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Sabat dropped to his knees； reached for her hand and caught it as it was snatched away。 She tensed； her whole body trembled and she managed a scream； a weak effort； a faint echo of the cry they had heard earlier。 Sabat dropped the crucifix back into his pocket。 He could have used it to devastate her but there was no point。 She was at his mercy anyway； a nymph of the graveyard run to earth by the hunters。
'I do not mean you any harm；' he spoke softly； smiled。
'I am 。。。 finished；' she whispered； closed her eyes； a resignation to death； maybe even worse。
'What is your name？'
A pause； then 'Sheenah'。
'You're safe now。 She's dead； whoever she was。'
'Alena 。 。 。 has been dead for a very longtime。'
'I know； but she is finished now。 Destroyed by the cross。'
Sheenah shuddered； continued to tremble。 Then 。 。 。 why don't you finish me； Sabat？'
'You know my name？'
'Everybody in this village knows your name。 A devil in human form sent to make a pact with the Oke Priests。'
'My； my；' Sabat glanced briefly at Kent； then turned back to the shivering girl。 'Look； Sheenah； if you stop here much longer you're likely to catch pneumonia； like we shall as well。 Let us take you back to our place where we can talk in fort。'
Terrible things would happen to me if I was seen talking to you； Sabat。'
'From the villagers 。。。 or the Oke Priests？'
'I 。 。 。 I do not 。 。 。 know。'
'e on；' Sabat stood up； pulled her to her feet； let her dress fall back into place。 'It's a question of Hobson's Choice； my girl。 It appears that whatever you do somebody is likely to have unpleasant things in mind for you； in which case I think you'd be a lot better off with Kent and myself。'
It was on the way back to their headquarters； as they moved slowly； keeping to the shadows； that Sabat experienced that faint but pleasant sensation beginning again in the lower regions of his body。 With a supreme effort he managed to transfer his thoughts to other matters； even succeeded in shutting out Quentin's whispered mocking laughter。
Sabat was strong again now。 The ungodly would know they had been in a fight whatever the eventual oute。
'I'm a witch； you know。 A white witch； of course。'
Sabat was taken aback by the frank confession； admired the way Sheenah had recovered her posure as she reclined in the armchair with a glass of Bacardi in her hand； almost arrogant now。
'I rather gathered you were；' Sabat took a sip of his whisky； smiled disarmingly。 'It was just a question of which side you were on out there in the dark tonight。 We couldn't take chances。'
'Of course。 I understand。 I'm grateful to you； Sabat； because without you and your friend I would surely have died on the sacrificial altar。 Alena； mistress of Alda； is terrible when her anger is aroused。 The old ones are not wholly evil； though； but at the present time they crave revenge against those who seek to destroy an ancient place of worship。'
'Which is what I suspected it was all about；' Sabat said； stuffing long…stranded coarse tobacco into the bowl of his meerschaum pipe。 'It's the old religion versus the new； but where do you e in？'
'I am both a medium and a clairvoyant； amongst other things；' the girl smiled； and added； 'My mother； too； was a witch。 Hounded from place to place until finally she sought refuge in this remote village。 Then her past； blameless as it was； caught up with her。 A couple of centuries ago she would have been burned at the stake on the village green with me alongside her。 Instead they harassed us； did all kinds of stupid things。 The local yobbos stoned our windows on more than one occasion and once they tried to set fire to our house。 Then mother died … cancer … but the whole village was laughing； waiting for her to die because they claimed God was removing a curse from their midst。 D'you know； Sabat；' she twirled the stem of the glass between her slim fingers and stared at it intently； 'in all the years； I never knew mother wish anybody evil 。 。 。 that is； not until her final hour。 She was fading fast when suddenly she seemed to revive for a minute or two and she was mad with pain。 I tried to distract her but she would not have it。 〃The evil lies with the villagers and their hypocritical church；〃 she screamed。 〃Not content with driving out the old religion they are now trying to destroy it pletely。 The temple of the Oke Priests is to be ravaged by bulldozers so that houses for the unbelievers can be built on its site。 May the old gods return and send forth their Oke Priests。 May the sacred soil run red with blood； and the skies stink with the smoke of funeral pyres。 Let there be death and destruction； and terror struck into the hearts of these hypocritical churchmen and villagers。〃 Then my mother died。 I alone realised her power； how she was able to contact the old ones； and I knew only too well that they would answer her cry for help to save the sacred place。 It sounds ridiculous； Sabat。 but I know it's true 。 。 。 just the same as I knew you would e here once the killings and the madness began。'
