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"What is the motivation behind your bullying of Jamie and this duel of yours! What right do you have to endanger not only yourself but your sisters' well being and my cousin's life? You claim to love your sisters. What about Jamie? What are your intentions towards my cousin?" Louis demanded. "What is my cousin to you?'
"Nothing. His very personality provokes my ill treatment of him," Freniere said coldly, "What right have you to be so pious! Haven't you guessed by now I'm tying to kill myself?" Freniere snarled, "Hear me out, and tell me my old friend if I do not deserve to die. I seduced a young boy of twelve. He was a pretty child. I touched him in his secret places, and he kissed me for the manipulations I employed upon his body and mind. I raped his dear ears with my declarations of love and passion. I lied to his parents when I told them I had their son's best interests only at heart. When all I wanted to do was to lick and piece his dainty hole. I made him to be quiet of our affair by threats of never seeing him again, for the consequences of our being discovered would be worse than death to me. His father is a deacon in the parish. The sort who would not hesitate to denounce my reputation to not only polite society, but to the law. Daily, I become more and more fearful of our being discovered and alas more and more sated with him till all at once he both bored and terrorized me, and I could take his company no longer."
"The child," Louis said terror dawning on him.
"Oui, the very same child you are thinking of right now. Andre Breton, oui, the boy who drowned while swimming at midnight at his father's pond. He haunts me in my dreams of him. I can see him frail, and tearful standing at the water's edge. He's made all of silver in my mind. I watch. His toes first touch the the cold inky waters, and then he wades deeper in. He's so terribly cold, very afraid, and wants to go no further. He has no choice."
"You murdered him!" Louis cried. "How was the deed done?"
"The deed was done not with any actions taken on my part, but by my hurtful words. The boy died alone. I was not there at the pond when he drowned, except for later after I heard about it. I replay the scene over and over again about how I imagine it must have been for him. I told the poor lad the day he died, I found another more lively boy than he. And I never loved him. Louis know this from what his sister said, the very sister I seduced to gain easy access to the boy, the child had stones in his pockets to weigh himself down."
"Suicide?" Louis said.
"Assuredly, not accident as it was told to all," Freniere said, "I am left with but one honorable avenue to take and that avenue leads to my crypt and shroud. For I deserve little less. I would love to blame my poor sisters for the spoiled child of nineteen years that I be. But I know where the true blame lies. Andre wasn't old enough, or ready for such an abandonment from a lover."
"Freniere confess your sins to a priest through you may not believe in priests at least you'll know one person more forgives you other than myself. I forgive you Freneiere. You did not push the boy."
"Did you, did you push Paul?" Freniere said in a hushed voice.
"Non," Louis said, "At first I felt as if I had. But I did not push Paul. And if I had killed Paul it was by my neglect of him, and my not knowing him for who he was, not by any action or deed on my part."
"Ah, I wish you had killed Paul,' Freniere said bitterly, "I would have loved your companionship in this land of regret and guilt I presently occupy."
"This land of guilt you occupy is created by self indulgence. You will get Jamie killed in your persistence of trying to goad him into killing you. Let me take you home dear friend. I was once a resident of your land of regret. I'm free now. Let me take you back to your sisters, your home, direct your mind upon what you owe the living; refuse to pay back the dead. Do not show up for this duel."
"What are the two of you conspiring about?" Lestat said, joining them.
"Deviltry," Freniere laughed at Lestat, "We're telling each other tales of what a bastard the devil can be."
"I'm escorting Freniere home would you like to join us?" Louis asked in a formal tone.
"Oui, don't I always," Lestat said, the boredom in his voice was proved to be a lie by his jaunty smile.
The three of them rode off together through the darkened streets, Freniere complaining over why the two of them insisted on babying him.
They watched Freniere go inside of his home.
Louis got off his horse, and stood quietly, not protesting when Lestat slipped a protective arm around his waistcoat.
"Shall we leave?" Lestat asked.
"Non, I want to stay, I like watching them, Freniere, and his sisters. There is such a camaraderie about them all."
