gns.thegraveyardvultures- 第16节

　　
　　Finally　Sabat　let　his　weapon…arm　fall；　seemed　to　check　his　rage　instantly　as　he　raised　his　eyes　and　saw。　A　movement　had　attracted　his　attention；　a　patch　of　shadow　that　was　too　dark　to　be　shadow。　Oh　God；　he　thought　he'd　got　them　all　but　there　was　still　one　left。
　　
　　'e　here。'　His　voice　was　a　whiplash　cutting　through　the　darkness。　'You　cannot　escape　Sabat　by　hiding。'
　　
　　She　came；　so　lithe　and　shapely　that　he　found　himself　overlooking　the　grimy　flesh　and　ragged　garments；　seeing　only　the　beauty　of　an　unblemished　skin　which　had　once　lain　beneath；　the　ringlets　of　auburn　hair；　nipples　that　could　only　be　so　swollen　and　hard　because　she　was　aroused；　and　even　now　she　was　arousing　him。　Miranda！
　　
　　He　didn't　try　to　reason　because　primitive　lust　was　blinding　him　to　all　else。　Except　his　hatred　of　her　for　what　she　was；　a　dangerous　bination。
　　
　　'You　have　to　answer　to　both　Baron　Cimeterre　and　myself；'　his　lips　scarcely　moved；　his　words　barely　audible；　'because　you　defiled　this　place；　sacrificed　to　another　god。　You　took　a　virgin　from　her　grave；　one　who　rightfully　belonged　to　the　Lord　of　the　Cemetery；　mated　her；　and　another　who　still　lived；　to　your　own　false　lord　of　darkness。　Then　you　mitted　the　body　of　the　one　who　died　as　a　result　of　that　to　water；　not　to　the　earth　where　she　would　have　bee　Baron　Cimeterre's。　The　others　have　paid　the　price　but　yours　will　be　even　greater　because　my　Lord　Cimeterre　demands　that　I　take　you　as　you　took　her；　for　I　am　his　disciple　on　the　Left　Hand　Path　which　leads　to　eternal　life　for　those　who　serve　faithfully！'
　　
　　'No　I'　She　screamed　but　did　not　try　to　flee　because　she　knew　it　would　be　futile。　Those　dull　orbs　flickered　with　the　ultimate　in　terror　and　then　he　was　upon　her。
　　
　　Sabat　experienced　a　fleeting　sensation　as　though　he　was　on　the　astral　witnessing　the　actions　of　his　physical　body；　but　that　was　impossible。　A　kind　of　numbness　flooded　over　him　but　it　did　not　mar　the　urge　which　fired　his　veins；　pumped　the　hot　blood　through　his　body。　Neither　was　he　aware　of　the　coldness　of　her　body　as　he　flung　her　to　the　ground　beneath　him。　He　tossed　away　his　sword；　he　did　not　need　it　for　this！
　　
　　She　struggled　but　his　strength　was　too　much　for　her；　pinioning　her　arms；　ripping　the　final　shreds　of　stinking　clothing　from　her　shuddering　body。　Her　flesh　was　cold　but　he　scarcely　noticed　it；　grunting　aloud　like　a　stag　on　the　rutting　stand。　No　longer　was　he　thinking　of　Sylvia　Adams　and　Sheila　Dowson；　nor　the　terror　which　the　latter　must　have　experienced；　only　of　himself；　his　conquest；　and　the　fact　that　he　was　doing　it　for　Baron　Cimeterre；　himself　a　servant　of　thePetrogod。
　　
　　Finally　he　was　finished　with　her；　drawing　back　and　fastening　his　clothing。　His　lust　was　spent　and　now　his　fury　was　returning。　He　groped　for　the　fallen　crucifix；　reversed　it　and　struck　at　the　inert　figure　at　his　feet　with　terrible　force；　a　blow　which　no　human　skull　could　have　withstood。　The　head　split　almost　equally　into　two　halves；　the　tortured　expression　divided。　Something　oozed　out　which　reminded　him　of　frog…spawn　but　there　was　no　blood。　He　had　not　expected　any。
　　
　　Again　and　again；　chopping　and　hacking　with　a　desperation　as　though　he　wished　to　destroy　this　ghastly　being　totally；　erase　from　his　mind　what　had　happened。　A　psychopath；　his　brain　blurred；　telling　himself　that　it　had　never　taken　place；　that　he　would　never　have　done　anything　like　that。　And　finally；　when　there　was　nothing　left　that　resembled　a　human　being　at　his　feet；　he　almost　believed　it。　Almost。
　　
　　Dawn　came　with　its　usual　grey　soberness。　Sabat　stirred；　shivered　and　raised　himself　off　the　tomb　where　he　had　been　sitting。　He　thought　he　might　have　fallen　asleep　but　he　knew　he　could　not　have　done　so　for　throughout　the　latter　part　of　the　night　he　had　been　conscious　of　just　staring　into　the　darkness；　seeing　nothing；　not　even　thinking。
　　
　　He　glanced　around；　half　expecting　to　see　carnage　and　mutilation；　widespread　amputation　and　decapitation。　But　there　was　nothing；　the　undergrowth　not　even　flattened。　A　psychic　battle　had　been　fought　and　。。。　won　or　lost？
