Tortured Souls: The Legend of Primordium Copyright 2001 by Clive Barker Book One The Se ret !

a e of "enesis # $e is a transformer of human flesh% a reator of monsters& #f a Suppli ant omes to him 'ith suffi ient need( suffi ient hunger for hange)kno'ing ho' painful that hange 'ill be)he 'ill a ommodate them& They be ome ob*e ts of perverse beauty beneath his hand% their bodies remade in fashions that they have no po'er to di tate& +ver the years( over the enturies( indeed( this e,traordinary reature has gone by many names& But 'e 'ill all him by the first name he 'as ever given: -"+.#ST/S& 0here 'ould a Suppli ant find him1 2sually in 'hat he alls 3the burning pla es3: deserts( for instan e& But sometimes he an be found in 3the burning pla es3 in our o'n inflamed ities: pla es 'here despair has seared a'ay all belief in hope and love& There he moves( silently( irreproa hably( his presen e barely more than a rumour& -nd there he 'aits for those 'ho need him to ome to find him& 0hen a Suppli ant presents him or herself there is never oer ion& There is never violen e( at least until the Suppli ant has signed over his or her flesh& Then yes( there may be some se ond thoughts( on e the 'ork begins& The truth is that on many o asions a Suppli ant has begged to die rather than ontinue to be 3empo'ered3 by -gonistes& #t hurts too mu h( they tell him( as his s alpels and his tor hes 'ork their terrible surgery upon him& But in all the time he has been 'andering the 'orld -gonistes has only ever granted the omfort of death to one Suppli ant 'ho hanged his mind& That man 'as 4udas #s ariot( 'ho 'hined so mu h -gonistes hanged him from a tree& The rest he 'orks on despite their omplaints( sometimes for days and nights( oming ba k to his labours 'hen a pie e of flesh has healed and he an begin on the ne,t part of the surgery& There are some minor ompensations for all this pain( 'hi h -gonistes 'ill sometimes offer his Suppli ants as he 'orks& $e 'ill sing to them( for instan e( and it is said that he kno's every lullaby 'ritten( in every language of the 'orld% songs of the radle and the breast( to soothe the men and 'omen he is remaking in the image of their terror& -nd(if for some reason he feels parti ularly sympatheti to the Suppli ant( -gonistes may even give his vi tim a pie e of his o'n flesh to eat: *ust a sliver( ut 'ith one of his finest s alpels( from the tender flesh of his upper thigh( or inner lip& - ording to legend( there is no food more omforting( more e,5uisite( than the flesh of -gonistes& The merest sliver of it upon the tongue of the Suppli ant 'ill make him or her forget all the horrors they are enduring( and deliver them to a pla e of paradisi al alm& Then on e his lient is soothed -gonistes ontinues his 'ork( utting( infibulating( searing( auteri6ing( stret hing( t'isting( re onfiguring&

Sometimes he 'ill bring a mirror to sho' his Suppli ants 'hat he has so far reated& Sometimes he 'ill announ e that he 'ants the results to be a surprise% and so the Suppli ant is left to imagine( through the ha6e of pain( 'hat -gonistes is turning them into& ## #t is an art( 'hat -gonistes a hieves& $e laims it is The first -rt( this reation of ne' flesh( being the art "od used to all life into being& -gonistes believes in "od% prays to $im night and morning: thanking $im for making a 'orld in 'hi h there is so mu h hopelessness and su h a profound hunger for revenge that Suppli ants 'ill seek him out and beg him to re onfigure them in the image of their monstrous ideal& -nd it appears that "od apparently finds no offen e in 'hat -gonistes does( be ause for t'o and a half thousand years he has 'alked the planet( performing 'hat he alls his holy art( and no harm has ome to him& #n fa t he has prospered& Some of the people 'ho 'ent under his knife( like Pontius Pilate( have a pla e in our ulture3s history& 7any are anonymous& $e has transformed potentates and gangsters( failed a tors and ar hite ts% 'omen 'ho3ve been heated by their husbands and ome seeking a ne' form to greet their adulterer in their marriage beds% s hool mistresses and perfumiers( dog)trainers and har oal burners& The mighty and the insignifi ant( the noble and the peasant& -s long as they are sin ere Suppli ants( and their prayers sound genuine( then -gonistes 'ill be attentive to them& 0ho is he( this -gonistes1 This artist( this 'anderer( this transformer of human flesh and bone1 #n truth( nobody really kno's& There is a hereti al volume in the 8ati an Library alled 3- Treatise on the 7adness of "od3( 'ritten by one Cardinal "aillema in the mid)seventeenth entury& #n it( "aillemia argues that the a ount of the Creation of the 'orld offered in the Book of "enesis is 'rong in several parti ulars( one of 'hi h is relevant here: on the seventh day( the Cardinal argued( "od did not rest& #nstead( driven into a kind of e stati fugue state by the labours of $is Creation( "od ontinued to 'ork& But the reations $e summoned up in $is e,hausted state 'ere not the 'holesome beasts 'ith 'hi h $e had populated /den& #n one day and one night( 'andering amongst the fresh glories of reation( $e summoned up forms that defied all the beauty of his early 'ork& 9estroyers and demons( these 'ere the antithesise the 'holesome forms that $e had made in the first si, days& +ne of the reatures 4ehovah reated( the Cardinal laims 'as -gonistes& That3s 'hy -gonistes an pray to $is !ather in $eaven( and e,pe t to be listened to& $e is))at least a ording to the Cardinal "aillema3s a ount))one of "od3s o'n reations& -nd there is no doubt that in his perverse 'ay -gonistes serves a fun tion& +ver the years( over the enturies( he has been the ans'er to ountless prayers for deliveran e from po'erlessness&

The 'ords may hange from prayer to prayer( but the meat of them is al'ays the same: :+ -gonistes( dark deliverer( make me in the image of my enemies3 nightmares& Let my flesh be the stuff from 'hi h you arve their terrors% let my skull be a bell 'hi h sounds their death)knell& "ive me a song to sing( 'hi h 'ill be the song of their despair( and let them 'ake and find me singing it at the bottom of their beds&: :2nmake me( unknit me( transform me&: :-nd if you annot do that for me( -gonistes( then let me be e, rement% let me be nothing% less than nothing&: :!or # 'ant to be the terror of my enemies( or # 'ant oblivion&: :The hoi e( Lord( is yours&: Book Two The -ssassin Transformed # The ity of Primordium 'as founded before any of the great ities of myth or history& #ndeed( it is a ording to many sour es( the first ity ever built& Before Troy( before ;ome( before 4erusalem( there 'as Primordium& 2ntil re ently it 'as ruled by a dynasty of /mperors( 'hose long tenure had steadily produ ed a apa ity for ruelty that 'ould have hallenged the 'orst e, esses of ;ome3s orrupted Caesars& The /mperor Perfetto <#& for instan e( 'ho ontrolled Primordium for si,teen years until the "reat #nsurre tion( 'as a man familiar 'ith every orruption of mind and spirit& $e lived in e, essive lu,ury( in a pala e he believed impregnable( aring little or nothing for the t'o and three 5uarter million people 'ho o upied Primordium& #n the end( that 'as his undoing& But 'e3ll ome to that& ## !irst( let me tell you about =arles >reiger( 'ho ame from the lo'est strata of the ity& -s a hild( it 'as ommon for him to eat at the 8omitorium( 'here)? as in an ient ;ome)?the ri h food disgorged by the 'ealthy and overfed ould be pur hased for a small amount of money( and onsumed a se ond time& #t 'as >reig r3s good fortune that su h a life of poverty did not kill him& By some physi al parado,( e,perien es that 'ould have redu ed most men to shado's of their former selves( served to strengthen =arles& By the time he 'as thirteen he 'as already larger than all his older brothers& -nd along 'ith his physi al pro'ess ame something else: a uriosity about ho' the infinitely orrupt ity in 'hi h he lived a tually 'orked& 0ithout understanding the trap in 'hi h he 'as aught( he reassured( he 'ould never be able to es ape from it&