"In truth their relationship is strained. His sisters are tired of his drinking and gambling. They love him desperately because they depend on him to live the life style they are accustomed to. He's a source of pain to them, more than not," Lestat said studying Louis' face. "You are romanizing over them, being overly sentimental."
"The sense I get is one of family when I watch them," Louis sighed.
"Oui, falling in a trap of sentimentality," Lestat scoffed.
"Oui," Louis kind of laughed sadly, "The tender snares. The sweet enticements of having a family." He walked away from Lestat, not daring to tell him Frenier's story. Afraid how he would react.
"Slippers, sitting at the fire while it toasts you, wearing your loose gown of patterned silk, sipping a brandy, n'est-ce-pas?" Lestat teased, following him, putting both arms around his waist to embrace him.
"Your faithful hound at your feet. A good book to read out loud to your loved ones. A roaring fire. An apple near by to bite, and a good glass of wine." Louis said wistfully, leaning the back his head against Lestat's head.
"How utterly boring!" Lesat laughed.
How utterly right you are," Louis said reflectively, "Through, I often times enough tried to talk myself into believing that was what I not only was supposed to want, but what I truly wanted. I could of had that domestic scene in my life. I had a placee, a female concubine, bought for me by my father when I was fifteen. She would sing to me, play the harpsichord for me, stand on her poor head for me, if she felt that would please me. Poor girl; beautiful girl. She couldn't please me if her life depended on it. I noticed in my family, what with Paul and myself, we have a tendency to desire our own sex rather than the opposite sex. I wonder perhaps if this inclination runs in families?"
"I have been known to enjoy the delights of a woman. I still do every night as a matter of fact. Tonight you should too, for the sake of your health, you should enjoy a woman along with me. Louis you are much too thin."
"You think so? I used to go rowing for exercise out on the lake," Louis countered to get the subject changed.
"Your arms show your labor, so does the elegance of your form. Alas! Your diet is making your beauty frail. There is no reason why you shouldn't be as active as you once were. More active," Lestat insisted.
""Ah, but I feel too homesick at times," Louis said cocking his head, "for, for sunshine hot and honest on my face and my hands. Vaporous beauty of the sun rays making the petals of flowers translusant You can not say in all good conscience you do miss not miss the sun."
"I miss it not. There, and my conscience is good. For I need not the sun anymore."
"Sometimes, admit this to me, would you have rather?"
"Still be mortal?" Lestat whispered, a flare of pain seemed to encircle Lestat's surrounds making everything topple out of kilter. He remembered how it felt to be mortal. It felt and smelled like stage paint, it felt like life was but a play to put on . The world ended at the edges of the stage which was lit up by candles which shone like stars. Beyond this world was his own universe--the theatre. The angels were the audience, all cheering and laughing for him, Lelio, the actor. And amongst the angels was a fallen one, a monster with white skin which glared at him like an ominous comet flying through the heavens.
"Non," Lestat whispered, "I do not wish to discuss my past. What good will it do me? Heaven has ended for me long ago, my dear Louis. Now I live in a different paradise, a dangerous Eden if you will. There is no magic, or play in our Eden. There is but the glory of the kill."
"I wish sometimes I could be Freniere, and he could be me. He's making such a shambles of his plantation, himself, and his family. I wish I could be him and set things right for everyone. Perhaps, if he were I, a vampire, he would understand life can be so easily snatched and thrown away. I hold life to be all the more sacred from my nightly taking of it from the kills I do of animals," Louis said.
"I'm going to kill Freniere." Lestat said, smiling, letting Louis unceremoniously go.
"Ah, Lestat," Louis grumbled, "Now you have ruined our conversation with your crudeness and the ugliness of your wretched sense of humor. You would think an orphanage burning to the ground would be an occasion for hilarity."
"Only if you were in it," Lestat said, climbing up on top of his steed. He trotted away.
"What has put you into this mood"! Louis demanded, getting on his horse, following him.
"Do not think I am jesting. I am going to kill him," Lestat said calmly, riding a little faster.
"You can not be serious, " Louis said, trying to catch up with him.
"You just don't see it do you?" Lestat rounded on him.
"See what?"
"You are in love with Freniere."
