gns.thegraveyardvultures-第19节

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　　That　was　when　Sabat　hit　her；　a　back…handed　blow　that　caught　her　full　across　the　face；　sprawling　her　headlong　across　the　fake　leather　upholstery。　She　gave　one　final　sob　and　then　was　silent；　cringing　as　she　felt　him　pulling　her　hands　away　from　her　face；　anticipating　another　blow。
　　
　　'Drink　this　up。'　The　remains　of　her　tumbler　of　whisky　were　pushed　against　her　lips。　'Then　try　to　pull　yourself　together。　The　worst　possible　thing　you　can　do　is　to　give　up。　By　doing　that　you're　playing　right　into　his　hands。
　　
　　'He'll　kill　me。'　She　swallowed　a　mouthful　of　the　amber　liquid　and　spluttered　as　it　burned　her　throat。　'Jesus；　he　will；　Sabat。　He's　the　most　evil　man　in　the　world。'
　　
　　'No。'　Sabat　shook　his　head　and　his　lips　were　pressed　into　a　tight　bloodless　line。　'Royston　is　not　the　most　evil　man　in　the　world。　I　am！　And　there's　nothing　more　I　want　than　to　kill　him；　to　destroy　him　totally　so　that　neither　his　body　nor　his　soul　is　a　threat　to　mankind　ever　again。'
　　
　　Miranda　fought　back　her　tears　and　an　expression　of　perplexity　crept　over　her　attractive　freckled　features。　She　nodded。　'Yes；　I　do　believe　you're　evil；　Sabat。　When　you　raped　me　just　now　I　thought　that　you'd　probably　kill　me　when　you'd　satisfied　yourself。　But　you　didn't。　Was　that　because　you　only　needed　to　keep　me　alive　until　you'd　got　the　information　you　wanted　out　of　me？'
　　
　　'At　the　time；　yes。'　He　permitted　himself　a　faint　smile。　'But　don't　worry；　I'm　not　going　to　kill　you　now。　Basically　I　don't　think　you're　evil。　They　used　you；　worked　a　psychic　hypnotism　on　you　which　I　broke　when　I　raped　you　。　。　。　because　in　direct　conflict　my　will　is　more　powerful　than　Royston's　That　much　is　now　plain。　The　balance　is　swayed　by　whatever　evil　forces　intervene　and　whose　side　they　take。　That　will　determine　the　final　oute　of　our　battle！'
　　
　　'Oh　God。'　He　thought　she　was　going　to　dissolve　back　into　hysteria。　'Whatever　are　we　going　to　do；　Sabat？'
　　
　　'We　have　two　choices　open　to　us。'　Sabat　filled　and　lit　his　pipe；　he　hadn't　smoked　for　over　a　week　and　suddenly　found　that　he　craved　for　tobacco。　'First；　I　can　take　you　back　to　London　with　me　but　I　doubt　whether　that　will　solve　anything。　Royston　has　perfected　the　use　of　his　astral　body　and　has　only　to　visit　my　place　in　that　form　to　discover　your　whereabouts。　Secondly；　we　can　force　an　encounter　with　Royston　as　soon　as　possible　rather　than　prolonging　the　inevitable。　I　am　inclined　to　think　that　that　would　be　preferable。'
　　
　　'But　how？'　Her　eyes　widened　with　horror　at　the　prospect。　'Even　I　do　not　know　how　to　contact　him。'
　　
　　'We　shall　do　what　Mohammed　failed　to　do。'　Sabat　smiled；　inhaled　strong　smoke　and　expelled　it　slowly。　'We　cannot　go　to　the　mountain　so　the　mountain　must　e　to　us。　How　often　does　Royston　telephone　you？'
　　
　　Too　frequently。'
　　