-t the age of fourteen he be ame a runner for a gangster in the /ast City alled 9uraf Cas arellian( and 5ui kly elevated himself in the riminal3s employ( simply be ause he 'as 'illing to do anything re5uested of him& #n return( Cas arellian treated >eiger like a son% prote ting him from apture by sending men out after >reiger to lean up after one of his murders& >reiger 'as a messy killer& .ot for him the simple slit a ross the throat& $e liked to use s ythes( first disembo'elling his vi tims then strangling them 'ith their o'n entrails& .o' su h behaviour does not go unnoti ed for long( even in a ity as filled 'ith e, esses as Primordium& -nd >reig r3s reputation 'as in reased onsiderably by the fa t that the hits Cas arellian 'as having him make 'ere often politi al& 4udges( ongressmen( *ournalists 'ho 'ere riti al of the /mperor: these 'ere often >reiger3s vi tims& Personally( he ared not at all about the affiliation of his vi tims& Blood 'as blood as far as >reiger 'as on erned( and he took the same pleasure in it 'hether it poured from the flesh of a ;epubli an or a ;oyalist& Then he met a 'oman alled Lu idi5ue( and all that hanged& ### Lu idi5ue 'as the daughter of a Senator 'ho had been lately omplaining in open forum about the fa t that the ity 'as running into a state of de aden e& The Perfetto 9ynasty 'as using the people3s ta,es to fund its o'n pleasures( the Senator argued: it had to stop& The order 5ui kly ame do'n from the /mperor: rid me of this Senator& Cas ar llian( not giving a damn about the philosophi al issues( but happy to oblige his /mperor( sent >reiger out to kill the politi al troublemaker& >reiger 'ent to the Senator3s estate( aught him in the garden amongst his roses( gutted him and arried him inside& $e 'as in the a t of arranging the Senator3s body on the dinner table( 'hen Lu idi5ue entered& She 'as naked( having *ust ome from bathing& But she 'as also prepared for the intruder& She arried t'o knives& She ir led >reiger( an he stood amongst the blood and the innards of her father& :#f you move #3ll kill you(: she said& :0ith t'o table knives1: >reiger said( sli ing the air 'ith his s ythes& :"o ba k to your bath and forget # 'as here&: :This 'as my father you *ust murdered@: :Aes& # see the resemblan e&: :# 'ould have thought a man like you 'ould have thought t'i e about taking a knife to my father3s throat& $e 'anted to overthro' the /mpire so that you and your like 'ould not be e,ploited&: :7e and my like1 Aou don3t kno' anything about me&: :# an guess(: Lu idi5ue said& :Aou 'ere born in filth( and you3ve lived in filth so long you don3t even see 'hat3s going on right in front of you&:

>reiger3s e,pression hanged& :So perhaps you do kno' a little(: he said his voi e uneasy& The 'oman3s onfiden e unnerved him& :# 'ill leave you to mourn your father(: he said( retreating from the table& :0ait@: the 'oman said& :.ot so 5ui kly&: :0hat do you mean: 'ait1 # ould kill you in a heartbeat if # 'anted to&: :But you don3t 'ant to( or you 'ould have done it&: :0hat3s your name1: :Lu idi5ue&: :So then( 'hat do you 'ant from me1: :# 'ant you to ome 'ith me( into the filthiest streets of Primordium&: :Believe me( #3ve seen them&: :Then you sho' me&: #8 #t 'as the strangest 'alk a man and a 'oman ever took together& Though >reiger had 'ashed the Senator3s blood from his fa e( hands and arms he still stank of murder& -nd here he 'as( 'alking beside the daughter of the man he3d *ust murdered( 'rapped in dark linen& Together( they sa' the 'orst of Primordium: the disease( the violen e( and the grinding( unrelieved poverty& -nd every no' and then Lu idi5ue 'ould point to the 'alls and the to'ers of the /mperor3s 0inter Pala e( any one room of 'hi h ontained suffi ient 'ealth to lear the slums of the ity( and feed every starving hild& -nd for the first time in many( many years >reiger felt some measure of real emotion( remembering ir umstan es of his o'n up)bringing( left to sit in the open se'ers of Primordium3s streets 'hile his mother sold her drug)riddled body to one of the guards of the /mperor3s guards& There 'as anger in him as he 'alked& -nd it steadily gre'& :0hat do you 'ant me to do1: he said( frustrated by 'hat he felt( and his o'n helplessness& :# ould never get to the /mperor&: :9on3t be so sure&: :0hat do you mean1: :Aou3re right( the 9ynasty is untou hable as long as you3re *ust a man% a s abby little assassin hired to kill over'eight Senators& But suppose you ould be more than that1 Then you ould bring the 9ynasty do'n&: :$o'1: Lu idi5ue gave >reiger a side'ays glan e& :#t3s nothing # an sho' you here& Besides( # have a father to bury& #f you 'ant to kno' more( then meet me tomorro' night outside the 0estern "ates& Come alone&: :#f this is some kind of trap&&&: >reiger said( :&&&some 'ay to revenge your father&&&then before they take me #3ll ut out your eyes&: Lu idi5ue smiled& :Aou make su h pretty love)talk(: she said& :# mean it&: :# kno'& -nd # 'ouldn3t be so stupid as to onspire against you& Buite the reverse& # believe 'e 'ere meant to kno' one another& # 'as meant to 'alk in on

your killing my father( and you 'ere meant to hold your hand off and not kill me& There3s some onne tion bet'een us& Aou feel it( don3t you1: >reiger looked at the dirty street bet'een them& The night had been filled 'ith feelings he had not anti ipated e,perien ing& -nd no' here 'as another% admitting to the strange intima y he felt for the daughter of the man he3d murdered& :Aes(: he said& :# feel it&: Then( after a long silen e: :0hat time tomorro' night1: :Sometime after one&: Lu idi5ue told him& :#3ll be there&: 8 The follo'ing day the streets of Primordium 'ere alive 'ith gossip and spe ulation: the death of the Senator had started all kinds of rumours& 0as this murder the first indi ation that the /mperor 'ould put up 'ith no more moves to'ards demo ra y in the ity1 Believing this to be the ase many members of the Senate left Primordium hurriedly( in ase they 'ere ne,t on the /mperor3s hit list& There 'as a general sense of unrest( every'here& -nd in >reiger( a profound sense of anti ipation& $e had barely slept( thinking of 'hat had happened the night before& .o( not *ust the night before& Thinking about his life: 'here it had led him so far( and 'here)?if Lu idi5ue3s promise 'ere a true one)?it 'ould go after this& /very no' and then he3d glan e to'ards the 'alls of the pala e C'hi h had t'i e as many guards patrolling them today as yesterdayD and 'onder to himself 'hat she had meant about finding a 'ay for one man to bring do'n a 9ynasty1 8# -t one o3 lo k in the morning( a mile outside the 0est "ate of Primordium( he sat on a stone and he 'aited& -t nine minutes past one( a pair of horses approa hed Cnot from the ity( from 'hi h dire tion >reiger had e,pe ted her to ome( but from the 9esert( 'hi h lay( vast and largely un harted( out to the 0est and South)0est of the ity&D They dre' nearer( and dismounted& :>reiger&&&: :Aes1: :# 'ant you to meet -gonistes&: >reiger had heard rumours about this man -gonistes& #t 'as the kind of story that 'as e, hanged bet'een assassins( more of a legend than a reality& But here he 'as& -s real as the 'oman 'ho3d brought him& :# hear you 'ant to make Primordium a ;epubli (: -gonistes said& :Single) handed&: :She persuaded me it 'as possible(: >reiger replied& :But&&&# don3t believe it is&:

:Aou should have more faith( >reiger& # an make you the terror of /mperors( if you 'ant it badly enough& #t3s up to you& 7ake up your mind 5ui kly( for # have better business else'here tonight if you don3t re5uire my servi es& # an hear a hundred prayers pouring out of Primordium at this very moment% people 'anting me to give them the po'er to hange their 'orld&: Lu idi5ue put her hand up to >reiger3s fa e& :.o' the moment3s here( # see you don3t 'ant it(: she said& :Aou3re afraid&: :#3m not afraid@: >reiger said& $e thought of his mother( dead of the po,( of his brothers killed in the street as hildren by noblemen passing on horses( of his sister( in the asylum( never to be sane again& :Take me(: he said& :Aou3re sure1: -gonistes asked him& :;emember( there3s no 'ay ba k&: :# don3t 'ant to go ba k& Take me& Change me&: $e glan ed at Lu idi5ue& She 'as smiling& :Take the horses(: -gonistes told her& :0e 'on3t need them&: So together( >reiger and -gonistes turned round and headed into the desert& 8## The ne,t day Lu idi5ue buried her father& The rumours 5uietened do'n a little in the ity( but there 'as still an under urrent( subtle but pervasive: Primordium 'as in a very volatile state% like an e,plosive( 'hi h might be set off 'ith a *olt& /ight nights after -gonistes had taken >reiger out into the desert( Lu idi5ue)?'hose father3s house lay lose to the pala e)?'oke to the sounds of s reams& She got up( and 'ent to the 'indo'& There 'ere lights burning in all the pala e 'indo's& The gates 'ere flung 'ide& "uards 'ere running around in onfusion& She dressed( anonymously( and 'ent do'n into the streets& The din had 'oken the ity% and though the /mperor3s guards 'ere riding ba k and forth( attempting to enfor e an on)the)spot urfe'( nobody 'as attending to them& Lu idi5ue 'ent into the pala e& The s reams had died do'n no'% to be repla ed by half)'hispered prayers& But it didn3t take her very long to dis over 'hat the reature 'ho had on e been =arles >reiger had 'rought& There 'as death on every side& -nd his slaughter had been indis riminate: men and 'omen( yes% but also their hildren( their babies% their unborn babies& The Perfetto /mpire eased to rule Primordium that night& There 'ere none left alive to do so& >reiger had killed them all& -s Lu idi5ue stood in the "reat $all of the Pala e( in a pool of blood that rea hed to the 'alls( she aught a refle tion& She looked up& There he 'as& >reiger( remade& T$/ SCAT$/)7/#ST/;& There 'as almost nothing left of the man she3d kno'n: -gonistes3 handi'ork has

