“OK, Miles, when you wake you will not notice the mark on your arm, nor will you ever notice it. Now awaken from your sleep.” Moira said and then she shook him roughly. “Miles wake up, we are done down here, let`s return to my study so that I can finish off the preparations for tomorrow evening.
Lawson woke up with a headache and feeling a little tired. “Sorry Moira, I guess the flight took more out of me than usual, did I miss anything?”
“No Miles, nothing of importance, come on, I still have work to do in my study.”
On their return to the study, Moira gave Lawson two paracetamols for his headache, and then he went to sleep. Moira looked across at him and in a whisper told him to stay asleep until ordered to awaken. Moira now went over the incantations that she would make use of the next day.
Later, on being told to awake, Lawson noticed that he was sleeping within another charged pentagram. “Moira, you sure like to decorate your floors with pentagrams.” Miles remarked on noticing the large one painted on the floor of the study, one that totally encompassed the part of the room where their two armchairs stood. He was also a little surprised that Moira had also charged this pentagram.
“Miles, you will also see that I have one around my bed, they are there for many reasons, but tonight they will stop the Ark, that we just took down to the temple, from draining us of our energy. Now that it is within a charged pentagram it will continue to draw energy to it until we extinguish the candles, or they go out.” Moira explained to a very sceptical man.
That night, after completing all of her preparations for the coming day, Moira showed Lawson just how grateful she could be to him. As for Lawson, he decided to put the plan to steal the Ark on the back burner, at least until the beautiful young Satanist had tried and failed in her ludicrous attempt to bring her father back from the grave. Failure might then make her more amenable to listen to his plans to convert the chest into a small fortune.
Moira and Miles Lawson slept in late the next morning, but after breakfast, the young Satanist had Lawson drive her over to the nearest town. She dragged a bored Lawson around the shops, where she purchased a number of new outfits for herself, having left some of her clothing behind when she left the manor house. On coming upon a small bar, she took him inside for a light meal and a drink. She had just finished her meal when she suddenly stood up.
“I need to visit the little girl’s room.” Was all she said.
Having made use of the facilities offered by the small toilet, she washed her hands; standing next to her was a young French woman. Moira looked up into the wall length mirror and locked her eyes upon those of the woman. Initially the woman had been annoyed by this strange young woman staring at her, but her face quickly went blank.
“Follow me when I leave the bar, I have need of you.” Moira commanded.
The woman merely nodded and followed the Satanist when she left the toilets. The young woman felt strange as she returned to her husband, who was sitting at a small table against the wall, and he immediately noticed that something was wrong with his wife.
“Darling, you look terrible, what is wrong?”
His wife did not get the chance to reply, for Moira appeared at their table and looked down at the young man, who had looked up, annoyed by this interruption, for he could see that his young wife was troubled. Moira now held his eyes, and no matter how hard he tried to turn away from the stranger`s eyes and back to his wife, he found that he could not do this simple act.
“You and your wife will follow me, pay your bill now and then collect your things, for I am about to leave.” Moira ordered. Both the man and the woman nodded, and then they stood up and put their coats on.
“Come on Miles, we are returning to the chateau with my two new friends.” Moira announced and leaving a few Euro notes behind to more than cover the bill.
She too grabbed her coat and put it on as a baffled Lawson hastily stood up and donned his own coat, and then he rushed after the departing back of the young Satanist.
Moira got into the large MPV that they had driven to the town in, followed by the two strangers and a very mystified Lawson.
“OK, Miles, home please.” Moira ordered.
The drive home was quiet, the two strangers were under a spell, and Lawson, after asking about their two new friends, had been told that all would be explained later, and although he wanted to speak about it sooner rather later, he found that he could not ask the question, no matter how hard he tried. Arriving at the estate Moira had new instructions for Lawson.
“Take the side road around to the back of the chateau, Miles, and then take the small track into the woods.” Moira said.
The way took them along a narrow track that wound through the woods that were to the south of the chateau, finally they arrived at a small clearing. The only structures were the family crypt, built in the early eighteenth century, and across the other side of the clearing a small woodcutters hut.
“OK you two, out.” Moira ordered the two strangers.
The man and the woman slowly got out of the MPV, and then just stood there.
“Walk over to the small hut; it is your new home.” The young Satanist ordered.
Once inside the hut, Moira pulled out a hypodermic needle, which she filled with a clear liquid, she then injected the liquid into the arms of the two strangers.
“Now sit down before you fall down.” Moira instructed.
With her two new guests settled, she had Lawson drive her back to the chateau, and although he wondered what the hell was going on, he just could not manage to ask the question.
They spent the remainder of the day lazing around, for no one endangered the coming ceremony, for no one knew where she was, or what she intended to do on that November night. She did wonder why the ancient gods had not followed her through the open portal between the two dimensions; however, she now assumed that the Key had closed the portal.
Moira and Lawson dined early that night, the world belonged to Moira, and as the sun sunk slowly down until it touched the treetops around the estate, Moira decided that it was time to leave for the family crypt. She asked Lawson to carry the heavy blanket box up from the small temple, with the satanic device once more safely stored within it, and hidden from the eyes of the staff. Moira was waiting outside, dressed in a heavy coat as a cold wind had sprung up, having driven one of her late father`s vehicles around to the back of the chateau. Lawson put the blanket box into the vehicle; Moira had already put everything she needed to conduct the coming ceremony onto the back seat.
