But she couldn't place it.

"Get your a.s.s up here, Jules," she said. "And get to pumpin'."

Jules hopped up on the pool table and started working, both he and Lula hollering like kids. The green felt soon became soaked with sweat.

And then Jules cried out once and laid his head on Lula's damp shoulder. Dead. On top of her. In her.

Lula started squalling when she found she did not have the strength to lift him off her.

That strange sound became louder. And Lula knew then what it was.

Purring.

There's where we're going," Jackson said, stopping Mary with his hand.

"Who lives there?"

"My darling brother, Romy."

"I don't remember much about him."

"Well, baby, you're about to see a lot of him. Scattered all over that house."

Mary squealed in delight and antic.i.p.ation. "Do I get to help?"

"That's why you're here."

"Do we do it now?"

"No ... first we have some fun. Come on."

Matt's wife had ordered him from the house. She screamed and yelled and began hissing like a cat when he showed up with Tess in the car.

"Will you please tell me what is the matter with you?" Matt asked her. "I do not understand this change that's come over you."

"Oh, you will," she said, smiling at him. "Sooner than you and your friend might like; but you'll understand."

"What was that ... that thing thing in the bathroom mirror, Martha?" in the bathroom mirror, Martha?"

"Oh, good!" she cried, clapping her hands. "You saw it!"

"What is it?"

"My friend. My confidant. My Mas-" She stopped.

"Why did you stop, Martha? What were you about to say?"

"You'll find out," she said sullenly.

"Why not tell me now?"

She hissed at him and slammed the door in his face.

Walking back to the car in the driving rain, Matt thought about her hesitation. "Mas?" he said. "Mas? What does that mean?"

"Not a very friendly welcome home," Tess said as Matt got in the car.

"It appears I don't have a home, Tess."

"Oh, yes, you do, Matt-mine."

With the cats leading the way through the rain-drenched streets, Walt Davis walked naked among them. He did not know where they were going, nor did he particularly care. He knew only that he must obey them.

The violent storm had knocked out the streetlights in the downtown section of Becancour, and there was no traffic, vehicle or foot.

No traffic that pure mortals could see, that is.

The cats stopped Walt in front of Lula's Love-Inn.

"Here?" Walt spoke, his one-word question more like a purr in the stormy night.

Walt tried the doork.n.o.b. Locked. He followed the cats around to the rear of the bar, to the back door. The doork.n.o.b turned in his hand. Walt could hear the sounds of someone crying and moaning and whimpering. Sounded like a woman. He followed the cats into the main room.

Lula's eyes widened in fright when she spotted the naked Walt. She whimpered as the cats jumped up onto the pool table and began licking at her nakedness, brushing up against her, rubbing their wet fur against her body. She had screamed herself hoa.r.s.e; she had practically no voice left her.

Walt walked to the dead Jules and lifted his head by the hair. Bending over, Walt kissed the man's lips, breathing into Jules's mouth. Walt spoke words he neither understood nor knew where they came from.

Lula watched him through eyes that held just a touch of madness. Her horror-filled eyes watched as Jules moaned and stirred. She could feel him once more growing within her.

She once more began whimpering and squalling hoa.r.s.ely.

Walt pulled Jules away from the woman. Lula closed her eyes and began crying, not believing any of this horror was actually taking place. It was all a dream; had to be.

But deep down inside her, she knew it was no dream.

She opened her eyes. Jules was looking at her. But what in G.o.d's name was the matter with the old fart's eyes. They looked ... dead! dead! Most of the color was gone from them. Most of the color was gone from them.

Then he touched her belly. Lula sucked in her breath. Jules's hands were like ice. Jules cut his eyes to Walt. Walt smiled and moved to the head of the pool table, holding Lula's hands firm.

The cats lined the pool table, sitting on the leather-covered raised edge. They watched through unblinking eyes.

Lula began screaming as Jules took her s.e.xually.

"Cold!" she gasped. "Cold!"

Walt leaned over and kissed the woman's lips. Fire and ice leaped into her brain. A strange odor filled her nostrils. The smell of smoke nearly overwhelmed her. She fought Walt's strong grip; she could not break free. She tried to twist her head away from the man's s...o...b..ring, stinking mouth; she could not. Jules's erection seemed to be made of long slick ice.

Lula Magee pa.s.sed out.

"People have been having meetings," Andrea said to the roomful of people. "I was told they started on Christmas day, last year. I have not attended any of the meetings."

"What do they do at these meetings, Andrea?" Sonny asked.

The girl shook her head. "I don't know. But I've heard talk they have s.e.x parties. I've also heard they're practicing black magic. But I don't know anything for sure.

Tony reached into his pants pocket and pulled out the envelope of pictures. He handed the envelope to Father Javotte. "Brace yourself," he warned the priest.

The priest looked at the photos, a look of disgust and revulsion on his face. "Hideous," he said, and handed the pictures to Don.

The men all looked at the pictures, all but Sam recognizing the partic.i.p.ants. Sonny walked to a lamp and took a better look, his face paling and his eyes narrowing.

