"Yes, ma'am." Sam could feel the strength emanating from the lady. This lady, he thought, is no ordinary person.

"Tony, you and Lena have been here before. You know the way to the kitchen. Perhaps you and the young lady," she looked at Andrea and smiled, "would consent to make us some coffee."

Tony smiled and motioned for Andrea to follow him. In the large and well-equipped kitchen, Andrea looked around.

"I'm hungry," she said.

"Why don't you make up a batch of sandwiches while I fix the coffee?"

The coffee perked and the sandwiches made, the group found seats in the s.p.a.cious den. The rain still beat at the house, but the lightning and thunder had abated somewhat.

"Mrs. Dorgenois," Sonny said. "We all, uh, saw a ... well, man, sort of, about a block from here. I ... uh ..." He didn't know how to finish it.

Colter did it for him. "What you saw was probably the sh.e.l.l of my husband. What did he look like?"

Tony described the creature.

"Worse than I thought," Colter said, lifting her coffee cup to her lips. She sipped and placed cup back into saucer.

"What do you mean, Colter?" Father Javotte said. He alone would call her by her first name.

She met his dark eyes with eyes just as dark and unreadable. "You alone, Daniel, know more than anyone here. What have you told them?"

"Not much. Most of what I know I can't prove. I know bits and pieces. But I know who you are."

"Do you now?" Her eyes twinkled.

"I know the demon was exorcised from you as a child. I know that you had a vision. I know that shortly afterward, you accepted Christ. I know your maiden name was Laveau."

"Someone in the Church has a big mouth," Colter remarked.

"There aren't that many exorcists, Colter," the priest gently reminded her.

"What do you people do, have conventions?"

"Hardly, Colter. But then, I haven't done anything like that in a long, long time. I'm done with it."

"Bulls.h.i.t!" the old woman said bluntly.

The profanity shook most of the men in the room. Colter's eyes touched Sam's. The young man was sitting calmly, looking at her. A very strong young man, she thought. And he'd better be.

The old woman looked at the small gathering. "Is this it?"

"Ma'am," David Whitson said. "Is what what it?" it?"

Sam waved him silent. "No, I don't think so, Mrs. Dorgenois. I believe there are others, including your family."

"Romy will join us later. Probably tomorrow. With his wife. I don't fear for Romy. He pieced together the family puzzle years ago." Her eyes touched Sonny's. "Your department, Sonny?"

"C. D. and Bid are OK, I believe. I don't know about their families."

"Get them. Use that phone." She pointed.

"I have two R. N.'s that ... I guess are secure. And Dr. Martin."

"When Sonny is finished summoning his people, call yours," Colter said.

"And I shall call Mike Laborne," Javotte said.

"How about the other preachers?" Don asked. "Earl Morris and Cliff Lester?"

The priest shook his head. "I sounded them out repeatedly, over a period of weeks. They do not believe. If it is not too late for them already, they'll come to their senses." The priest folded his arms across his chest and stood his ground.

A strong and stubborn man, Sam thought.

Don snapped his fingers. "Tess Nardana and Matt Comeaux. I'll call them. I saw Matt's car parked over at Tess's house about an hour ago."

"Anyone else that you're sure of?" Colter asked.

"Mrs. Wheeler," Sonny said, off the phone.

Colter smiled. "If anyone attempts to harm that lady, they'll be in for a very rude awakening. Most of you are too young to remember what happened at her place years back."

"Yeah," Sonny said. "I forgot about that incident. Those two escaped cons. They're buried right outside of town, aren't they?"

"Yes," Colter said. "After Mrs. Wheeler shot and killed them both. We'll not be able to convince her to leave her home. All we can do is hope for the best."

The old grandfather clock began chiming in the hallway. The gathering listened. It was midnight.

"That's all we're going to do?" Mary b.i.t.c.hed at Jackson Dorgenois. "Just laugh at your brother? What a disappointment."

"We have time," Jackson a.s.sured her. "Come on." He took her hand.

"Where are we going?"

"To see an old friend."