She once again allowed Lawson to drive the vehicle to the crypt, liking the feeling of having a chauffeur. They soon arrived at the family crypt, and as a cold wind had sprung up, they hurriedly took all of the satanic ceremonial items inside the equally cold building. Moira shivered for a moment while laying out the satanic items upon the sarcophagus of one of her ancestors, and she decided to warm the cold crypt. She sprinkled a powder on the ground and then she lit two black candles.
“Malianta, I command you to appear before me, Moira commands this of you.”
The room cooled noticeably, then a burning flame appeared in the floor in front of Moira, and then a small imp appeared.
“I am here Master, most favoured human of Lord Lucifer, all Hell speaks your name in awe of your power, I am honoured that you have called upon me to complete a small task for your most honoured person.” The demon whispered.
“I need warmth to work in Malianta, quickly now for I have a flask of Rakiremanin in payment, but ensure that you warm this house of the dead for the rest of the night.” Moira commanded.
“Of course Master.” Malianta replied and began to wave his arms around the crypt.
The stones now began to take on a reddish hue, and Moira smiled as the heat from the stones reached her and began to warm her cold body.
“Thank you Malianta, you have done well. Here is your payment, take it and leave, for I have much to do this night.” The young Satanist commande
d.
Malianta beamed with delight at the unexpected compliment from the Satanist, he then turned back into a bright red flame and disappeared, just as Lawson brought in the last of the satanic ceremonial items.
“Has this place got central heating Moira, it`s suddenly got quite warm in here?” Lawson asked quizzically.
“Yes something like that that Miles, I just do not like to work in the cold.” Moira replied were a smile. She then stepped over to the Ark and touched its sides, and smiled as a huge amount of power coursed through her veins, and she now drained it of its remaining mystical energy. She now had the necessary power, and more, to bring her father back from the dead.
**********
Rob Hinds and Father Pritchard arrived in France at midday; they were met at the aerodrome by two SIS agents, Simon Markman and John Agers. His colleagues were the two agents who had been present when a demon posing as Moira Bourbon had materialised in the SIS headquarters, the demon had given Rob travel instructions to a hell dimension. Now two months later they had both rationalised the event away, blaming it on a mind-bending gas. Sir Willoughby Brown wished that he could do the same, for he must now ensure that this Key of Tartarus was stored securely, for all time. As for the two agents however, he reasoned that after this initial baptism in this small example of black magic, they would be more willing to accept the impossible when they reached Montluçon in France, and the most powerful Satanist on Earth. They made good time from Guéret Aerodrome, arriving at the Bourbon chateau just before the sun went down behind the low hills in the southwest.
Rob led the way through the woods, Father Pritchard followed behind him, and the two SIS agents brought up the rear. The sun was sinking down towards the horizon, and in the woods, the light was now very dim, making finding the way all the harder, finally Rob saw a landmark he remembered from his last visit.
“I believe that the crypt is this way David, I remember it from our last visit to France my memories of that visit are deeply etched within my brain cells.” Rob said and headed off along an even narrower track.
The other three men followed on behind him, no one spoke, it was not necessary, yet. Within two minutes, they saw a single storey structure, it was just a little further along the narrow track, it was the crypt, and in front of it was a parked vehicle. Lawson was just walking into the building; they had not seen the two strangers for they had preceded him, Moira had used her immense power to awaken them temporarily from their drugged state.
“She seems to have recruited some local help Rob; I wonder how many more of them are inside the crypt?” Father Pritchard said.
“Most of the Satanists we have met so far have been poor specimens of Mankind, or Womankind come to that.” Rob replied. “They should be docile enough, once they catch sight of our weapons. It`s Moira Bourbon who scares me, she has lost all the humanity that she was born with.” Rob said grimly.
“Sir Willoughby Brown told us to go in with guns blazing, if we just take her out rather than first give her a warning, then we should be OK, shouldn`t we?” Agers declared bravely.
He for one was not about to allow a few Satanists to stop him doing his job, and Markman obviously concurred with his point, for he nodded his head in agreement. Rob looked at his two fellow agents, and knew that he would have been of the same mind, three years ago, since then he had learned that black magic was a real force to be reckoned with, and a very dangerous one in the powerful hands of a satanic master.
“Our orders, John, are to try to take Moira Bourbon out with the tranquillizer gun, only if that proves impossible are we authorised to use deadly force. However, after the last couple of days, I do agree that we should not take any chances with Moira Bourbon. If we find it impossible to use the rifle then we shoot to kill, I would not dare do anything less.” Rob replied grimly.
Father Pritchard was a little disconcerted by the thought of killing a fellow human being without giving them a chance to surrender, but he held his tongue this time, for he agreed that Moira Bourbon was too dangerous an opponent to treat in a civilised way.
**********
At that exact moment Moira Bourbon was calling upon another of the minor demons that obeyed her summons, she was just mixing together a potion in a deep glass tray, and as she stirred the potion, a yellow plume of smoke began to rise from the glass tray.
