Stoop removed his hand from Bill'smouth and Bill moaned softly. His eyes were closed. Lilith lowered the daggerand watched a rivulet of blood oozing out of Bill’s stomach, spilling acrossthe altar and dribbling onto the floor.
“Quick, catch it,” she said.
Ophelia moved forward and tentativelyheld the cask under the trickle of blood. It landed in the black ceare, lumpenat the bottom. She began a gentle swirling and it quickly turned into a soggymess. Her hands were trembling so badly she could hardly hold the cask. Shedesperately wanted to untie Bill and call an ambulance; but managed to controlherself. A dark pagan witch doesn't worry about such things.
“I’m just glad we didn’t kill him.”
“Yeah,” said Lilith unsurely, “When thething is resurrected it may be angry at us for not doing that.”
Ophelia gave Lilith a scared look.
They filled the cask for a few moreseconds until something strange began to happen. Ophelia could feel jerkingmovements inside the cask! It felt like some tiny creature was struggling to befree. Soon, the movement got much stronger. Ophelia looked inside and to heramazement and horror could see that the ceare and blood was now a solid mass,red and stringy with tiny chunks of bone. It was writhing and convulsing.
A finger of pink tissue came creepingout the top and Ophelia screamed and dropped the cask before the bloody masscould touch her hand. It smashed into many pieces when it hit the dusty marblefloor, releasing a football sized ball of bone, vein and sinew. Violent spasmsmade it jerk around on the floor. It was rapidly getting larger.
The girls watched in wide-eyed horror.
Stoop ambled over and raised a heftyfoot, ready to stamp on it.
“No Stoop!” commanded Lilith. “You areto serve it when it comes.”
Stoop couldn't understand why hewasn't allowed to go ahead and smash this horrible thing but eventuallymumbled, “I do what Sis say.” He shuffled back into the corner with a confusedlook on his beetle-browed face.
The record player was still blaringout kooky music, but the needle got stuck and it started playing the incessantbang of a drum, repeated every half second. It sounded like a doom-laden deathknell. Stoop gave it an angry kick and it became silent.
The writhing mass of sinew had now grownrudimentary arms, legs and a head. The girls were repulsed when they sawinternal organs, liver, lungs and a beating heart, but these were quicklycovered by fast growing flesh. Before long it resembled human form, but flayedof skin. Fingernails popped out, a nose, a gaping mouth, then the fuzz of hair.Pale skin formed spontaneously, then eyelashes, large side burns, a sproutingof wavy black hair and a dimple in the chin.
Lying before them was a naked man,strong and muscular, a perfect specimen of manhood in every way. The girls feltsuddenly quite embarrassed looking at him. Then they saw the movement of anarm, a wiggle of perfectly manicured fingers. There was a cough, then awell-spoken voice.
“Where the blazes am I? The ground isso terribly hard on my back. I ache like the devil himself.”
“It worked,” said Lilith in amazement.“It actually worked!”
The figure turned its head and lookeddirectly at the girls. They cowered slightly and took a step backwards. It gotto its feet and stood before them. The girls were scared but they couldn’t helpadmiring its perfect physique.
As it stood before them, with handsomeeyes and strong yet vulnerable face, the girls somehow forgot the strangetransformation they’d just witnessed. The thing was now a man, a very handsomeman, who gave them an appealing, vulnerable stare. They relaxed and blushed,almost giggled to each other, but still felt oddly nervous – there wassomething about his presence that touch a deep-seated feeling of menace.
The man looked down at his body.
“I’m naked as a newborn! Most terriblysorry ladies, please excuse me.” He turned and saw Stoop lurking in the corner.“You, my good man, lend me your coat. I seem to have embarrassed myself mostegregiously.”
Stoop looked very confused. He muttereddarkly to himself and glared at Lilith.
“Get the bag Stoop,” she said.
Stoop picked up a black bag, imprintedwith cute red hearts, and brought it over to Lilith.
“We read you’d be coming back naked sodecided to do a little shopping.”
“From Underworld in town,” addedOphelia. “They’ve got some great stuff, this is from their Victorian dandyromantic line.” She immediately regretted saying something so silly.
Lilith gingerly handed the man a pairof red socks, jockey y-fronts and a white shirt with ruffles.
“Undergarments, a shirt,” he saidputting them on. “You are most gracious.”
She handed him a pair of blackdrainpipe trousers and a purple velvet jacket with dark orange lining. He putthese on and stood before the girls, bowing slightly.
Lilith was still very afraid but alsowanted to throw her arms around him and give him a kiss. She didn't understandhow these two contradictory emotions could exist together, yet each be sostrong.
“May I introduce myself, ladies? I amLord Percy Valentine of Brimstone Manor, squire of these parts. And you are?”
The girls looked at each other andtried not to giggle nervously.
“My name is Ophelia and I’m... astudent of these parts.”
Lord Percy gave her a dark smile. “AhOphelia, Hamlet’s most tragic of woman. So beautiful and yet so sad.”
“And I’m Lilith,” said Lilith, almostpushing Ophelia out of the way. “And you are the most amazing man I have evermet.”
Lilith shyly presented her hand andLord Percy held it and kissed it gently. Lilith felt a strangely thrillingchill pass through her. She liked girls more than boys but this creature wasdifferent, had a magnetic attraction stronger than either.
“Charmed,” he said looking directlyinto her eyes.
Lord Percy moved back and lookedaround with curiosity. “Where am I? This is not Brimstone Manor. I was in mystudy not half an hour ago. But then... I am afraid my memory is fogged.”
He approached the altar and saw Bill.
“Who is this?” He noticed with somesurprise the tattoo of the writhing salamander on Bill’s arm. “This man has themark. He is one of the Apostles. Why have you tied him up?”
Lord Percy leant over to have a goodlook at Bill, who squirmed and struggled to free himself from the ropes. Hiseyes were