transformed the humble assassin into something that 'ould haunt the nightmares( and the streets( of Primordium( for many years to ome& $e approa hed her& She 'ondered if this 'as her last moment% if he intended to kill her as effi iently as he3d dispat hed all the rest& But no& $e simply leaned do'n and 'hispered in her ear: :&&&you annot imagine&&&: Then he left the arnage behind him( and 'andered out into the night( pausing only to 'ash his blades in one of the many fountains in the ourtyards& Book Three The -venger # =arles >reiger 'as human on e& -n assassin 'orking for the gangster 9uarf Cas arellian( >reiger 'as a man 'ho 'ould do anything for a pri e& But there are some tasks that have an unforeseen pri e( and this proved to be one of them& Caught red)handed by the Senator3s daughter( the e,5uisite Lu idi5ue( >reiger 'as persuaded that he in his turn had been a vi tim& The rulers of the ity in 'hi h they all lived?)the vast( degenerate ity)state of Primordium?)'ere the truly guilty souls% and until the dynasty 'as brought do'n life 'ould ontinue to be a bloody onfusion in 'hi h men like >reiger a ted like rabid animals and 'omen like Lu idi5ue lost their loved ones& #t had to stop& -nd Lu idi5ue kne' ho'& She persuaded >reiger to put himself into the hands of an an ient entity alled -gonistes( 'ho 'ould traumati ally re onfigure him& $e did as Lu idi5ue suggested( and after eight days and nights out in the desert( he returned to Primordium as The S ythe)7eister: a po'erful engine of destru tion( 'ho in a matter of hours brought the Perfetto 9ynasty to a lose& Before disappearing into the desert( he had three 'ords for Lu idi5ue( three teasing 'ords: :&&&you annot imagine&&&: ## They alled that night)?the night the /mperor and his family 'ere murdered)?the "reat #nsurre tion& #n its 'ake( a host of minor insurre tions took pla e( as old enmities erupted& Po'erful figures 'ho3d used the de adent reign of the /mperor Perfetto as a over for their orruptions)?*udges( bishops( members of the lergy( guild and union leaders)?found themselves unprote ted( and fa e to fa e 'ith the people they3d e,ploited& /ven those amongst the riminal lasses 'ho had private armies to prote t them against this very eventuality 'ere fearful no'& Take( for e,ample( 9uarf Cas arellian& $e 'asn3t by any means a stupid man& The fa t that his assassin( =arles >reiger( had disappeared the night of the #nsurre tion made him highly suspi ious that >reiger3s fate 'as tied in 'ith the

almost supernatural fall of the /mperor& #ndeed one of Cas arellian3s spies( 'ho had been a guard at the pala e the night of the slaughter( had seen the reature everyone alled The S ythe)7eister 'ashing his 'eapons in one of the Pala e3s many fountains& The informant had es aped the massa re 'ithout harm oming to him( and reported that unlikely as it seemed the semi)mythi al figure of The S ythe)7eister bore a subtle but undeniable resemblan e to =arles >reiger& 0as it possible( Cas arellian 'ondered( that the missing assassin and The S ythe)7eister 'ere someho' the same person1 $ad some in omprehensible sea) hange been 'orked upon >reiger( turning him into this unstoppable avenger1 -nd if so( 'hat part did Lu idi5ue)?'ho had been seen in a brief e, hange 'ith The S ythe)7eister))play in the pro ess1 ### Cas arellian did not sleep 'ell any longer& $e had nightmares in 'hi h The S ythe)7eister broke do'n his doors( as it had broken do'n the doors of the /mperor3s Pala e( killing his lieutenants( as it had slaughtered the pala e guards( and finally ome to the foot of his bed))as the killer had ome to the /mperor3s bed( pulling him from limb to limb& $e de ided the best 'ay to prote t himself from this unkno'able for e 'as through Lu idi5ue& $e sent three of his sons out to take had the Senator3s daughter aptive( ordering them to do as little as possible to arouse her 'rath& #n his heart Cthough he 'ould never have admitted this to anyone( not even his priestD he 'as a little afraid of Lu idi5ue& She needed to be treated 'ith more respe t than he 'as used to proffering 'omen& 2nfortunately( his offspring 'eren3t as smart as he 'as& Though they3d been told to respe t their aptive( they took the first opportunity to test the limits of their father3s patien e& Lu idi5ue 'as taunted( abused( humiliated& .o doubt 'orse 'ould have ome her 'ay had +ld 7an Cas arellian not returned from his day of business early( interrupting his sons3 taunting of the 'oman& Lu idi5ue instantly demanded to kno' 'hy she 'as being held& #f Cas arellian intended to kill her( 'hy the hell didn3t he get on 'ith it1 She 'as si k and tired( she told him& +f him( of his sons( of life itself& She3d seen too mu h blood& :Aou 'ere at the Pala e( 'eren3t you1 The .ight of the "reat #nsurre tion1: :Aes& # 'as there&: :Aou have something to 'ith this reature: this S ythe)7eister1: :7y business( Cas arellian&: :# ould give you to my sons for half an hour& They3d have it out of you@: :Aour sons don3t intimidate me& -nd neither do you&: :# don3t 'ish to make you un omfortable& Aou3re here under my prote tion% that3s all& 9o you kno' 'hat it3s like out there on our streets1 Pandemonium@ The ity is oming apart at the seams@: :9o you think holding me here is going to prote t you from 'hat3s oming your 'ay1: Lu idi5ue said&

- look of superstitious fear rossed Cas arellian3s fa e& :0hat3s oming my 'ay1: he said& :Aou kno' something about the future1: :.o&: Lu idi5ue said 'earily& :#3m not a prophet& # don3t kno' 'hat3s going to happen to you and frankly # don3t are& #f the 'orld ends tomorro'( # don3t think you3ll be *udged very kindly( but)?: she shrugged( :))'hy should # are1 # 'on3t be there to see you suffer in $ell&: Cas arellian had gro'n pale and lammy 'hile Lu idi5ue spoke& She only half)kne' 'hat she 'as doing to him( but she took a ertain pleasure in it& This 'as the man 'ho3d orphaned her% 'hy not en*oy his superstitious fear1 :Aou think #3m a stupid man1: he said& :To be afraid the 'ay you3re afraid no'1 Aes& # think that3s pitiful&: :# don3t 'ant your ontempt&: Cas arellian said( 'ith a strange sin erity& :# have enough enemies&: :Then don3t make one of me&: Lu idi5ue said& :Let me go& Let me see the sky@: :#3ll take you out( if that3s 'hat you 'ant&: :Aou 'ill1: :Aes& 0e3ll go 'herever you like&: :# 'ant to go out into the desert& -'ay from the ity&: :;eally1 0hy1: :# told you& # 'ant to see the sky&&&: #8 The ne,t day( a onvoy of three ars 'ound through the haoti streets of Primorduim and headed for the 0est "ate& #n the first ar( t'o of Cas arellian3s best men))loyal bodyguards 'ho3d seen him through many attempts upon his life& #n the ba k ar( the three brothers( 'ondering aloud Cas they in reasingly did these daysD if a kind of luna y had overtaken their father& 0hy 'as he indulging this 'oman Lu idi5ue in her 'hims1 9idn3t he understand that she had every reason to hate him( to plot against him1 #n the middle ar( hauffeured by 7arius( Cas arellian3s driver for three de ades( sat the 9on himself( a ompanied by Lu idi5ue& :Satisfied1: he said to her( on e they 'ere outside the gates( and in sight of the open sky& :- little further( please&&&: she said& :9on3t think you an fool me( 'oman& Aou may be leverer than most of your se,( but you 'on3t es ape me( if that3s your thought@: They drove on in silen e for a distan e& :# think 'e3ve ome far enough& -nd you3ve seen enough of the sky for one day@: :Can3t # *ust get out and 'alk1: :0alking no'( is it1: :Please& There3s no harm in that surely1 Look&&&open ground in every dire tion&:

