Part 12 (1/2)

His and Loretta's.

But their gift, he knew, was far more valuable to the Dark Man than that of Kelly and Michael.

The Dark Man valued babies more highly than anything else.

And though Jonas and Loretta had not yet produced a child of their own to give to the Dark Man, they had been honored in being allowed to present the baby in Loretta's arms to him.

In fact, they might even be allowed to keep this baby and raise it in their own house, the house he and Loretta had moved into last year after his grandfather had died.

He and Loretta weren't married yet, but that would come. As soon as Loretta was pregnant, there would be a special ceremony here on the island, in front of the altar of the Circle, and the Dark Man would marry them.

But not until Loretta was pregnant, for the Dark Man never allowed his children to marry until they had proved their faith in him by making him a baby.

Making him a baby, and presenting it to him the night after its birth.

That, Jonas knew, was why George Coulton had been released from the Circle. Even now, Jonas didn't think of George as having died, for Jonas, like all the Dark Man's children, believed that George had been born in the darkness of death, and that only by serving the Dark Man, and obeying him, could life finally be given to him.

For the baby in Loretta's arms, the long journey toward life was about to begin. Tonight the baby would be inducted into the Circle, and the Dark Man himself would take him, nurturing him for the first months of his life. Then the baby would be given to one of the Women of the Circle, who would raise him in the knowledge that he was different from children beyond the Circle.

Someday, if his obedience was perfect-as perfect as Jonas's had always been-and if he fathered new children for the Dark Man-as Jonas intended to do-Jonas would be released from the Circle.

He would join the others.

Jonas knew who some of them were. Important men, men who didn't live like swamp rats. And when it was time, and if he was worthy, he, too, would benefit from the Circle's gift.

But if he wasn't worthy, if he disobeyed the Dark Man...

An image of George Coulton flashed into his mind, but evaporated almost instantly.

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard the Dark Man speak his name.

With Loretta at his side, he stepped out of the semicircle around the fire and moved toward the altar where the Dark Man waited.

Jonas c.o.x took the baby from Loretta Jagger and placed it into the Dark Man's waiting arms.

The Dark Man turned to face the altar, holding the baby high. ”Jonas c.o.x and Loretta Jagger offer this child. Do you accept him?”

The voices of the children again spoke as one. ”We do.”

The Dark Man placed the baby on the altar, unwrapping the blanket in which it was wrapped. It lay in the light of the candles, naked, reaching out with its tiny hands, its eyes blinking in the flickering glow.

Again the Dark Man reached beneath his cloak, and when his hand was once more revealed to the watching children, it held an ornately carved instrument, its handle worked from ivory, from which protruded a glistening needle.

The Dark Man held the device high, poised it over the infant's breast, then began to bring it downward. There was a long silence as he held the needle still, but then he plunged it suddenly downward.

The child uttered a scream as the point pa.s.sed through its skin, then pierced its sternum to sink deep within its chest.

But as the needle found its mark, the baby's scream died away, a sigh drifting up from its throat when the Dark Man's dagger entered into the core of its being.

Though its body remained unharmed, the baby's spirit began to die, impaled on the tip of the Dark Man's weapon.

As the child's sigh died away, the Dark Man unscrewed the ivory handle, leaving the needle in place.

When he was finished, he held the baby high. ”Behold your brother,” he said to the gathered children. ”Care for him, as I have cared for you.”

The ceremony was over.

In her room in the clinic, Amelie Coulton woke up screaming. In her dreams, she had just seen her baby.

And her baby was not dead.

It was in pain, and it needed her.

10.

