Evil Unearthed: Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

Stephen stood on the balcony of his room. It was he who had won the view of the sea, but he suspected that Barrett had given it up so that he could be next door to Vangie. The sun still sparkled, though the shadows had begun to lengthen in the afternoon light. On one level, he was glad to finally be here, but on another level, he really did not know what was going to happen when, and this annoyed him. He did not like waiting at the best of times, and in the state he was in now, it was pure torture to be forced to simply observe and take note of things around him. All he really wanted to do now was to act, to go in with guns blazing, as Barrett had said. He had been thinking like this for some time, and in the back of his mind, he heard a voice, sounding remarkably like Vangie's, telling him to leave off these dark thoughts, but he couldn't do it. The moving sea seemed to hold him transfixed, and he felt a heavy dullness creeping into his mind which made him slow and stupid.

All this was broken, however, by Kathleen's voice and footsteps coming down the hall outside his door. In an instant, he had shut the doors to the balcony and had exited the room, only to find Barrett and Vangie already standing by their own doors and wearing the same expression of concern which he knew must be on his own face.

"Kat," said Stephen, going to meet her. "What on earth?"

"It's Julia! She's unconscious! She's--oh--I can't tell you. You'll just have to come."

"Come, Stephen," said Vangie. "You and I will go. Robert, stay here with Kathleen."

"I have some brandy," said Barrett. "You really should calm down if you can."

Stephen didn't stay to hear the rest, however, because Vangie was almost running down the hall.

"Wait! How will we know where Julia is?"

"In the north tower," was Kathleen's shouted response.

"I know where that is," said Vangie, and they made their way there as quickly as they could.

Once they found the tower, their next task was to find the room where Kathleen had her bedroom and office, so they ascended slowly, stopping at every room until they found the one in which Julia lay, eyes wide and staring, on the rug in front of Kathleen's small desk.

"There's a pulse," said Vangie, as she bent down to touch the other woman's wrist. "That bodes well at least."

"She looks fevered or something," said Stephen.

"Yes," said Vangie, considering. "Something is definitely physically wrong with her. Still, she's breathing and she has a pulse, so though Kathleen has been frightened, I don't think it's as bad as she feared. I'm going to see if I can reach her. Please take my other hand, Stephen. I'll need a grounding influence."

Stephen did as he was told, though he really didn't know what it all meant. As they sat in silence, Stephen holding Vangie's hand and Vangie touching Julia's corresponding and seemingly lifeless one, he found his eyes drawn again and again to Julia's face. As had happened back in the French Leaf Cafe, he found his thoughts being suffused with the sound of her voice and the scent of her perfume. This was not an entirely pleasant sensation, and he could only compare it with the moment that he and Vangie had shared in her cabin. That had been natural and tender, and his subsequent thoughts about it were sweet and light, comforting as the sudden appearance of the sun from behind a rain cloud. However, when this other thought intruded upon him, it did not feel as though he was thinking it, but as though he was being overwhelmed by it, as though it was a living thing that was trying to smother him with its cloying presence. He wondered if Vangie sensed the struggle going on inside him, because he all at once felt a brief squeeze from her hand as though she was trying to get his attention, and as his mind snapped back into focus, he looked at her kneeling beside him and realized that whatever she was doing was taking a huge effort. He cursed himself mentally for getting caught up in that strange spell which Julia seemed to cast upon him and, in order to counteract it, he began praying. As his mind settled into the rhythm of his prayers, he saw Vangie relax somewhat, and was grateful that he could be of some help to her.

Suddenly, after about ten minutes of concentrated silence, Vangie began to speak.

"Julia Susanne Desmond," she said in a commanding but gentle tone, "can you hear me?" Stephen saw Julia's limbs twitch, but she said nothing.

"Julia," said Vangie again, "I want you to let go now."

"What?" The word was out of Stephen's mouth before he could think.

"Do not speak again, Stephen," was Vangie's response, and she turned her attention back to Julia.

"I want you to make a place in your mind where you can go. It should be a peaceful place. You'll be able to see what your body is doing from that place. Do you understand?" Stephen could tell that Julia was trying to indicate that she did understand, but she still seemed unconscious.

"I know that this means letting the other spirit have its will with your body," said Vangie in that same gentle but deliberate voice, "but it is the only way to prevent your body from using up all of its strength. I will keep talking to you when I can, Julia. You will not be alone, and when you are again in control of your body, all this will seem rather like a dream. Alright?"

Stephen saw Julia relax, and just as her eyes opened, Vangie tried to pull away, but Julia seized her hand in an iron grip.

"You're very clever," she said now in Erica Desmond's tones. "Do you think I will not be able to tear down the wall you've built?"