　　'Good。　Then　let　us　hope　that　he　phones　soon；　and　when　he　does　you　must　tell　him　that　you　have　been　successful　in　killing　me。　Any　nervousness　in　your　voice　we　must　hope　that　he　attributes　to　your　first　act　of　murder。　Describe　it　as　it　might　well　have　happened；　how　you　lured　me　into　a　masturbation　frenzy　and　then　plunged　your　knife　into　my　throat。　You　are　frightened　because　you　have　a　body　in　your　house。　In　all　probability　he　will　e　in　person；　particularly　as　he　would　be　able　to　use　my　corpse　to　assist　him　in　his　vile　rites。　Then；　having　tricked　him　into　ing　here；　I　will　see　to　the　rest。'
　　
　　'I　don't　like　it。'　Miranda　drained　the　remainder　of　her　whisky　and　put　down　the　empty　glass。　'What　if　he　suspects　a　trick。'
　　
　　'We　are　taking　a　desperate　chance　in　any　case；'　Sabat　replied。　'Even　now　his　astral　body　might　be　in　this　very　room　observing　us　in　which　case　our　ruse　will　prove　futile　and　Royston　will　turn　the　tables　on　us。　We　must　just　hope　that　he　has　been　too　preoccupied　with　his　new　temple　of　devil　worship　to　worry　about；　forgive　the　term；　a　mere　pawn　in　his　dastardly　game　such　as　yourself。　In　which　case　he　might　just　fall　for　it。'
　　
　　'How　。　。　。　how　will　you　kill　him？'　Miranda　whispered。　Suddenly　death；　even　Royston's；　was　a　terrible　prospect。
　　
　　'I　could　shoot　him。'　Sabat　experienced　a　quickening　of　his　pulses；　the　old　familiar　feeling　he　used　to　get　in　his　SAS　days　when　he'd　been　assigned　to　a　legitimate　murder。　'But　that　might　be　too　noisy　for　a　neighbourhood　such　as　this　and　the　last　thing　we　want　is　to　attract　the　attention　of　the　law。　In　all　probability　I　shall　make　use　of　this　knife　with　which　you　nearly　severed　my　jugular　vein。　First　I　must　kill　his　earthly　body　and　then　act　quickly　before　his　astral　body　has　time　to　leave　it。　There　is　always　a　short　time　when　one　life　ends　before　the　next　reincarnation　begins；　the　only　time　that　one　so　powerful　as　Royston　is　truly　vulnerable。　And　if　that　chance　is　lost　then　the　evil　will　spawn　again　in　a　new　life。'
　　
　　For　some　time　they　sat　there　in　silence；　neither　wishing　to　break　into　the　other's　thoughts。　Sabat　glanced　at　Miranda；　knew　that　they　could　be　spending　a　long　time　together。　Next　time　he　would　have　no　need　to　force　his　lust　upon　her。　In　fact　their　relationship　could　turn　out　to　be　a　very　intriguing　one。
　　
　　Miranda　thought　about　Sabat；　how　different　he　was　from　the　dark…clothed　human　bloodhound　who　had　suddenly　turned　up　in　the　village　to　hunt　them　down。　Ruthless　to　the　extreme；　but　he　was　the　kind　of　man　you　could　get　to　like。　A　lot。　Just　one　nagging　worry；　she　hoped　he　was　not　going　to　ask　too　many　questions　about　the　fire　at　the　'Dun　Cow'。　She'd　given　up　trying　to　lie　to　him；　told　herself　it　was　almost　an　impossibility　because　those　hawk…like　eyes　would　search　out　the　truth　no　matter　where　you　tried　to　hide　it。　And　when　that　cold　rage　erupted　it　turned　him　into　a　vicious　killer；　maybe　the　one　man　in　the　world　who　could　destroy　Royston。
　　
　　The　harsh　jangling　of　the　telephone　in　the　hall　brought　them　both　out　of　their　reverie。　In　an　instant　Sabat　saw　that　it　was　7am　and　that　daylight　was　creeping　in　through　the　curtains。　They　had　dozed；　rested；　and　now　it　was　time　for　action　again。
　　
