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ZARK COILED HIS WHIP around his hand He looked over at Michael "What did you say?"

"I said," the otherback to Avatik"

"Where then?"

"The sea I want you to take us to the frozen sea"

"What?" Zark asked "It&039;ll take us at least two days to reach the coast I don&039;t want to travel with that man"

"Don&039;t be afraid," Michael said "You need not be afraid so long as you do as I ask"

"Why the sea?" Virga asked

"Because it suits my purpose That&039;s all I&039;ll say" Beyond Michael, Baal atching the across the ice

There was still hesitation on Zark&039;s frost-crusted face He shook his head "I don&039;t understand this I don&039;t understand that man you call Baal, nor do I understand you"

"You don&039;t have to understand Just trust aze for a few seconds Then the hunter nodded and said, "All right, dammit The sea But just to the coast and not onto the ice Why not kill that man here and now?"

Michael didn&039;t answer He purposefully turned his back and neared Baal so as to shield the other men from him

Zark cursed and cracked the whip over the heads of the teae with its da a deep, crooked track

"I don&039;t like this," Zark said to Virga "We should kill that a said nothing He was haunted by confusion and insecurity; now, finally facing Baal, he wasn&039;t sure that even Michael could control hilared at hinawed at the pit of his stomach He would see those terrible red eyes forever He couldn&039;t even venture a guess as to why Michael wanted to reach the sea He had the unshakable feeling that Baal&039;s poas always on the verge of breaking wildly free, of turning on the them to cinders And at that point even Michael couldn&039;t help theh the sweat of fear burned on his face He felt alone and helpless, wrenched froain And there were so s that whirled around his head and left hi at Michael where they walked off to the right of the crawling sledge "You fucking bastard!"

Virga rested his chin on his chest and grabbed hold of the sledge for support, trying to shut his mind to the awful obscenities that now poured frorew in both intensity and vulgarity Baal was shrieking in Michael&039;s ear and Virga wondered how the ed in pitch, changed fro screa bastard! I&039;ll kill you! You&039;ll rot before you destroy a turned his head and Zark made an effort to keep his attention on the ice plain ahead "Your eyes will fall froo blind! Goddaa put his hands to his ears

Zark whirled around "SHUT UP! SHUT UP!"

And the voices, Baal&039;s voice, quieted The laugh that reached theratified and pleased, as if fros strained, whi ice As he walked Virga are of the hiss of runners on the snow, the grind against outcropping rock, the hiss, the grind, the hiss, the grind until his head was pounding with those alternating sounds He could distinguish hard-packed snow and smooth ice plain, rocks the size of a fist and rocks with razor edges that could slash the paws of the tea to the sounds theyhis newly developed abilities, he fell asleep while walking When he jerked his eyes open he was looking to the right, toward Baal With an effort he looked away, his nerves screa into his eyebrows

When Virga stumbled and fell Zark halted the team He helped the ot to rest The fatigue will kill us"

Michael considered the request After a moment he said, "Very well We&039;ll rest here"

Zark staked down the bearskin tent and crawled through its opening Virga, his joints throbbing and his face a ainst a wall, his breath cos whined anew as Baal and Michael passed Michael entered first and waited for Baal to crawl through, then he deliberately sat between Baal and the others

Zark opened his package of walrus a, who tore into it ravenously He offered a piece to Michael, who refused it, and then cut a piece for hihting it, Zark leaned back against the tent&039;s fira curled up for warmth and laid his head down

Michael did not atte into the back of his neck He sat cross-legged and watched the two exhausted men as they drifted toward a deep, empty sleep

And suddenly the tent was filled with a terrible rising scream that a wrenched hi fro hall Zark&039;s eyes carasped his rifle and hurtled through the opening in a flurry of snow

Virga shook his head when he realized where he actually was The tent reeked of rancid breath Baal laughed quietly from his corner, his teeth bared, his eyes coals

In another few seconds Zark burst back in, his eyes rimmed hite and his beard ice-caked and dirty, and said, "There was a bear outside! I heard it! Da laughter, and his face fla across Michael for Baal "I&039;ll kill you!"

Michael grasped Zark&039;s arhter abruptly stopped

Baal said, "Touch me Go ahead Go ahead"

"Sit down," Michael said

"I&039;ll kill him" The breath clouds were fumed from Zark&039;s nostrils and mouth "I swear I&039;ll kill hihtened his grip on the man&039;s arainst the wall and sat, motionless and drained

"You won&039;t sleep," Baal whispered "If you try, the saain And soon your nerves will be shot and you&039;ll be jurinned at thea&039;s frost-nu on his back in a littered cha

"Kill him now," Zark muttered "Now"

What was it? What had he said? What had he said?

