The Devil Will Come (26 page)

The demon then turned toward Merrin, who pulled himself out of his brief horrified trance just as Karras hit the living room floor with a crash that shook the house. Merrin’s hand went to the pistol holstered on his right hip, but the doorway where he was standing impaired the movement. As if in a dream, Merrin saw the demon reach under Parnell’s shirt, pull out a large, sharp carving knife, grasp it by the point, and rear back to throw it. Then, as through a lens changing focus, Merrin saw Karras on the carpet, pistol in hand and pointed at the center of the creature’s back. Merrin used what little breath remained in his lungs to croak,
“No! Don’t kill him!”
But his voice was lost in the sound of the two shots that followed.

* * *

Karras watched Parnell, or what had once been Parnell, fall to the carpet, two 12 mm slugs in his back. His ears were ringing from the shots fired in such an enclosed space, and his knee hurt like a bastard. What had Merrin been trying to yell just as Karras fired? “
Don’t kill him
?” What, and let him put a blade into Merrin’s chest? Not fucking likely.

Then, as he watched Merrin rush over to the fallen Parnell, Karras understood.

The death of the host frees the demon. Frees it to go anywhere it wants, into anybody it wants. Oh, dear savior Jesus….

Parnell’s body twitched once, then went limp. Merrin looked up from the corpse, and there was an expression on his face that Karras had never seen before. “How importunate of you, Karras,” Merrin said, in a voice that was not Merrin’s at all. “Well, no matter. I was due for a change of scene, anyway.”

Karras tried to scramble to his feet, but his damaged knee betrayed him. He fell again, landing on his back just as something that had once been his partner snatched up the carving knife and flung itself on him.

Karras let go of his pistol to grab the knife hand with both of his. Then the Merrin-creature switched the knife to his other hand, so Karras had to grab that wrist, as well.

Karras was younger, and stronger. But demons can impart abnormal strength to those they possess, as any experienced exorcist knows. Karras was having a hard time keeping the knife away from his throat, and he knew he could not hold off his attacker indefinitely. He could cry out for help, but there was no one to hear, except his attacker.

No one listening, except the demon….

Karras had performed the exorcism ritual many times, often enough to have it memorized. It was a lengthy prayer, and normally took quite some time to deliver.

But Karras had studied Speed-Talking.

Karras was trembling with the strain of holding off the knife, but he closed his mind to the pain in his arms, drew in as large a breath as Merrin’s weight on him would allow, and began to pray— loudly, clearly, and very, very fast.

“I-cast-you-out-unclean-spirit-along-with-every-Satanic-power-of-the-enemy-every-spectre-from-Hell-and-all-your-fell-companions-in-the-name-of-our-Lord-Jesus-Christ….”

After four minutes that felt like forever, Karras began to feel the first weakening in his opponent’s grip, could dimly perceive some uncertainty in the grinning face that hovered above him. Buoyed with hope, he raced on, still enunciating every syllable of the ancient prayer. Three minutes and twenty-eight seconds later, he shouted the final “Amen!” It was nearly drowned out by the departing demon’s final scream, a horrible sound that seemed to echo off the walls long after silence had descended on the Parnells’ living room.

Merrin looked with wonder at the knife in his hand, then let it fall to the floor. Karras let go of his partner’s wrists, and groaned in pain from the cramps that immediately seized his hands.

Merrin found his voice a minute or so later. “Now you know why I said not to kill him,” he gasped.

“Yeah, I forgot, in the heat of the moment.” Karras sounded like he had been gargling with Drano. “Next time, I’ll try for a maiming shot.”

“Next time?” Karras showed the palest ghost of a smile. “Let’s both pray that there won’t be any next time. Not like that one, anyway.”

“Amen to that.” Karras flexed his injured leg experimentally. “Guess we’d better call this in, huh?”

“We’ve one more thing to do first,” Merrin said, and gestured with his head toward the corpse that lay a few feet away.

“Of course, sorry,” Karras croaked. “Gotta read him his rites.”

“Him, then that poor woman in the bedroom.”

Each of them took a small black book from an inside pocket. Then they knelt together on the carpet and began the centuries-old ritual of prayer for the soul of Evan Parnell.

* * * * *

Acknowledgments

The stories in this book span my writing career, such as it is, and so I feel it’s important to acknowledge people who have been important to my work at different points over the years.

