Editing The Tale of the Body Thief (section)

==Plot summary==
At the beginning of the story, [[Lestat de Lioncourt|Lestat]] grows [[depression (mood)|depressed]] and becomes remorseful because of his vampiric nature. Although he tries to limit his victims to murderers, serial killers and other criminals, he nonetheless caves into temptation once in a while and kills an "innocent", or someone who he feels does not necessarily deserve to die. Lestat also suffers from constant nightmares concerning his late "daughter", [[Claudia (The Vampire Chronicles)|Claudia]], for whose death he blames himself.

Since [[The Queen of the Damned|Akasha's defeat]], Lestat has become extremely lonely. Among his only remaining friends is [[David Talbot (The Vampire Chronicles)|David Talbot]], the elderly mortal head of the [[Talamasca]]. Although Lestat has repeatedly offered to turn David, he has always refused to become a vampire and keep Lestat company through eternity. Lestat goes to the [[Gobi Desert]] at dawn in a half-hearted [[suicide attempt]]. When he does not die, he goes to David's home in [[England]] to heal.

A mysterious figure, Raglan James, approaches Lestat with what seems to be a cure for his [[ennui]] and depression. James sends Lestat several messages hinting that he has the ability to [[Body swap|switch bodies]]. Eventually, he proposes to Lestat that the two of them trade bodies for a day. David reveals that James was a gifted [[psychic]] who once joined the Talamasca, but was kicked out of the order for constant theft.

James is a [[kleptomaniac]] who has stolen or schemed for literally everything he owns, from his house to his body. However, he also has major psychic problems, and his life is a series of cycles&mdash;he gets rich by theft, then often ends up in prison. Dying of [[cancer]] several years before, James tricked an inmate of a mental institution into switching bodies with him, allowing him a type of [[immortality]]. Against the advice of David and other vampires, Lestat jumps at the opportunity. Unfortunately, James has no intention of ever switching back, and Lestat is forced to scheme to regain his body.

Lestat nearly dies after becoming human again—his new body is wracked by [[pneumonia]], which he ignores during a tour of [[Washington D.C.]] in the middle of winter. He is saved by the care of a nun named Gretchen. He enjoys a short love affair with Gretchen before she returns to [[South America]], where she works in a convent, and Lestat sets out in search of his body.

Lestat seeks help from other vampires but is completely ostracized. [[Louis de Pointe du Lac|Louis]] turns Lestat away when he asks to turn his new body, arguing that Lestat ought to be happy to be human again and also calling him out for slandering him in [[The Vampire Lestat|previous writings]]. Marius is extremely angry at him for leaving such a powerful body to a thief. Lestat's only ally is David.

It is James's lack of imagination and petty thievery that allow Lestat and David to track him down. Despite his newfound wealth and powerful new body, James continues to steal jewelry from people. He also makes a conspicuous show of his wealth, boarding the ''[[Queen Elizabeth 2]]'' and draining victims of their blood along the ship's path. The pattern allows his pursuers to easily find him aboard the ship. While Lestat manages to regain his body with David's help, he performs the switch during a sunrise and must immediately flee to a safe place during the day. When he awakes in the evening, he finds that both David and James have disappeared.

Lestat finds David in [[Florida]] and is surprised to find that his friend, despite his earlier protestations, now wants to become a vampire. However, while taking his blood, Lestat discovers a final trick&mdash;when forced out of Lestat's body, James took over David's body instead of returning to his own. Lestat angrily attacks James, crushing his skull. The blow proves fatal&mdash;the injury damages James's brain and prevents him from either leaving the dying body or attempting another switch.

David begins to enjoy life in the young body previously occupied by James. Lestat returns to [[New Orleans]], reunites with Louis, and begins to renovate his old house in the [[French Quarter]]. However, Lestat regains his "evil" nature upon finally accepting his vampirism and decides to turn David against his wishes. David initially resists Lestat's aggressive advances, but eventually succumbs. Soon after David and Lestat admit their love for each other. David disappears again, prompting Lestat to fruitlessly search for him. Lestat returns to New Orleans and is surprised to find that David has already contacted Louis.

David explains to Lestat that, in secret, this is what he always truly wanted. He tells Lestat that he is no longer angry with him, although he does usurp Lestat's position of leadership, despite the latter's protests. Having gotten rid of his old age and mortality, David plans to visit [[Rio de Janeiro]] with Louis, and asks Lestat to join him. At the end, Lestat realizes that, despite all that happened, he is still alone, has failed to regain his "humanity", and has thrown away his only chance to make amends for his past misdeeds.