gns.thedruidconnection-第14章

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　　Sabat's　sexual　desires　began　to　escalate。　Every　instinct　urged　him　to　throw　off　his　rug；　crawl　across　towards　where　Sheenah　lay；　take　her。　He　closed　his　eyes。　Oh　God；　the　feeling　was　getting　too　much　for　him；　a　mounting　burning　lust　that　was　fast　getting　out　of　control。
　　
　　And　then；　loud　and　clear；　vibrant　in　the　nocturnal　stillness　of　the　house；　the　front　doorbell　shrilled！　Sabat　hesitated；　muttered　a　curse　at　this　unexpected　intrusion　upon　his　bodily　pleasures；　and　then　the　sweat　of　his　naked　trembling　body　chilled。
　　
　　No　way；　at　this　late　hour；　could　it　be　an　ordinary　caller！
　　
　　
　　　CHAPTER　SEVEN
　　
　　'OPENUP；　Sabat'
　　
　　Sabat　almost　sprang　to　his　feet；　rushed　blindly　to　obey。　Then　he　remembered；　recognised　the　voice。　Quentin's！　Oh　Christ；　they'd　nearly　caught　him　napping；　blurred　his　reasoning　with　sexual　desire。　But　how？　How　had　they　got　to　him　through　the　defences　of　the　pentagram？
　　
　　'What　the　hell　。　。　。　'　Kent　was　sitting　up；　clutching　his　blanket　to　his　body　with　an　almost　schoolboyish　inhibition。　'There's　somebody　at　the　door；　Sabat。'
　　
　　'A　brilliant　deduction；'　Sabat's　voice　was　loaded　with　sarcasm；　possibly　to　disguise　his　own　apprehension。　A　general　must　never　display　fear　in　front　of　his　troops。　'You　could　be　right；　Kent。　On　the　other　hand　you　could　be　bloody　wrong。'
　　
　　'You're　talking　nonsense。　Of　course　there's　somebody　at　the　door。　They　rang　the　bell。'
　　
　　And　as　if　to　support　the　journalist's　words　the　bell　rang　again。
　　
　　'Well；　aren't　we　going　to　answer　it？'　Kent　was　being　angry。　'Go　and　see　who　it　is；　Sabat；　for　Christ's　sake。'
　　
　　'No；'　Sabat　stood　up；　aware　that　both　Kent　and　Sheenah　were　staring　at　the　nakedness　of　his　lower　body；　'I　shall　not。　Not　under　any　circumstances！'
　　
　　'I　call　that　bloody　unsociable；'　Kent's　whisper　was　loaded　with　rising　fury。　'Not　to　mention　just　plain　bloody　rude　and　stupid。　Suppose　it's　something　urgent。　The　police；　for　instance。'
　　
　　Then　they'll　get　tired　eventually　and　go　away；'　Sabat's　eyes　narrowed。　The　warning　systems　in　his　body　were　screaming　out　at　him。　Something　was　wrong　with　Kent！　Apart　from　the　other's　reluctance　to　spend　the　night　here；　there　was　something　else　…　a　growing　rebellion；　a　determination　to　disobey　orders。　And　Sabat　remembered　again　that　somebody　or　something　had　penetrated　the　protections　he　had　built　up；　found　his　Achilles'　heel　for　the　second　time　in　one　night；　infiltrated　the　pentagram。
　　
　　'We　don't　answer　it　and　that's　final；'　his　voice　was　a　hoarse　whisper　that　echoed　in　the　bare　room。　He　dropped　his　gaze；　saw　his　half…erection　and　knew　that　they　were　both　looking　at　it；　knew　only　too　well　what　he　had　been　doing　when　that　damned　bell　rang。
　　
　　This　is　getting　beyond　a　joke；'　Kent　was　struggling　to　his　feet；　still　trying　to　clutch　the　blanket　to　his　lower　body。　Tn　fact；　it's　obscene。　You've　set　this　up　deliberately；　Sabat；　for　your　own　perverted　pleasure。　You　ought　to　be　locked　away！　Well；　I'm　not　standing　for　it。　I'm　getting　my　clothes　and　going　back　to　the　White　Horse　this　very　moment。　If　you　want　to　talk　to　me　in　the　morning　I'll　be　。　。　。　'
　　
　　Kent　didn't　see　the　blow　ing；　never　even　suspected　that　Sabat　might　take　such　drastic　action；　a　fist　that　seemed　faster　than　light　itself；　an　indistinguishable　blur　that　began　somewhere　around　Mark　Sabat's　hip…level　and　ended　with　a　crack　like　a　child's　cap　pistol　on　the　point　of　the　journalist's　jaw。
　　
　　Kent　never　even　grunted。　His　head　went　back；　his　stocky　body　straightened　up　and　began　to　totter。　Sabat　caught　him　by　the　arm　with　that　same　superlative　speed；　pulled　him　forward　and　then；　one…handed；　lowered　him　back　on　to　his　blanket。　Kent's　eyes　were　closed；　just　a　trickle　of　blood　from　the　corner　of　his　lower　lip　and　a　bruise　that　was　already　beginning　to　spread　across　his　jaw。
　　
　　'Did　you　really　have　to　hit　him？'　there　was　a　note　of　reprimand　in　Sheenah's　voice。
　　
　　'There　was　no　alternative。　He　would　have　broken　the　circle。　Already　there　is　a　weak　link　somewhere　here；　something　I　have　overlooked。'
