Sharon,
You ask many things, most importantly you ask how I came to know Anne, It's a rather interesting story.
As I am sure you know, Mme Rice has lived in New Orleans for most her life, on First St. She is activily involved in many projects, mostly community oriented, and was a well known author even before the first chronicle was released. She had submitted several of her articles and short essays to many of the local papers and while I knew nothing of her writings, a young lawyer of mine did.
I was yet to discover that this author was the very same one whom Louis had hired to assist him with ITV, though it wasen't Louis who made the actual arrangements, How could he? He knew nothing of the modern world, never mind the business aspect of it all.
And so John Thomas, my current lawyer at the time came to me with Mrs. Rice's name. And I'll admit, I rather liked the idea of her, after all it was she who turned ITV into a smash hit. Of course Monsieur Molloy wrote the original text, Louis may be many things but a writer? No. SO when John came to me with Anne's credentials, I found her more than competent for the job.
Of course Anne and I have met, I attend each and every one of her Balls on Hallow's Eve, Have you heard of them? It's really a masterful event, immortals and mortals alike donned in costumes and white make-up. I'd like to say it is the charitable aspect that brings me back year after year, but let's face it cherie, I've never been one to turn down a chance to flaunt my preternatural form have I?
Anne's belief in the supernatural has certainly increased since 1980, I assure you of that.
Ah...Memnoch, the final chronicle. What would you like to know? Who is Memnoch? He is a devil, and a nasty one at that. The novel centers around me (surprised?) and involves an offer from this Memnoch that I cannot refuse, though I pretend to concider it, as you might expect. It was the same with James' offer. Impossible really, to not take it up.
The original title was to be "OF HEAVEN AND HELL" and in my opinon. that is as it should have stayed. I believe it emcompasses this book far greater than "Memnoch" does.
Finally Pandora,
I see you have sone your research Madmosielle. Yes, Pandora was a renevant, reincarnated from vampirism into a mortal femme, and yes, she did plead for the Dark Gift again, harrassing Marius until he finally gave in at the foot of the shrine of Those Who Must Be Kept.
But as many of us do, after one lifetime, she began to regret her descion and drew into herself, away from the rest, Santino, and eventually even her beloved Marius.
She went into the ground for an entirity of 100 years
When she rose, she traveled across great spans of lands, searching for Marius, but he was with Armand at the time and in Venice with his apprentices, Because of the common blood they shared, finding him proved to be an impossible feat, and eventually she gave up, retreating into the mountains, dissapearing, as so many of us do.
At the present time she is in Egypt, with Marius, though I doubt they will ever, as you say so elequently, find each other,
One last question, Why is information on Armand so sparse? Would you like help there as well? In the images I have pulled fron his mind I have some idea of his past, in Russia and in Venice with Marius, working under him as an apprentice.
I thank you for your interest and prompt response.
L.
April 1995