　　
　　His　mouth　was　dry　and　he　had　a　nagging　headache；　he　always　had　a　headache　after　an　exorcism。　Quentin's　laughter　came　from　somewhere　then　died　away　and　left　him　to　his　own　musings。　This　past　night　had　been　fought　on　two　fronts；　inside　the　church　his　exorcism　had　been　powerful　enough　but　not　out　here。　Back　to　the　wall；　he　had　called　upon　the　forces　of　darkness　to　destroy　their　own　kind　and　they　had　conceded　to　his　request。　Because　he　was　one　of　them
　　
　　He　laughed；　a　dry　mirthless　sound。　In　a　strange　way　his　evil　brother　had　done　him　a　favour；　turned　him　into　the　most　ruthless　psychic　mercenary　who　had　ever　stalked　the　frontiers　of　darkness。　So　powerful；　capable　of　summoning　those　who　could　serve　his　cause　best。　But　it　was　frightening；　a　kind　of　schizophrenia；　a　man　outside　himself　at　times；　barely　knowing　what　had　transpired。
　　
　　But　this　business　was　far　from　over。　St　Adrian's　and　its　grounds　were　exorcised；　if　one　could　call　it　that。　A　mere　skirmish　in　terms　of　the　fight　that　lay　ahead。　Somewhere　the　man　named　Royston　had　his　new　black　temple　and　was　already　drawing　upon　the　power　that　festered　like　a　cancer　within　the　bones　of　William　Gardiner　。。。　so　powerful　that　they　had　sent　that　terrible　force　of　unspeakable　terrors　last　night　in　a　desperate　attempt　to　destroy　the　one　man　who　stood　in　their　way。　They　had　failed　but　they　wouldn't　give　up；　they　couldn't　afford　to。
　　
　　Slowly；　each　step　a　determined　effort　that　fought　against　sheer　fatigue；　Sabat　began　to　make　his　way　back　to　the　vicarage。　The　day　would　be　spent　sleeping；　safe　now　that　daylight　had　e；　recharging　mind　and　body　for　whatever　perils　the　ing　night　might　hold。
　　
　　He　almost　ignored　the　approaching　car　and　probably　would　have　done　had　it　not　slowed　when　it　drew　level　with　him。　Even　at　their　lowest　ebb　his　extra…perceptive　senses　were　not　totally　dulled；　seeing　everything　in　those　split　seconds　before　the　silver　Mercedes　picked　up　speed　and　was　lost　to　sight　around　the　bend。
　　
　　The　driver；　a　big　man　with　receding　hair　and　the　stamp　of　merciless　cruelty　on　his　features；　eyes　narrowing　and　hooded　like　a　hunting　hawk　that　has　suddenly　spotted　its　prey。　But　it　was　Royston's　panion　who　succeeded　in　thrusting　a　stabbing　pang　of　fear　into　Sabat's　heart。　Auburn　hair　and　mocking　green　eyes；　none　other　than　Miranda；　the　hussy　off　the　new　estate　who　spread　her　favours　in　her　constant　search　for　power。
　　
　　She　had　brought　Royston　here　at　this　early　hour　to　show　him　that　he　had　failed　in　his　attempt　to　destroy　Sabat。　And　she　hated　the　man　who　stood　there　on　the　pavement　because　she　knew；　knew　that　she　had　been　raped　and　mutilated　in　a　psychic　encounter　that　went　back　to　a　dark　age。　And　it　had　happened　as　surely　as　if　Sabat　had　gone　to　her　house　in　his　physical　body　and　carried　out　that　unspeakable　attack　on　her。
　　
　　Now　she　demanded　vengeance；　urged　her　evil　lover　to　use　every　vestige　of　his　black　power　to　help　her　achieve　that。　And　Sabat's　most　dangerous　enemy　would　be　the　resurrected　evil　that　had　once　stalked　this　peaceful　village　in　the　form　of　William　Gardiner！
　　
　　
　　　CHAPTER　FIVE
　　　
　　SABAT　LET　himself　into　the　vicarage　and　closed　the　front　door　quietly　behind　him。　In　all　probability　the　Reverend　Maurice　Storton　would　have　retired　to　bed　once　dawn　broke；　exhausted　by　his　all…night　vigil。　There　was　no　point　in　waking　the　aged　clergyman；　neither　was　there　anything　to　be　gained　by　giving　him　a　detailed　account　of　everything　that　had　happened　last　night。　Suffice　to　say　that　an　exorcism　had　been　carried　out　and　had　been　successful。　The　fact　that　Baron　Cimeterre　had　claimed　the　adjoining　cemetery　as　his　own　domain　was　something　that　Sabat　did　not　propose　to　try　and　explain。　One　form　of　evil　had　replaced　another；　and　there　was　nothing　more　anybody　could　do　about　it。
　　
　　Sabat's　acute　senses　were　still　working。　The　vibrations　caused　by　somebody　moving　about　on　the　floor　above　registered　in　his　brain　before　he　heard　the　slow；　shuffling　footsteps　ing　towards　the　head　of　the　wide　staircase。　Somebody　barefoot；　but　there　was　nothing　strange　in　that；　prob