TES AaThe King lay in bed, with bed, of bed: a stained white sheet of a man. His fingers were spindles, endlessly revolving. His eyes were marble, cracked and blind. His cheekbones were mountains, straining to rise through clouds of skin. SUT Cee cere rem roca Me Oe mmr e ae cece sa ere re eieiz at aR eT A coco hea ck erate od hie tia Uae ehh mOome te tor ttm icant ea ete Leen ces Coe ee ater ntact at ar eect face the window, and there he would look out on the vast and ered ited rant eee a carat Reet “What good?” he would say (unsay, pethaps?; for his voice was so clogged with years and memory that it was no longer a human instrument; no longer produced human sound)—as the serva nodded and smiled. “What good?” he would repeat—as they Ce aece nen Cor ors It was night, deep into night, when a girl—little more than a emer ore eae Te een Ce ee te er Te (un sleep, perhaps?; for his eyes never closed: they simply rolled, blind and blue, blind and blue—while his mind, a snake, con- sumed itself), and her scent thrilled and terrified him. She ETire ee Rem Cele L MCE elt RY Sa RaeeTaTe Meat teary OT gated earth, and worms. s, but, before he could, Tanne a Me EIced He tried to speak, to call out for his guar. the girl said two words—“What good.smile to his lips. He liked her voice: it neither mocked nor pitied; Navi p mete Rees “Majesty,” the girl said, “there is a tale you must hear; and, hearing it, you will be no wiser. But perhaps you will find the Naraarte nC Tears ol a or eart i ete ea oat ea “A spirit?” Reena “Tell me...” Ta Tee aE CCE Rare ee alee eee errr eee seed Meera We 2y1 | Cem COO Ce oer ee Meo “Close your blind eyes,” s Pram Reso Ae was, he knew from the moment she touched him, her slave. “What do you see?” “Ise nothing—" coe Ere ree one Eva Then the old King gasped as salt air filled his nostrils; as the crash of waves filled his cars; as blue infinity rose up before him. “The sea,” he cried, awe-struck; humbled. “The sea... “Good,” said the girl. “Watch then—and listen...”CAN L KEEP IT 7, OH, 2 HAVE JO KEEP IT/ IS THAT WHAT YOu noes tran 2 ANYTHING f°) ONE DAY BE TAKEN AWAY. ONE DAY, MY LITTLE DARLING. BUT NOT TODAY, NOT FOR YEARS AND YEARS {AND YEARS... THEN KEEP IT, NURTURE IT. LOVE IT AS BEST YOU CAN. BUT BEAR IN MIND THAT THIS UGLY BRAT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO YOu--DIDN'T You SAY I COULD Tin Foe ITS TIME FOR THE BOY TOGO. FOLLOW ME.Where are you taking us?” Where he be/ongs.” he belongs?” “Beceuse its my business si rs MONASTERY.‘A Foo. y , YY I WON'T LET YOU / GIVE HIM OVER TO THOSE--_) cate YOU'RE NOT AFRAID, ARE YOU BOY?oie Coie iets see) info light and PML Lee) was being re- Na eR on LS ea a The Boy Elec o eM don arch inio darkness. irom re, light to in barked. Sne cla)WE'VE BEEN WAITING: FOR YOu. QUESTIONS ARE UNIMPORTANT, come. WHAT IS THIS PLACE 7DIDN'T _THE OLD WOMAN TELL You? SHE SAID IT WAS A MONABTERY, WE'VE BEEN CHARGED WITH YOUR UPBRINGING.ZL = CALL ME ‘A WE WILL BE FATHER. ( GREAT FRIENDS. TWILL SUPERVISE YOUR EDUCATION. GER TILL, iS BEEN My ROOM ALONE -= DON'T SHARING IT:Th the mornings, the Boy meditated, locked ind cramped cel}. Told, in Goa's own hang $: ere and leaned ow the universe was formed, way il was formed, and what his pace in iT was. fea Neus eli a , expounding on teachings found in The Bone: occasionally, the Foy asked auestions, and Father would beat him. There wes no anger inthe beatings--and 1) were, always followed bya kind word and an embrace. Intime the Boy stopped asking questions. “The late afternoon was spent in the e co helping to prepare the Holy Ones’ meals, Inthe evenings he walked the halls of the monastery like a ghost; when he returned Te his room, he would withdraw into the darkness of his mind. The world around him ceased to exist. And nothing could hurt him. And the Boy grew irilo aMan.a “4 (ONE DAY, E THINK, - WHEN GOD HAS DONE WITH ME, YOU'LL PP coast jOws AND WEAR My ROBES. T THINK HIS WILL, BE DONE, SICK. HIS TIME HAS COME. YET YOU HAVE NOT VISITED HIM.IM NOT TAKING ‘ANY DAMN VOWS! 6 LM LEAVING/ YOULL ~) aay me?He was free; This, too, rignlened him.a place of shadow and Siruggle; malformed limbs and insatiable. diseases. The faces were twisted, desperate, vague: