The Demon Collector by Jon Mayhew Read Free Book Online Page B

his own body.
    ‘The demons hated and feared Moloch too. He had thrown down the great Satan. He was preparing them for a war against heaven, a war they could never win. He was leading them to their destruction.
    ‘Yet who could oppose Moloch? The demons were all too afraid, too craven to stand against him. They crawled at his feet, begged for his favour and mercy.
    ‘All except one.
    ‘Salomé. Satan’s queen. She stood proud in the blue-green world and defied Moloch – until he decided to cast her into Satan’s pit.
    ‘“Do what you wish,” she cried. “At least I’ll be with the true master.”
    ‘In a rage, Moloch broke open the seal of Satan’s cave. Sensing freedom, all the creatures of the pit spewed forth, blinded by the daylight, battering into Moloch’s face. Seeing his weakness, Salomé plunged her fist deep into Moloch’s chest and tore out his heart.
    ‘“You have been loyal,” Satan said to Salomé. “You can have any gift you wish.”
    ‘“Give me Moloch’s heart that I may keep it hidden and separate from his foul body,” replied Salomé. “ That way he will never rise again.”
    ‘“Very well,” Satan agreed, “but you must protect it and every thirteen years you must show me that you still have it safe.”
    ‘He knew that if she wished she could replace Moloch’s heart and bring him back. So Satan hid Moloch’s body from prying and disloyal eyes. And to this day, nobody knows where the body lies.
    ‘Salomé, her wish granted, feared Satan’s distrust. She knew that only if she held the heart of Moloch could she keep the ear of Satan. So Salomé hid the heart where nobody would ever find it. Not even Satan himself.’
     
    A spell of silence hung over the exhibition hall. Janus sighed and lowered his head as if exhausted by telling the tale.
    ‘So has anybody found them? Moloch’s heart or the body?’ Edgy whispered. The names echoed in his mind. He could still hear the boy gasping them out with his dying breath.
    ‘Some say it’s only a story,’ Janus muttered, his gaze distant. ‘Fools! I’ve worked long and hard to prove that Moloch exists and to find his body. But recently my investigations have become more than academic.’
    ‘What d’you mean?’ Edgy said, frowning.
    ‘Salomé,’ Janus whispered. ‘She exists. I’ve seen her. She wants Moloch’s body. I think she seeks to bring him back, to destroy this world and the next.’ He grabbed Edgy’s wrists, squeezing them until they hurt. ‘And I think you can help me stop her –’
    A short cough interrupted Janus and made Edgy jump. He turned to see a grey, sullen old man huddled in a long coat. His lined, wrinkled face seemed to be losing the fight with gravity, so droopy were his jowls. His eyes looked dull and watery. Not a curl of hair grew on his head; he reminded Edgy of a boiled egg that had gone off.
    ‘Who’s this, Janus?’ he murmured, stooping over Edgy and looking him up and down.
    ‘Edgy Taylor. I brought him in yesterday,’ Janus said. ‘Edgy, this is Mr Sokket, a fellow and one of the governors of the Royal Society.’
    ‘My God,’ Sokket muttered, making an even longer face than Edgy thought possible. ‘Your last employee’s not cold in his grave and you find a replacement. Let’s hope he lasts a bit longer.’
    ‘I’m not workin’ for ’im, sir,’ Edgy said, trying not to twitch. ‘I’m just waitin’ for a chance to leave.’
    ‘Very wise, boy,’ Sokket said. ‘And don’t forget the governors’ meeting later, Janus. I think your presence will be required after yesterday’s excitement.’
    Sokket walked out of sight, leaving Edgy staring after him, open-mouthed.
    ‘Don’t worry, Edgy,’ Janus grinned as Mr Sokket’s final mutterings faded down the corridor. ‘Mortesque Sokket is one of life’s eternal pessimists, never disappointed when everything goes wrong. Mortesque has a taste for the macabre. And to think he’s on the board of governors when I’m not!