He was dressed in flowing white pants made from the same material as the pavilion, and his gleaming brown chest was gorgeously firm and bare. I lifted the waistband of the pants and saw that, yep, this was definitely a man's body, and that I had been very very wrong in my estimation of the size of Indra's member. wrong in my estimation of the size of Indra's member.

Jeez, the man was hung like a b.l.o.o.d.y horse. There was part of me that was very very tempted to stick my hand down where I shouldn't and see if there really tempted to stick my hand down where I shouldn't and see if there really was was any truth to all the p.e.n.i.s fuss, but the idea made me feel a little cheap. Like I was taking advantage of a comatose patient or something. I decided to keep my hands to myself . . . at least for now. But who knew any truth to all the p.e.n.i.s fuss, but the idea made me feel a little cheap. Like I was taking advantage of a comatose patient or something. I decided to keep my hands to myself . . . at least for now. But who knew what what would happen if I got stuck inside Indra's body indefinitely? The guy was a total hunk, and I was pretty affection starved. I bet getting lucky in his body was like shooting fish in a barrel. would happen if I got stuck inside Indra's body indefinitely? The guy was a total hunk, and I was pretty affection starved. I bet getting lucky in his body was like shooting fish in a barrel.

I touched the lion's mane of dark hair that framed his handsome face, and his dark eyes flashed back at me in the mirror.

He seemed full of power and courage.

This is a different man from the one I met back at the soundstage, I thought curiously. I thought curiously.

"Yes, he was a different man," Kali said, reading my mind as she magically appeared in the mirror behind me. She was wearing a bright red sari, her dark hair coiled around her head like a snake.

"What happened to him?" I asked in Indra's voice, giving myself the w.i.l.l.i.e.s. I was definitely gonna have to follow my own advice and keep my mouth shut until I was back in my own body.

"Let him show us, white girl," she said, a strange smile etched on her face. "And by the way, Wodin said to remind you that you only have one more day left."

"What do you mean 'one more day'?" I said incredulously.

She laughed.

"Oops, didn't we tell you? If you haven't completed your tasks before the next sunset-"

"You mean the one after this one?"

She rolled her eyes. "Of course that's what I mean."

"Because technically it's not really sunset yet, so this would be the next-"

"Shut up, white girl." Kali sighed.

Jeez, someone someone forgot to take her chill pill again. forgot to take her chill pill again.

"Okay, whatever. Sorry," I pouted, feeling kind of annoyed by the whole thing. First, she tells me I've got only one day one day to finish my tasks; then she snaps at me just for asking a legitimate question. I might as well concede on the whole thing right here and now and be done with it. to finish my tasks; then she snaps at me just for asking a legitimate question. I might as well concede on the whole thing right here and now and be done with it.

"If you haven't completed your tasks by the next sunset," she continued, oblivious to my inner turmoil, "then the Board will be forced not not to renew your father's contract, and you and your entire family will become mortal again." to renew your father's contract, and you and your entire family will become mortal again."

"You know, I heard you, like, the first four times you told me," I moaned. "You guys on the Board are, like, total serial repeaters."

"Well, I can guarantee you haven't heard this part before because Wodin just came up with it," Kali said, getting all smarmy on me. "Know what's going to happen to you if you fail to complete your tasks?"

"What?" I asked, starting to get nervous.

"You die and get reincarnated as a fly."

"Excuse me!?" I nearly shrieked. "I get turned into a what?"

"A fly. And by the way, you will will still owe me a favor, no matter what form you take in your next life." still owe me a favor, no matter what form you take in your next life."

"Well, that major-league sucks," I said.

Kali raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, white girl, you have no idea no idea."

I turned around to ask her what she meant by that that, but she wasn't there. When I turned back around, the mirror was empty, too.

Gone again. And just when I was starting to kind of like the sari-wearing b.i.t.c.h, I thought to myself. I thought to myself.

Alone again in the pavilion, the afternoon sun had already pa.s.sed its zenith, and dusk was fast approaching. It was getting cold out, and since I was topless-which was fine for a guy, but still pretty d.a.m.n chilly-I decided to leave the cover of the pavilion and see if I could find somewhere a little warmer to hang out.