　　
　　'That's　nonsense；'　she　laughed；　a　sound　that　was　shrill　and　eerie；　'we　were　very　careful。　He　just　fell　for　an　old　ruse。'
　　
　　The　bell　rang　again；　long　and　loud。　A　brief　pause　then　three　short　bursts。　Laughter　somewhere；　it　could　have　e　from　outside。　It　could　have　been　Quentin。
　　
　　'We　just　sit　them　out；'　Sabat　squatted　down　again　but　made　no　attempt　to　cover　himself　up。　'They'll　try　all　kinds　of　tricks　but　we　just　have　to　ignore　them　and　tell　ourselves　that　everything's　okay。　That　way　we'll　make　it　through　to　morning。'
　　
　　The　light　flickered；　almost　went　out；　came　back　on　again。　It　was　very　cold　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　Sabat　had　purposely　checked　earlier　that　the　central　heating　would　remain　on　all　night。
　　
　　'You　discovered　one　way　of　keeping　yourself　warm；'　Sheenah　laughed；　smirked；　her　gaze　focused　on　Sabat's　erection　which　had　swelled　again。　'You　do　that　often　or　just　when　you're　cold？　Or　do　you　indulge　solely　when　the　Oke　Priests　are　doing　their　damnedest　to　get　you？'
　　
　　'I　do　it　pretty　regularly；'　Sabat's　voice　was　even；　his　gaze　meeting　hers　and　holding　it　without　flinching。　'But　I'd　give　a　grand　to　know　just　who　turned　me　on　this　time。'
　　
　　'Whatever　do　you　mean？'　her　dark　eyes　widened。
　　
　　'Just　that　somebody's　worked　on　me。　Like　they　worked　on　Kent；　tried　to　make　him　break　the　circle。　If　it　came　from　without　then　as　I've　already　said；　we've　overlooked　something。　If　not；　then　。　。　。　well　it　wasn't　Kent；　and　I　know　it's　not　me；　which　only　leaves　。　。　。　'
　　
　　He　was　cut　off　by　the　bell　ringing　again；　acpanied　this　time　by　the　pounding　of　a　fist　on　the　door。　A　gruff　unrecognisable　voice　was　shouting；　words　that　eventually　became　recognisable　as　they　progressed　from　an　unintelligible　shouting　to　an　'Open　up。　This　is　the　police！'
　　
　　'You'll　have　to　open　up　if　it's　the　police；'　Sheenah　looked　suddenly　frightened；　tensing　as　though　she　might　make　a　sudden　dash　for　the　door　to　the　hall。
　　
　　'Don't　try　it；　Sheenah　or　whatever　your　real　name　is；'　Sabat　changed　position；　balancing　on　his　haunches；　an　athlete　about　to　pete　for　a　record。　'You'll　never　make　it　and　I　promise　you　that　if　you　so　much　as　try　I'll　kill　you　just　as　I　killed　Alena　…but　not　with　a　crucifix。　Oh　no；　I'll　mangle　you　with　my　bare　hands　so　that　when　they　find　your　body　they'll　never　recognise　it！'
　　
　　Sheenah　paled；　shuddered。　She　knew　Sabat　was　not　bluffing。　There　were　a　lot　of　stories　about　him　and　most　of　them　were　true。　She　wasn't　going　to　put　him　to　the　test；　he　was　terrible　to　behold　in　this　dark　hour。
　　
　　'You're　mistaken　about　me；'　she　said。　It　sounded　feeble。　'I've　already　told　you　how　I　came　to　be　involved　in　this。'
　　
　　'You're　a　bitch　and　a　liar；'　Sabat's　eyes　narrowed；　'and　I　might　just　have　fallen　for　your　little　game。'
　　
　　She　turned；　would　have　sprung　away；　cleared　the　pentagram　and　rushed　for　the　door　but　he　caught　her；　grabbed　a　handful　of　long　dark　hair　and　pulled　her　back。　She　screamed；　began　to　struggle；　beating　and　clawing　at　his　naked　body　with　her　long　fingernails。　'Let　me　go。　I'll　have　the　police　on　you　for　this！'
　　
　　'The　police！'　He　laughed　loud　and　mirthlessly。　'Nobody　can　save　you；　Sheenah。　You're　trapped　in　this　pentagram　with　me。　We　might　just　as　well　be　on　another　planet　for　all　the　help　you　can　expect！'
　　
　　Even　as　he　bore　her　to　the　floor；　pinned　her　beneath　him　with　his　knees；　Sabat　heard　the　crashing　sounds　out　in　the　hallway；　woodwork　cracked　and　splintered；　glass　showered　and　tinkled　on　the　tiled　floor。　Whoever　had　been　ringing　the　bell　these　last　few　minutes　had　burst　their　way　into　the　house！
　　
　　Sabat　tensed；　kept　his　grip　on　the　girl；　ignored　her　shriek　of　triumph；　turned　his　head　as　the　living…room　door　was　flung　wide。　He　gasped　aloud　his　astonishment　at　the　scene　which　greeted　him。
　　
　　A　blue　uniformed　man　stood　framed　in　the　doorway；　a　tall　imposing　figure；　the　features　beneath　the　helmet　harsh　and　angry；　eyes　riveted　on　the　naked　couple　in　the　centre　of　the　circle。
　　
　　'Sabat！'　the　voice　was　a　hiss；　like　a