"That's Jane," he said. "My own wife is getting p.r.o.nged by that punk Don Hemming." He stood for a moment, trembling with anger. All could see the tears in his eyes.

Sonny tossed the pictures on an end table and walked out of the room.

Don picked up the photos. "Well, there's Rita's husband, Burt. He's busy entertaining that little Pat Bennett. Gosh, just look at these people. It's nearly everybody in town."

Tony said, "Carl Nichols, Nate Slater . . ." He let it drift off and tossed the photos back on the end table.

Sam picked up the pictures. "Anyone would be hard pressed to prove this ... human being tied to the altar was alive when this was taken. I've seen, and so have all of you, more realistic-looking bodies in horror films. So what law has been broken?"

"Crimes against nature," Don said. "Sodomy is against the law in Louisiana. And that's what is happening between ..." He broke it off as Sonny reentered the room.

"Go ahead and say it, man," the chief said. "That's what Don is doing to my wife. Yeah, it's against the law. But all Jane would say is that she was willing. There is another way we could go, legally-contributing. A lot of those kids are juveniles."

"And once charges are brought, the Dark One would just pull back for a few months," Sam said. "But I'd be willing to bet these pictures, and that's all the proof there is, would disappear."

Father Javotte nodded his head in agreement. "I concur. I think we're back to square one."

The cops looked at the priest. Finally, Don said, "Are you serious?" serious?"

"Quite," Javotte said. "We are now, unwillingly, I'll admit, playing Satan's favorite game." He glanced at Sam.

"Waiting," Sam finished it.

Sonny plopped his hat on his head. "Not me," he announced. Before anyone could stop him, he was gone out the door, into the storm-slashed Louisiana night.

Don tried to stop the man. The door had closed before the deputy could reach him.

"Let him go," Sam said. "He's angry and he's hurt. If any of us tried to stop him now there would be trouble.

Javotte said to Andrea, "How many of your friends are involved in this ... madness, child?"

The girl sighed. "I don't know. I do know that I don't have many friends anymore. Ever since I refused to attend those meetings, the other kids kind of shy away from me."

"I guess we have to conclude that most people in the town are involved in this thing," Tony said.

"If they're not," Sam said. "They soon will be."

"On what side?" Tony asked.

"That depends entirely on how strong their faith is."

Someone rang the front doorbell. Tony hesitated, then walked to the door and cracked it open. Rita Dantin stood on the small porch, Dr. David Whitson beside her. Th man was dirty, unshaven, but steady on his feet. Tony could smell no alcohol on the man.

"Does this belong to you?" Rita asked, nodding her head toward David.

"Come in, Rita, David." The door closed, shutting out the wind and rain. Tony said, "Why do you ask that Rita?"

" 'Cause his wife d.a.m.n sure doesn't want him. She's too busy entertaining half a dozen men over at her house."

"Alcohol solves nothing," David said. His speech was clear. "h.e.l.l, I knew that to begin with. I have some things out in the car, Tony. Could I spend the night here?"

"Of course you can, David."

"I'll get his things," Don said. He walked out into the night, closing the door behind him.

David's eyes focused clearly on Tony. "What's going on around this town, Tony? What in the world has happened?"

"Let's get some food and coffee in you, David," Tony said. "You, too, Rita. Use the phone in the den to call in and tell the station where you'll be. Rita, you know some of what is going on. I ... OK, I'll accept Sonny and Father Javotte's theory about the ... devil. I'm still not totally convinced, but I'm getting there."

"The devil?" David said. "You mean like ... the devil? devil? The bad guy? Am I still drunk, Tony? Or has my hearing suddenly become impaired?" The bad guy? Am I still drunk, Tony? Or has my hearing suddenly become impaired?"

"Go take a hot shower, David," Tony suggested. "I'll open up a can of soup and be heating it." He looked around and raised his voice so all could hear. "Don't any of you eat or drink anything in this house that's been opened. I think my wife tried to drug or poison me this evening."

Rita looked toward the closed front door. She wondered what was keeping Don?

Now David was totally confused. It showed in his eyes. "I hate to say this, Tony. But I wasn't this confused while I was drunk. Did I just hear you say that Lena tried to poison you?"

"Yes. Go on, David. Grab a shower. I'll get you a bathrobe and you ..."

Gunfire suddenly ripped the night. Rita recognized the booming as that from a .357.

Some hideous, nonhuman screaming cut through the storm. The sound chilled those in the house. Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. The lights went out.

Those inside could hear Sonny Pa.s.son yelling. "Did you get it, Don? Jesus Christ, what was that thing?"

4.

As the storm howled and crashed in and around the town of Becancour, Xaviere lay naked on the silk sheets of her bed. She longed for a man, but she knew that could never be until her first mating with Sam Balon. She did not feel it unfair. She knew that as the earth-bound daughter of a Christian warrior and Witch-mother, her duty was to seduce her mortal warrior-father and from that union, bring forth into the world and onto the earth a demon ... the child of Satan.