gns.thedruidconnection-第13部分

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　　'Don't　forget；　I　believe　in　the　old　religion；'　Sheenah　smiled。　'It　was　my　mother　who　evoked　the　spirits　of　the　old　Oke　Priests。　Maybe　they　would　have　intervened　anyway；　but　the　fact　remains　that　my　mother　called　them　up　and　now　there's　bloodshed　on　my　conscience。'
　　
　　'But　why　were　you　attacked；　Sheenah？'　Sabat's　eyes　narrowed。　'Surely　you　are　one　of　them！'
　　
　　'I　have　betrayed　them；'　the　slender　fingers　holding　the　glass　trembled　and　slopped　some　of　the　liquid。　'I　am　a　traitor　to　my　own　religion　because　I　do　not　want　them　here。　In　their　eyes　I　have　betrayed　them　because　I　contacted　them　and　beseeched　them　not　to　continue　with　these　sacrifices；　these　killings。　That　was　why　I　incurred　the　wrath　of　Alena；　mistress　of　Alda；　the　Arch…Druid。　Tonight　she　would　have　sacrificed　me；　spilled　my　blood　across　the　tomb　of　Sir　Henry　Grayne　who　was　himself　a　latter…day　druid。'
　　
　　'Sir　Henry　was　a　druid。'　Sabat　was　incredulous。
　　
　　'In　the　modern　sense。　As　you　know；　there　are　still　druid　lodges　scattered　about　the　country　today；　another　branch　of　freemasonry；　men　who　do　good　work；　support　charities。　However；　Sir　Henry　died　before　I　was　born　and　I　have　not　been　able　to　find　out　much　about　him。　Possibly　he　was　a　follower　of　the　old　religion　in　its　truest　sense　which　was　why　he　left　this　land　in　Trust。　He　wanted　it　preserved　so　that　the　spirits　of　the　Oke　Priests　could　continue　to　worship　in　peace　for　evermore。'
　　
　　Things　are　being　clearer；'　Sabat　knocked　his　pipe　out　in　an　ashtray　and　furrowed　his　brow。　'I　suspected　corruption　between　the　bishop　and　other　parties　but　I　was　unaware　of　the　feud　between　the　old　religion　and　the　new。　Obviously　I　was　an　enemy　when　I　arrived　here；　to　such　an　extent　that　I　was　immediately　the　victim　of　a　psychic　attack。'
　　
　　'I　am　terrified；'　Sheenah　was　deathly　white　again；　beginning　to　tremble。　The　three　of　us　have　now　invoked　a　wrath　too　terrible　to　contemplate；　Sabat。　You　have　e　here　in　the　pay　of　the　new　religion　and　within　a　matter　of　hours　of　your　arrival　you　have　destroyed　Alena。　Alda　will　seek　revenge；　not　only　on　yourself　but　on　me；　and　your　panion　here。　Alda's　anger　will　only　be　appeased　when　we　three　have　been　wiped　out　and　the　followers　of　the　new　religion　annihilated　in　a　blood　bath！'
　　
　　'So　we're　the　meat　in　the　sandwich；'　Sabat's　mouth　tightened　into　a　grim；　bloodless　line。　'I　take　on　a　job　to　exorcise　evil　and　find　that　the　evil　has　justice　on　its　side　…　a　battle　against　a　corrupt　church　hierarchy。　Jesus　Christ；　where　the　hell　do　we　go　from　here？'
　　
　　Kent　was　silent。　He　had　the　makings　of　a　lead　feature　article　but　nobody　would　believe　him　if　he　wrote　it。　He；　too；　was　caught　up　in　all　this；　whether　he　liked　it　or　not。　He　had　no　choice　but　to　go　along　with　the　others　and　see　how　it　all　panned　out。　And　he　didn't　like　what　he'd　witnessed　so　far。
　　
　　'I　was　hoping　maybe　I　could　bargain　with　the　Oke　Priests；'　Sheenah　muttered；　'but　now　that　you've　destroyed　Alena　there　will　be　no　chance　of　that。'
　　
　　'I　could　exorcise　the　church　and　its　grounds；　as　I　intended　to　do；　anyway；'　Sabat　answered。
　　
　　'No；'　Sheenah　snapped。　'You　would　be　siding　with　the　corrupt　forces。　And；　anyway；　they　are　too　strong　for　one　man　to　take　on；　even　you；　Sabat。　Maybe　it　would　have　been　better　if　I　had　died　on　Alena's　sacrificial　altar。　I'll　probably　die；　anyway。　Oh　God；　we　don't　have　a　chance；　any　of　us！'
　　
　　'We'll　fight；'　Sabat's　expression　was　one　of　determination；　a　hardening　of　his　features　which　Kent　remembered　from　their　SAS　days　…　his　killing　expression。　'But　first　we've　got　to　survive　this　night。　If　you'll　both　give　me　a　hand　we'll　move　the　furniture　out；　roll　the　carpet　back；　and　set　up　some　kind　of　protection。　It's　our　only　chance。'
　　
　　Under　normal　circumstances　Kent　would　have　been　sceptical；　but　these　were　no　ordinary　circumstances。　He　worked　alongside　Sabat　and　Sheenah；　moved　everything　out　into　the　small　hall；　then　watched　fascinated　as　Sabat　brought　in　his　black　crocodile…skin　briefcase　and　began　to　unpack　items　which　were　foreign　to　the　journalist。