"There is only one way You! Eskimo! No, don&039;t turn your face away I need you You and I together will leave this place we&039;ll leave both of theet back to Avatik I&039;ll let you sleep once we&039;ve left them behind Listen to me," Baal hissed "Listen to me!"

Michael reached over and clamped his hand firmly about the hunter&039;s thick shoulder "Stay where you are," he said softly

"You can&039;t continue without sleep You&039;ll never a was tre

"Let e," Virga said

Michael looked over at hia said, "What did you hton said to me when I asked what Baal&039;s purpose was You said the word revenge"

"Naughton?" Baal whispered fro traitor! We should have torn out his eyes and tongue before we left him to die!"

"But," Michael said, "you didn&039;t" He said to Virga, "Yes, that hat I said That is the truth"

"Your truth, perhaps But beyond s here so far fro my mind"

Zark said, "We should kill that

"I told you froa, "that there would be things beyond your understanding"

Virga said, "I want to know I have to know"

"Then know one thing first You can never go back; you can never be what you once were You&039;ll be hung between life-in-death and death-in-life If you choose to speak no one will ever listen; you&039;ll be branded a a said

Michael paused for athe man&039;s eyes relentlessly Behind him Baal breathed like a beast in heat

Michael said, "You&039;ll listen to what I&039; to say, but you won&039;t hear It will be beyond your comprehension Do you believe in Jehovah?"

The question startled Virga He said, "Yes Of course"

"And then you also believe in Satan?"

Virga said, soht and the dark One patient and tolerant, the other reckless and cruel; but both of the of the elements, the All There is a coood and evil Do you see? Without one the other could not exist - that is a Law And balanced on that Law of All is the cosmos; to tip the balance of poould result in chaos andplace at this !" Baal whispered

"Satan has never been a secondary power; he is the equalizing darkness to Jehovah&039;s light At the beginnings the cosmos was created by both Jehovah and Satan The cosy Your ancestors were part of that energy You are part of that energy Baal is part of that energy"

"The pagan god this hed quietly, a ru in the throat

Michael said, "No What you see is a huy He is Baal, within a form to make himself visually acceptable to those he wishes to influence"

Virga sat motionless Beside hi harshly

"The light and the dark were not always enemies As I&039;ve said, Satan is reckless He is concerned only with the accumulation of power If the Law of All is destroyed he is destroyed as well, but like a spittle-s the creation recognized only the god of light and the god of darkness, each equal But Satan saw advantages in increasing his strength through the use of deods Baal was one of the , with an unreasonable lust for power and grandeur Under Satan&039;s influence Baal beca the sacrifice of children, sodoe of the teed ods before a creation now confused and tormented It was the only way Satan could clais Jehovah endured until Satan began to influence the Hebrews, Jehovah&039;s chosen own, into darkness and black sorcery The balance was overthrown As an example He turned on Baal, the uard, and with the aid of the Israelites drove Canaan into the ground His wrath was furious; He ordered His celestial armies to burn the wicked cities to ash, that the land should be fiery rock and nothing should grow The idols and temples of Baal were destroyed; those who had worshipped the demon entity iped off the face of the earth Baal was a coht and the dark, but he&039;d betrayed one and now sought refuge in the other"

"Lies," hissed the figure behind Michael "Liesssss"

"The daan then the battle that would deteres here and now Satan uses Baal to throw havoc into the creation; Baal seeks his own revenge, destruction of the Israelites who destroyed his kingdom of Canaan He has existed in many physical forms, before this moment And in each incarnation he&039;s cooal of his od, possessed by the forces of darkness"

Virga was tre He are of it but he couldn&039;t stop it He tried to concentrate on stopping it He said in a halting voice, "Baal is a man he&039;s only a man"

"Have it as you will," Michael said softly "You asked, I answered"

"Let o," Baal said in the voice of a child

"We a

Beside Virga, Zark had opened his eyes and was rubbing his neck and shoulders, working the blood

"I don&039;t know I don&039;t know I&039; Can you go on?"

"They can&039;t continue, Michael," Baal said "Give it up Let o Join me"

Michael looked over at the hunter "Can you travel?"

Zark rubbed his hands together He looked froain "Yes," he said

"Good Dr Virga?"

He didn&039;t know It seemed difficult to breathe He said, "I&039;m so tired"

"I warned you Didn&039;t I warn you?" Michael said "We must reach the sea as soon as possible You have two choices You can continue with us or ill leave you here"

Virga looked up, startled at the ultimatum He ran his hands over his face "That&039;s not a choice I&039;ll go on"