"Only time will tell us what will happen," said Vangie, seeming to relax into the grip but at the same time causing the thing in control of Julia's body suddenly to release her.

"For now," said Vangie, letting go of Stephen's hand and standing up, Julia is in a place where you cannot intrude, but know this! We will see you banished from her body and from this house as soon as we possibly can!"

"Will you? What about you, Stephen Dawson? Will you remain true to your purpose?"

She was sitting up now, and she looked into his eyes. Again, his mind was clouded with thoughts of her beauty and of her voice, and it was all he could do to keep them out.

"You are a demon," he said now, "but Julia is a free soul made in the image of God. You will not destroy her if I can help it!"

"I do so love a challenge, you know," said Erica with Julia's voice. "Now, I think you both have done enough mischief for one day. Till we meet again!"

Stephen stood up and moved to Vangie's side, and the two of them watched in silence as Erica's spirit made Julia's body get to its feet and walk away to some other part of the house.

"Should we follow her?" Stephen desperately wanted to know what she was going to do, but at the centre of that desire lurked the mindless, instinctive lust that he had been feeling, so he shook his head to clear it.

"I think you have been in her presence enough for one day," said Vangie. "If she is going to do that to you every time we battle her, then you will be of no use to us."

"I know," he said, pounding Kathleen's desk with his fist. "I've never experienced anything like it before! It was like something out of the sayings of the desert fathers! Those men went to the desert to escape all the lusts of the world, but they found that the demons assaulted them even in the desert."

"Well then, perhaps you need to find a way to take a mental cold shower when that begins to happen," the Conjure Woman suggested. "I'm sorry," she said after a moment. "I didn't mean to joke."

"No," said Stephen, "you're absolutely right. I have to strengthen my prayer life and have one always ready to hand."

"Good. Now, I'd like you to come with me," she said, all joking put aside for the moment.

Up the stairs she led him until they came to a door at the top. This led into a round room which looked as if it had been recently used as an office. Across from the door giving onto the main staircase was another door which Vangie opened and which led to a smaller one. Up this they went until they came to a small room right under the eves of the tower. There was a trapdoor in the ceiling of this, and using a workman's ladder which leant against the wall, the Conjure Woman pried it open and beckoned Stephen to join her on the widow's walk.

"Up there," she said, pointing to the roof above, "was where your uncle stood face-to-face with Erica Desmond on that last night, and from that roof was where I saw him fall. I thought it appropriate for you to know this, Stephen."

"I wonder what made him choose that spot?"

"He wanted to shield others from the harm she might do to them. I'm sure that's why he chose it."

"Still, it was a strange thing for him to do! He should have had help!"

"Indeed he should have," said Vangie. "He should have had my help. His death and the deaths of all the others which were caused by Erica are on my conscience, and I intend to avenge them if it is possible."

Stephen gazed in silence up at the roof and he felt a chill go down his spine despite the warmth of the day. For an instant he saw himself in his uncle's place, confronting Erica and trying to banish her with all the prayers he knew, but it was all to no avail. Erica was too strong for him and down from the tower he saw himself falling, pushed by her fair and bejeweled hand.

"Well," said Vangie, breaking the spell of this vision and snapping him back to reality, "we had better go and see how Kat is doing."

"I wish I had my incense with me," said Stephen, "but it's in my suitcase. I would cense this office and sprinkle holy water around. I can still feel her here!"

"Yes," said Vangie. "She's everywhere in this house. The longer I remain here, the more certain I am that she has been here brooding ever since Jean Paul left and growing angrier by the year. That makes her even more unpredictable than she was before, I'm afraid, and without knowing her ultimate plans, we can't do anything to stop her yet."

"All I know," said Stephen as they made their way back to their wing of the house, "is that I wish I could do the exorcism now!"

"Well," said Vangie, "being the resident religious authority around here, I would certainly advise against it. If Julia's body is too weak for her to fight against the invading spirit right now, then surely it is too weak for you to do so as well."

"I know," said Stephen, "and I hate it. I hate waiting!"

"I've seen evidence to that effect," said Vangie with a gentle laugh. " Don't worry, my friend. We'll have a lot to do to prepare. There's still a lot we need to learn about this island and about the reason why Jacques and the power that he serves are doing this.

"The power that he serves? Do you mean Erica?"

"No indeed," said Vangie. "I mean no one more or less than Lucifer himself. It's your devil as well as ours that we're facing. Never forget that."

"And I thought there was only one."

"Well, perhaps there is. That kind of knowledge has not been given to such as myself, and yet," she paused at the entrance to their corridor, "I feel as though I am moving toward something, some great change. The Wheel of Fortune has been my constant companion when I have read the cards of late."

"Should we consult the cards about all this?" Stephen could hardly believe he was asking this, but he did not take it back.

