them.
“Run ahead—NOW!” he shouted. “That’s what your exiled knight commands. Now!”
She hesitated a moment, as if about to say something else …
He pushed her roughly with a growl, and she sprang into motion, running.
Ed clambered after her in futile pursuit, aware that at any second his pursuers would catch up with him in his crippled gait.
Then, Julia reached the tunnel.
Ed saw her enter the shadowy opening just as someone tackled him from behind, sending him crashing to the cold floor. The letter opener flew from his grasp and skidded off across the stone.
“Bastards!” he screamed. “You rutting mad demon worshipping bast—UNNF!”
Someone kicked his side, hard. Then the man holding him down was moving aside while someone else hauled him up.
The Rector!
He dragged Ed roughly to his feet, handling him as if he weighed nothing at all.
“What have you done to my child?” he bellowed. “Master forgive me … But I’m going to crush your skull with my bare hands!” He clamped his hands on either side of Ed’s head.
Just then, a girlish shriek echoed from the dark tunnel. “HELP!!!” the voice pleaded.
Julia!!!
The Rector jerked his head in that direction, startled.
“Edwinnnnnn!” she screamed. “Help!”
“She’s in trouble!” Ed said. “The demon—Croatoan, dammit! He’s in there!”
The Rector wrapped his arm around Ed’s waist and half-carried, half-dragged him towards the tunnel. Ed’s crippled and recently burned right leg skidded across the floor, sending stabs of pain through him.
They entered the tunnel and plunged into blackness. Ed struggled to raise his head to see where they were going. A hundred paces or so ahead there was a faint yellow glow.
“NOOOOOOO!” Julia screamed, and Ed felt cold fear grip his chest.
“You bastard, he’s got her!” Ed shouted. “Call him off, do something!”
But the Rector didn’t answer, just kept dragging him forward.
As they got closer, Ed saw that the light was cast by a heavy lantern set on the floor of the tunnel. It illuminated the rough fieldstone walls of the earthen-floored passage, which were supported by wooden beams. This tunnel was man-made, built recently by the looks of it. The silver cord ran down the length of it through the dirt, disappearing into darkness at the other end.
Ed caught a glimpse of something moving at the far edge of the light.
It was Julia! She was grasping at the dirt, thrashing and crying as something dragged her backwards down the tunnel, into the shadows.
“Help!” she sobbed.
Ed thought he could see a pair of lambent red eyes glaring from just behind her in the deep shadows.
“Dammit!” Ed cried. “Croatoan has her!”
The Rector stopped for a moment, as if confused. Ed twisted in his grip, trying to get loose. He had to do something!
“That thing has her!” he yelled. “Has your daughter, Julia. He’s going to hurt her, you rutting idiot!”
“He … he shouldn’t do that,” the Rector said. “I’ll have to talk to him.”
The Rector suddenly dropped Ed, who fell face-first into the dirt. Ed quickly picked himself up, only to have his arms grabbed by two servants who’d come up behind him.
“I have to go help her!” Ed snarled, trying to get loose.
The Rector had now disappeared down the tunnel, out of the range of the lantern-light.
Mr. Starks came forward to stand in front of Ed, placing a grimy finger to Ed’s lips. “SHHH!” he whispered. “The Rector is talking with his Master now, lad. We can’t bother them.”
“JULIA!” Ed cried.
“Shut up!” said one of the men behind him. “Or I’ll stab ya!”
“Better be quiet, lad,” Starks advised, and now placed his whole greasy hand over Ed’s mouth.
It was no use struggling; they held him tight.
The silence was killing Ed; he strained to hear something from down the tunnel, anything. He thought he heard whispering, and crying—not screaming, but a girl sobbing. Then she was still
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