The Devil's Touch

'Wonderful,' Sam said sarcastically. 'How will I know this tablet?'

'It will know you. For the tablet is evil, and you represent good.'

'May I ask what might sound to you a foolish question?'

'Ask.'

'Why me? And who are you?'

'That is two questions. Which do you want answered?'

'The first one.'

'Because you are who you are.'

'Thank you so very much. You've really cleared it all up.'

Nydia touched his arm. 'Sam! Don't be ugly to— him.'

'You are—good,' the voice thundered in their heads. 'Both of you. Not perfect, but no mortal is. And I have made my decision: I shall help you.'

The voice faded away, leaving the young couple sitting in silence in the timber of Canada.

'I talked with the voice several more times after that,' Sam said. The small gathering in Monty's house could but stare in silence.

Finally Monty asked, 'Who—what was the voice, Sam?'

'God's warrior, Michael.'

Joe closed his eyes and gripped the arms of the chair tightly.

'You really talked with Michael?' Mille asked, her eyes wide.

Mille crossed herself. So did Monty, his wife looking at him strangely. Joe bowed his head. Whether he was praying or wondering if this was all a bad dream was up for grabs.

Take refuge! the words leaped into Sam's brain. Band together for safety! And be careful, for all is not as it appears!

'What's wrong, Sam?' Monty asked. 'Your face seemed—strange.' That damn word again, Monty thought. Well, it fits the situation.

'I think I just got a message from—far away,' Sam told him, speaking to the entire group. 'The same way I used to get them up at Falcon House.'

'From the same—fellow?' Joe asked.

'I don't know. It could well be from my dad.'

Viv was chewing on her lower lip and wringing her hands together.

'You got voices in your head?' Joe asked. 'And they may be comin' from your dead father? Lordy, Lordy.'

Sam smiled. 'Yeah. I thought I was a candidate for the funny farm when I first heard them, up in Canada, three years ago. But I quickly learned to listen.'

'What did the voice say to you, Sam?' Monty asked. His wife looked at him as if he was a fool.

'To band together. To be careful. All was not as it seems.'

'I'll go along with that,' Joe said. 'Groupin' together might not be a bad idea. But first I'd kinda like to know what we're goin' up against 'fore I bunker myself in.'

'That's me,' Monty said. He looked at Mille. 'Ginny been acting all right to you, Mille?'

'I can't see any difference. She never went to church anyway, so that wouldn't be any indicator of change in her.'

'Sound her out, Mille,' Sam told her. 'If you think she's still—one of us.' He stumbled on that. 'You two stay close together until we can all meet and talk this out. By that time we should have firmed things up and know when and how to take a stand.'

Viv slumped back on the couch and shook her head. 'This is all a bad dream—a nightmare. It has to be. It can't be real. I'm going to wake up pretty soon and everything is going to be all right. Oh, God! Please let it be.'

Monty went to her and took her in his arms. 'It isn't a dream, babe. And you are awake. But we're going to make it. We're going to fight this thing and we're going to win it.' He looked at Sam. 'Aren't we, Sam?'

It was at that moment Sam realized they were all looking to him for leadership. Ex-Chief of Police Draper, Joe, Mille, Viv, all of them. And he knew, too, he did not want that job. Not again. He didn't know if he was up to it.

But you are, the voice boomed in his head. You must. You have no choice in the matter.

Sam met the gazes of the men and women gathered in the den. He sighed heavily, thinking: Here we go again, folks. Quit it, Sam, he berated himself. This is not the time for jokes. 'Yes,' the young man said. 'If we stick together and don't lose our heads, we'll make it.' Most of us, he thought, but did not put that into words. 'But I won't lie to you. To any of you. It isn't going to be easy. The Devil and his followers will use every evil trick in their black book to get you all to join them. They will tempt you and entice with everything you can possibly think of. They will make it sound so appealing it will take all of your inner strength to combat it.' He paused and said, 'And—maybe some of you won't make it. It's that tough and tempting. I know, and so does Nydia. We went through it, and so did my dad. Nydia's stepfather raped her.' He did not tell the group that Little Sam could well be a demon child. 'Nydia's mother seduced me, and my seed produced, within her, a demon child. I do not know what sex or where the child is, but I strongly suspect the child—and it may not be a child—it may be a full grown adult, in some form, is close by. The Devil's child is playing a vital part in all this.' And I wonder if the tablet is near?