Cas arellian onsidered this for a moment& Then he alled the onvoy to a halt& - dust storm 'as on the hori6on( slo'ly approa hing the road& :Aou3d better be 5ui k@: the 9on told her& Lu idi5ue 'at hed the approa hing 'all of sand( then glan ed round at the men 'ho 'ere getting out of the ars% parti ularly the brothers& They smiled slyly as they eyed her& +ne of them fli ked his tongue bet'een his lips( the obs ene inferen e plain& #t 'as the last stra'& Lu idi5ue turned her ba k on him))on them all))and began to 'alk to'ards the sand)storm& - horus of 'arnings instantly erupted behind her& :9on3t take another step@: one of the brothers said( :+r #3ll shoot you@: She turned to him( her arms opened 'ide& :So shoot@ she said& Then she turned again and strode on& :Come ba k here( 'oman@: the 9on yelled& :There3s nothing out there but sand&: The 'ind from the storm 'as 'hipping up Lu idi5ue3s hair no'& #t 'as like a dark halo around her head& :9o you hear me1: the 9on alled after her& Lu idi5ue looked over her shoulder& :Come 'alk 'ith me(: she said to him& The old man dre' hard on his igar( and then 'ent after the 'oman& $is sons set up a horus of omplaint: 'hat 'as he doing1 0as he out of his mind1 $e ignored them& $e simply follo'ed in Lu idi5ue3s footsteps a ross the sand& She glan ed over her shoulder at the old man( 'ho 'ore a urious e,pression& #n some strange 'ay he 'as happy at that moment% happier than he3d been in many years( 'ith the 'ind hot against his fa e( and the beautiful 'oman alling to him to ome 'ith her)? Seeing that he 'as obeying her( she returned her ga6e to the sandstorm( 'hi h 'as no' no more than a hundred yards off& There 'as something moving at its heart& She 'as not surprised& Though she hadn3t planned the reunion that lay ahead she had nevertheless kno'n in her heart that it 'as oming& $er life sin e she3d stepped into her father3s death) hamber( and seen >reiger at 'ork( had been like a strange dream( 'hi h she 'as someho' shaping 'ithout ons ious effort& She stopped 'alking& Cas arellian had aught up 'ith her and sei6ed her arm& $e had a knife in the other hand& $e pressed it to her breast& :So that3s 'here he is@: said Cas arellian staring at the dark giant in the heart of the storm& :Aour S ythe)7eister&: -s he spoke( the sandstorm pi ked up a sudden spurt of speed and ame at them)) :9on3t ome any loser@: the 9on 'arned the reature in the storm& :#3ll kill her&: $e pressed the knife into Lu idi5ue3s skin( *ust enough to dra' blood&

:Tell him to keep his distan e(: he 'arned& :#t isn3t >reiger& #t3s a man alled -gonistes& $e has "od3s finger)prints upon him&: The heresy of this made Cas arellian3s devoted stoma h turn& :9on3t talk that 'ay@: he said( and 'ith a sudden spurt of righteousness he drove the knife into her heart& She rea hed out( and tou hed the 'ound( then 'ith her finger bloody gra6ed his forehead& - death mark& Cas arellian let the body drop to the ground and ordered a 5ui k retreat to the ars before the storm rea hed them& This grim business 'asn3t finished( *ust be ause she 'as dead& $e kne' that& #t 'as *ust beginning& $e turned the house into a fortress& $e had the 'indo's sealed( and blessed 'ith holy 'ater& $e bri ked up the himneys& $e had guards and dogs patrolling the pla e night and day& -fter a 'eek he began to believe that perhaps his faith and his gifts of money to the dio ese( buying ongregations praying for his safety( 'ere having some effe t& $e started to rela,& Then( on the afternoon of the eighth day( a 'ind ame out of the 0est: a sandy 'ind& #t hissed at the sealed doors and the 'indo's& #t 'hined beneath the floorboards& The old man took t'o tran5uili6ers and a glass of 'ine( and 'ent to sit in his bath& - pleasant torpor over ame him as he sat in the 'arm 'ater& $is eyes fluttered losed& -nd then her voi e& Someho' she3d got in& She3d survived the knife to her heart and she3d got in& :Look at you(: she said& :.aked as a baby&: $e grabbed his to'el to over himself( but as he did so she stepped out of the shado's and sho'ed herself to him( in all her terrible glory& She 'as not the Lu idi5ue he3d kno'n% not remotely& $er 'hole body 'as transformed& She3d be ome a living 'eapon& :+h 4esus help me&&&: he murmured& She rea hed for'ard and she astrated him 'ith one s'eep of her s ythe& $e lamped his bloody hands to his empty groin and stumbled out to the landing( alling for help& But the house 'as silent from roof to ellar& $e alled his sons3 names( one by one& .one ame& +nly his old dog 7alleus ans'ered his all( and 'hen he trotted through from the kit hen he left red pa')marks on the 'hite arpet& $e 'as eating something human& :-ll dead&: Lu idi5ue said& Then( very gently( she took hold of the ba k of Cas arellian3s ne k( the 'ay a mother) at at hes hold of an errant kitten( and lifted him up( effortlessly& The blood from his va ant groin slapped against the arpet& She put her blade to his hest and ut out his heart& Then she let his body tumble ba k do'n the stairs&

Later( 'hen the 'ind had dropped( and she ould see the stars learly( she 'ent out into the street( leaving the door to the Cas arellian mansion 'ide open so that atro ity there should be soon dis overed& Then she headed out( through a variety of ba k streets and alleys( to the 0est "ate( and then e into the 'aiting desert& Book Four The Surgeon of the Sa red $eart # 0ith the /mperor and his family dead at the hand of The S ythe)7eister( and the head 9on of Primordium( 9uraf Cas arellian( slaughtered by Lu idi5ue Calong 'ith most of his sons and bodyguardsD an uneasy pea e had settled on the ity& The minor bra'ls and battles that had erupted after the "reat #nsurre tion 5uietened do'n& #t 'as as though nobody 'anted to dra' attention to themselves% not 'ith so many murderous for es abroad in the ity3s streets& The 7ilitary *unta that had taken harge of the running of the ity during this risis 'as headed by a triumvirate of "enerals: Bogoto( 2rbano and 7ontefal o& They 'ere no better nor 'orse than any of their type: men 'ho3d risen to the top of their belligerent trade by sho'ing the greatest propensity for ruelty and ontrol& But beneath the institutionali6ed sadism and their mani apa ity for violen e( t'o 5ualities long hidden in the hearts of the three "enerals( there also lay 5ualities that they 'ould have been ashamed to onfess they possessed& +ne( a si kly sentimentality Cfo used upon their mothers in the ases of "enerals Bogoto and 2rbano( and upon girls of si, or seven in the ase of 7ontefal oD& Se ond( a startling apa ity for superstition& #t 'ent undis ussed( but they ea h kne' the other 'as tou hed by a profound fear of the un anny& -nd there 'as no ity presently more inundated in unholy matters than Primordium& ;umour 'as rife here% and its sub*e t 'as seldom rational& The stories that 'ere passed around the soldiers3 ampfires Cand sooner or later rea hed the "enerals3 earsD 'ere of unnatural horrors: things that defied reason& Tales of monsters that had been bred from the loins of the S ythe)7eister% of the vengeful ghosts of hildren% of su ubi( their se,ual attributes dis ussed in lammy( but arousing detail& +ne night( after some very heavy drinking( the three men vented their fears& :#t is my belief(: 2rbano said( :that this damned ity is haunted&: The other t'o men nodded grimly& :0hat do you suggest 'e do about it1: Bogoto asked& #t 'as 7ontefal o 'ho replied& :0ell( for a start&&&if # had my druthers #3d burn the illegal immigrant 5uarter to the ground& #t3s they 'ho engage in most of these unholy goings)on&:

:But the 'ork)for e&&&: Bogoto said& :0ho3d empty our shit ans1 0ho3d bury the lepers1: 7ontefal o had to on ede the point& :-t least 'e ould target any element 'e suspe t of inter ourse 'ith demoni for es&: :"ood& "ood&: said 2rbano& :8igilan e&: :-nd punishment(: 7ontefal o 'ent on& :S'ift( dra onian measures)?: :Publi e,e utions&: :Aes@: :Burnings1: :.o( too theatri al& Shootings are lean and fast& -nd they don3t smell&: :That bothers you1: said Bogoto& 7ontefal o shuddered& :# loathe the smell of burning bodies(: he said& ## 0hile the "enerals debated the relative merits of this kind of e,e ution or that( Lu idi5ue 'as sleeping))or attempting to sleep))in the house 'hi h her father had built many years ago for her mother& $er slumbers 'ere uneasy& So many memories& So many regrets& +ften in earlier( simpler times( 'hen sleep eluded her( she 'ould go out 'alking& .o'( of ourse( she ould not go by day& The transformation of her body that had been 'rought by -gonistes had resulted in a physi5ue 'hi h 'as strong( supple and po'erful( but 'hi h terrified many 'ho laid eyes on her& 0hen she did go out))even in the bla kest night))she did her best to keep to the 5uiet ba k)alleys of Primordium 'here she 'ould not be seen& Tonight( having given up on sleep( she 'ent 'andering in these alleys( and be ame a'are that she 'as being follo'ed& -fter a little distan e she sensed the rhythm of the step( and reali6ed that she kne' 'ho her pursuer 'as& #t 'as =arles >reiger( the assassin turned S ythe)7eister& She stopped( and turned& The S ythe)7eister 'as standing a little distan e from her& $is flesh had the same si kly lumines en e that hers did% a ba terial brightness that 'as part of -gonistes3 handi'ork& The ra'er the 'ounds Cand there 'ere parts of both their transformed bodies that 'ere designed to never healD the brighter the lumines en e 'ith 'hi h they burned& :# thought you3d left the ity(: she said to him& :# did& !or a 'hile& # 'ent out into the desert& 7editated on my hanged state&: :-nd did you learn anything from your meditations1: >reiger shook his head& :So you ame ba k1: :So # ame ba k&:

### - fe' days after the three "enerals had e, hanged their fears about the presen e of unsa red po'ers in Primordium( 7ontefal o brought them together again for a midnight *ourney& :0here are 'e going1: :There3s a man alled 9o tor T-L#S-C 'ho has been ondu ting e,periments on my behalf for several years no'&: :0hat kind of e,periments1: 2rbano 'anted to kno'& :# hoped he 'ould perfe t me a soldier& 7ake a fighting ma hine that 'as not sus eptible to fear&: :$as he su eeded1: :.o& .ot so far& .or do # have great hope for him no'& $e3s addi ted to many of his o'n medi ations( and&&&'ell( you3ll see for yourself& But there 'as one failure of his 'hi h might be useful to us no'&: :- useful failure1: Bogoto said( some'hat amused by the parado,& :0e need a reature that 'ill drive the unholy elements out of Primordium& # believe he has su h a reature&: :-h&&&: said 2rbano& :So 'ill you see this reature 'ith me1: :0here is he1: :# have him hidden a'ay in 'hat used to be the $ospi e of the Sa red $eart( on 9reyfus $ill&: :# thought the pla e 'as empty&: :That3s the impression # intended to give the 'orld& #f anybody ventures in there # have them killed and thro'n in the anal&: :#s that 'hat happened to the nuns1: 7ontefal o smiled& :.othing so humane( #3m afraid(: he said& :Soldiers an be brutish if left to their o'n devi es&: The sub*e t 'as left there( and the three headed up to'ards 9reyfus $ill& #8 =arles >reiger stret hed out naked on Lu idi5ue3s bed& She looked at him admiringly: at the plethora of s ars% at the intri ate 'ay the ma hinations of his flesh had been bound to -gonistes3 o'n reations& Silver bonded 'ith bone and nerve% gold and bron6e the same& She limbed on top of him& -r s of ele tri ity leapt bet'een them: nipple to nipple( eye to eye& 0hat a time this 'as@( she thought& $ere she 'as mating 'ith the man 'ho had taken her father3s life& #n a sense there 'as something even more taboo about their intima y& They 'ere both the offspring of the same father& Both -gonistes3 hildren& :# 'onder if he3d approve1: Lu idi5ue said& :Aou mean -gonistes1: :Aes&:

>reiger didn3t speak& #t 'as Lu idi5ue 'ho reali6ed 'hat her lover3s referen e to -gonistes implied& :Aou sa' him in the desert1: :Aes&: :-nd he sent you ba k here1: :Aes&: :To find me1: :To be 'ith you& $e said you 'ere the only thing that 'ould make me happy&: 8 The $ospi e of the Sa red $eart 'as an enormous edifi e( its upper floors in darkness& But the "enerals didn3t have to 'ait long for a guide& -fter a fe' minutes a female d'arf))'ho introdu ed herself as Camille)) ame 'ith andles& She es orted the uniformed trio through the e hoing loisters C'hi h 'ere heaped 'ith huge mounds of dirtD and do'n t'o flights of steep stairs into 9o tor Talisa 3s laboratory& $is 'orkspa e had been dug out of the earth so as to a ommodate the s ale of the 9o tor3s e,perimentation and still preserve the se re y of his lo ation& #n pla e of tile there 'as hard trodden earth beneath the "enerals3 boots( and the 'alls 'ere beaten dirt& The pla e stank of old earth: 'hi h served to omplete the s ene& !or if the sten h 'as that of the grave( so 'ere many of the sights before them& The dead 'ere Talisa 3s ra' materials( and they lay every'here around( in various states of amputation& $e 'as an une onomi onsumer& #n many ases the orpses 'ere la king only a limb( or a portion of a limb% an eye( in one ase( lips in another& :So 'here is he1: 2rbano demanded to kno'& Camille pointed the 'ay over a arpet of orpses to a dank orner of the immense hamber( 'here Talisa a'aited them& $e looked( to the "enerals3 astonished eyes( like one of his o'n vi tims% a terrible( implausible e,periment in the e,tremes to 'hi h a human ar ass might be put& $e hung by his mouth from a devi e 'hose purpose 'as beyond the "enerals3 omprehension( his mouth hooked up( as though he 'ere a fish& #n his perversity( or his genius( or both( he had reated some kind of e,ternal 'omb for himself& - semi)translu ent bag hung from the lo'er portion of his abdomen( do'n bet'een his spidery legs& There 'as life inside& :- 7ongroid(: Camille 'hispered& 7ontefal o took his eyes off the foul sight of the 'omb and its t'it hing ontents( and addressed its o'ner& :Talisa 1: he said& :0e need something from you&: Talisa turned his fluttering eyes in 7ontefal o3s dire tion& 0hen he spoke the maimed form of his mouth meant that 'hat he said 'as virtually in omprehensible& #t took Camille to translate it& :$e says: 0hat1 0hat do you need1:

:0e need a fiend to put fear into the heart of the 9evil himself&: 7ontefal o said& :- beast amongst beasts& Something to s our the ity of its monsters by being still more monstrous&: Talisa made a strange sound))'hi h might have been laughter% shaking as he hung from his hooks& The reature in his 'omb responded to its parent3s movement by spasming& :$o' the hell did he ome by that thing1: Bogoto murmured to 2rbano behind his hand& :9on3t 'hisper(: Camille snapped& :$e hates it&: :$e 'as 'ondering ho' Talisa got himself pregnant1: 2rbano said& This time Talisa pressed his lips into servi e( in order that he ans'er for himself& The reply 'as a single 'ord: :S ien e&: he said& :;eally1: 2rbano said( suffi iently reassured to step over some of the mutilated bodies to e,amine Talisa more losely& :0ell #3m pleased to hear that& # 'ould have been distressed if there3s been some se,ual impropriety here&: -gain( Talisa laughed( though none of the "enerals 'ere in the mood to see the humour of the situation& $is laughter spent( he spoke again& This time Camille3s servi es as a translator 'ere re5uired& :$e has a golem he thinks 'ould suit your purposes very 'ell(: the d'arf said& :$e only asks one thing in return&&&: :-nd 'hat3s that1: 7ontefal o said& :That you shouldn3t attempt to hurt any of his hildren&: :7eaning that1: 7ontefal o said( nodding to'ards the t'it hing 'omb& :/s&: said Talisa & :#s my ur hile&: :0hat did he say1: 2rbano said to Camille& :$e said it 'as his hild(: Camille replied& 7ontefal o shrugged& :.o harm 'ill ome of this 7ongroid( if 'e are given a fiend of our o'n&: 7ontefal o said& :# 'ill personally guarantee that&: :"ood&: said Camille& Then( 'ithout Talisa speaking again( she added: :$e 'ould prefer if you did not ome here again together& +nly "eneral 7ontefal o&: :Aou3ll get no argument from me on that a ount&: Bogoto said( 'aving the horror a'ay as he retreated& :#f he gives us our monster( then he an give birth to a thousand little brats as far as #3m on erned& 4ust keep them the hell a'ay from me&: 8# Lu idi5ue lay on the blood and s'eat stained bed beside her lover( and 'at hed the moon through the 'indo'& :This an3t last for long( you kno'& This thing bet'een us&: :0hy not1: :!or t'o su h as us to find some happiness together1: she said& :#t3s against nature& Aou killed my father& # should hate you&:

:-nd you put me through hell at -gonistes3 hands& # should hate you&: :0hat a pair 'e make&: :7aybe 'e should go ba k out into the desert&: >reiger said( :0e3d be safer there&: Lu idi5ue laughed& :Listen to you& Safer@ #sn3t the 'orld supposed to be afraid of us1 .ot the other 'ay round&: :# *ust 'ant to hold on to this&&&hope that # feel&: Lu idi5ue rea hed a ross the bed and ran her blade along >reiger3s arm& :0e an3t leave Primordium(: she said& :0hy not1 #t3s going up in flames( sooner or later& Let it burn&: :But love( 'e started the fire( you and me& 0e should stay and 'at h it to the end&: >reiger nodded& :#f that3s 'hat you 'ant&: :#t3s the 'ay things have to end& :/nd1 0hy do you say that1: :$ush( love& #t3ll be better this 'ay( you3ll see&: She leaned over and kissed him& :9o it for me&: :That3s as good a reason as any # ever heard(: >reiger said& :So you3ll stay1: :#3ll stay&: Book Five The $aunter of Primordium # $aving made the arrangement 'ith Talisa to provide them 'ith a reature( the three "enerals))Bogoto( 2rbano and 7ontefalio))returned to 7ilitary $ead5uarters and 'aited& Bogoto 'as the most an,ious of the three& $e3d seen his share of battle s enes% bodies blo'n to pie es( the stink of burning hair and bone in the air: but the grotes5ueries of Talisa 3s laboratory had left him si kened and nervous& $e de ided to do 'hat he often did 'hen his life be ame diffi ult: he drove a ross the ity in the night to seek the omfort of a 'oman alled "reta Sabatier( a reader of fortunes& Though he 'ould have been appalled if he3d thought any of his fello' "enerals kne' it( Sabatier3s advi e had been behind mu h of 'hat Bogoto had done over the years: 'ho he3d favoured amongst his subordinates( and 'ho he3d demoted% even( on o asion( ho' he3d run some of his military ampaigns& -nd as events in Primordium had steadily be ome more ra6ed( Bogoto had ome to rely more and more upon Sabatier3s 'isdom& $er ards( he had ome to believe( arried vital lues to his fate& #n a 'orld 'here madness 'as onstantly in the air( and nothing and no one ould be trusted( it made a parado,i al sense to seek illumination from a 'oman 'ho read the future from a pa k of dirty ards& :Aou3ve seen somebody po'erful(: "reta told him that night( tapping one of the ards she3d *ust turned over& :# an3t tell if it3s a man&&&or a 'oman&:

