywhere,"Ipromised.

           "We’llsee,"hesaid,smilingagain.

           Ifrownedathim."So,goon-CarlislewasswimmingtoFrance."

           Hepaused,gettingbackintohisstory.Reflexively,hiseyesflickeredtoanotherpicture-themostcolorfulofthemall,themostornatelyframed,andthelargest;itwastwiceaswideasthedoorithungnextto.Thecanvasoverflowedwithbrightfiguresinswirlingrobes,writhingaroundlongpillarsandoffmarbledbalconies.Icouldn’ttellifitrepresentedGreekmythology,orifthecharactersfloatinginthecloudsaboveweremeanttobebiblical.

           "CarlisleswamtoFrance,andcontinuedonthroughEurope,totheuniversitiesthere.Bynighthestudiedmusic,science,medicine-andfoundhiscalling,hispenance,inthat,insavinghumanlives."Hisexpressionbecameawed,almostreverent."Ican’tadequatelydescribethestruggle;ittookCarlisletwocenturiesoftorturousefforttoperfecthisself-control.Nowheisallbutimmunetothescentofhumanblood,andheisabletodotheworkheloveswithoutagony.Hefindsagreatdealofpeacethere,atthehospital...