　　Miranda　glanced　at　him　and　he　read　the　fear；　the　hopelessness　in　her　eyes。　'That'll　be　him；'　a　hoarse；　almost　unrecognisable　whisper。　'He　often　phones　early　in　the　morning。'
　　
　　'Go　get　it　then；　girl。'　He　tried　to　take　the　tension　out　of　the　situation。　The　first　positive　step　in　the　destruction　of　Royston　is　about　to　be　taken。'
　　
　　He　noted　how　unsteadily　she　walked　into　the　hall；　the　way　she　glanced　at　the　front　door　as　though　she　had　a　notion　to　flee　through　it　and　take　her　chance　in　the　outside　world。　But　instead　she　made　it　to　the　phone　and　with　a　shaking　hand　lifted　the　receiver。　Sabat　remained　sitting　on　the　couch　in　the　living　room；　heard　her　speaking。
　　
　　'Yes　。。。　he　came　last　night　。。。　I　killed　him；'　a　lengthy　pause　before　she　added；　'with　the　knife　you　gave　me。　God　it's　awful　Royston；　the　body's　in　the　living　room　and　I　don't　know　what　to　。　。　。　'　There　was　a　long　period　of　silence　during　which　the　caller　was　obviously　giving　instructions　and　then　Miranda　spoke　again。　'All　right；　I'll　wait　until　you　e。'
　　
　　When　she　came　back　into　the　room　her　face　was　deathly　white；　every　freckle　clearly　visible。　She　swayed；　had　to　hold　on　to　the　arm　of　a　chair　to　steady　herself。
　　
　　'He's　ing；'　she　whispered。　'Tonight！'
　　
　　Sabat　had　to　check　his　elation；　quite　obviously　Miranda　was　terrified　now　at　the　prospect　of　Royston's　return　to　her　house。　'Good；'　he　smiled；　'and　we've　plenty　of　time　to　prepare　for　his　arrival。'
　　
　　'That's　not　the　point。'　She　sat　down　because　her　legs　were　refusing　to　support　the　weight　of　her　body　any　longer。　'He　says。　。。　'　she　swallowed；　began　again；　'he　says　that。。。　that　it　will　be　necessary　to　perform　certain　。　。　。　rites　on　your　body　to　ensure　that　you　no　longer　trouble　us。　I　。。。　don't　know　what　he　has　in　mind　but　he's　ordered　me　to　have　a　hacksaw　and　a　hammer　and　chisel　available。'
　　
　　Sabat　felt　his　stomach　churning；　saw　again　his　own　handiwork　in　that　tranquil　chapel　of　rest　a　short　time　ago。　And　he　had　no　doubt　what　Royston　and　his　dark　powers　had　in　mind。　An　eye　for　an　eye　。。。　a　head　for　a　head！　He　did　not　think　it　time　yet　to　tell　Miranda　that　the　very　tools　she　had　been　instructed　to　procure　were　at　this　moment　lying　underneath　the　mats　in　the　back　of　his　own　Daimler　down　the　road。　For　truly　Royston's　body　had　to　be　put　beyond　the　recall　of　another　houngan　or　bocor；　the　evil　that　had　been　William　Gardiner　destroyed　for　all　time。　And　there　was　but　one　way　to　ensure　that。
　　
　　'Let's　not　worry　about　Royston　just　yet；'　he　smiled　and　beckoned　to　her　to　sit　beside　him。　'It　is　important　that　for　the　next　few　hours　we　both　relax；　for　tonight　there　must　be　no　slipups！'
　　
　　
　　　CHAPTER　SEVEN
　　　
　　ALONE　POSSIBLY　Sabat　could　have　managed　to　relax；　maybe　even　sleep　for　an　hour　or　two；　but　with　Miranda　at　his　side　that　was　impossible。　He　could　feel　the　tension　mounting　inside　her；　the　tautness　of　her　body　against　his　own；　nerves　that　were　being　stretched　with　each　passing　minute。　He　thought；　Christ；　she'll　have　a　breakdown　long　before　evening。
　　
　　He　wondered　if　perhaps　an　interlude　in　which　their　bodies　dominated　over　all　outside　thoughts　might　be