The Devil Rides Out by Dennis Wheatley Read Free Book Online

stretched a large tapestry upon which was woven a colossal figure of Lucifer dominating the whole. Beneath, an altar had been built and amply furnished with the whole liturgy of Hell; black candles, vessels, rituals, nothing was lacking. Cushioned prie-dieux and luxuriouschairs, crimson and gold, were set in order for the assistants, and the chamber lit with electricity fantastically arranged so that it should glare through an enormous human eye.’
    De Richleau hammered the desk with his clenched fist. ‘These are facts I’m giving you Rex-facts, d’you hear? Things I can prove by eye-witnesses still living. Despite our electricity, our aeroplanes, our modern scepticism, the power of Darkness is still a living force, worshipped by depraved human beings for their unholy ends in the great cities of Europe and America to this very day.’
    Rex’s face had suddenly paled under its tan. ‘And you really think poor Simon has got mixed up in this beastliness?’
    â€˜I know it! Could you have been so intrigued with the girl that you did not notice the rest of that foul crew? The Albino, the man with the hare-lip, the Eurasian who only possessed a
left
arm. They’re Devil Worshippers all of them.’
    â€˜Not the girl! Not Tanith!’ cried Rex, springing to his feet. ‘She must have been drawn into it like Simon.’
    â€˜Perhaps, but the final proof lay in that basket. They were about to practise the age-old sacrifice to their infernal master, the slaughter of a black rooster and a white hen… De Richleau swung round as a soft knock came on the door. ‘Yes, what is it?’
    â€˜Excellency.’ His man Max stood bowing in the doorway. ‘I thought I had better bring this to you.’ In his open palm he displayed the jewelled swastika.
    With one panther-like spring the Duke thrust him aside and bounded from the room. ‘Simon,’ he shouted as he dashed down the corridor. ‘Simon! I command you to stay still.’ But when he reached the bedroom the only signs that Simon had ever occupied it were the tumbled bed and his underclothes left scattered on the floor.

4
The Silent House
    De Richleau strode back into the sitting-room. His grey eyes glittered dangerously but his voice was gentle as he picked the jewelled swastika from his servant’s palm. ‘How did you come by this, Max?’
    â€˜I removed it from Mr Aron’s neck, Excellency.’
    â€˜What!’
    â€˜He rang for me, Excellency, and said that he would like a cup of bouillon and when I returned with it he was sleeping, but so strangely that I was alarmed. His tongue was protruding from between his teeth and his face was nearly black; then I saw that his neck was terribly swollen and that a ribbon was cutting deeply into his flesh. I cut the ribbon, fearing that he would choke, the jewel dropped off, so I brought it straight to you.’
    â€˜All right, you may go. And it’s not necessary to wait up for me, I may be late.’ As the door closed the Duke swung round towards Rex. ‘Simon must have woken the moment Max’s back was turned, pulled on a few clothes, then slipped out of the window and down the fire-escape.’
    â€˜Sure,’ Rex agreed. ‘He’s well on his way back to St John’s Wood by now.’
    â€˜Come on, we’ll follow. We’ve got to save him from those devils somehow. I don’t know what they’re after but there must be something pretty big and very nasty behind all this. It can’t have been easy to involve a man like Simon to the extent they obviously have, and they would never have gone to all that trouble to recruit an ordinary dabbler in the occult. They are after really big stakes of some kind, and they need him as a pawn in their devilish game.’
    â€˜Think we can beat him to it?’ Rex asked as they ran down the staircase of the block and out into Curzon Street.
    â€˜I doubt it. Hey!