As I looked out at the scene that lay before me right outside the pavilion, I could see nothing but sand for miles in all directions. I didn't know if I was in the middle of the desert or if the sea was just out of my range of vision, but I was sick of standing there, freezing my nipples off, waiting for something to happen.

Best to take the bull by the b.a.l.l.s, and see what I can make happen for myself, I thought as I giggled to myself. I mean, I thought as I giggled to myself. I mean, b.a.l.l.s b.a.l.l.s? Come on, how many times in my life would I be able to make a statement like that, and actually have the b.a.l.l.s b.a.l.l.s to back it up? to back it up?

G.o.d, sometimes I really cracked myself up.

Too bad my laughter was to be so short-lived.

eighteen As I stepped outside the pavilion, something strange happened . . . I lost control of Indra's body-ending my one and only chance to discover what the heck was so great about owning a p.e.n.i.s. Suddenly, I was a pa.s.senger inside the great Hindu G.o.d, instead of his master. I stopped feeling cold. I stopped feeling anything, actually. It was totally bizarre.

I was the silent partner in this situation, and I didn't like it one bit. I mean, what if Indra did something disgusting-like go to the bathroom or eat an octopus or have s.e.x-and I had to sit there, completely involved but totally without a say in what was happening.

Gross!

I tried to rea.s.sert my control over the masculine body I was trapped in by telling its legs to stop moving, but instead I just found myself being carried along inside Indra as he crossed the sands, his large, well-muscled calves carrying us much faster than I could've ever gone in my own body.

He paused once to pull a flask from his pocket and take a long draught of whatever nasty stuff was in it. It was weird because when I had been in control of his body, I hadn't even known there was was a pocket in his pants, let alone room enough for a flask. I decided that the flask must be magical, and since I hadn't known it was there to find, it had kept itself hidden from me. a pocket in his pants, let alone room enough for a flask. I decided that the flask must be magical, and since I hadn't known it was there to find, it had kept itself hidden from me.

More and more, I found myself wishing that I were at least moderately moderately magically adept. I couldn't believe I'd actually listened to Father when he'd forbidden magic handling inside Sea Verge. Since Clio had ignored him, I figured Thalia probably had, too-which made me think I was the only dum-dum in the family who ever obeyed our parents' rules. I wondered what other things I had forgone because Father or Mother had told me not to do them. magically adept. I couldn't believe I'd actually listened to Father when he'd forbidden magic handling inside Sea Verge. Since Clio had ignored him, I figured Thalia probably had, too-which made me think I was the only dum-dum in the family who ever obeyed our parents' rules. I wondered what other things I had forgone because Father or Mother had told me not to do them.

There were probably lots of other things that I could dredge up from my childhood to p.i.s.s myself off even more with, but since I was in the middle of nowhere, trapped in someone else's body, I didn't think now was quite the time to be harping on all that.

But I knew one one thing for sure. I was sick and tired of being Miss Goody Two-shoes. I mean, it's not like anyone-Father and Mother included-ever gave me a pat on the back for being the "nice" girl. I felt completely justified in deciding that the next time someone told me I thing for sure. I was sick and tired of being Miss Goody Two-shoes. I mean, it's not like anyone-Father and Mother included-ever gave me a pat on the back for being the "nice" girl. I felt completely justified in deciding that the next time someone told me I couldn't couldn't do something, well, I was just going to do it, and d.a.m.n the consequences. do something, well, I was just going to do it, and d.a.m.n the consequences.

While I had been bemoaning my lack of magical ability, Indra had continued with his one-man trek across the sand. He'd stopped one more time to pull another swallow-a long one this time-from his flask, but he very quickly replaced the silvery container and kept going. I only wished I could tap into his brain and find out where we were heading. I would have felt a lot better knowing we weren't about to get eaten by something big and scary-but that was just me.

It was like Indra and I were the main character in the beginning of a video game, totally unsure of where we were going (okay, I guess, I I was the only one who didn't know where we were going), but armed with the knowledge that as long as we kept moving, we were eventually gonna run into something interesting-hopefully that something would win us lots of points and not kill us in the process. was the only one who didn't know where we were going), but armed with the knowledge that as long as we kept moving, we were eventually gonna run into something interesting-hopefully that something would win us lots of points and not kill us in the process.