"We will," said Vangie. "First, however, you will have to cense and asperge Kat's office. That is to be our meeting-place. Every day after dinner we will have a council, and both you and I will make that office a place where no ill spirit will dare to venture. I think that tonight, it should be your task to bless the house, or as much of it as you can safely get to, and I will come with you if you like. You drummed for me in my ritual, and I will, if you wish, say the prayers with you in yours."

"I'm honoured," said Stephen.

"Well," said Vangie, "I know that Kat would like to help you too, but I don't want her to be at the mercy of that spirit's whims, and if I can help to shield her from it, then I will. I intend to be with her as much as I can, and you should as well I think."

"Well," said Kathleen herself as she emerged from her room, "I hope you'll enjoy looking at computer screens, Miss Abbott, because that's what I do all day."

"As to that," said Barrett, "Vangie will have to look at a few computer screens of her own if she is going to truly act as my assistant."

"I suppose so," said Vangie, "but I do find the things quite a nuisance. How are you feeling now, Kat?" She took the other woman's hand briefly to check her pulse.

"I'm alright, but what about Julia?"

"That will take some explaining," Stephen began. "I think we should do the talking over dinner."

"I'll go and get it," said Kathleen. "I thought we'd have a picnic out on one of the balconies."

"The one off my room has the sea-view," said Stephen.

"Alright," said Kathleen. "You all go and wait there and I'll bring the sandwiches and such."

Dinner was a rather silent affair, apart from the necessary explanations of Julia's current condition which Vangie and Stephen did their best to provide. No one felt much like talking, it seemed, and Stephen for his part was ravenous, so that most of the energy which he would have expended in lively conversation was instead taken up with shoveling the largest amount of food into his mouth in the shortest amount of time. Vangie, he noticed, ate sparingly, but with evident gratitude. He thought it would have been she who would be hungry, given the trying afternoon she had spent, but though Barrett was very solicitous and tried to coax her with foods that he knew she liked, she only ate vegetables and fruit and, where the others partook of wine, she drank water.

"Please don't think me ungrateful, Kat," she said after all was finished. "I need clarity for the days ahead, and too much food roots me too firmly to my body."

"Yes," said Barrett, "but there is a fine balance."

"Who do you think you're talking to, Dr. B.?" Stephen smiled slightly. "If she doesn't know what's best for her, then I don't know who would."

"And besides," put in Vangie, "you really should stop speaking to me as though I were your daughter or one of your students. You know that it is I who have the seniority in our relationship."

"He's only worried," said Kathleen, "and so am I, if it comes to speaking plainly. What exactly must we do? When can we get that thing out of Julia?"

"First," said Vangie, "we need to bless the house, or as much of it as possible. If I'm correct, the prayers will be painful to the spirit of Erica Desmond, and she will go as far away from them as she can. However, the ritual should bring clarity and relief from the dullness of mind which seems to suffuse this house."

"Will we all be participating?" Barrett asked.

"Yes, Robert," said Vangie. "We must all help Stephen to do a thorough job."

"Well then," said Stephen, "let's begin in half an hour. We'll meet in our corridor."

"Alright," said Kathleen. "I'm going to go and put the dinner things away."

"I'll come with you," said Vangie, and the two women went out through Stephen's room, each carrying a tray of dirty dishes.

"Barrett, old man," said Stephen uncertainly after the women had gone, "do you know anything about Vangie's ultimate plan? I mean, do you know anything that she hasn't told me?"

"No," said Barrett, "I can honestly say that I don't. I know that under the pretense of compiling research for a book, I am supposed to hunt up every bit of island lore that I can find, and I think she wants to search the coral caves under the house for something as well, though I don't know what. It seems hardly likely that she would look for pirate loot, but that's all I know about what might be buried in those caves."

"Well," said Stephen, "once we bless the house, I suppose we'll have a council and talk things over."

"I suppose we will," said Barrett, rising stiffly and moving through the glass doors into Stephen's room. "I hear the womenfolk returning," he said as he reached the door onto the hall, "so I suppose I should be chivalrous and greet them."

"Alright," said Stephen. "I'll just get into my uniform."

"Forget all that," said Barrett. "Just bring the incense and holy water."

"Alright," said Stephen, "though it feels strange."

"I think you should let him do as he thinks best, Robert," said Vangie, coming up. "He needs to feel confident in his task tonight."

"Alright," said Barrett, "but if I trip over your cassock and break my leg, I'll be very unhappy."

"I will too," said Stephen. "Cassocks are expensive, and I don't want this one ruined."

The two of them began to laugh then, and Barrett put an arm around Stephen's shoulder in a gesture of friendship and solidarity for which Stephen could not help but be grateful.

"I'll leave you to your robing, then," he said, and went out to wait with the others.