They walked through the rainy night. In a few moments they were at the Rogers's house. Jackson scratched on the back screen. Bonnie appeared on the porch. She was still naked.

"I've been waiting for you, Jackson. What took you so long?"

"You're both too impatient," he said. "Bonnie, you remember Mary."

"We've spoken to each other over the years, haven't we, Mary?"

"Yes. At first I thought it was the medicine they were giving me. Then I recognized your voice. That was you who told me how to get out, wasn't it, Bonnie?"

"Yes." She motioned them both in. "Quickly, for the night is unsafe."

"For us?" Jackson asked, stepping into the house after Mary.

Bonnie closed the door. "For anyone. Strange forces have been unleashed, forces that I cannot identify. And the Christians are gathering at the Dorgenois house."

"We saw old R. M.," Jackson said. He laughed. "Guess who lost the good fight?"

The trio shared an evil bark of laughter. "What forces?" Mary asked.

Bonnie shook her head. Her bare b.r.e.a.s.t.s trembled with the movement. "The creatures that have slept for a hundred or more years are awake. And they are very hungry. Both for food and to mate. In their frenzy, they won't recognize us as one with the same Master. Stay inside for the night. They won't move during the day."

"I've seen them in my dreams," Mary said. "Great ugly hairy things."

"Yes. G.o.d's rejects. Our Master took them thousands of years ago. As soon as the Master calls for a gathering, we'll meet them and be secure. But for now, they are unpredictable."

Outside, the storm had gathered strength, once more unleashing its fury against the town.

The cats lay silent in their hidden places, waiting out the storm ... and watching as strange, misshapen creatures rose from out of the ground, coming out of the dark swamps. The Beasts stood in the rain; they were not fearful of this rain, for they knew it had been sent by their Master. They stretched their arms and loosened their muscles. They had been asleep for a long, long time.

And now they were free.

Huge, clawed hands waved through the wet air. Powerful jaws that dripped stinking saliva, snapped at nothing. The fangs of the Beasts were four to five inches long, and yellow. The lightning flashes clearly showed the hideousness of the Beasts. The creatures, well over six feet tall when erect, weighed between two hundred and fifty and three hundred pounds. Their eyes were small and evil, with h.e.l.l-sent hate shining blood-red. The Beasts had ma.s.sive jaws that slowly narrowed almost to a pinhead at the top of the head. Their bodies were covered with thick, coa.r.s.e hair. The face was evil, part human, part animal.

The cats lay concealed and watched the Beasts as they stretched and growled and snapped and pranced their grotesqueness in a macabre dance. They strutted and leaped in the stormy night.

And the cats did not know what to make of them.

"How small the army," Colter Dorgenois muttered.

"It always is," Sam said, speaking softly. He sat next to the woman.

"You've done this before, Sam?"

"Twice."

"You don't seem afraid."

"Not yet, at least. Only a fool does not know fear when confronting the Dark One."

"You're Catholic?"

"No, ma'am. I don't attend any church on a regular basis." , The look she gave him was a curious one.

"There are other denominations, Mrs. Dorgenois."

"That isn't what I meant by the look, young man. It's very late, and I'm tired." She stood up and rapped sharply on a table with the heavy ring on her right hand.

"People," she said. "I'm only going to say this one time. If there are any nonbelievers among you, I would suggest you make your peace with G.o.d right now. For you are in more danger than you have ever faced in your life."

No one moved, no one spoke. The old woman looked at each man and woman. "My maiden name was Laveau. I was born to a witch. I am a witch. I was possessed as a child. I had the potential to do incredible evil as a child, but a very wise and strong priest saw that within me, good was battling evil. It took that man nearly three days to spiritually cut the evil from me. He died within moments after doing it. His name was Ramagos."

She sighed. "My husband, R. M., as is the firstborn male child of each generation, has a birthmark. A birthmark in the shape of a cat. It is a very small marking, but one with powerful meaning. The Dorgenois family moved up here from New Orleans to escape their past and try to rebuild their lives. They have always managed to handle those who were born ... well, marked by the devil. Usually by pairing the male off with a very strong female, like myself. Jackson Dorgenois was one we could not handle. For those of you who do not know, Jackson killed his parents and then consumed their flesh."