he turned away. Le The ee hates eeeeee| unyielding, unloved: he fi ROE Se clapped his hands over a i his ears. fee L they moved closer.He could feel something being born within hime; laut the Nameless Thing something hehad. nevér known: he had no name: | forced hic eyes wide; open for it. ee ears; oucked air injo his lungs. Then They Touched him--filthy, mottled flésh againet smooth, pale eae eres Thing screamed a Rete turned and tan, deeperate for the satety of the cave, the security of the meditation cell, Both, he realised (as he Zell face firs?, info the mud ) were lost to him forewer: He checked an urgeto cry, ‘And his eyes Tell uj ‘ the Od Man wee Food : he eudderly — realized that he was hungry; ravenously \ungry. Wat he hungerad for hé couldn’ T ey... % buitclearly the Old Man Aad iT. FEED Me 21} Ba ONO FAIR PUSHING AHEAQ OF “THE OTHERS! NON, NOW LITTLE OME YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN ONLINE TWICE TODAY. ex © THERE'S sus SO MUCH FooR WHATEVER YOU'? LIKE!—-said the Old Men,“and Til ge yous feast ...a banquet! Orat leasta crumbof | bread.” He obeyed The Old Man without auestion( he couldn't say whybuthe |: did), passing tie day ona nearby hill lind, deaf, and dumb. When darkness) fall, he relurned. “Feed me,” hedemanded. *Give me your plate,“ the Old Man demanded in return. “tdonT Aave 4 plate." “Then L can't feed you.” "Youre a fool!" "Most likely.” "why...why do you a this 2” 4 wnat zr a “Touch them... care for them... let them ‘Touch you.” ‘What e/se is there Todoz” tee (6 for the infelligent. Tae The Old Man siteiched ouT, youned, pointed ouT,am a fool.” cradled hie ancient head’in his “Beek, then.” ancient hands.“ Then L sugges," “Geek whaT he sighed ," that we go To seep." wi Tee ST |“Old Man--what are you doing 7” “T pluck feathered night from the sky and claim if” “Poetry 7” “Nonsense. But nonsense ie precious b a foo! like me.” “Old Man--what are you doing 7” “Oh, if you must knOw: Tim maming you." *"Naming...2" "You don't have a name, do you?" é "Twas The Boy. Now Tmthe Man. Ion’T that eviough 7” “No.” fod Man--wh-- SS le faust be quier,, will you \_8e quiet and be nameo!’"\YOU MUSTA HAD ABAD DREAM, HL?eee / NICE GUY, Mum 7 ( “HE came Here... ‘ T DUNNO. a ( weds ie w 3 A DREAMT NO. REALITY. THE OLD MAN ee . Y IUST PLOPPED HIMSELF DOWN AND STARTED 3\ HELPING OUT. HE FEEDS us. BATHES US. | toves Us. I.ON'T KNOW WHY HE DOES IT, euT-- C Mey! uey- wair ue) /” YOU DON'T Amnute! ( UNDERSTAND! — HeHe—-He'S ~ | SOME KIND oF eae — HE'S A MONSTER-- AND Z KILLED. HIM S“Twenna come with you." "Go away," *No! Te been living in That Valley since...well since I don't know wher.” “Where did you live before?” “Somewhere. L think.’ But I can't remember." b \ “I wanna come with you. ae IO! e They-theufiont Think eb mee hey don'T ao any- ig." 2 ‘And You...7” 2 Se vin Ta ' “Really % WhaTdo you imagine?" s Welleuce.. I needa s “I wanna come with you." \Go ” "No! You meed we. I know My Way around. Well...ab least ie Boe my wav arourd betler Tan you do." *You don’t know anything.” “I know that youre headed for trouble,”aa f THE...OH, LCAN'T SAY IT! Fe WAM "FATHER TOLD ME ABOUT VAMPIRES. HE SAID THEY WERE CREATURES OF 6 MYTH. THE CREATIONCOME BACK, YOu LITTLE BASTARD!WON Coane ew NRO eee Be meee RAZ ot knew, too, that he had slept: true sleep, deep sleep; rich with nightmares and ridiculous fancies. oo The day was slow, lazy, arrogant. Does it know, the King won- dered, how much I desire night? But night came, eventually; darkness fell; blind eyes sank deeper into shadow. PDA On Oa aM eee RCM ect erence ec And like Death, like God, she kept her distance; resisted the call of his hungry heart until the cry grew too loud to ignore. DON Coco seria Oe Cle ME eee Moe relearn et fT “Tell me,” begged the dead King, “what happened. Is the story done? Is there more? Oh, there must be more.” The girl kissed him, caressed him; took his shrivelled penis in her hand. Hor- rified, he struggled to push her away—and she laughed: a beauti- Feeley mea ese eee tole Oren eM ey May Vo esece Mace metry seem eer Led birdsong, “I have only this to say.” Becoming morning. And these were the words she spoke:and became blood...DOOM OLE ea moar CU