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sound of either salvation or death.
About a minute left. Where the hell are they? Molly, maybe you should
find some cover.
What cover? She looked around the cave. It was an open chamber; the
only cover would be the darkness in the back of the chamber.
Get behind Steve.
No, Molly said. I won t do that. She heard a voice come from the
back of her mind. Get to cover, you daffy broad. What, do you have a
death wish?
I have abandonment issues. I m not going to turn around and abandon
someone else, Molly said.
What? Theo said.
I wasn t talking to you.
Fine, die. What do I care? said the narrator.
Bastard, Molly said.
What? said Theo.
Not you!
Molly, how did you get those guys to come out and drag me into the
cave before?
The Lust Lizard Of Melancholy Cove / 285
I just told them to.
Well, take their clothes back to them and tell them to get dressed.
Why?
Just do it. And tell them to hang on to Steve s sides and not let go, no
matter what he does.
Now who s nuts?
Molly, please, I m trying to save him.
The Sheriff
Burton checked his watch. That s it. Get into position. We re going in.
Sergeant Sheridan wasn t so sure. They have thirty hostages and we
don t have any recon of their positions and we don t have a full team. You
want to take this guy out with thirty witnesses?
Goddamn it, Sheridan, get your men in position. We go on my signal.
Sheriff Burton. Theo s voice from the cave.
What?
I ll take your offer, Theo said. Give me five more minutes and I ll
come out. We can all leave together. The others will come out after you re
gone.
You just want him anyway, right? Sheridan said. He s the only one
that can hurt the operation.
Burton turned it over in his mind. He d been determined to take out the
constable and the woman, but now he had to rethink things. If he could
get Crowe away from the others, he could dispose of him with no witnesses.
Burton s cell phone rang. He flipped it open. Burton, he said.
You shouldn t have made disparaging comments about my weight,
Sheriff, the Spider said.
286 / Christopher Moore
Nailsworth, you piece of sh The line went dead.
Suddenly the sound of a wailing Blues guitar came screaming over the
marine terrace. Burton and the SWAT team turned to see an old white
station wagon driving along the edge of the terrace, next to where it
dropped to the beach.
An inhuman roar rose up out of the cave, and when Burton looked back
to the cave all he saw was a huge reptilian face coming at him.
Winston Krauss
Winston sat in the back of the station wagon, steadying the Marshall
amplifier that was screaming out the notes from Catfish s Stratocaster. The
amp was plugged into Mavis s black box and a cord ran over the seats into
the cigarette lighter, next to where Catfish was playing. After the first few
notes, Winston s hearing had shut down due to temporary deafness, but
he didn t care. He could hardly believe his luck. Mavis had promised him
the biggest sexual thrill of his life, and he had doubted her. But now he
saw it. It was the most gorgeous creature he d ever seen.
Steve
The feelings of self-pity, jealousy, and heartbreak were new to him, but the
response that welled up in him when he heard the sound of his enemy was
more deeply imprinted on his lizard brain and it displaced all the newer
feelings with rage and the imperative to attack.
He stormed out of the cave with pilgrims hanging on
The Lust Lizard Of Melancholy Cove / 287
his back by the ridge of armored plates that ran down his spine. Two layers
of protective covering slid over his eyes, shortening his vision, but it was
the sound that guided him anyway, the sound that carried the strongest
association with the enemy. He flashed bright crimson and yellow as he
charged over the rocks, kicking aside the vehicles and shedding pilgrims
as he made his way to his enemy at the shore.
Theo
Molly stood in the cave entrance, screaming for Steve to stop. Theo grabbed
her around the waist and pulled her away just as the Sea Beast, dangling
pilgrims, charged past them. She elbowed Theo in the forehead, stunning
him for a second, and she made for the cave entrance. Theo caught her
outside on the rocks and held her.
No!
Theo wrapped his arms around her, pinning her arms to her side, and
lifted her off the ground, then held her kicking as he braced for gunfire.
But none came.
Burton was climbing to his feet just below them, focused on the Sea Beast
as it passed. Shoot that thing! Shoot it! Shoot it!
The SWAT commander had rolled out of the way and come up with his
weapon ready, but with people hanging all over the beast, he didn t know
where to shoot, so instead let his weapon fall to his side as he stared in
amazement.
Burton drew a pistol and began running after the Sea Beast. Below, two
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