Dennis Wheatley - Unholy Crusade

When it was over they lay silent for a while, Chela's dark head on Adam's broad chest. Yet he was far from experiencing the utter contentment which had submerged him in a swoon of happiness on the other occasions after he had possessed her. One tormenting thought nagged at him persistently. Slave as he was to the allure of her cameo like features, her voice, her laughter and her glorious, dark golden body, he could no longer believe that, for all her apparent purity, she was not the servant of evil. Even if it meant an end to everything between them, he felt that he must challenge her and force her to admit it, as the first step to saving her from the satanic influence under which she had fallen.

At length, raising himself on one elbow, he looked down into her lovely, sun tanned face and said, 'Chela, my love. You know who Alberuque really is, don't you?'

Her big eyes widened and she murmured, `Who he really is? Whatever do you mean?'

`Why, that he is Itzechuatl in a new incarnation.'

`Itzechuatl I don't understand. I've never heard of him.' She yawned and looked away, turning her head sideways.

At her denial, Adam's temper frayed. Taking her by the shoulders, he shook her. `Don't lie to me! You can't have forgotten that day when, as Mirolitlit, you enabled me to escape from him. He was the evil High Priest who was set on tearing out my heart.'

His rough handling of her had roused her from somnolent indifference. Now, staring up at him with mouth agape, she gasped, `Yes, I remember now. That was the High Priest's name. But, darling, I'm sure you must be mistaken. Anyhow I wouldn't have recognised him as I did you. I saw the High Priest only that one time on the terrace of the Palace, and then his face was smothered in paint.'

`It's not his physical appearance but his personality that comes through. Surely you must have sensed it?'

`No. I swear I haven't. And I know Don Alberuque so well. You must be wrong. I'm certain you are.'

`I'm certain I'm not,' Adam retorted stubbornly. `And he is still living in the past. That is the key to this movement in which you have involved yourself. There is nothing Christian about it. His status as a Monsignor is a cloak which enables him to influence others and foster his evil designs. His real intention is to establish the old religion and rule Mexico again as High Priest.' Pushing Adam from her, Chela sat up. `You are wrong, darling! Absolutely wrong! He is a saint and has only the betterment of our poor down trodden Indians at heart.'

Sadly Adam realised that it was useless to argue further with her. But the faith she displayed in Alberuque's innocence held such conviction that he could not doubt her honesty; so at least was able to console himself with the thought that she had not consciously become the tool of evil.

With a sigh he said, `Beloved, since neither of us believes the other, we had better drop the subject. But time will show. And:" one thing I am positive. Alberuque is still my enemy. He has not forgotten that, in our previous lives, I cheated him of a Man god as a sacrificial victim, and if he can he means to get me now. But forewarned is forearmed. I mean to watch him like a lynx. If he or his people lift a finger against me, I'll kill him without the slightest scruple.'

`Adam!' Chela gave a gasp of horror. `What are you saying? How could you even think of such a thing?' Her glance fell on the pistol lying in the hay beside him. `You… you can't really mean that you'd shoot him?'

He shrugged. `God knows I'm not a violent type. I'd hate having to kill anybody. I would, though, if it were to save my own life.' `But think! Just think! In all innocence he might say or do something that you took to be a threat, then… then, suspicious and trigger happy as you are, you might shoot him before realising your mistake. And he is a priest. Even if you are right about is being a reincarnation of Itzechuatl, in this life he is the Lord's anointed. To kill him would be the most terrible crime. What ever happens, I implore you to put any such idea out of your mind.'

Taking her hand, he patted it and gave her a pale smile. `Don't worry, my sweet. I promise you I won't act rashly, and we'll pray that it never comes to a showdown between him and me.'

For a long time she was silent, then she said, `Feeling about

him as you do, I am surprised that you have again agreed to co operate with him.'

Instantly Adam was on his guard. He loathed having to deceive her, but had no option. After a moment he said, `That is different. As you know, at first I was reluctant to play; but you persuaded me that, if the revolution succeeded, as the Man God I could control our people, and prevent excesses like that which took place at the prison. I still feel that it is my duty to take a chance on being able to do that.'

`But what about your enmity to Don Alberuque?'

`You may prove right, after all; that in this life he is a reformed character. If so, I'll co operate. If not, I'll hope to overcome him. But this waiting about is getting on my nerves. All I want now is to get on with the job. Do you know when the big day is to be?'

She shook her head. `No; but it won't be long now. Within two or three days at most.' As Chela spoke, she looked at her wrist watch, then exclaimed, `How the time has flown! It's nearly six. I must be going.'

He took her in his arms again. After prolonged kissing they stood up. She put on her skirt and he brushed the pieces of hay from it. As they left the barn, she promised to come again the following afternoon. Then he accompanied her to the garden gate and, once more enthralled by the grace of her tall figure, watched her walk through the gate to her car.

When she had gone he returned to the barn, took the radio cigarette case from his pocket and, judging it by then to be 1800 hours, tapped out Hunterscombe's call sign every few minutes. For a while there was no response, then he got through and sent a brief message that the party was scheduled to take place not more than three days hence. The Wing Commander sent back, `Good for you. Keep in touch and don't act without me.'

That evening Adam spent a long time thinking over his conversation with Chela about Alberuque, and wondering if she could possibly be right in her belief that he was now an honest fanatic whose only ambition was to better the lot of the Indians and half breeds; but he could not accept it. His every instinct cried aloud that the intriguing priest had long since sold his soul to Satan and was an active embodiment of malefic forces.

The following afternoon found him eagerly awaiting Chela's promised visit. As soon as she arrived, they went to the barn. Not long after they had settled themselves, they enjoyed another `roll in the hay' then, still embraced, talked for over an hour. But both of them avoided bringing up the name of Don Alberuque and they had no serious conversation about the `movement'.

Shortly before leaving him, Chela said that she would not be able to come the next day because she had to attend a committee meeting at the Ministry of Education. When she had gone, he wondered on that; for it struck him as strange that, with the great crisis in their lives now imminent after which it was possible they might never meet again she should not have made some excuse to get out of her committee meeting so that she could spend another hour or two with him. Uneasily, he wondered if the committee was a myth and that in fact she had some special preparations to make before the ceremony which was to trigger off the revolution.

If his guess was right, it meant that the balloon was due to go up the following night. Soon after six o'clock he radioed Hunterscombe and told him of his suspicions. The Wing Commander typed back, `Will be listening in from 1500 hours till 24.00 hours tomorrow.'