“Veigel, obey my summons and appear before me.” The young Satanist commanded.
Veigel was minor demon that she had used on many occasions, and the crypt cooled rapidly as he appeared within a veil of smoke, his stunted body bent and his face terribly misshapen. Moira swore under her breath at the coolness of the crypt, which she had only just warmed up.
“How can I be of service to you Master?” The demon asked.
“You are to stand guard around this crypt Veigel, should anyone approach it you are to inform me immediately.” Moira commanded. “Do you understand?”
“Of course Master.” Veigel said even as he was departing, leaving behind the usual stench of hell.
The smell even made their two guests react, and Moira agreed with them so she turned to Lawson, who was in a state of temporary shock, not knowing whether the demon was real or not.
“Miles, would you please open the door to the crypt, to allow the smell to dissipate a little?” The beautiful Satanist asked.
As he did so, the demon returned in his usual veil of smoke. “Master, four men are approaching the crypt, they will be here in only a few moments more, be warned, they are armed, and one of them is your enemy Rob Hinds.” Veigel hurriedly informed his master.
Moira was stunned, but only for a second, however, she now knew the real reason why the ancient gods had not escaped from Tartarus, it was because of Rob, he had somehow got hold of the Key and saved the world, always the Hero. She hurried to the door of the crypt and then stepped out, surprising the four men who in turn had been about to surprise, and kill, her. Her eyes took in the four men, holding them rigid against their will, their weapons still not even clear of their holsters.
“Stand over there gentlemen, by the vehicle, say nothing, do nothing, hear nothing.”
Rob tried to act, but found his muscles obeying Moira rather than his own brain, and no matter how hard he tried to draw his weapon he just could not do it. Meanwhile, Moira had returned to the crypt, leaving the four docile warriors of the light outside in the cold of the night. Lawson was amazed that this young woman could control so many people, but even so, he put it down to hypnotism, nothing more, having dismissed the appearance of the demon from his mind as another mind trick.
Moira looked across at the waiting demon while pondering the new situation, the demon too afraid of the Satanist to utter even a single word. With Rob Hinds and Father Pritchard still alive and standing outside of her family crypt, it meant that the forces of law and order not only knew that she was alive, but where she was and what she was about to do. This changed everything, and she quickly thought out a new plan of action.
“Veigel, go back outside and resume your sentry duty, tell me if anyone else approaches this house of the dead, otherwise, come to me when my enemies have left my family estate and I will pay you well.” Moira commanded.
“Yes, Master.” Veigel replied and then vanished in a veil of foul smelling smoke.
Moira now turned to Lawson. “It is time Miles, you will assist me.” She commanded. “Take the lid off my father`s coffin please, and lay it upside down upon the floor.”
Lawson looked across at her and wondered what she was about, but he said nothing, he just obeyed the young Satanist. As soon as the lid was on the floor, Moira knelt down, took out the bones of her father, and set them out exactly as they had been, but upon the upturned lid of the coffin.
To one side of them was a stone sarcophagus, it belonged to her grandfather who had died just four months before her father, she moved over to it and took hold of the lid.
“We need to move this lid to one side, but be careful not to le
t it fall and break.” Moira instructed.
Once again, Lawson refrained from commenting, he merely leant over and pushed the lid, it moved slowly, grating upon the stone coffin.
“You, come here.” She called.
The male stranger walked over and stopped before her, she looked into his mind and then smiled, for the stranger was a permanent deacon of the church, a good and godly man.
“Get inside the sarcophagus and take out every single bone and hand them to me, make sure that you do it in the correct order.” Moira ordered the male stranger, and soon Moira had laid out an identical skeleton to that of her father.
“I will hand you over my father`s bones, be sure that you put them into this sarcophagus in their correct order.” She ordered the male stranger.
Soon that part of her plan was completed, and Moira then checked that her father`s skeleton was laid out correctly before she continued.
“Lay down upon my father`s skeleton, with your head upon his skull.” Moira ordered the stranger.
What struggles were going on inside of the man`s brain she did not know, or care, but the man obeyed her instantly. He was now laying down upon the bones of her father, his head resting upon the skull of the dead man. She now held her dagger aloft.
“Great Lord Lucifer, ruler of Hell and this Earth, accept this offering of a truly righteous man, in return for the soul of my dead father.”
Moira now slit the man`s throat, his blood gushing out over the bones of Ulysses Bourbon.
Lawson looked on appalled by what he had seen, however, Moira was not done yet.
“Now Miles, we must close the lid, help me push it back into place.”
“What!” Lawson gasped out.
“Do it.” The young Satanist cried out angrily.
Lawson flinched, but he obeyed her, fear just beginning to make itself felt within his brain.
Moira now placed her grandfather`s skeleton into the coffin that bore her father`s name, and then she replaced the lid. Anyone looking for the coffin of Ulysses Bourbon would easily find it, but would not know that it did not now contain his bones.
Moira now turned to the woman. “Lay down upon this stone sarcophagus, you are about to be part of a great piece of black magic.” Moira ordered sweetly.
The Satanists Page 17