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¡¡¡¡She¡¡had¡¡brought¡¡Royston¡¡here¡¡at¡¡this¡¡early¡¡hour¡¡to¡¡show¡¡him¡¡that¡¡he¡¡had¡¡failed¡¡in¡¡his¡¡attempt¡¡to¡¡destroy¡¡Sabat¡£¡¡And¡¡she¡¡hated¡¡the¡¡man¡¡who¡¡stood¡¡there¡¡on¡¡the¡¡pavement¡¡because¡¡she¡¡knew£»¡¡knew¡¡that¡¡she¡¡had¡¡been¡¡raped¡¡and¡¡mutilated¡¡in¡¡a¡¡psychic¡¡encounter¡¡that¡¡went¡¡back¡¡to¡¡a¡¡dark¡¡age¡£¡¡And¡¡it¡¡had¡¡happened¡¡as¡¡surely¡¡as¡¡if¡¡Sabat¡¡had¡¡gone¡¡to¡¡her¡¡house¡¡in¡¡his¡¡physical¡¡body¡¡and¡¡carried¡¡out¡¡that¡¡unspeakable¡¡attack¡¡on¡¡her¡£
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¡¡¡¡Now¡¡she¡¡demanded¡¡vengeance£»¡¡urged¡¡her¡¡evil¡¡lover¡¡to¡¡use¡¡every¡¡vestige¡¡of¡¡his¡¡black¡¡power¡¡to¡¡help¡¡her¡¡achieve¡¡that¡£¡¡And¡¡Sabat's¡¡most¡¡dangerous¡¡enemy¡¡would¡¡be¡¡the¡¡resurrected¡¡evil¡¡that¡¡had¡¡once¡¡stalked¡¡this¡¡peaceful¡¡village¡¡in¡¡the¡¡form¡¡of¡¡William¡¡Gardiner£¡
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¡¡¡¡¡¡CHAPTER¡¡FIVE
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¡¡¡¡SABAT¡¡LET¡¡himself¡¡into¡¡the¡¡vicarage¡¡and¡¡closed¡¡the¡¡front¡¡door¡¡quietly¡¡behind¡¡him¡£¡¡In¡¡all¡¡probability¡¡the¡¡Reverend¡¡Maurice¡¡Storton¡¡would¡¡have¡¡retired¡¡to¡¡bed¡¡once¡¡dawn¡¡broke£»¡¡exhausted¡¡by¡¡his¡¡all¡night¡¡vigil¡£¡¡There¡¡was¡¡no¡¡point¡¡in¡¡waking¡¡the¡¡aged¡¡clergyman£»¡¡neither¡¡was¡¡there¡¡anything¡¡to¡¡be¡¡gained¡¡by¡¡giving¡¡him¡¡a¡¡detailed¡¡account¡¡of¡¡everything¡¡that¡¡had¡¡happened¡¡last¡¡night¡£¡¡Suffice¡¡to¡¡say¡¡that¡¡an¡¡exorcism¡¡had¡¡been¡¡carried¡¡out¡¡and¡¡had¡¡been¡¡successful¡£¡¡The¡¡fact¡¡that¡¡Baron¡¡Cimeterre¡¡had¡¡claimed¡¡the¡¡adjoining¡¡cemetery¡¡as¡¡his¡¡own¡¡domain¡¡was¡¡something¡¡that¡¡Sabat¡¡did¡¡not¡¡propose¡¡to¡¡try¡¡and¡¡explain¡£¡¡One¡¡form¡¡of¡¡evil¡¡had¡¡replaced¡¡another£»¡¡and¡¡there¡¡was¡¡nothing¡¡more¡¡anybody¡¡could¡¡do¡¡about¡¡it¡£
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¡¡¡¡Sabat's¡¡acute¡¡senses¡¡were¡¡still¡¡working¡£¡¡The¡¡vibrations¡¡caused¡¡by¡¡somebody¡¡moving¡¡about¡¡on¡¡the¡¡floor¡¡above¡¡registered¡¡in¡¡his¡¡brain¡¡before¡¡he¡¡heard¡¡the¡¡slow£»¡¡shuffling¡¡footsteps¡¡ing¡¡towards¡¡the¡¡head¡¡of¡¡the¡¡wide¡¡staircase¡£¡¡Somebody¡¡barefoot£»¡¡but¡¡there¡¡was¡¡nothing¡¡strange¡¡in¡¡that£»¡¡prob