Keene Brian - A Gathering of Crows

“Oh, I’m sure there have been many of my kind who defeated you easily enough. We’re a resourceful bunch, us humans.”

“Only the red men. Their shamans were worthy. Even still, they retreated when we carved our master’s name in a tree to glorify him. That is because they feared us—and him.”

The red men! It took all of Levi’s will to keep from smiling with glee. The entity obviously meant the Native Americans. Another vital clue and a further piece of the almost-completed puzzle.

“You are from Roanoke.” It wasn’t a question.

“Your master’s true name is Meeble.”

The creature sounded surprised. “Well done, little magus. You know Croatoan’s real name, and therefore, I must surmise that you know what he is capable of, as are we, his faithful servants. And yet still you stand against us. Perhaps you are not so worthless an adversary after all.”

It all made sense now. Levi was overwhelmed by a sudden sense of frustration. How could he have not seen it before? Five shadowy figures—the five Roanoke colonists who had worshipped Meeble, now turned into some sort of psychic vampires, eating the souls of the living and carrying on their master’s work. His theory had been correct. They were revenants of a kind, and although he still didn’t know their names (he would have, if he’d had access to his library back home) he knew how to stop them. It was important, however, that they not know that he knew. Not until he was ready.

“You’re wrong,” he said. “I can’t stand against you after all.”

He turned and fled. Laughing, the five figures raced after him, sliding to a halt as Levi abruptly wheeled around and faced them again.

“And now, for my next trick…”

“What—?”

He pointed his index finger and focused his will.

“ Hbbi Massa danti Lantien. I, Levi Stoltzfus, son of Amos Stoltzfus, breathe upon thee.”

“No! He seeks to trick us, brothers, as he did me, earlier tonight.”

Levi scattered the rest of his salt at his feet in a wide arc, holding them back just long enough to finish. “Three drops of blood I take from you. The first from your heart. The second from your liver. The third from your vital powers. In this, I deprive you of your strength and vitality. Now crawl on the ground like the worm you are. You’ll raise no hand against me.”

All five of the creatures collapsed on their bellies, faces pressed against the wet grass and dirt. They roared in anger, struggling as their movements slowed.

“That never gets old.” Levi winked at them. Then he turned and ran for the house. “Thank you, Lord. That was close. A little too close for comfort.”

“You know this is pointless,” one of the creatures howled. “It didn’t work before. It won’t work now. You will only delay us.”

“A delay is all I need.”

Levi leaped over the dead man lying in the yard.

His face was missing, and grass clippings stuck to the glistening musculature covering his skull.

One of the men standing at the front door called to Levi as he approached. His ruddy cheeks shone with wetness and his eyes were bloodshot.

“That’s my brother.” He pointed at the body.

“Help him.”

Levi slowed as he approached them. He recognized the distraught man as Gus Pheasant, one of the brothers who operated the town’s automobile-repair shop. They’d directed Levi to Esther’s boarding house when he first arrived in Brinkley Springs—a moment that now seemed as if it had happened in the distant past.

“I’m sorry,” Levi said. “But your brother is beyond my care. He’s dead.”

“Bullshit. Donny told us you’re some kind of voodoo doctor. Make him better. Do some witchcraft or whatever it is you do.”

“I can’t. It’s beyond my ability. I really am sorry.”

Gus began to weep again. He leaned against the grizzled mountain man.

“This is Axel,” Donny said, introducing an elderly man standing in the doorway. “And that’s Paul. And you already know Gus.”

Levi nodded, rubbing his still-numb arm. “Gentlemen. I’m sorry we couldn’t meet under better circumstances.”

“Donny says you can help us,” Paul said. His voice was gruff and serious—and tired. “I’d ask you if it was true, but I saw how you just handled yourself against those… whatever the hell they are. I reckon you can hold your own.”

“I can help,” Levi said. “But you need to do exactly what I tell you, and we need to move quickly. That won’t hold them for long.”

Donny handed Levi his book. “What’s the plan?”

“We need to run.”

“That’s what we were going to do,” Axel said. “Gus, Greg and Paul had a plan to get out of town.”

“You wouldn’t have been able to,” Levi said. “This town is enveloped in a soul cage.”

“I don’t know about any of that,” Axel replied.

“But I’m all for going wherever you think is best.”

“Good. We must leave right now.”

“I need to check on my dogs first,” Paul said. “We left them in the pen back at my place, before we knew exactly what was happening. I’ve been gone too long. I need to make sure they’re okay.”

Levi stared into the mountain man’s eyes and realized that, despite his no-nonsense demeanor, Paul was in shock.

“I’m sorry,” Levi apologized, “but if your dogs were alive when you left them, then they aren’t any longer. Our foes aren’t content to just kill us. They seek to snuff out every living thing in this town. I suspect that they can track us simply by our life force. They can see it the way some creatures can see in the infrared spectrum. That’s how they’ve ferreted out the survivors in hiding.”

“You don’t know my dogs. They’ve faced down black bears.”

“Our foes are not bears. I’m sorry, but your dogs’ fate is certain.”

Gus straightened up and wiped his nose with the back of his hand, smearing his face with snot. He seemed oblivious to it. “Why are they doing this?”

“Because they can. Because it pleases them to do so. And because this is what they were created to do.” Levi glanced over his shoulder and was alarmed to see that the five revenants were already moving. “We’ve got to go. Now .”

“Where?” Donny stared at the creatures.

“Back to the boarding house. I can deal with them there.”

“I can’t run that far,” Axel said. “You boys will have to go on without me.”

Donny turned to him. “No offense, Mr. Perry, but fuck that. We’re not leaving you behind.”

“Not to mention Jean and her boy,” Paul said.

“Who?” Levi asked.

“Jean Sullivan,” Axel said, “and her young son, Bobby. They’re hiding down in my basement.”

“Can the boy run?”

“They can both run,” Axel said, “but I’ll just slow you down. I can’t walk ten steps without my arthritis flaring up, let alone run all the way across town.”

Donny gripped Levi’s arm. “Whatever you plan on doing, can’t you just do it here? Why do we have to go back to Esther’s?”

“I need to trap them,” Levi said. “The boarding house is already prepared. All it will take is a minor alteration. There’s no time to set a trap here.”

“Levi, son of Amos!”

They all stared at the revenants. One of them had regained his feet, and stood—hunchbacked and crooked, but standing nevertheless. It pointed at him.

“They’ll be free soon,” Levi said. “I’m very sorry, Mr. Perry. If we had more time.”

Axel waved a hand. “Don’t apologize, son. Just get the others to safety. I’ll fetch Jean and Bobby.”

“We ain’t leaving without you,” Paul said. “Bad enough I left my dogs behind. I daresay the same won’t happen to you.”