David Talbot (The Vampire Chronicles)

David Talbot is a fictional character in Anne Rice's "The Vampire Chronicles" and "Mayfair Witches" series. He is Superior General of the secret organization the Talamasca, which researches and investigates the supernatural.

Fictional character biography

David is introduced in "The Queen of the Damned". He is an elderly man who meets both Lestat de Lioncourt and Louis de Pointe du Lac at the end of the novel. Lestat taunts David, offering him the blood of one of his victims, which David soundly refuses. In "The Tale of the Body Thief", it seems he and Lestat have become friends. After Lestat tries to end his immortal life by flying into the sun in the Gobi Desert, he visits David. He also goes to David when Raglan James offers to switch bodies with him, though he doesn't listen to what David has to say. David helps Lestat regain his body. In the struggle with Raglan James, David switches into a much younger body, described as that of a tall Indian with chestnut hair, while Lestat returns to his preternatural body. Lestat kills David's old body which is possessed by James. In the end of the book, Lestat forces the blood upon David, making him his fledgling.

David becomes somewhat of a confidant to Armand, and eventually records the story of his life in "The Vampire Armand". He is also described as having sexual preferences for young women and men, preferring men in "The Tale of the Body Thief". David also appears in "Merrick", where he contacts the title character, who also happens to be part of the Mayfairs. In this book Merrick raises the spirit of Claudia for Louis. At the end it is revealed that Merrick has been using voodoo to bring both David and Louis to her in order for her to attain eternal life. This plan works, as she gives her the blood and makes her immortal. After he makes Merrick his fledgling, he tries to commit suicide by placing his coffin in the open where he would be burned to death when the sun rose. He nearly succeeds, but he is too old for the sun to end his life. David, Merrick, and Lestat find him and give him their blood in order to heal his burned form. Their combined blood makes Louis stronger than he had been before. The four then form a coven in New Orleans, but the Talamasca, enraged that two of their members had taken the blood, threaten the vampires and demand that Merrick be returned to them. Lestat wants to retaliate against the Talamasca, but David talks him out of doing anything rash, and the four leave their home in the Rue Royal.