Bogoto pi tured Talisa ( hanging up from his hooks( 'ith that vile 'omb of his hanging do'n bet'een his legs& Sabatier 'as studying his fa e& :Aou kno' this person #3m talking about1: Bogoto nodded& :0ell then you don3t need any 'arning from me& $e( or she))'hi h is it1: :#t3s a man&: :0ell he has friends&&&allies&&&it3s hard to be sure e,a tly 'ho or 'hat they are&&&the ards are very ambiguous& But there3s harm from this sour e( 'hatever it is&: :$arm to me1: :$arm to the 'orld&: :$uh&: :That matters less to you( yes1: :+f ourse& 9o you think # should onsider leaving the ity1: :0ell&&&you3re a military man& #t3s not the first time #3ve seen death in your ards( "eneral&: This 'as the first time "reta had ever made mention of the "eneral3s profession& 0hether she kne' it from the ards or from the broadsheets in 'hi h he 'as regularly eulogi6ed 'as anybody3s guess& :But # don3t think # ever sa' it so near to you(: she 'ent on( looking at the ards& :# see&: :So yes( # think you should onsider leaving& -t least until this unsettled period is over astronomi ally&: :So it3s not *ust the ards( it3s the stars too1: :They3re all refle tions of one another: ards( stars( palms& #t3s the same story 'herever you look& She sorted through the ards as she spoke( and no' dropped one do'n on the table in front of "eneral Bogoto& #t 'as alled The To'er( and it represented))in a simplified( even rude( form( a to'er stru k by lightning& #ts upper half 'as erupting( raining do'n rubble( and bodies% the lo'er half 'as ra ked and ready to topple& :This is Primordium1: Bogoto said& :#t3s the ity3s future(: "reta replied( nodding& :+r at least one of them&: :So 'ill you be leaving too1: Bogoto said( thinking to at h the 'oman out& "reta 'as as old as the anti5uated table she read her ards upon and her legs 'ere a good deal less reliable& She3d never leave Primordium% or so he thought& :Aes( #3m leaving& This 'ill be the last time you see me( "eneral( unless you should ome to Caly,&: :Aou3re moving to Caly,1: :Tomorro'& Before things get any 'orse&:

## The house on 9iamanda Street( 'hi h had on e belonged to the murdered Senator( had gathered itself 5uite a reputation of late& There 'ere lovers there( it 'as rumoured% several of them& .ight and day( passers by heard the sound of lovemaking: the sighs( the sobs( the irresistible demands& The houses nearby 'ere all virtually deserted( their o'ners having fled Primordium for safer ities% or better still( for the ountry& Life on a pig)farm might be boring( but at least it had a han e of being long& .evertheless people ame to 9iamanda Street of late( simply to hear the noise of pleasure out of the lamp)lit home& .o( not *ust to hear& There 'as a feeling about the pla e( 'hi h got under people3s skin& The energy seeping out from open 'indo's( 'as enough to make the fireflies assemble in their many tens of thousands ea h dusk and des ribe elaborate arabes5ues in their pursuit of one another( the air so thi k 'ith their passion( and their light so insistent( that the house 'as festooned 'ith their flight paths( 'hi h lingered long after the deed 'as done and the inse ts lay e,hausted and e,tinguished in the long grass& Sometimes the human voyeurs( 'ho lingered in the shado's of the nearby houses( hoping to at h a glimpse of the lovers( 'ere granted 'hat they 'ere here to see& -s the strange for e of the lover3s din suggested( they 'ere not natural reatures( not by any means& They seemed to be hybrids% one third human( one third metalli ( one third the no man3s land bet'een flesh and devi es made to strip it and slash it and s our it& They bled as they rose from their nuptial sheets% but smiled( kissing one another3s 'ounds as though they 'ere in onse5uential( as though these flaps and sores and gougings 'ere proof of devotion& 0ord got round( 5ui kly enough& #t didn3t take long for the "eneral 7ontefal o to hear about the house on 9iamanda Street( and the reputation it had got for itself& $e 'ent to the lo ation( late one night& Things 'ere in full s'ing: the air filled 'ith 'eaving lights( the houses moaning and shaking& Then shrieks of terrible *oy out of the fire)lit interior( and shado's on the blinds( moving from room to room as the momentum of the lovers3 passion arried them around the house& 7ontefal o had never seen( heard or felt anything like it before& - 'ave of something like superstition passed through his body( 'eakening his bo'els and making his hair( 'hi h 'as a 5uarter in h from 'ido'3s peak to nape( stand on end& $e started to retreat from the house( lammy)palmed& -s he did so he heard a voi e behind him& $e turned& #t 'as 2rbano& $e looked like a man 'ho had *ust dis overed some truly terrible thing about himself( or "od( or both& :These 'e kill(: 7ontefal o said( very almly& "eneral 2rbano began to nod( but the motion 'as too mu h for his si kened system& $e puked a yello'ish puke( 'hi h spattered his imma ulately polished boots& $e took out a handker hief and 'iped his mouth% then he said: :Aes&:

:Aes1: :Aes& These 'e kill&: Later that night( 7ontefal o 'ent ba k to see Talisa & $e 'ent alone( 'hi h turned out to be a 'ise move& .either 2rbano nor Bogoto had the guts for 'hat a'aited him there& The pla e had deteriorated onsiderably in the forty)eight hours sin e he3d last stepped over the threshold% the bodies 'ere still every'here( but they 'ere in a ne' ondition& #t looked as though all the moisture( all the energy( had been su ked out of them( leaving them 'ithered& The eyes had gone from the so kets and the lips had been dra'n ba k from the teeth( giving them all the look of blind( s5uealing monkeys& The flesh on their torsos had 'ithered to bones% as had the meat on their arms and legs& The skin itself 'as no' like a thin layer of dried tissue( overing the stru ture of the bone& 0hen the d'arf Camille appeared to greet 7ontefal o( and ki ked a ouple of the orpses aside( they rolled a'ay from her ki k like so many paper manne5uins& :#s it done1: 7ontefal o asked her& :+h yes( it3s done(: Camille said 'ith a t'inkling smile( :and # think you3re going to be very pleased&: - voi e emerged from the shado's( speaking 'ords 7ontefal o ould not omprehend& :$e3s asking me to unveil it(: Camille said& The "eneral s anned the dirt)'alled room( looking for 'hat 3it3 might be% and there at the end of the hamber he sa' a monumental form( overed 'ith a threadbare tapestry obviously brought do'n from the floor above& :That1: he said( not 'aiting for onfirmation before approa hing it& -s he strode through the bodies( they ra ked beneath his heels( erupting into dust and fragments& Soon the room 'as filled 'ith spiralling bits of pale human stuff& 7ontefal o grabbed hold of the tapestry& -s he did so( Camille named the thing))38/.-L -.-T+7#C-&: The "eneral pulled the tapestry off and revealed it& -s might have been guessed from its s ale beneath the arpet( it 'as of heroi si6e( nine feet tall or more& #t had death3s fa e( and 'as e5uipped 'ith a variety of medieval murder 'eapons& There 'ere nails rudely hammered into its shoulder and leg& Blood had oagulated around the nails( but 'hen -natomi a began to move Cas no' it didD fresh blood bubbled up from the 'ounds and ran do'n his body& :9oes it kno' me1: the "eneral asked& :Aes(: said Camille( :it is ready to obey your instru tions&: Talisa spoke( and Camille translated@ :$e says he has no loyalty to its Creator( only to you( "eneral 7ontefal o&: :That3s good to hear&: 7ontefal o be koned to it& :Come on then&: The reature made a hesitant step& Then another& :Can # ome 'ith you1: Camille said&