"Ah, now I see! Now you try my patience, I am not in love with anyone!"
"Only with yourself."
"You find me to be so vain!" Louis said astonished, "Kindly explain your accusations to me. For I understand not your bases for your hurl of insults and innuendoes at me."
"In a word, I can explain your vanity in a single word-- Freniere. For all your reading of poetry philosophy, and history, I marvel, sometimes marvel how when it comes to life and yourself how you can overlook the obvious."
"There is no obvious," Louis cried, "I am not in love with Freniere."
"If you were him you would fix his life so everyone would be happy. Listen to how ludicrous you sound! The man is mine I have decided upon it."
"You would be so heartless to kill a man whose soul is in a state of peril? Lestat, the man is looking for death in all the corners of his tortured mind. I forbid you to kill him."
"Kill him, I will. Kill him I must. You have no control over yourself, much less over me! You wish you could be the mortal Freniere so you could solve his problems for him. You are ridiculous! What did you mean by coming to that colored boy's defense? What does he mean to you?"
"Ah, now you accuse me of being promiscuous with anyone I exchange a word with!"
"How strange of you of all people to use such a word as promiscuous! You have no passion. How can I accuse you, a passionless thing, of promiscuity? Of recklessness, oui, I can justly accuse you of."
"Jamie used to be a slave of mine. You know how possessive I am of my things."
"Then retrieve your thing. Bring him into your power. Kill him."
"Never let such a foul concept part your lips. I agree with you on this mostly. I do not believe in our involving ourselves in mortal affairs. As I said, I once owned Jamie, and out of pride, I did not want to see what I once owned to be murdered by louts and villains."
"Be a bit more subtle when you play at being a merciful savior, fool. How could mortals not wonder about you after your displaying your strength as you did!"
"Look who is calling fool. Who indiscreetly treats my slaves as if they rest on your own private buffet table?"
"What of it? What ever your slaves say will be dismissed as being nothing but slander. Who will believe their superstitions? Who will care? They are helpless. They know if they lay a hand on us to defend themselves, or if they try to escape, they know the slave catchers will hunt them down, and they will be lawfully tortured and murdered. Their hands are tied."
"Lestat, a man without hope can be driven to commit a desperate crime to protect himself finally. You said humans could harm us, I beg of you. Leave my slaves alone, or go. Leave! You and your father both can go."
You have no idea how fatal your words are to you, my slave. Hiss and shake with anger all you want for that is what you are my pretty one, my slave, and non, I will not release you from your bondage. Not until my father dies."
"Then not until. As long it's understood you will go someday! For the regard you hint at having for me you will grant me a favor, and you will not kill Freniere! I make this a request of you, Lestat. My all too beautiful master," Louis said sarcastically.
"For you, because of you, I will kill him most assuredly without a doubt," Lestat said coldly, galloping away, Louis chasing after him.
The next night, Freniere was dressed as if he was at a ball. He was wearing his best, long, tight fitting French coat decorated with buttons, brocade, braiding, and with large cuffs. The boy, a beautiful Creole Spaniard--the boy he was to duel with, was one who he insulted with the forwardness of his attentions. He treated many such young boys like Jamie and the Spanish Creole to his insults. Finally, the Creole couldn't take it any longer, and being the privileged son of a gentleman, he challenged Freniere to a duel. Freniere welcomed the idea of the boy's rapier's point spearing him.
The two crossed rapiers. Louis and Lestat watched from a small clearing hidden behind sassafras, and mulberry trees. Feinting, going forward with the skill of a master, the boy sliced a good, long slash right under Freniere's right eye down to his chin. Twisting his wrist, the boy slashed at Freniere's throat. Freniere leaped backwards taking the blow to his shoulder. Freniere was unheedful of the blood dripping from his wounds, uheedful of the need to protect himself.
Deftly, the child, for he was but sixteen, picked the place on Freniere's body where his steel would pierce. The spot in the upper left side of Freniere's chest. The boy was no sadist. He felt he punished the man enough for the cruel taunts he made to his masculinity. The boy was determined he would take a quick stab, not a very deep stab, to Freniere. Wounding him. His honor would be restored without killing the pitiful fellow who was too much of a coward to fight back.
