She swallowed hard and moistened her lips nervously. "Nothing." She lowered

her

head slightly and looked at him with a faint smile. "As long as you're

here..."

she said, moving toward the bed.

He smiled and pulled her down next to him, taking her into his arms and

rolling

over on top of her, kissing her deeply, holding her tightly, so incredibly

tightly.... She gasped and broke the kiss. His eyes stared down at her, and

suddenly they were golden eyes, eyes with black, vertical-slit pupils. His

long,

forked tongue flicked out at her. His skin gleamed with an iridescent sheen;

scales started to form. She felt the large, powerful coils squeezing her, and

she shook her head, gasping for breath.

"No! No, please, don't...."

And then she screamed.

"Lord Carfax?" Blood said.

"You know him?" asked Kira.

"Only by reputation," Blood replied. "He's the latest social darling, young

and

fabulously wealthy. Must have inherited it all, because it seems no one knows

exactly what it is he does, assuming he does anything at all. Hasn't been in

England long. Arrived recently from Hong Kong or Japan or Sri Lanka or some

damn

exotic place—there seems to be some question about where. There's always

something about him in the papers. Apparently he keeps to himself a great

deal

and avoids the press, won't be photographed, yet on the other hand he throws

all

these lavish parties, which are supposed to be quite exclusive and rather on

the

wild side. As a matter of fact, only the other day I was speaking to my

brother,

Andrew, about..." His voice trailed off.

"Go on," said Wyrdrune. "What is it?"

"Interesting coincidence," said Blood. "He called me to pick my brain about

the

Ripper case. He wanted to have some inside dope that he could use for party

chat. My younger brother was something of a social butterfly. We didn't have

very much in common, I'm afraid. I recall he was quite excited over having

secured an invitation to one of Lord Carfax's celebrated parties, and he went

on

about it a great deal. I'm afraid I didn't pay very much attention. I was

rather

anxious to be rid of him," he added with a grimace that underscored the

irony.

"And the very next morning he was found dead."

"I'm sorry," Kira said.