7ontefal o looked do'n at her nakedness& :+nly if you over yourself up(: he said& She smiled( and then 'ent a'ay to fet h herself a flea)bitten fur oat& They 'ent out into the night together: the three of them& The "eneral( the 9'arf and 8enal -natomi a& 9aybreak 'asn3t far off& .either 'as the end of ertain things& Though "reta Sabatier had been killed by the bandits on the road to Cal y,))a fate she had not foreseen))she had been right about that mu h& -n age 'as oming to an end: and it 'as the -ge of Lovers& Book Six The Se ond Coming # #n his bunker of dirt and orpses Talisa 'aited alone( 'hile his body)) 'hi h 'as a thing 'ithout pre edent))t'it hed and *umped and spasmed& There 'as a hild inside of him% the 7+.";+#9( the infant of the Se ond Coming& +r so he3d ome to believe( after the years he3d spent e,perimenting upon others( and himself& #t 'asn3t until he had reated an homun ulus that 'ould be to all intents and purposes his hild( its flesh made up of the same 9.as his( that he had ome to believe there 'as something holy in the imminent arrival& #t 'as another 8irgin Birth& #n only a matter of hours no'( the hild 'ould be in his arms& $e 'ould have no one to share the triumph of 'hat he3d a hieved( but so be it& $e3d been alone all his life( even in the ompany of his fello' human beings& -lone 'ith his ambition( alone 'ith his failures( alone 'ith the strange dreams that ame to find him in the middle of the night% dreams of his hild( speaking to him( telling him that the 'orld 'as going to end( but that it 'ouldn3t matter( be ause they3d be together( 7an and Child( to the /nd of Time& $e ould feel the hild struggling to get out no'& $e ould hear its tiny( high)pit hed voi e as it 'orked to free itself& The pain 'as e, ru iating% a vi ious hallu inogen& $e sobbed and he s reamed% the Convent had never heard su h ursings as it heard no'& But finally the 'omb tore as the $oly Child s rabbled 'ith his little hands( his little nails( and in a gush of blood)tinged fluids the 7ongroid 'as disgorged onto the ground amongst the orpses& ## :>reiger1: Lu idi5ue 'ent to the 'indo' and alled do'n into the garden around her father3s house& =arles >reiger( The S ythe)7eister( 'ho had lately be ome Lu idi5ue3s lover( had gone out into the garden to bring her some perfumed flo'ers& The bedroom stank of the pungent oil that their violently transfigured

bodies gave off& #t 'as a bitter and unpleasant smell% not the salty smell of natural se,& But the garden 'as full of s'eet smelling flo'ers that 'ould on eal the bitterness% and some of the strangest s ents 'ere those of blossoms that opened after dark& #t 'as no' almost t'o in the morning% and the smells that rose from the darkened garden 'ere giddyingly strong& She alled >reiger3s name again& Then she seemed to see him% a dark presen e moving through the bushes& #f it 'as indeed >reiger( 'hy didn3t he ans'er her all1 Perhaps it 'asn3t him& >eeping her silen e no'( she rept do'n the stairs and 'ent out into the garden& There 'as a gentle( balmy bree6e tonight: it made the bushes and trees hurn& The garden 'as large( and its layout omple,( but she3d been playing here sin e she 'as a hild& She ould have found her 'ay do'n its narro'( labyrinthine paths and around its rose pat hes and se ret groves 'ith her eyes losed& She 'ent dire tly to the pla e 'here she thought she3d seen the man 'hen she3d been up at the bedroom 'indo'& 9espite the s'eetness of honeysu kle and the night)blooming *asmine( her nostrils aught the s ent of something else( somebody else( in the vi inity& There 'as a stink that 'as not the bitter smell of her o'n body( or that of >reiger& This 'as something else& Something that made her think of disease( of orruption( of death& She stood very still& Something moved through the bushes lose by& She sa' its form( silhouetted against the starless sky: a vast misshapen head( armoured shoulders( the hest of an o,& 0hatever it 'as( it 'alked 'ith a pronoun ed limp( dragging its left leg& The loser it ame to her the stronger the smell of orruption be ame& This trespasser 'as the sour e% no doubt of that& Then( from the darkness lose by( the sound of her lover3s voi e: :Lu idi5ue@ "et a'ay from here@ Bui kly@: There 'as something broken in his voi e& :0hat3s happened to you1: she said( afraid of the ans'er& $earing her voi e( the trespasser looked in her dire tion& - hood of flesh slid sli kly ba k from the upper half of its fa e& revealing its skeletal features& This 'as))like them))a monster& -nd yet it 'as not like them& .ot -gonistes3 handi'ork( at least& .ot the produ t of the unsung ar hite t of /den& This trespasser 'as a harnel)house hild if ever there 'as one& #t 'as made of par els of rotten flesh and nerve and bone( all nailed together and given foetid breath& She retreated as it strode to'ards her& She kne' ho' to kill% that 'as not in doubt& But the reature still made her afraid& #t 'as a po'erhouse% and indifferent( she guessed( to any pain she might be able to ause it& :"o@: she heard >reiger yelling to her& $er eyes flittered in his dire tion( and by the light shed from the bedroom 'indo' she sa' him( on the ground( blood pouring out of him& :Christ@:

She started to'ards him( but the trespasser moved to inter ept her( its vast hands eager to tear out her throat& But she 'asn3t going to flee the garden% not 'ith her lover lying there in the dirt( bleeding from a hundred pla es& #nstead she turned and led the limping slaughterer a'ay from >reiger( dodging through the darkened garden( using her kno'ledge of its layout to double the distan e bet'een them& Still it ame after her( thro'ing its 'eight through the tangle of thorny bushes( emitting a guttural din as it did so( like the noise of some immense me hanism that imperfe tly opied the sound of a tormented animal% a bull( perhaps( beneath the slaughterer3s hammer& #t 'as horrible to hear& She had ome to the pla e 'here she hoped to out'it her pursuer: a tree 'hi h she had limbed a thousand times as a hild( and no' limbed again( so 5ui kly that by the time the trespasser ame in sight of it she 'as already on ealed in its verdant anopy& .o'( she thought( if the beast 'ould only 'ander beneath the tree( she ould perhaps kill it& 9rop out of the bran hes and ut open its throat& /ven if it 'as something that 'as made from mortuary slops( it dre' breath% and if she ould open its throat from ear to ear( it 'ould be dead as any other slitted thing& But about si, feet from the tree the reature stopped( and sniffed the air( looking around suspi iously& 9id it sense that there 'as a trap laid for it here1 She ouldn3t believe it had the 'it to be so autious& -nd yet it had halted( hadn3t it1 -nd no' it retreated from the tree( loosing a lo'( barely audible noise in its throat( limping off into the darkness& She arefully parted the foliage( to see if she ould dis over 'hat it 'as up to& There 'as some sound from the dire tion in 'hi h she3d ome( and then an audible moan from >reiger& +h "od( no( she thought& 9on3t let the trespasser be smart enough to use >reiger as bait&&& $er fears 'ere reali6ed a moment later( as the reature reappeared bet'een the thorn bushes( dragging a heavy burden behind him& #t 'as >reiger( of ourse& This lover of hers( 'ho 'as no' redu ed to little more than a sa k( hauled behind the nameless fiend( had been a terror in his o'n right not so long ago& -s the assassin =arles >reiger he3d on e haunted the ity of Primordium from the shanties to the hateaus& Then( after the transformation 'orked upon him by -gonistes( as the S ythe)7eister( he3d 'iped out the ruling lass of the ity in one s arlet night& But no' look at him@ $is fa e 'as torn open( as though the fiend had simply put his fingers into >reiger3s mouth C'hose lips Lu idi5ue had kissed an hour beforeD and ripped it apart like a paper bag& The rest of his body had been *ust as ruelly treated% the flesh torn a'ay from its seating( e,posing the breastbone and the ribs and the long bone of his thigh& The loss of blood from these 'ounds 'as traumati & #t 'as a 'onder >reiger 'as still alive& But plainly)) having been surprised in the garden 'hile pea efully flo'er)pi king))he3d fought ba k until he had no strength to fight 'ith( at 'hi h point his atta ker had simply 'aited in the garden 'hile one of its t'o vi tims slo'ly bled to death( kno'ing the other 'ould appear given time&

