〃It frightened me。 She looked it me with those piercing eyes； and； for one
instant； I felt certain that she
knew my secret。 Then the fever overwhelmed her； and she never regained
consciousness。 She died
within an hour of making her demand。
〃I'd spent decades considering the idea of creating a panion for myself。
Just one other creature who
could really know me； rather than what I pretended to be。 But I could never
justify it to myself—doing
what had been done to me。
〃There Edward lay； dying。 It was clear that he had only hours left。 Beside
him； his mother； her face
somehow not yet peaceful； not even in death。〃
Carlisle saw it all again； his memory unblurred by the intervening century。 I
could see it clearly； too； as he
spoke—the despair of the hospital； the overwhelming atmosphere of death。
Edward burning with fever；
his life slipping away with each tick of the clock I shuddered again； and
forced the picture from my
mind。
〃Elizabeth's words echoed in my head。 How could she guess what I could do？
Could anyone really want
that for her son？
〃I looked at Edward。 Sick as he was； he was still beautiful。 There was
something pure and good about
his face。 The kind of face I would have wanted my son to have。
〃After all those years of indecision； I simply acted on a whim。 I wheeled his
mother to the morgue first；
and then I came back for him。 No one noticed that he was still breathing。
There weren't enough hands；
enough eyes； to keep track of half of what the patients needed。 The morgue was
empty—of the living； at
least。 I stole him out the back door； and ca