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over to Bryan, standing with his face so close that the tattoos on his cheeks stood out like earthen mounds. "What do you know of pain?" Shrugging off the cape, the sorcerer ripped open his shirt. "Look at these scars! Try to picture the blood. Try! Stretch your meager brain and try to imagine the pain. Here"he took Bryan's limp right hand and ran it over his chest"Feel? Those are all I have left of my son." |
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"I never told Morales to kill anybody," Bryan said, licking his lips with a leathery tongue. "I told him to buy the" |
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The Dark Man reached out with one hand and squeezed Bryan's throat until the man's face turned purple. "I am not interested in your excuses! I am trying to tell you about pain." |
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The Dark Man abruptly released his hold and stepped back, smiling slyly into Bryan's terror-filled eyes. |
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"But of course you are right. Why should I tell you about pain when I can show you?" |
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The goateed man lowered Bryan down on his back in the center of the pentagram. The diamond merchant's body was shivering from the cold and from a fear that threatened to make him lose control of his bladder. The Dark Man moved his suitcase and the spikes over next to the circle and pulled up a chair. |
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"Now," he said, holding up the first spike, "I know you will appreciate thisbeing a collector of occult memorabilia as you are." On the handle of the spike was the image of a woman with long stringy hair and horrible round eyes that were too large for her face. "Have you ever heard of the goddess Erzulie? No? Well, she has a special fondness for human beings. She lives in a very cold place and every chance she gets she just loves to visit our nice warm world." |
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The Dark Man put the spike down and picked up a glass mason jar. Inside the jar was a human eyeball swarming with dozens of fat, white maggots. |
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"Aren't they cute? I grew them myself," he said, fluttering his eyes modestly. "See how they squirm. Look how plump they have grown. |
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"These little fellows are what you might call the goddess's |
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