We were in full twilight, and the emptiness around us seemed to take on a more sinister tone now that the sun was gone. Suddenly, there was a flash of light that split open the sky, illuminating the desert-scape around us for a half second before pitching the world back into semidarkness again. In that split second of illumination I had seen something that chilled my bones down to the very marrow. Not more than five hundred feet away from us was the biggest, scariest-looking castle I had ever seen. It was worse than anything I'd ever dreamed Castle Dracula or Frankenstein would look like in my imagination. And I had dredged up some pretty scary scenery when I was reading those books.

It was maybe 10,000 square feet-give or take a converted bas.e.m.e.nt or two-and it had a main building flanked on either side by two huge, looming wings that both had two turrets topping them like bloated cherries on top of a rancid strawberry sundae. The whole structure of the building was pretty typical castle with cutout windows, and flaming torches stuck here and there for illumination-none of which lent it the frightening air I had encountered upon first glance.

It's the material the castle is made out of that's giving me the w.i.l.l.i.e.s.

When I think of the word "castle," I imagine big, gray stone blocks piled one on top of another, mortared together to make an impenetrably thick outer wall that no bad guys could ever knock down, no matter how hard they tried.

Well, this sucker was nothing like that.

This castle wasn't made out of stone, or brick, or even wood-I could totally handle a wooden castle, not very practical, but totally fine in my book. No, this castle wasn't made out of stone, or brick, or even wood-I could totally handle a wooden castle, not very practical, but totally fine in my book. No, this definitely definitely wasn't built with the kind of stuff you bought down at your local Home Depot . . . this monstrosity was constructed from something that I had never really considered to be building material at all . . . the tortured bodies of thousands of human beings. There were so many of them that by the one-hundredth set of congealed eyeb.a.l.l.s I counted, I was ready to throw up my digestive tract. Too bad I didn't have my own body so I could indulge the urge. wasn't built with the kind of stuff you bought down at your local Home Depot . . . this monstrosity was constructed from something that I had never really considered to be building material at all . . . the tortured bodies of thousands of human beings. There were so many of them that by the one-hundredth set of congealed eyeb.a.l.l.s I counted, I was ready to throw up my digestive tract. Too bad I didn't have my own body so I could indulge the urge.

The only time I've ever experienced anything that was even kind of kind of comparable to the hideous castle that lay before me was when I was dragged to this crazy scientific exhibit in New York by Patience-I don't think she wanted to go by herself, so I was her unsuspecting victim-where some Austrian "scientist" had plasticized the bodies of hundreds of "volunteers" and then put them on display. Imagine a gallery filled with fifty or so plasticized specimens-muscles unbound by skin, eyeb.a.l.l.s popping out of unlidded eye sockets, teeth shiny and denuded of lips-splayed in whatever pose best showed off the inner workings of each specimen's physique, and there you had it. comparable to the hideous castle that lay before me was when I was dragged to this crazy scientific exhibit in New York by Patience-I don't think she wanted to go by herself, so I was her unsuspecting victim-where some Austrian "scientist" had plasticized the bodies of hundreds of "volunteers" and then put them on display. Imagine a gallery filled with fifty or so plasticized specimens-muscles unbound by skin, eyeb.a.l.l.s popping out of unlidded eye sockets, teeth shiny and denuded of lips-splayed in whatever pose best showed off the inner workings of each specimen's physique, and there you had it.

This castle was totally like the "mad scientist's secret hideaway" version of that exhibit: thousands of human bodies split open and weirdly sewn back together to cover every nook and cranny of the place. You could see the mangled appendages, the bloated faces, and the cracked-open rib cages of a small army of victims doomed to spill out their viscera for eternity.

It was so foul, so alien to my sense of what was right right in the world, that it took me a few moments to fully comprehend the utter evil of the thing. in the world, that it took me a few moments to fully comprehend the utter evil of the thing.

