The Devil's Touch

'A quelque chose malheur est bon,' Desiree said with a smile and a mischievous sparkle in her gray eyes.

'I used to speak fair French, but not anymore. What did you say?'

'That it was an ill wind that blows no good. For somebody,' she added in English.

'Yes,' Sam replied, returning the smile. A thought came to him. By God, he'd show Nydia. 'Fox Estate must be beautiful. I've heard a lot about it. Would you show it to me?'

Enchante, Sam.'

They had gathered at Monty and Viv Draper's home. Noah Crisp, Father Le Moyne, Byron Price, Joe Bennett, Mille LaMeade, and her friend, Ginny. They were joined by the minister of the Baptist church, Richard Hasseling, and John Morton of the Episcopal church. John Morton's wife was at home, and Hasseling was a young bachelor.

Monty listened to the phone ring on the other end of the line for the tenth time. For the tenth time he hung up. 'I don't know where they are,' he said. 'This is not like Sam.' He paused. 'Now, why did I say that? I scarcely know him.'

Hasseling waved a hand impatiently. 'No matter, Chief Draper. What does matter at this time is the frame of mind you people appear to be in. I'm worried about you all. The Devil is in Logandale? Satan is responsible for the lack of church attendance today? Really, people!' He fought unsuccessfully to hide his smile and to keep his contempt out of his tone. 'Come on, all of you. This is just a very elaborate joke on your part that fell flat.'

The Episcopal's opinion of what he had just heard was not much better than the Baptist's. 'I'll admit, Daniel, I'm concerned about what happened today, or perhaps I should say what didn't happen on this day. But I am not yet ready to say the Devil is alive and well and living in Logandale.'

'It's all nonsense and we are wasting our time here,' the Methodist said. 'I cannot believe I have sat here and actually listened to all this.'

'You all had best take this seriously,' Noah informed the ministers. 'For I assure you all, this is not a joke. Please believe me.'

The pastor of the Fundamentalist church, the Pentecost church, the Assembly of God church, and several others were all seen by Father Le Moyne and Noah. One had slammed the door in their faces, another had been quite rude, and the others had openly laughed at the men.

The Episcopalian vacillated for a moment. 'All right, Daniel. I'll stay and hear this out,' he finally said. 'I have to admit my children are—have been—behaving a bit strangely.'

That word again, Monty thought. It keeps popping up every hour or so.

'If you people are so certain Satan is in Logandale,' Hasseling said, this time making no attempt to hide his smile, 'and there is a coven active in this town, this community, why don't you call the state police and let them handle it?' The young minister leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. His smile was more than a bit on the smug side.

The self-satisfied smile was infuriating to Noah. The writer resisted an urge to get up, walk over to the preacher, and slap the piss out of him.

Here we go again, Mille thought, as she looked at Monty. She could tell he was getting angry.

'Because they wouldn't believe us,' Monty said. 'We have no proof.'

'And you never will have any proof,' Hasseling said. 'Because there isn't any proof. All this is a figment of your overactive imaginations.' He laughed aloud.

Noah leaned forward and shocked everybody in the room by saying, 'Preacher, when those coven members out there,' he said and jerked his thumb, 'successfully take over this town—and they will, if we don't band together and fight them, and bend you over a table and shove a ten inch cock up your ass, maybe then you'll believe us.'

'Whooo!' Mille said with a laugh. 'That'd be a sight to see.'

'Noah!' Father Le Moyne said.

Viv had to fight to hide a smile.

'Lordy!' Joe said.

Hasseling's face grew red and he was about to respond when something came shattering through the picture window of the den. The heavy object bounced on the floor, leaving a wet red smear as it slid to a halt at Richard Hasseling's feet. Richard took one look at the horrible thing and vomited up his breakfast.

There would be no turning back for her now. She was under the full power of the Dark One. Standing this close to evil, Nydia could but obey the messages her brain was receiving from the forces that gleefully guided her actions.

She could function, she could ask questions, but she had no control over her actions. 'Where are your parents, Jon?'

'Syracuse,' the young man said. He reached out and ran his hand down the side of her face, caressing the softness of her throat. He hesitantly fondled a breast. When she did not draw away from his touch, he pressed both hands to her breasts. 'They were coming back today, but I just got a call from the state police telling me they were killed in a car accident early this morning.'

Part of her mind registered shock at the matter-of-fact manner he related and was responding to the death of his parents. But that small part of her mind was being overridden by the evil transmitted to her. 'Your father is the priest's brother? Father Le Moyne?'

'Yeah,' the young man said. He unbuttoned her blouse and licked his lips at the sight of her bra. He touched the soft flesh of her.

'Have you notified Father Le Moyne?'

'Naw. Who gives a shit? The bodies will be here late this afternoon anyways. Then he'll get a chance to see