Time of the Beast by Geoff Smith Read Free Book Online

long ago from across the sea and buried here by the first settlers.
    ‘Oslac was put to bed, where he sank into a deep sleep, and for hours I sat with him, holding his hand and talking to him in the hope of reviving him. Until at last he awoke and looked up at me, then spoke in a voice that was faint and distant.
    ‘ “He came in the night… and I had to go with him. Out into the darkness.”
    ‘ “Who came?” I said, relieved to see him animated again, but disturbed by his odd manner and words. “You must have been dreaming.” Yet I was concerned, for I knew there were powers in the night which spoke to us in our dreams.
    ‘ “ No! ” he said. “It was not a dream. I went to his dwelling place and he stood there before me, finely clothed, his face fair and shining, radiant in the dark. He did not seem to speak, but his words came into my thoughts and said that for long ages he had served as our guardian and protector. In return we had given him our prayers and offerings, and sacrificed a fine ram to him every year in the Blood-month. But then his voice grew angry. Why – it demanded – would we now repay his faithfulness by forsaking him and sending him into exile?”
    ‘Oslac had become feverish and as he raved these things sweat was streaming from him. Soon he fell back into an exhausted sleep. Desperate with worry, I went to Lord Aldfrith, but I found him in the company of Bishop Felix, who had somehow learned of Oslac’s disappearance in the night. The bishop stood before me, looking down at me with sharp, hard eyes, then demanded:
    ‘ “What have you to report? Out with it, girl, and spare no detail if you value your husband’s life and soul. And remember that I am here to represent the king. You will speak to me as you would address him.”
    ‘Thoroughly nervous, I stuttered out Oslac’s words. When he had heard them, the bishop departed at once and went with a gathering of priests to the burial ground; and for the rest of the day they performed rituals and sang prayers and threw holy water over the ancient mound.
    ‘That evening I climbed into bed beside Oslac and wrapped my arms about his shivering body to give him warmth, whispering to him of the bishop’s efforts to drive away the spirit which tormented him – probably for my own comfort more than his, since he did not appear to be awake. Yet deep in the night I felt him stir, and once again he tried to rise from the bed, saying he must go to the one who called him. But I clung to him tightly to restrain him. Then he gasped out:
    ‘ “ He is here! He has come to us.” I felt my flesh quake, for it truly seemed to me that the air in our room at once grew deathly cold, and felt charged with a sense of unseen power. “But he is changed! He no longer shines, but is covered all over with a black cloak. His face is grown dark and angry, made raw and ugly with blisters. He says we have sent strangers to defile his sacred ground… and torture him with screaming spells and scalding water. He is no longer our friend and protector. He has become something vengeful… a draug … a demon from the death mound!”
    ‘As I held him to me I felt his skin burning, and I knew his fever was reaching its height. I hurried from the bed and went to raise up the house. Lord Aldfrith said we must send for a priest to cast out the sickness, but all our old priests were gone, driven away by the Christians, so in desperation he sent word to Bishop Felix to come, although his magic was still foreign and strange to us.
    ‘At daybreak the bishop arrived, clad in ceremonial robes and prepared for battle, accompanied by many priests and monks armed with crosses and censers and holy water. When I related Oslac’s words to him, his eyes gleamed as he pronounced:
    ‘ “He is in dire peril. The Devil speaks through him. We must expel the forces of Satan to win his soul for Christ.”
    ‘I was trembling as I stood with Lord Aldfrith at the doorway to watch as the