Part 62

It had taken him mere seconds to dispatch eight men.

More had already closed in to join the attack, but when they saw the spectacle of blood and organs the boy left in his wake, they grew wary.

Some turned back. Others stopped, uncertain of what to do next. Those that closed in did so slowly... and none dared attack the stalking child directly. Instead, they formed a wide, cautious circle with the boy, the bodies, and Lowell Vern inside it.

The members of the circle eyed each other uneasily, unsure of whether to close in or just wait.

"Gimme this!" Lowell started tugging frantically at Oscar's robe. Oscar howled in both panic and protest as the boy drew closer.

"What are you doing!"

"Gimmie the robe!"

"Why!?"

"Give it here!"

Eric drew close to them, and, without stopping, broke into a running leap.

"AAAA!" Oscar screamed, just as Lowell managed to snatch the robe free.

Holding the edge, he slung the garment in front of him just as Eric leapt. Oscar Bartleby was a large man, and David was a small boy... the robe swallowed the child in mid-air. Lowell swung the writhing bundle downward, slamming the snared boy to the ground before he could slice his way free.

"GOT YA!" Lowell shouted. He delivered a hard kick as Oscar scrambled out of the way, and the circle of onlookers closed in. "HERE, HAVE ANOTHER!" Lowell kicked the bundle again. He drew back to kick a third time, but several men shoved past him-

"GET THE BLADES!"

"FINISH IT!"

"FINISH THE SACRIFICE!"

"GET THE BOY!"

The crowd converged. Half of them tried to kick or pummel the boy into submission while the other half tried to find and free the enchanted blades from the storm of feet and fists.

"GET HIM!"      Lowell Vern added his own voice to the shouting. He shouldered his way back into the mob, and was close enough to see the flash of flickering torchlight on gold metal... and hear the squeal of pain immediately afterward. Several more yelps and squeals rose from the heart of the crowed.

Someone stumbled past Lowell with one arm ending in a bleeding stump.

Another shape... this one wearing a red smile that traversed the entire distance from one ear to the other...screamed past.

A fountain of blood erupted from somewhere ahead, and the crowd surged backward.

"HE CAN'T GET ALL OF YOU!" Lowell screamed as he pushed his way forward. "HE'S JUST A BOY WITH A KNIFE! GET IN THERE! GET BACK IN THERE!"

Another man screamed. And the another. And-

Wait...

Lowell halted.

The last scream had come from...

...behind him?

Lowell spun, turning back toward the altar.

Somewhere in that direction, a woman shrieked in terror... a sound that reached and abrupt and unpleasant end before Lowell could identify the source.

He saw the dark pool, like a black mouth yawning open on the front wall of the chamber.

It still open.

The portal... was still open...

"Oh hell," Lowell gasped.

Next to the altar, a shape moved. A shape like a man... that had once BEEN a man... rose on steady feet amid a pool of spilt and steaming entrails. Smoke rose from the coarse cloth of the high priest's robe.

Eyes of flame... not glowing, but literally ON fire... beamed out at the chaos from Rinius Thorwold's smouldering skull.