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my branch of the church,
in particular. We have no reason to disrespect one another's
intelligence with lies or fantasy. The truth will serve us both in
the end."
    "And you know the truth?"
    Crossing to sit in the pew in front of her,
he rested an elbow on the high back, turning to face her. His nose
was too pointy, like a beak. "Every little demon of it." His voice
was no less friendly, though a new tone seemed to mock everything
about her.
    "Is that so?" she queried.
    The man nodded.
    Andi's head still felt like a split melon and
the mystery pain wracked her torso, but she would be damned -well
and truly damned- before she would pass the upper hand to a
nit.
    "Then don't waste my time," she brazenly
commanded. "What is your involvement here? And what is your
interest in my family?"
    "Oh, nothing sinister, I assure you. We, the
church and my fellow believers, only wish to eradicate the more
powerful demon offenders, leaving the low-level spawn to turn on
each other until they rip and tear themselves to extinction." A
fluid hand gesture and informal chuckle caused a chill to run up
Andi's spine. The puny man's laughter held the threat of a silent
promise. He was almost giddy when he added, "Back to hell with all
of you. It may sound crude at first, but you see, we simply do not
have the resources to snuff out every beast of Satan. Through a
series of mishaps, we discovered the lesser demons parish rather
quickly in the absence of any form of hierarchy. Kill the king and
the kingdom will fall. That sort of thing."
    "And what does my family have to do with
this...higher calling?"
    "That is not an easy question to answer. You
haven't even inquired of my name, yet you want to know secrets that
are kept under lock and key."
    Andi leaned back against the pew. "Does that
offend you?"
    "It should, I guess." He chuckled once more.
"Then again, I'm not as rigid as my fellow believers. And my name's
Duncan, if you care to know."
    Remembering something Michael had mentioned
in the woods months ago, she thought it couldn't hurt to find out
if it held any truth or not. "I've heard a rumor that a lesser
demon can return a powerful one for the price of becoming human. Do
you know anything about that?"
    "Oh!" Duncan's cheeks flushed and his
demeanor faltered. "That is... Well, it is possible, though not
every demon is eligible. They must be worthy."
    "That is quite a bounty. Who fulfills
it?"
    Smiling slyly, Duncan shook his head. "You
are a smart one. Then again, you are an O'Day. Maybe your answer
lies within."
    "I have one more question." Andi leaned in
closely, and Duncan followed suit until they were about a foot
apart. "Where is the man you took from my house?"
    She hadn't seen or heard Toryn the entire
time she and Duncan were having their little chat, and it was
beginning to unnerve her.
    "Man? Why, there was no man present."
    "Don't play unnecessary games."
    "Oh! You are referring to Toryn. That is his
name, if I am correct. He is in our custody, of course."
    " He is not property. He is a
living being. And I want him returned immediately."
    "Oh." Duncan fidgeted, uncertain of what he
should say.
    "He's a lowly demon, not worth your
time."
    Something flashed in Duncan's eyes. "Ms.
O'Day, whether you have been misled or are trying to mislead, you
downplay his importance. We cannot possibly allow his release. It
would be foolish."
    "Understandable."
    For as much as she wanted to grab this man,
Duncan, and shake him until his sweater vest shimmied up and choked
the life out of him, Andi knew better. Nothing would be learned if
she acted rash. Nothing gained except more locked doors.
    She rubbed her fingers together and crinkled
her brow. "Would it be alright if I said goodbye? I mean, if he's
here, why not? It's not as if we could turn against your people.
There are only two of us against...how many would you say?"
    She continued to feign acceptance of Toryn's
fate, though she was secretly wondering what made him so
valuable.
    "You are