The Castrator by Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov (short books for teens txt) 📕

AS IF NOT TO BE FELT. AND DAMN THAT LOOKED LIKE LA POINTE. THE STRANGE FARMER WHO I COULD EVEN ASSUME WAS SATAN HIMSELF CONTINUED HIS WALK AMONG THE GRAVES.

ALL THE DEMON MYTHS MAY HAVE BEEN EXAGGERATED, BUT SOMEWHERE IN THERE I SENSED THAT GUS BENZOIR PROBABLY KNEW A LOT MORE THAN HE WAS LETTING ON - DIDN'T BLUEBIRD HAVE THE RIGHT TO SPEAK UP AND REVEAL THE WHOLE TRUTH TO ME? SURELY THIS WAS PART OF THE RITUAL, OR MY ROAD TO NOWHERE, OR TO THE LEGACY OF A FELISTER!

IN LA POINTE THERE WAS UTTER DARKNESS, WHICH HAD LAYERED ITSELF SO THICKLY THAT THERE MUST HAVE BEEN NO EMPTY SPACE LEFT BETWEEN THE MOLECULES - AS IF SOMETHING WANTED TO EXIST BY ITSELF IN ALL THAT DARKNESS, RESEMBLING A KIND OF STATIC SMOKE.

IN MY DREAM SOMETHING MADE ME ASK MYSELF WHAT DID I REALLY KNOW ABOUT MY COMPANIONS? ZONARA WAS A SKILLED NECROMANCER REPRESENTING THE DRUG CARTELS AND ... ARLO, A HIPSTER SELLING WEED FOR A LIVING, LIVING IN HIS OWN SICK AND DEGENERATE REALITY CREATED BY THE MAGIC SMOKE OF HIS DUTCH PRODUCT AND ... THEN?

SO I HAD NO IDEA WHO THEY WERE OR WHAT THEIR INTENTIONS WERE! THEY COULD HAVE KILLED ME EVEN WHILE I SLEPT, AND THE ROCKERS COULD HAVE SLIT MY THROAT AND EVEN MOCKED MY CORPSE - AFTER ALL, I REMEMBERED THE END OF THE DURIGHT THAT HAD USED THE "POWER" HE HAD GOTTEN FROM GAS BENZOUR.

IN MY DREAM I SAW AN ENDLESS FIELD COVERED WITH GREEN GRASS, AND THERE IN THE DISTANCE WERE CORN CROPS - THEY WERE SWAYING IN THE WIND. IT WAS HERE THAT OUR JOURNEY WITH GUS BEGAN.

I RETURNED TO THE CEMETERY AGAIN - THE DREAM TRAP HUNG AROUND MY NECK - EVEN IN THIS DREAM. IT WAS MAGICAL, BUT ALSO SCARY. IT WAS LIKE AN EMISSARY OF SOME DISTANT KINGDOM - OR PERHAPS HE HAD CREATED THE INVISIBLE WALL THAT HAD STOPPED ME ON MY ASTRAL JOURNEY WHEN I WAS FORCED, ALONG WITH ZONAR AND ARLO, TO GET AWAY BECAUSE

WHEN YOU'RE ON TOP OF THE WALL IT SEEMS SCARY, BUT WOULD YOU HAVE THE COURAGE TO JUMP? IT WAS LIKE GUS WAS MAKING ME DO JUST THAT! TO JUMP, AND MY PLUMMET WOULD BE ENDLESS. BUT WHERE WOULD I END UP? OR WAS GUS BENZOUR GOING ON A PILGRIMAGE! HIS PATH SEEMED INDESCRIBABLY LONG, AND HE HAD HARDLY GONE MORE THAN TEN OR FIFTEEN YARDS. WHAT WAS HAPPENING! AGAIN I BEGAN TO FEEL THE UNSEEN PRESENCE.