”I just wish I knew what to do,” Mary Anderson told Ted the next morning. She was standing in front of her sink in the master bathroom, gazing dispiritedly at her own image. ”I must have been awake until after three.” The lack of sleep showed: there were dark circles under her eyes, and the skin beneath her chin seemed to be sagging. Her eyes s.h.i.+fted to her husband, who was watching her studying herself, a small grin playing around the corners of his mouth. ”Well, I'm sorry,” Mary groused. ”But it's not easy lying awake worrying about your daughter all night, then getting up at dawn to fix breakfast for your husband. It ages a girl.” just wish I knew what to do,” Mary Anderson told Ted the next morning. She was standing in front of her sink in the master bathroom, gazing dispiritedly at her own image. ”I must have been awake until after three.” The lack of sleep showed: there were dark circles under her eyes, and the skin beneath her chin seemed to be sagging. Her eyes s.h.i.+fted to her husband, who was watching her studying herself, a small grin playing around the corners of his mouth. ”Well, I'm sorry,” Mary groused. ”But it's not easy lying awake worrying about your daughter all night, then getting up at dawn to fix breakfast for your husband. It ages a girl.”

”Not that much,” Ted observed, playfully reaching out to pinch her rump. But his smile quickly faded. ”Maybe we should have talked to her when she came in last night.”

Mary's brows arched. ”On that one, I have to agree with your father. You know how she can get, and the last thing I wanted last night was to set her off. I wouldn't have gotten any sleep at all.”

”Do you want me to talk to her this morning?”

Mary hesitated. A month ago she would have said yes, but now she wasn't sure. What if Kelly thought they'd been spying on her? But wasn't keeping track of your daughter part of being a mother? She'd thought things couldn't get any worse after Kelly's suicide attempt, but she was no longer so sure.

For a month she'd felt as though she was walking on eggs, doing her best to make Kelly feel good about herself, but always worrying that something was going to happen, something that would set Kelly off again. And if Kelly thought they were watching her...

Anger roiled up in her. Why shouldn't shouldn't they be watching her? They were worried about her! And Kelly had said nothing about going out last night. All she'd said was that she was going up to bed. they be watching her? They were worried about her! And Kelly had said nothing about going out last night. All she'd said was that she was going up to bed.

But she'd sneaked out.

Mary probably wouldn't have found out about it all if it hadn't been for the fan. When she'd stopped at Kelly's door on her way to bed, she'd only peeked in, planning to say good night if her daughter was still awake. In the dim glow of the moonlight she'd seen Kelly in bed, apparently sound asleep, and had been about to close the door when she noticed how hot and stuffy the room was.

Though the window was wide open, Kelly hadn't turned the fan on, and there wasn't a breath of movement in the warm night air.

So Mary had reached for the switch in the darkness, but her fingers had found the wrong one. The light had gone on instead, and she'd instantly realized that the form in the bed wasn't Kelly at all.

It was only some pillows stuffed under the sheet.

She'd told Ted and his father about it, and Ted had wanted to call the police immediately. Carl, though, had suggested that they wait. ”How's she going to feel if you send the cops after her? And Villejeune's not like Atlanta. There's just not that much trouble she can get into.” Finally he had suggested a compromise. ”It's a little after eleven now. Let's wait until midnight. If she's not home by then, we'll decide what to do.”

Mary had reluctantly agreed, certain they were simply putting off the inevitable by an hour. But just before midnight they heard footsteps on the stairs outside, and Carl had smiled at her. ”See? She's back. Nothing to worry about.”

The comment rankled more in retrospect than when Carl had uttered it. What did he mean, nothing to worry about? Kelly had been gone for almost four hours, and they hadn't a clue as to where she'd been or what she'd been doing. And it had kept Mary awake most of the night, wondering.

At last she made up her mind. ”We'll both talk to her,” she decided. ”We'll let her know that we certainly don't mind her going out, but that we want to know where she's going, and who she's with.” Which, she thought but didn't say, will get us one of Kelly's patented glares, and a complaint about invading her privacy. And maybe it was true, she reflected as she splashed cold water on her face in an attempt to wash away her sleepiness. Things had changed since she was a girl. She'd never even thought about going out without telling her mother where she'd be. But nowadays a lot of parents simply didn't seem to care.