Freniere pulled back, reflexively he flexed his right arm forward to ward off the blow heading for his chest. Some sudden spark of anger and desire to live made Freniere thrust the sword forwards and downwards. To his horror, the thrust caught the boy right into his abdomen, The force of the boy taking a lunge forward for Freniere proved fatal. The point was driven home.
Pulling his rapier out of the dying boy, Freniere could find no words to say to him. Bewilderment, shame, and surprise was all Freniere could feel. Bright red blood dribbled out of the boy's mouth. Pride was a joke, Freniere had no reason to be proud of his kill. Lifting the rapier, he prepared himself to fall on it.
Lestat swooped through the trees. Louis following. Lestat picked Freiere up by the scuff of his neck dragging him to the dark recesses of the swamp.
"Mon ami, Lestat," Freniere gasped.
"I am not your ami, poor soul," Lestat whispered in his ear, "You had not the courage to fall upon your own point. I saw your hand was shaking."
"You mean to kill me?" Freniere cried in disbelief, "Louis, mon ami, our Lestat, he has taken leave of his senses, Louis, Louis rescue me," Freniere cried, now much afraid.
Lesatat's lips parted for him, displaying his elegant dangerous fangs. A song of death seemed to sing in Freniere's ears. He wondered what would happen next.
It was the next part, the next part which is so frightening, Freniere thought frantically. Like being in a fatal illness, or staring a viper the eyes. The dread of what is going to happen next. It makes you want to scream, struggle, and fight.
Freniere felt indignant, more indignant than he felt scared. He was indignant anyone would dare take such liberties with his life.
Driving his nails in Lestat's face, Freniere pushed and strained at Lestat, clawing and kicking at him.
Throwing a punch right into Lestat's mouth, Louis smacked him against his face, pulling at his hair, hitting him right under his chin. Lestat staggered backwards almost losing his grip on Freniere.
Lestat pulled Freniere to him, latching onto his neck, draining him with such a viciousness Freniere's body went instantly into a state of shock. Freniere's mind raced. His mind out raced his slowing down heart till Freniere found himself floating out of his body staring down at what he used to think of as being himself. He watched himself being killed by a blond fiend. Freniere tried to go back into his body, but all entries were closed. He felt the light surround him even before he saw it. A warm, beautiful, fearsome sight was this light. The light absorbed him till he was gone and placed else where.
Freniere's now empty body; empty of blood, empty of soul, slipped under the knee deep swamp waters.
"Why! You monster. You are sin. Oui sin, you are nothing but sin. Why did you kill him for the sport of it?"
"For sport?" Lestat whispered, springing at Louis, he grabbed him by the wrist, ready to dunk Louis' head into the waters.
"Ah, you bastard. you fraud. Everything I do which is exceptional is for your sorry self. Louis, did I ever hate Freniere? Did I ever give you the impression I hated the man?"
"Then why kill him? You could have killed anyone else. Anyone out of the ones I still care about. Who is next! My mother, or is it Therese? You mean to isolate me from everyone I care about by killing them?"
Dragging Louis by the wrist, Lestat pulled up Freniere's corpse up out of the water by it's hair. The skin was already turning blue and bloated under its sodden mass of black hair.
"Contemplate well upon what once was a man. Then think of yourself. You upbraid me all too well that I take not the time to teach you lessons about what you are. Can you not understand what I taught you through example? Didn't you learn anything from what you observed? Look at me imbecile, and tell me what you leaned!"
"Is this your ideal of a lesson, or of a warming to me?" Louis hissed.
"A lesson. I don't believe in warnings. I didn't give him a warning, now did I?" Lestat said coolly, trailing his finger up Louis' heaving chest to the hollow of his throat.
Louis gasped, desire raping his resolve not have anything to do with this brutal man, who was caressing him under his jaw and chin. Angrily, he recovered his will, he put his hands to Lestat's chest pushing him away.
Letting Freniere slide back into the mud, Lestat whispered, "Can you not see this as an act of regard meant for you?"
Lestat abandoned Louis. Louis regaled in his fury and reflections over Lestat's words to him.
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