FELISTER HAD ALSO THE FIVE PARTS OF THE BOOK OF SOLOMON-THE SO-CALLED PENTATEUCH-AND HAD DEVOTED HOURS OF HIS TIME TO STUDYING EVERY LINE AND EVERY WORD, PUTTING A PECULIAR MEANING INTO WHAT HE READ. THIS WAS NOT SOME HOBBY OR PLEASURABLE PASTIME FOR HIM, BUT A DESPERATE SEARCH FOR THE ANSWER AS HIS TIME ON THIS EARTH WAS RUNNING OUT. DEVIL OR ANGEL, THE MERE PRESENCE OF GUS BENZOUR HAD LEFT AN INDELIBLE MARK ON MY LIFE, AND I KNEW HE WOULD BRING ME AT LEAST ONE STEP CLOSER TO THE TRUTH. HOW I LONGED TO SPEAK TO HIM, BUT BLUEBIRD WAS ADAMANT THAT I HAD TO BEWARE OF THE OTHERS-PERHAPS HE MEANT ALL OF THEM. ONE OF THE GREAT SECRETS OF TRUE MAGIC WAS THAT WHEN IT OCCURRED, A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF ENERGY WAS RELEASED THAT WAS POORLY UNDERSTOOD, AND THIS WAS TRUE OF TRUE MAGIC - THIS ENERGY HAD THE ABILITY TO KILL, AND THE PRINCIPLE WAS LIKE A CHAIN REACTION - THE SOULS SUBDUED WERE DOOMED. TO THE UNINITIATED IT MIGHT HAVE SEEMED AMUSING, BUT I WAS BECOMING INCREASINGLY CONVINCED THAT THE HUGE NUMBER OF DEATHS ALONG THE ROUTE I WAS TRAVERSING WAS NO ACCIDENT AT ALL - I INITIALLY SUSPECTED THE DRUG CARTELS, THE POLICE, SOME SPOILED YUPPIES AND OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE DERELICTS WHO HADN'T EVEN SMELLED LIFE, THEN THE VARIOUS BANDITS OR ROCKERS WHO WERE ON OUR HEELS, THE INDIANS, MY OWN COMPANIONS - YES, THE CIRCLE WAS GRADUALLY CLOSING AND GETTING SMALLER AND SMALLER. UNTIL FINALLY...

STRAKE!

GUS BENZOUR TURNED ON HIS FLASHLIGHT - IT WAS DEFINITELY VERY POWERFUL, BUT WHO KNOWS WHY THE SURROUNDING DARKNESS SEEMED TO ABSORB THE LIGHT AND PREVENT IT FROM SPREADING.

GUS STARTED WHISPERING SOME INARTICULATE WORDS. THEY WERE SO PECULIAR - HE COULDN'T SEEM TO PRONOUNCE THE WORDS PROPERLY, OR HE WAS JUST SPEAKING IN SOME CORRUPTED LANGUAGE OR ONE THAT DIDN'T EXIST AND WAS MADE UP BY HIM. HE REPEATED THE WORDS WITH GREAT EARNESTNESS, AND HIS FACE FOR THE FIRST TIME WAS TERRIBLY CONCERNED, EVEN AS IF SOME SUBTLE WRINKLES HAD APPEARED ON IT. IT WAS SO UNCHARACTERISTIC. HIS FLASHLIGHT WAS OF A RATHER HIGH QUALITY, BUT THE DARKNESS ALL AROUND THREATENED TO ENGULF HIM. THERE WAS A SOFT WARMTH AND A PECULIAR SMELL OF INCENSE - PERHAPS UNCLEAN FORCES OR FALLEN SOULS LURKED ABOUT. THEN I REALIZED SOMETHING - THE BRAVE GHAST, THE UNPLUCKY GHAST HAD NOT UTTERED SOME INCANTATION, NOR HAD HE TRIED TO SUMMON ANYONE'S SPIRIT - HE WAS PRAYING FOR HIS DOOMED SOUL. A SOUL THAT WOULD NOT NECESSARILY BE LOST, BUT WOULD BE BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH FOR ALL TIME. THIS PUZZLED ME GREATLY, SINCE LA POINTE HAD BOTH A CHRISTIAN AND AN INDIAN PART, IF WE COULD TALK AT ALL ABOUT ANY ARRANGEMENT OF A PLACE LIKE THIS.

- WHEN YOU'RE LOCKED IN A SILO ALL YOUR LIFE, YOU CAN'T SEE THE WORLD OUTSIDE. AND IT'S NOT FRIENDLY, AND IT MIGHT NOT EVEN BE THERE TOMORROW.

I THOUGHT GUS WASN'T WITH EVERYONE. HIS PICKUP TRUCK WAS NOWHERE TO BE SEEN.

