Books by Clive Barker Galilee Forms of Heaven Sacrament ...

professional actor in his time,and fgted for it. It wasn't congenital stupidity that hadmade him susceptible
to human jurisdiction, it was anguish.He'd seen the face of Hapexamendios Himself and, half-crazed by
the sight, had been unable to resist the summons,and the binding, when it came. His invoker had of
coursebeen Joshua Godolphin, and he'd commanded Dowd toserve his line until the end of time. In fact,
Joshua's retire-
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ment to the safety of his estate had freed Dowd to wanderuntil the old man's demise, when he was
drawn back tooffer his services to Joshua's son Nathaniel, only revealinghis true nature once he'd made
himself indispensable, forfear he was trapped between his bounden duty and the zealof a Christian.
In fact, Nathaniel had grown into a dissolute of consid?erable proportions by the time Dowd entered his
employ,and could not have cared less what kind of creature Dowdwas as long as he procured the right
kind of company. Andso it had gone on, generation after generation, Dowdchanging his face on occasion
(a simple trick, or feit) so as to conceal his longevity from the withering human world.But the possibility
that one day his double-dealing wouldbe discovered by the Tabula Rasa, and they would searchthrough
their library and find some vicious sway to destroyhim, never entirely left his calculations: especially now,
waiting for the call into their presence.
That call was an hour and a half in coming, during whichtime he distracted himself thinking about the
shows that were opening in the coming week. Theater remained hisgreat love, and there was scarcely a
production of any sig?nificance he failed to see. On the following Tuesday he hadtickets for the
much-acclaimed Lear at the National and then, two days later, a seat in the stalls for the revival of
Turandotat the Coliseum. Much to look forward to, oncethis wretched interview was over,
At last the lift hummed into life and one of the Society'syounger members, Giles Bloxham, appeared. At
forty,Bloxham looked twice that age. It took a kind of genius,Godolphin had once remarked when
talking about Blox?ham (he liked to report on the absurdities of the Society,particularly when he was in
his cups), to look so dissipatedand have nothing to regret for it.
"We're ready for you now," Bloxham, said, indicatingthat Dowd should join him in the lift. "You realize,"
hesaid as they ascended, "that if you're ever tempted tobreathe a word of what you see here, the Society
will eradi-
56 CLIVE BARKER
cate you so quickly and so thoroughly your mother won'teven know you existed?"
This overheated threat sounded ludicrous delivered in Bloxham's nasal whine, but Dowd played the
chastenedfunctionary. "I perfectly understand," he said.
"It's an extraordinary step," Bloxham continued, "call?ing anyone who isn't a member to a meeting. But
these areextraordinary times. Not that it's any of your business." "Quite so," Dowd said, all innocence.
Tonight he'd take their condescension without argu?ment, he thought, more confident by the day that
some?thing was coming that would rock this tower to itsfoundations. When it did, he'd have his revenge.
The lift door opened, and Bloxham ordered Dowd tofollow him. The passages that led to the main suite
werestark and uncarpeted; the room he was led into, the same.The drapes were drawn over all the
windows; the enor?mous marble-topped table that dominated the room was litby overhead lamps, the
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