He took out a lighter and flicked it once. Twice. No flame.
He tried a second one and it worked instantly. Shotzen adjusted the flame to its greatest height, almost two inches. Then he shook it to make sure there was plenty of fluid left.
There was.
He heard voices in the hallway. Sun and Andy. He could also make out the footfalls of sheep. They were bringing Bub his lunch. Good. Bub usually took a nap after eating. That would be the time to strike.
Shotzen checked his compass, something he'd gotten from Race and always carried around, and faced east. He took his siddur—his prayer book—from his pocket and read the afternoon service. Then, while still standing, he began to pray the Amidah. He prayed aloud and with kavanah—intent—but he kept his voice a whisper.
When the prayer ended he began to shuckle, rocking back and forth, davening to Adonai for judgement, purpose, and strength.
He was going to need it.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Dr. Julie Harker sat in the back of the room and watched impatiently as Sun led the two sheep into Bub's habitat. Andy Dennison, the interpreter, was helping her.
She’s screwing him, Harker decided. Didn't waste much time either; the guy had only been here a few days. It reminded Harker of her mother. She used to sleep around too. Harker couldn't count all the times she was taken to different men's houses and left in front of the television while her mom hurried to the bedroom. One more horrible memory from a horrible childhood.
Harker turned on the camera and videotaped the hideous spectacle, giving further credence to her earlier lie. Bub got down to business quickly. As soon as the sheep entered his domain Bub had grabbed each by the head. With a quick twist of his giant talons he broke their necks in unison, and then began to feast.
As Bub gorged himself, Sun engaged him in some brief conversation, asking why his hunger had increased. Bub explained that a creature of his high metabolism needed a lot of calories to maintain itself. Bub had only learned English yesterday, Harker noted, and was already lying like a pro.
The demon ate quickly, stuffing the final bit of the first sheep into his gaping maw only minutes after beginning. Through the zoom of the camcorder lens Harker could see that Bub was able to unhinge his lower jaw like a snake to get the big pieces down.
He began to chow down on the second sheep, causing Harker to stop taping and shoot him a look. The extra sheep was to become Harker's little girl. Had she been tricked?
Sun and Andy neglected to stay for the second course, and when they left Bub stopped eating.
“That's supposed to be my child,” Harker snapped as she approached the habitat. “You're eating my baby.”
“Don’t woooooooorry,” Bub cooed.
“I don't want a daughter with bite marks out of her.”
“She'll be fiiiiiiiiiine.”
“I want her perfect.”
“She'll be fiiiiiiiiiine. Give me the cooooooodes”
Harker held the camcorder up to the Plexiglas. She pressed the stop button and rewound the tape.
“I recorded myself punching in the code, so you know it works. See for yourself.”
She faced the viewing screen at Bub and let the tape play. Bub kept perfectly still while he watched, like a cobra before it strikes.
“The second gaaaaaaate.”
“The same code,” Harker stated matter-of-factly. “I would have kept taping, but I was almost caught.”
Bub eyed her closely. Julie wasn't quite sure why she lied. Perhaps it was because having a nine foot demon running around loose wasn't the smartest thing to allow. Perhaps it was because she didn't entirely trust Bub to make her a little girl. If all worked out, Harker might give Bub the second code later on. Maybe in another deal. Harker would enjoy having a little boy for her daughter to play with.
“We have a deal, right?” Harker narrowed her eyes. There was no way Bub could tell she was lying. Harker was too good at deception. She'd cared for one for nearly a year.
“What color eeeeeeeeeyes?”
Harker blinked. She'd never considered it.
“Blue eyes. And blonde hair. Curly blonde hair.”
Just like Shirley, Harker thought.
“Watch the doooooooor,” Bub instructed.
He dragged the carcass of the sheep further back into his habitat, coming to rest behind some bushes. Harker stood in the doorway to Red 14, alternating her attention between the hall and the habitat.
“How about the surveillance camera?” she called to Bub.
He didn’t answer. Minutes passed. Harker could see the legs of the sheep poking out from behind the brush. At first they twitched, then the twitching became bucking. When the blood started to spray, Harker left the door to take a closer look.
Bub rested his palm on the prone sheep's chest. The sheep was jerking wildly under his hold, almost as if an electric current was being passed through it. Slowly, it began to expand. The wool, matted black with blood, peeled away like strips of wet carpet. Then the skin detached itself from the skeleton and puffed out until the sheep was double its original size. It began to bleat, high-pitched and frantic.
It's screaming, Harker realized.
There was a large wet POP as the skin burst. A fine mist of blood sprayed Bub, covering him with droplets. With his free claw, Bub tore away the remaining skin. The muscles underneath were dark red and stringy and...
Changing.
All four legs shortened, seeming to shrink into themselves. As if its bones were made of rubber, bending and twisting until it no longer resembled a sheep, just a squirming mass of connective tissue.
The bleating became the choke of someone drowning.
Then the head imploded and promptly expanded into a human skull shape.
“Watch the dooooooooooor,” Bub commanded.
But Harker was rooted. The body convulsed, sending blood and stringy sinew in all directions like thrown spaghetti. It curled up into a position that was obviously fetal. Bub continued to keep his claw on its chest, in contact with the heart.
The musculature became a lighter and lighter red until it was pink. Harker realized it wasn't changing color; skin was forming. It kicked its legs, now ending in recognizable feet rather than hooves. Harker watched as its hands, shaped like two mittens, began to divide and splay until they each had five fingers.
Bub's concentration was intense. He appeared almost in a trance.
The bleating was high-pitched now, almost the wail of a siren. It slowly died down, becoming rhythmic, more recognizable.
The cries of a child.
Harker tried to swallow, but the lump in her throat was too big.
The changes became more gradual. Harker came up to the habitat and pressed her forehead against the Plexiglas. She could make out fine hair, springing from the scalp wet with blood. As the girl cried, Harker could catch glimpses of the gums forming and the tongue taking shape.
“Incredible,” Harker whispered.
The child blinked, revealing startling blue eyes. The details on her small body became sharper: nipples formed, fingernails grew, a belly button. Genitals, small and delicate. The many bends of the ear. Eyebrows and lashes. It was as if Harker was looking at her from far away through binoculars, slowly fine-tuning the focus.
“All dooooooooone.”
The girl had stopped crying. She lay on her back, arms and legs twitching.
“She's done?” Harker asked.
“Yessssssssss.”
“Can she eat?”
“Sucking reeeeeeeflex.”
“Bring her,” Harker said.
Bub gently picked up the child with one claw and took her to the side door. Harker hurried over to it.