'I believe you；' Sabat paused to get his pipe going。 'As you are obviously a very genuine clairvoyant and have also inherited your mother's powers； I suppose you know how and why this tract of ancient land has e to be put on the market。'
'I can oniy hazard a guess。 Somehow Bishop Boyce and the local planning officer worked it out between them。 This builder who plans to build a housing estate on the land must be in on it； too。'
'A three…way corruption。 But it'll take some proving。'
'There's a weak link。 The builder； Darren Hurst； has a mistress。 Actually she's a high…class call…girl named Lola； but that would be the way to get at them； through her。 You're the kind of guy who could do that； Sabat。'
'And how d'you figure in all this； Sheenah？ You're hardly a churchgoer and I wouldn't've thought that it worried you one toss。'
'Don't forget； I believe in the old religion；' Sheenah smiled。 'It was my mother who evoked the spirits of the old Oke Priests。 Maybe they would have intervened anyway； but the fact remains that my mother called them up and now there's bloodshed on my conscience。'
'But why were you attacked； Sheenah？' Sabat's eyes narrowed。 'Surely you are one of them！'
'I have betrayed them；' the slender fingers holding the glass trembled and slopped some of the liquid。 'I am a traitor to my own religion because I do not want them here。 In their eyes I have betrayed them because I contacted them and beseeched them not to continue with these sacrifices； these killings。 That was why I incurred the wrath of Alena； mistress of Alda； the Arch…Druid。 Tonight she would have sacrificed me； spilled my blood across the tomb of Sir Henry Grayne who was himself a latter…day druid。'
'Sir Henry was a druid。' Sabat was incredulous。
'In the modern sense。 As you know； there are still druid lodges scattered about the country today； another branch of freemasonry； men who do good work； support charities。 However； Sir Henry died before I was born and I have not been able to find out much about him。 Possibly he was a follower of the old religion in its truest sense which was why he left this land in Trust。 He wanted it preserved so that the spirits of the Oke Priests could continue to worship in peace for evermore。'
Things are being clearer；' Sabat knocked his pipe out in an ashtray and furrowed his brow。 'I suspected corruption between the bishop and other parties but I was unaware of the feud between the old religion and the new。 Obviously I was an enemy when I arrived here； to such an extent that I was immediately the victim of a psychic attack。'
'I am terrified；' Sheenah was deathly white again； beginning to tremble。 The three of us have now invoked a wrath too terrible to contemplate； Sabat。 You have e here in the pay of the new religion and within a matter of hours of your arrival you have destroyed Alena。 Alda will seek revenge； not only on yourself but on me； and your panion here。 Alda's anger will only be appeased when we three have been wiped out and the followers of the new religion annihilated in a blood bath！'
'So we're the meat in the sandwich；' Sabat's mouth tightened into a grim； bloodless line。 'I take on a job to exorcise evil and find that the evil has justice on its side … a battle against a corrupt church hierarchy。 Jesus Christ； where the hell do we go from here？'
Kent was silent。 He had the makings of a lead feature article but nobody would believe him if he wrote it。 He； too； was caught up in all this； whether he liked it or not。 He had no choice but to go along with the others and see how it all panned out。 And he didn't like what he'd witnessed so far。
'I was hoping maybe I could bargain with the Oke Priests；' Sheenah muttered； 'but now that you've destroyed Alena there will be no chance of that。'
'I could exorcise the church and its grounds； as I intended to do； anyway；' Sabat answere