Several of the listeners looked as though they would like to puke.

"R. M. and myself ... we took Romy to raise as our own. Jackson does not know it, but he will meet his match when he confronts his brother, Romy." The woman began to pace the room as she talked. "Chief Borley and the sheriff agreed to help inst.i.tutionalize Jackson. Borley and the sheriff died shortly afterward. Who killed them? Satan, probably. Please understand something, people. I wanted, R. M. wanted it also ... we wanted to come forward with this terrible truth. But who would have believed us, and what would it have accomplished? Nothing. Jackson would have been placed in some state hospital and turned every inmate into Satan's follower. If he had been placed in a prison, that would have been even worse. Where he was, he could be, and was, kept heavily sedated. Someone relaxed just for a second there, and he was gone. It had happened before, so no one became unduly alarmed, since he had never hurt anyone before ... this time. The reason for that was that he had never been called before ... called by the Dark One.

"I am an old woman. I am not as strong as I once was. R. M. unwillingly broke free of my control. I could do nothing."

Don Lenoir took his wife's hand into his own and squeezed gently. Frances Lenoir sat in shock, not knowing what to believe.

"Sam Balon told me, just a few moments ago, his thoughts on the situation. I think for the most part, you were correct, Sam." She looked at him. "But something, I don't know what, has speeded up the devil's timetable. If I had to guess, I would guess it was caused by mortals. The mortals in this town, who became impatient. It's happened so many times it must be extremely frustrating for Satan."

Frances Lenoir began crying softly, her face in her hands.

"Father Landry attempted to exorcise Jackson Dorgenois. He failed. It broke his health. He lived for years after that, but that killed him, finally. R. M. has lied to Romy. I overheard him lying to him just the other night and knew that his dark side was overpowering the other side. I called Romy shortly after that and told him the truth. I don't know whether he accepted it all, or not. I can only hope he did."

"The cats, Mrs. Dorgenois?" Tony asked.

"Why they are what they are?" she asked.

Tony nodded his head.

She shrugged. "I don't know. Satan can do anything he wishes with almost any human or animal. Look what he's doing this night with the elements. I don't know."

"Perhaps it's from the Scriptures," Father Javotte spoke. "Revelation. 'And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, his mouth as the mouth of a lion.' " It was his turn to shrug his shoulders. "But that would be condemning all cats, and I don't believe that. The Bible speaks disparagingly of other animals as well. I think that the Lord of Flies chose cats in this area because there are so many of them."

"And because of the birthmark," Sam said. "And why did I get the idea, or where did I get it, that the Dorgenoises renounced Satan and accepted G.o.d?"

"R. M. planted that in your mind, Sam," Colter told him. "Or Jackson, or the Dark One."

"Yeah," Rita said. "I was there when you said that. Planted it?" She looked at Colter. "Is that possible?"

"Oh, yes, girl," the old woman said, her smile grim. "Believe me, R. M. and I have had some mental battles over the years."

"And the gradual building of horror that I spoke of?" Sam asked.

Colter moved her right hand in that cla.s.sic French gesture of comme ci, comma ga. comme ci, comma ga. "Perhaps that was the Dark One's original intent, Sam." "Perhaps that was the Dark One's original intent, Sam."

"So many of my friends ... Andrea paused. "... Used to be friends have tattoos now. Of a tiny cat." She looked confused. "I've known that all along. Why didn't I say anything about it before now?"

"Perhaps for the same reason I said nothing about the lack of discipline at school," Matt Comeaux said. "I was just discussing this with Tess when you called this evening. I would think about it; then I'd get home, and the thought would be out of my head the instant I walked through the front door. My wife, of course."

"And my parents," Andrea said.

Sam glanced at C. D. His wife sat beside him. "Did you make the stakes, C.D.?"

"Yes, sir."

"Dear G.o.d!" Margie said, summing up the feelings of all present. She put her hands to her face and began weeping.