My Mom and Dad, Eleanor and Austin Gustainis, didn’t live to see any of my fiction published— but I have a feeling they’re still cheering me on, wherever they may be. They always did.

My wife Pat was my biggest fan for many years, right up to her death in 2007. My first novel to be published after her death contained this dedication: “In memory of Pat Grogan. There’s a new star in
Ursus Major
now that the scientists can’t explain. Sleep well, bear.”

Michael Kanaly, C. J. Henderson, and Jim Butcher, each a superb writer in his own right, offered me encouragement and advice in the early years when I needed it most. C.J. succumbed to cancer in 2014— R. I. P., buddy.

Jeanne Cavelos, director of the Odyssey Writing Workshop, taught me a great deal about the mechanics of prose fiction. Even now, when I write myself into a corner, she’s there to help me find the way out.

Lilith Saintcrow, one of the best storytellers in the business, offered me feedback, friendship, and an introduction to Miriam Kriss, who became my agent.

Miriam Kriss, star of the Irene Goodman Literary Agency, has always believed in me— sometimes, more than I did.

Linda Kingston entered my life two years ago and has improved it considerably. She has become adept at dealing with both writing-induced neuroses and deadline-induced panic. She sustains my soul.

Terry Bear has been my constant companion and nutritional consultant for many years. In return, I’ve given him walk-on roles in most of my novels— kind of like Hitchcock, but he’s smaller and arguably better-natured.

* * * * *

Publishing Credits

“Advocatus Diaboli” appeared in
Dark Discoveries
magazine. © 2006 by Justin Gustainis

“Again the Burning Times” appeared in the anthology
New Century Voices, Vol. III
. © 2002 by Justin Gustainis

“Bargain” appeared in
Futures Mysterious Anthology
magazine. © 2002 by Justin Gustainis

“Blood Moon Rising” appeared in
Surreal
magazine. © 2005 by Justin Gustainis

“Bounty” appeared in the anthology
Darkness Rising 2003
. © 2003 by Justin Gustainis

“Bump in the Night” appeared in the anthology
Eldritch
Inquests
. © 2015 by Justin Gustainis

“Courtesy Call” appeared in
Thuglit
e-zine. © 2006 by Justin Gustainis

“damnation.com” appeared in the anthology
Shadow Regions
. © 2006 by Justin Gustainis

“Deal Breaker” appeared in the anthology
Those Who Fight Monsters
. © 2011 by Justin Gustainis

“Good Egg” appeared on the Dark Faerie Tales website. © 2013 by Justin Gustainis

“Huff/Puff” (under the title “Big, Bad Wolf”) appeared on the “Tynga’s Reviews” website. © 2011 by Justin Gustainis

“Janus” appeared in
Bête Noir
magazine. © 2011 by Justin Gustainis

“Last Rights” appeared in
Inhuman
magazine. © 2014 by Justin Gustainis

“Let Us Prey” (in prose form) appeared in the anthology
Time for Bedlam
. © 2005 by Justin Gustainis

“Meat Wagon” appeared in
Inhuman
magazine. © 2009 by Justin Gustainis

“Reunion” appeared in the anthology
Fedora II: More Private Eyes and Tough Guys
. © 2003 by Justin Gustainis

“The Predators” appeared in
Back Alley
e-zine. © 2007 by Justin Gustainis

“Soul Survivor” appeared in the anthology
Darker than Noir
. © 2011 by Justin Gustainis

“Until I Come Again” appeared in
Weird Tales
magazine. © 2014 by Justin Gustainis

“Waiting for G.P.” appeared in
Shroud
magazine. © 2010 by Justin Gustainis

“Devil to Pay,” “Surprise Attack,” and “The Last Sorcerer” are original to this volume.

* * * * *

Details

The Devil Will Come
A Modern Collection of Devilish Fiction

Copyright © 2016 by Justin Gustainis

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Published by

Edge Science Fiction
and Fantasy Publishing

An Imprint of

HADES PUBLICATIONS, INC.

P.O. Box 1714,
Calgary, Alberta, T2P 2L7,
Canada

Cover art by Andrey Kiselev

e Book ISBN: 978-1-77053-090-4

* * * * *

All rights reserved. Under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.

* * * * *

EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing and Hades Publications, Inc. acknowledges the ongoing support of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts and the Canada Council for the Arts.

(J-20160228)

www.edgewebsite.com