　　
　　The　pentagram；　carefully　drawn　by　Sabat　with　a　piece　of　chalk　attached　to　a　length　of　string；　Sheenah　the　focal　point；　everything　had　to　be　so　precise。　The　way　they　worked；　so　meticulously；　attention　to　every　detail。　Five　chalices　of　charged　water；　Sabat　consecrating　the　fluid　by　lining　up　the　forefingers　of　both　hands；　squinting　down　the　digits　as　though　he　was　opening　fire　with　twin　guns。　Kent's　mouth　went　dry　and　he　licked　his　lips　nervously　when　he　saw　the　water　in　the　chalices　bubbling　as　though　by　some　invisible　method　of　aeration。
　　
　　'So　far；　so　good；'　Sabat　was　tense；　looking　drained。　'Now　we　must　hurry。　No　clothing　must　be　worn　within　the　circle　tonight。'
　　
　　Kent　checked　an　immediate　protest。　This　was　all　going　a　bit　too　far；　yet　he　had　witnessed　the　happenings　in　the　churchyard　and　its　adjoining　land　only　a　short　time　ago；　and　they　defied　logical　explanation。　The　Fleet　Street　man　was　filled　with　embarrassment　as　he　stepped　naked　into　the　pentagram；　all　his　lifelong　inhibitions　screaming　at　him　to　protest　as　Sabat　approached　him　and　'closed1　the　nine　openings　of　his　body　with　charged　water。　It　made　his　skin　crawl　with　revulsion。
　　
　　Kent　closed　his　eyes；　thought　maybe　he　was　blushing　but　if　he　was；　perhaps　his　plexion　would　disguise　the　fact。　Sheenah　seemed　totally　unmoved　by　it　all；　helped　Sabat　with　his　own　protections　as　efficiently　and　as　unmoved　as　though　she　was　administering　some　form　of　medicinal　dressing。　In　a　way；　that　was　what　it　was；　Kent　reflected　as　he　stretched　himself　out　on　the　blankets　which　Sabat　had　brought　into　the　circle。　The　fellow　was　too　pernickety；　insisted　that　all　blankets　and　cushions　were　vacuumed　first。　It　was　going　a　bit　far！　Another　thing；　it　was　going　to　be　bloody　cold　sleeping　in　the　nude；　he　told　himself。　Sabat　had　once　confessed　that　he　always　slept　naked；　boasted　that　one　might　as　well　go　to　bed　in　a　suit　as　wear　pyjamas。　Well；　even　if　it　was　okay　by　him；　Kent　felt　a　resentment　towards　this　pandering　to　Sabat's　whims。　He　turned　over；　stared　at　the　far　wall；　found　himself　counting　the　flowery　patterns　on　the　paper；　an　obsession　like　counting　sheep；　only　he'd　never　felt　less　like　sleep　in　his　life　before。　Before　this　night　was　over　he　was　liable　to　bee　very　angry。
　　
　　Sabat　stretched　out；　found　himself　gazing　at　Sheenah。　The　girl　was　lying　on　top　of　her　pile　of　rugs；　apparently　perfectly　relaxed；　her　eyes　closed。　Damn　it；　why　didn't　the　wench　roll　herself　up　in　the　blankets　like　Kent　had　done？　Was　she　deliberately　trying　to　seduce　him？　Sabat　sensed　a　faint　stirring　in　his　loins。　That　was　something　he　could　do　without。　Christ；　he　hoped　they　didn't　play　on　his　major　weakness　again。　Any　arousement；　though；　would　be　of　his　own　making。　Inside　this　pentagram　he　was　safe　from　the　forces　of　darkness。　They　could　not　influence　him　unless　something　went　radically　wrong　and　their　defences　were　breached。
　　
　　Sabat　had　rarely　been　so　thorough　as　he　had　been　tonight；　simply　because　he　could　not　take　any　chances。　They　were　hellishly　powerful　and　he　had　aroused　their　wrath　by　the　destruction　of　Alena；　which　meant　they　would　not　relent　their　efforts。　Either　he　destroyed　them　or　they　destroyed　this　trio；　it　was　as　simple　as　that。
　　
　　Sabat　was　reminded　once　again　of　his　voluntary　circumcision　only　a　few　years　ago。　A　similar　defence　to　this　one　had　almost　been　catastrophic　even　though　he　had　been　particular　in　cleaning　the　room　and　discarding　his　clothes　before　entering　the　circle。　Yet　a　tiny　evil　entity　had　infiltrated　his　careful　defences；　a　minute　particle　of　dirt；　almost　invisible　to　the　naked　eye；　lodged　beneath　his　foreskin。　He　had　survived；　but　the　importance　of　circumcision　to　any　exorcist　was　made　apparent　to　him。　Even　now　he　could　feel　that　scar　throbbing　as　his　arousement　continued。　Slowly；　almost　guiltily；　he　slid　a　hand　beneath　the　blanket；　decided　that　there　was　only　one　way　to　satisfy　his　bodily　craving。　Sheenah　appeared　to　have　fallen　asleep。　Kent　was　lying　staring　the　other　way。　It　would　not　take　long。
　　
　　Sabat's　sexual　desires　began　to　escalate。　Every　instinct　urged　him　t