-nd so she had& .o doubt the reature had e,pe ted to dispat h her in a heartbeat% no' it 'as obliged to oa, her out of her hiding pla e 'ith this bloody hostage& #t grabbed >reiger3s ne k and lifted him up by one hand( thrusting his broken fa e to'ards the tree& >reiger3s head lolled on his ne k% his eyes rolled ba k into their so kets& $e 'as as lose to dead as made no differen e& Then his killer lifted its other hand and be koned to the 'oman in the tree& -s it did so it t'it hed >reiger3s head ba k and forth( like that of a doll& !or Lu idi5ue it 'as agoni6ing beyond 'ords to see her lover( a man 'ho had brought do'n a dynasty( bobbing around like a ventrilo5uist3s doll& #t made her lose all reason& Though she kne' the trespasser belo' had the physi al po'er to kill her( she ould not 'at h >reiger3s last moments played out as a humiliating puppet)sho'& She leapt from the tree 'ith a shriek of rage( and before the reature ould bring do'n its visor of flesh( she had slit both of its eyes 'ith her 'eapon( blinding it& #t dropped >reiger( and let out a roar that sounded pleasingly like pani & She du ked under its flailing arms and 'ent to >reiger& $e 'as dead& She glan ed ba k at his killer( 'ho 'as indeed in a state of hild)like terror& $is roar had turned into ho'ls that 'ere lose to des ending into 'himpers& She ould have 'ounded it again easily enough% and perhaps( after a do6en 'oundings( or t'o do6en( she might have laimed its life& But she didn3t have any time to 'aste 'ith the blinded thing& She needed to take >reiger some'here he had a hope of resurre tion& +ut into the desert& +ut to find -gonistes& She lifted her lover3s body up over her shoulders Che 'as lighter than she3d e,pe ted% troublingly so( as though the mass of his life had gone from him and 'ould never be returned( even by a mira leD& She 'ould not let su h pessimism linger in her mind ho'ever& Leaving the blind trespasser to rage amongst the roses( she headed to the fore ourt of the house& She gently laid the orpse in the ba k of the ar( and then drove out of the ity( in sear h of a sandstorm& ### Talisa looked do'n at the reature that had spilled from his body: his 7ongroid& $e3d seen prettier things( but then he3d seen uglier too& #t had more self)relian e than any reature five minutes old should reasonably have% it 'alked( rab)like( on four hands% it made rudimentary attempts to e,press itself& $e alled it to him( as he might a dog( but it 'ouldn3t ome& #t 'as too interested in the bodies that lay every'here about the hamber( e,amining them 'ith its inverted head( sniffing at the ranker e,amples& #t seemed to have a 'ell) formed head( as far as Talisa ould make out& There 'as some family resemblan e there( he thought&

$e had given up trying to dra' its attention( but no'))parado,i ally))its eyes ame to rest on him( and 'ith its ungainly( side'ays gait it approa hed him& #t ast a glan e around the harnel house as it did so( and its thought pro esses 'ere perfe tly lear& #t 'as making the first distin tion of its young life: bet'een the living and the dead& :That3s right&&&: Talisa said( attempting an en ouraging tone( :&&&they3re dead& They3re no use to you& #3m the one you have to help& #3m your father&: $o' mu h of this))if any))the 7ongroid understood( Talisa had no idea& 8ery little( he guessed& But they had to begin some'here& #t 'ould be a long( 'eary business( rearing this thing& $e had hoped to give birth to something more praise'orthy% something he ould sho' 7ontefal o( and thus be funded for further( more ambitious resear hes& .o'( he 'ould have to do some fast)talking to get the "eneral to see his vision of things& The rab homun ulus produ ed from his sa of semen and sea) 'ater 'as very far from the perfe t( vi ious hild he3d hoped to produ e: a hymn to the glories of testosterone& But never mind( there 'ould be others& #n time he3d subdue this one( and vivise t it to see if he ould 'ork out 'here the errors lay& Then he3d try again& The reature had ome to a halt a fe' yards a'ay from him( and 'as studying the sa from in 'hi h it had been ontained for seventeen 'eeks& Blood still dripped from it( onto the dirt floor& #t s uttled over and put its tongue to the pool( tasting the fluid& :.o(: Talisa said( faintly revolted by its display& :9on3t do that&: $e didn3t 'ant it getting some unnatural appetite% for blood( or flesh( or 'hatever other *ui es ran from him freely as he hung there& $e 'as altogether too vulnerable in his present state& :Bad&: he said( effe ting a tone of disgust& :Bad&: But the reature 'asn3t interested in being forbidden anything& #t 'as a reature of instin t( and its instin t told it that there 'as a meal to be had here& #t tra ed the sour e of the pool to the hanging orpse of flesh that had been its makeshift 'omb& $e didn3t like the look in the reature3s eyes at all& .or did he like the 'ay its belly 'as distending( as though its aroused appetite 'as a'aking a hange in its anatomy& The 7ongroid 'as pulling on the loose bloody tatters of his flesh no'( its belly skin still s'elling obs enely& :Camille@: Talisa yelled( forgetting in his fear that the d'arf had left in the ompany of "eneral 7ontefal o& $e 'as alone& -nd no'( as he s'ung there( helpless( the belly of his offspring split open( revealing a vast mouth( ompletely arrayed 'ith glistening teeth& :4esus@ +h 4esus@: They 'ere the last 'ords Talisa uttered& 2sing it3s four hands to spring up to'ards the 'omb from 'hi h he had so re ently been delivered( the thing losed its gaping *a's on the groin of its parent( its teeth digging deep into Talisa 3s flesh& The ries to 4esus be ame a

solid shriek& The 7ongroid took a healthy mouthful of gut and manhood and 'omb( and dropped do'n to the ground again to devour 'hat it had bitten off& Talisa 3s innards( 'ith their lo'er half removed( simply fell out of his body: un oiling innards follo'ed by liver and kidneys and spleen& The genius of the $ospi e of the Sa red $eart stopped s reaming& #8 Thus in one night Primordium lost t'o of the monsters that had haunted its streets( and gained t'o ne' ones& 8enal -natomi a))or The Blind +ne( as he be ame kno'n( 'as( in truth( something of a *oke& 9espite his bulk( and his phenomenal strength( he never developed the ompensating skills that often ome after a blinding& $e lived al'ays as though he had *ust been blinded& -l'ays flailing( al'ays raging( al'ays violent& 7ontefal o took are of him( ho'ever( out of a bi6arre sense of loyalty& $e ordered that anyone found taunting the on e mighty 8enal -natomi a be summarily shot& -fter a do6en su h asual e,e utions( the message made it out to those 'ho liked to torment the reature& The Blind +ne 'as left alone to haunt the ity3s graveyards( often digging up and eating the re ently dead& 8 Lu idi5ue never found -gonistes& Though she drove for several days( looking for the sandstorms 'here he hid himself( the desert 'as preternaturally still& .ot a bree6e to move so mu h as a grain of sand% mu h less a storm& -ftsr a 'eek( 'hen The S ythe)7eister3s body 'as beginning to smell( she dug a hole 'ith her bare hands( and put him in it& /ven as she sat there beside the mound( keening( she thought she heard -gonistes alling her name( and got up( ready at a moment3s noti e to re laim >reiger from his dry bed( and let the genius of /den 'ork his La6arene magi on her lover& But it 'as not the ;esurre tion she had heard& #t 'as *ust a tri k f the 'ind& #ndeed( not on e in the ne,t forty)one years( during 'hi h time Lu idi5ue seldom strayed more than a 5uarter of a mile from the pla e 'here =arles >reiger 'as laid( did -gonistes appear& 8# Then one day( 'aking to the same bright sky she3d 'oken to for over four de ades))she 'as sei6ed by a desire to see Primordium& The house her father had built 'as still standing( she 'as surprised to find% left by authorities too superstitious to kno k it do'n& She o upied it again( and after a fe' nights of sleeping on the bare boards over ame her fear of memories that 'ould unknit her sanity( and moved up into the stained( an ient bed 'here she and >reiger had made love all those years before&

There 'ere no nightmares& $e 'as 'ith her( here( more than he3d ever been in the desert& $e held her( in her dreams( and he 'hispered mis hiefs to her( that sometimes she a ted upon( for old time3s sake& Blood she let freely( 'hen it pleased her to do so& .obody 'as safe from her& She 'ould have happily murdered a saint if he3d looked at her in some fashion that irritated her& -nd one night( *ust for the hell of it( she killed the three "enerals( 7ontefal o( Bogoto and 2rbano( 'ho 'ere by no' fat and old and put up little protest at her arrival& -nother night( she 'ent to find >reiger3s killer( The Blind +ne& She found him in the emetery( 'eeping from his slit eyes( the 'eary tears of a man 'ho 'eeps every night( but kno's no ure for them& She 'at hed him for a 'hile( 'hile he 'ept and ate the dead& Then she left him to his suffering& #t 'as ruel( of ourse( to let him live( 'hen she ould have put him out of his misery 'ith a 'ell pla ed blo'& But 'hy should she dispense mer y( 'hen no one had ever been mer iful to her1 Besides( it pleased her to kno' that there 'ere three monsters in Primordium& The 7ongroid C'hom she3d also gone to vie' in his e, remental kingdomD in the se'ers( 8enal -natomi a in the harnel houses( she in her father3s mansion& # had a ertain neatness& Sometimes( 'hen she be ame lonely( she thought about going out into the desert( and lying do'n beside >reiger3s mummified orpse% letting the sand smother her& But something stopped her from doing it& Perhaps she3d have to 'at h the ity of Primordium burn do'n first% or feel insanity reeping up her spine& 2ntil then( she 'ould live out her destiny( in blood and tears and loneliness% in the kno'ledge that she 'as named in the prayers of tens of thousands of "od)fearing iti6ens every night( 'ho begged the Lord to keep them and their fa es safe from her& #t 'as a land of immortality&