Free Ad Eternum by Elizabeth Bear Page A

your inquiries.” He let his mouth twitch up into a smile. “Barring more successful assassination attempts.”
    “You’ll stay?” Damian said, clasping his hands in his lap.
    “I’ll stay.”
    Ruthanna sighed as if released from pain. Had it really meant so much to her? “We’re glad you saw your way clear to join us. It’s an incredibly brave and selfless act, all things considered—”
    “I’m not doing it for you,” the wampyr said, as kindly as he could. I’m doing it because an old friend would have thought it was the right thing to do. He looked at Detective Young, who was edging away. “It’s fine,” the wampyr said. “None of this is private.”
    He caught Damian quietly beaming, though, and wondered if it was dishonest to let him think he was staying because it was the right thing to do. Maybe he was. Self-delusion was not a vice limited to the living.
    He waited a few moments, to see if the mortals would speak, and when they did not, he continued, “I think I do not care to be remembered forever as Jack Prior.”
    Ruthanna said, “How shall we list you on the charter, and as faculty, then? Not as Amédée Gosselin?”
    Damian’s lips writhed into a grin. Lopo Cantero? He mouthed. The wampyr rolled his eyes, but made a note: apparently his new friend spoke some Spanish.
    He answered, “I should like to be recorded as Sebastien de Ulloa.”
    Ruthanna’s brow wrinkled with surprise. “That’s a notorious name.”
    “Nevertheless,” said the wampyr. “I think I should like to be him. He had excellent friends.”