GUS'S PICKUP WAS A FORD BRAND, IT WAS BLUE AND BIG IN A TYPICAL AMERICAN WAY, WITH A HUGE LONG OPEN TRUNK, AND ITS TIRES WERE 4X4 - CAPABLE OF GOING THROUGH ANYTHING. WITH IT, GUS USUALLY DROVE HIS FARM PRODUCE, OR SOMETIMES EVEN TRADED IN FERTILIZER, WHICH WAS IN DEMAND BY SOME SMALLER FARMS WHOSE OWNERS COULDN'T AFFORD TO TRAVEL TOO FAR. THEY USUALLY HAD VERY SMALL GARDENS - JUST ENOUGH TO FEED THEMSELVES AND PUT SOMETHING ON THEIR TABLE. AND GASS GENEROUSLY SUPPLIED IT TO THEM AT LOWER PRICES. I WONDERED WHERE THE CAR WAS? AND IF GUS WAS WALKING AMONG THE GRAVES TO DO SOMETHING THAT WAS OBVIOUSLY OF A VITAL NATURE, WHY HADN'T HE BROUGHT AT LEAST ONE STRAIGHT SHOVEL? THE USE OF SUCH A TOOL WAS PERFECTLY NATURAL, FOR OTHERWISE HE WOULD HAVE HAD TO KICK WITH HIS CLAWS LIKE SOME EVIL SPIRIT WHO WANTED TO GET AT THE CORPSE OF THE DEAD - BY THE WAY, THE EVIL SPIRITS OR DJINN, WHICH WERE SOMETIMES USED EVEN BY THE FELISTER HIMSELF, HAD A DIFFERENT LEVEL OF SPIRITUAL ENERGY THAT HELPED THEM TO REMAIN IN THE REALM OF THE LIVING, AND BORE ALL SORTS OF NAMES - HADALI, JAIKINS, MANTRICS[7], AND SO ON. THE LATTER, OF COURSE, WERE THE TOP OF THE HIERARCHY OF SPIRITS AND WERE ABLE TO KILL WITH EASE. THEIR ABILITY TO GENERATE BLACK ENERGY WAS PROVERBIAL. BUT GUS DID NOT SUMMON DEMONS, HE DID NOT CALL EVIL SPIRITS, HE DID NOT WANT TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE DEAD, HE JUST STOOD THERE - AS IF HE HAD COMPLETELY LOST HOPE.

"HOPE DIES LAST!," THOUGHT I.

HE TURNED SUDDENLY - AS IF HE HAD DETECTED MY VOICE COMING AS IF FROM UNDER WATER. BUT THEN I REALIZED IT WAS JUST SOME UNNATURAL MOVEMENT HE WAS APPARENTLY PERFORMING TO BE IN TUNE WITH THE REALITY AROUND HIM. COULD IT BE THAT GUS WANTED TO BE INVISIBLE? SO, EVERY WIZARD AND EVEN CONVENTIONAL SCIENTIST KNEW THAT COMPLETE INVISIBILITY WAS NOT POSSIBLE AND WAS A PRODUCT OF INSUFFICIENT KNOWLEDGE OF MAGICAL SCIENCE. HADN'T GUS BENZOUR SIMPLY LOST HIS MIND AND WASTED HIS TIME SEARCHING FOR SOMETHING THAT SIMPLY DIDN'T EXIST?

JUST THEN, I FELT THE FAMILIAR SOFT WARMTH AND DISTINCT SENSE OF PRESENCE, AND GUS'S FLASHLIGHT ILLUMINATED A TOMBSTONE - IT TOOK ME A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE THE NAME ON IT. THE FONT WAS SLIGHTLY GOTHIC AND SPECKLED WITH SOME ORNAMENTATION, BUT ... IT WAS MY NAME - ELIZANDER BARNAYNE.

DAMN IT, GAS BENZOOR! WHAT WAS THAT BASTARD DOING? DIRTY SON OF A BITCH! GODDAMN FARMER! TRAITOR!

GUS BENZOUR STOOD LIKE THAT FOR A WHILE AND WENT SOMEWHERE. LIKE I SAID, HIS PICKUP WAS ABSOLUTELY NOWHERE TO BE SEEN, AND IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE THAT HE'D COME HERE JUST LIKE THAT - SOMETHING HAD TO HAVE BROUGHT HIM HERE. HE RETURNED A FEW MINUTES LATER, AND THIS TIME THE CHERISHED SHOVEL WAS IN HIS HANDS, AND HE SET TO DIGGING. HE WAS DOING IT WITH HIS EYES CLOSED, MUMBLING SOME UNINTELLIGIBLE MANTRA, AND EVEN HIS LIPS WEREN'T MOVING - I WAS CLEARLY AWARE THAT HE WAS OBVIOUSLY TRYING TO STRENGTHEN HIS ENERGY FIELD OR ELSE REACH HIS TARGET. THE GROUND WAS LOOSE, AND THE SHOVEL WAS REACHING DEEPER AND DEEPER. I DIDN'T KNOW HOW DEEP THEY DUG THEM GRAVES IN WISCONSIN, BUT ... SUDDENLY THERE WAS THE SOUND OF A THUD - THE SHOVEL MUST HAVE HIT A TREE.

