Demon Rider

realms immune to almost any mundane attack, it would not be able to withstand the baron's demonic legions. Oreste had sent Diaz with an ultimatum, and the spirit had yielded. The tutelary had sold out to the hexer and the Inquisition.

Von Munster was scowling at Toby with hatred and disgust. 'About the creature nothing we can do, but the man is ours for justice.'

'It is nice to feel wanted,' Hamish remarked airily. 'Shall we start the bidding at ten ducats?'

Toby shot him an admiring smile. 'The fault was not his. Let him go, Hauptmann. Promise me a quick death, and you can take me instead.'

'Fools you think us, demon? You stay here. We a witness have.' The mercenary turned and barked orders in German.

Two men strutted forward as if they had been waiting for the command, hustling a woman along between them, and of course it was Eulalia, which explained how the landsknechte had tracked Toby into Montserrat so easily. But they must have been close on his heels even before they caught her.

'Tell the friar what you to us told!'

Although she was bedraggled and looked half frozen, her eyes flashed triumph at the sight of the prisoners. 'The big one burned up the men with thunderbolts.' She tossed her head defiantly and smiled as she pointed to Hamish. 'I saw Jaume killing one of the foreigners with a sword.'

Father Vespianaso massaged his bony fingers. 'This may be more serious than we thought. Did you see evidence that he was possessed, child? Did he behave strangely, talk aloud when there was no one there, fall into trances? Did he use unnatural powers — to take advantage of you in some way, perhaps?'

Eulalia accepted the threads offered and began to embroider. 'Oh yes, Father! Oh, yes! He summoned me to his bed by night, and I was unable to resist. I didn't want to go, but he had some terrible power he used that made me helpless to refuse his demands. He violated me many times, and he was supernaturally strong, strong beyond all mortal men, never tiring, never satisfied. And he would mutter strange things I couldn't understand, about foreign places and secret books and—'

'That will do for now, my daughter.'

Hell hath no fury…

Oh, Eulalia! Her spite really should be directed at Toby, because Hamish would certainly have forgiven her by bedtime, but she must have heard enough to know that Toby was beyond her reach now. Oh, Hamish, Hamish! See what I have brought you to in return for your loyalty and friendship?

He wanted to scream. He wanted to blast the spirit of Montserrat and its famous monastery to ashes. And the Inquisition. And Oreste, who had won at last. And Nevil the Fiend, demon Rhym, the ultimate cause of all this evil. But he could do none of those things. He had lost everything.

'One hundred ducats?' Hamish said. 'Do I hear two hundred? I am flattered, but unfortunately she is lying. Isn't she, Holiness?'

'She was telling the truth about the sword,' the spirit said. 'Everything else was exaggeration and wishful thinking. Campbell is not possessed.'

'Then I take him!' snapped Diaz.

'How far do you think you will get?' the landsknecht sneered. 'Spare your men's lives and your own and give him to us.'

'What an unseemly squabble!' Hamish remarked, shaking his head. 'Why not just agree to let me go?'

Then it was Father Vespianaso's turn again. 'We must of course accept the holy spirit's declaration that the accused is not possessed. But he has undoubtedly known for many years that his companion is, and he has done nothing about it. He bears much guilt as an accomplice and must be questioned at length. If the facts are as I have just stated, then justice will be done.'

'Under torture questioned?' von Munster demanded.

'Possibly.'

'Only possibly?'

'Very probably. We must make quite certain that he is telling the whole truth, you understand.'

'And what his penalty will be?'

The friar shrugged as if such details were unimportant. 'Assuming he is found guilty, I would expect him to be sentenced to a series of public floggings followed by some years in the galleys. At least ten years. It will depend on the evidence.'

Even Hamish could not smile at that.

'One of my comrades he to slay was seen!'

'Of course, there is that, too,' the friar agreed. 'Then, Leopold, my son, I can assure you that the man Campbell will ultimately be handed over to the civil authorities for execution — to be hanged for murder or burned at the stake for consorting with demons. Do you agree with my opinion, Antonio?'

'I am no lawyer, Father.' Captain Diaz was much too wily to get caught in that mill. 'My orders were to arrest these two men, take them to Barcelona, and deliver them to you for examination. His Excellency reserved only the right to ask them a few questions if he so wishes. Before you ask any, that is.' His emphasis implied that after the Inquisition began its interrogation would be too late to obtain useful answers. 'Longdirk has been granted asylum here, but I shall take Campbell and deliver him to the Inquisition. Does that satisfy you, von Munster? Have I your word that you will return your troop at once to Lerida and make no attempt to interfere with the transportation of these prisoners?'

The mercenary displayed his gargoyle smile again. 'I so promise.'

Father Vespianaso rubbed his hands in undisguised pleasure. 'You will also take the witness into custody, Captain. And these other witnesses also.'

Senora Collel wailed like a trampled cat.

'No!' Hamish snapped. 'I confess to the killing. There is no need to arrest anyone else, Captain.'

Toby moaned. Hamish was headed to torture and death, and he was to live on, growing old pottering contentedly around the monastery herb garden? It was intolerable. Everyone else here was bargaining madly — couldn't he? He was the one Oreste and Vespianaso really wanted. Could he buy back Hamish's life with his own?

'Your confession is recorded,' the inquisitor said with a macabre smile. 'But there is another matter that must be investigated. The massacre here tonight — was that also the demon's doing? Or do we have another demon to hunt down?' He peered at Josep, Senora Collel, and Gracia. 'I still think we need to interrogate these witnesses.'

Gracia uttered a shrill cry of alarm.

And Senora Collel opened her mouth…

'Yes!' Toby yelled. 'The brigands' deaths were my doing also! My demon slew them and I gloried in it. If I change my mind and refuse the exorcism, will you release all these others, including Campbell, and swear not to molest them in future?'

Would the tutelary expose his lie? Or had it planned this to fulfil its agreement with Diaz?

Father Vespianaso considered his confession with sly calculation. 'Whom are you protecting? Only Campbell?'

'We accept those terms for the others,' Diaz said. 'But not Campbell. The two of you come and the rest can go.'

Toby's mouth was incredibly dry in marked contrast to the rest of him. He knew what was in store, and strappado would be the least of it. But he could not let the inquisitors get their claws in Gracia. And he could not betray Josep, either. Hamish was beyond saving, thanks to Eulalia.

'And what happens then?' demanded von Munster. 'A sword through the monster's heart? It is too good for him.'

Father Vespianaso continued chafing his fingers. 'He will be taken to Barcelona for examination.'

'Examination?' barked the mercenary. 'What is this examination? Has he not confessed? What need is there of examination? He slew our friends, and justice we seek.'

The friar shook his head regretfully. 'It is revenge you seek, my son, and we cannot countenance that. The Holy Office is guided by mercy and does not put men to death. It seeks only to drive out their demons. As the