IT REVEALED A COFFIN OF SOLID MAHOGANY THAT LOOKED IMPRESSIVE - ALMOST LIKE NEW. BUT AFTER LOOKING CLOSELY, I NOTICED THAT IT WAS ACTUALLY QUITE WEATHERED AND EVEN SOME OF ITS HANDLES MUST HAVE FALLEN OFF. WHAT WAS HIDING INSIDE?

FOR SOME INEXPLICABLE REASON GUS BENZOUR WAS IN NO HURRY TO OPEN IT. HE WAITED A WHILE. THEN HE SET TO WORK CLEARING AWAY THE DIRT AND ATTEMPTED TO USE THE SHOVEL AS A LEVER TO FACILITATE HIS EFFORTS.

FINALLY, THE LID GAVE WAY AND THERE WAS NOTHING INSIDE THE COFFIN. I LOOKED... IT WASN'T POSSIBLE GUS BENZOUR WAS ANYTHING BUT A FOOL. HE WASN'T GOING TO MAKE THAT MUCH EFFORT, AND AT NIGHT, AT THE RISK OF EVEN BEING CAUGHT, TO OPEN AN EMPTY COFFIN. THERE HAD TO BE SOMETHING-EVEN IF I COULDN'T SEE WHAT IT WAS.

GUS WAS ONCE AGAIN LEFT STARING INTO NOTHINGNESS. THEN HE HELD OUT HIS HAND. INSIDE, IN PERFECTLY PRESERVED CONDITION, WAS ABRAMELIN'S GRIMOIRE.

GUS BENZOIR GRINNED A FRIGHTENING SMILE, BUT IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT IT DID NOT BETRAY THE SPIRITUAL SUPERIORITY HE HAD POSSESSED IN HIS ENCOUNTER WITH DURAITH. SOMETHING DIDN'T ADD UP.

MOISTURE IN THE SOIL COULD EASILY DAMAGE THE BOOK - UNLESS...

MAYBE IT WAS PUT THERE RECENTLY... BUT BY WHOM?

- "IT WILL ALL FALL INTO PLACE SOON," GAS BENZOUR STATED, EYES CLOSED, "THIS CYCLE HAD TO BE BROKEN ONCE AND FOR ALL."

AT THAT TIME, I FELT SOME COOL BREEZE. DID I DREAM? NO THE COOL BLADE WAS AT MY THROAT. IT TOOK ME A WHILE TO REALIZE WHAT WAS HAPPENING...

MAYBE THAT BLADE AROUND MY NECK WAS TOTALLY REAL AND IN THAT LINE OF THOUGHT SOMEONE WAS TRYING TO CLEANSE ME.

BUT WHO KNOWS WHY I WANTED TO STAY WHERE I WAS. GUS BENZOUR HESITATED, BUT EVENTUALLY DECIDED TO OPEN UP.

IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT MACHIAVELLI WAS RIGHT, AND GUS BENZOIR WAS A FINE EXAMPLE OF THAT.

THE GRIMOIRE SLOWLY DISSOLVED AND I FELT MY HAIR STAND ON END. GUS BENZOUR JUST CHECKED SOMETHING QUICKLY AND CLOSED IT, THEN SET TO WORK PAINSTAKINGLY BURYING THE GRAVE. IT WOULD BE COMICAL IF THE SITUATION WASN'T SO SERIOUS. THE SHOVEL WAS THROWING THE DIRT BACK AND BURYING THE TRUTH...

BUT NOW I COULD FEEL THE ANNOYING BLADE THAT WAS PROBABLY ALREADY CUTTING MY THROAT, OR WOULD SOON DO SO. I DECIDED TO DO SOMETHING UNHEARD OF, IF I HAD TO HIDE FROM EVERYONE AND BE INCONSPICUOUS, WASN'T IT SMARTER TO STAY IN THIS PLACE... JUST A LITTLE LONGER...

THEN I REALIZED SOMETHING INTERESTING... IF THE BLADE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO KILL ME WAS AIMED THAT WAY, IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT IT WAS A BALANCED WEIGHT - THEN THE SLIGHTEST RESISTANCE ON MY PART WOULD BE FATAL. SUCH STEALTH KNIVES EXISTED, MADE IN THE USA, AND WERE USED IN MILITARY CONFLICTS AROUND THE WORLD, BUT IN PRACTICE COULD BE BOUGHT IN CERTAIN PLACES. ZONARA HAD ALREADY DEALT WITH JAKE, OR AT LEAST I ASSUMED THAT THEORY, WHY NOT KILL ME IN MY SLEEP TOO? HOW FAR COULD THIS WOMAN'S UNSCRUPULOUSNESS GO?

THEN I THOUGHT OF SOMETHING INTERESTING, WHAT IF I USED MY OWN MIND AND CAUSED