Indra didn't seem at all phased by it, though. Instead, the insane G.o.d picked up his pace so that we would get there sooner. sooner. The guy was gonna give me a heart attack-body or no body. I wanted to scream at him to turn around and go back to the pavilion, where it was safe, but I had the strange feeling that even if, by some crazy miracle, I got Indra to go back, the pavilion wouldn't be there anymore. In the insane world that I now found myself inhabiting, a missing pavilion would only be par for the course. The guy was gonna give me a heart attack-body or no body. I wanted to scream at him to turn around and go back to the pavilion, where it was safe, but I had the strange feeling that even if, by some crazy miracle, I got Indra to go back, the pavilion wouldn't be there anymore. In the insane world that I now found myself inhabiting, a missing pavilion would only be par for the course.

Indra walked purposefully toward the castle, stopping when he reached the edge of a very deep, very treacherous-looking moat. The moat was invisible from far away, the edge raked so that you couldn't see the drop-off until you were almost on top of the castle itself. Luckily, Indra seemed to know his way around the place. I got the distinct impression that a lot of visitors-probably in their haste to avoid the exterior horrors of the castle-didn't notice the moat at all at all-and ended up walking right into it, never to be seen again.

Indra stood very close to the edge of the moat, which made me kinda nervous. I so did not not want to end my life anywhere want to end my life anywhere near near that disgusting place. Just being in such close proximity made the nonexistent hairs on the back of my neck stand up in terror. that disgusting place. Just being in such close proximity made the nonexistent hairs on the back of my neck stand up in terror.

I was really starting to get annoyed about not having my own body. I guess your body is just one of those things you don't really appreciate until it's gone. I don't think I would've nearly minded so much if I were trapped inside someone hot that I liked liked-Johnny Depp or Keanu Reeves, anybody?-but since Indra and I didn't have the greatest relationship to begin with, this body-sharing thing would be intolerable if it lasted too much longer.

The whole time I'd been trapped inside Indra, he'd barely breathed, let alone mumbled any words, but now he spoke, and his voice was like a freight train rumbling through the darkness.

"Vritra, show yourself! I have come through ninety-nine different planes of existence to reach your castle, and I will will do away with you this night, or die in the trying!" do away with you this night, or die in the trying!"

Luckily, we didn't have to sit around twiddling our thumbs, waiting for whoever owned the place to notice we were there. There was a loud screech from inside, and I had the very distinct impression that whatever was making the racket was not not human. human.

Great, now you've gone and done it, you big a.s.s, I thought to myself. I thought to myself. You woke up the monster, and it's gonna eat us! You woke up the monster, and it's gonna eat us!

The inhuman screech stopped almost as suddenly as it had begun. And the silence was far scarier in my opinion than the creature's call had been.

I felt a tickle somewhere in my brain-did I even have a brain anymore, I wondered? Vritra? Vritra? Where had I heard Where had I heard that that name before? name before?

Then it hit me. This was the creature Indra was supposed to have slain with the Sea Foam he was guarding so desperately. So, if the creature was still alive, then that meant I was in the past.

I almost laughed when I realized what Kali had done: She had sent me into Indra's memories. She had sent me into Indra's memories. If this was how she told a story, then I was more than happy never to hear another one out of If this was how she told a story, then I was more than happy never to hear another one out of her her mouth. mouth.

There was a sharp crack, like the tip of a whip striking bare flesh, and suddenly, we weren't alone anymore. The giant drawbridge fell open like a tongue, and what seemed like a thousand men in heavy scarlet and black armor began to stream across its span.

If I had had any control over the situation, I would have turned tail and ran, but Indra had other ideas. He reached inside his pocket-not another stupid drink out of the flask, I moaned to myself-but I was wrong in my a.s.sumption. Instead of the silvery flask, Indra produced a long, shimmering scepter from his pocket. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. It was so mesmerizing that even Indra had a hard time dragging his eyes away from its brilliance. I moaned to myself-but I was wrong in my a.s.sumption. Instead of the silvery flask, Indra produced a long, shimmering scepter from his pocket. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. It was so mesmerizing that even Indra had a hard time dragging his eyes away from its brilliance.

It was no more than three feet long, but slim and pliable in his hands. The length of it had been made from combining two pieces of bone-I was pretty sure they had been some really really tall guy's femurs in another life-and on either end was a sharp, glittering sickle blade made of a clear, crystallized substance that I couldn't place. It wasn't like I was a small-arms tall guy's femurs in another life-and on either end was a sharp, glittering sickle blade made of a clear, crystallized substance that I couldn't place. It wasn't like I was a small-arms expert expert or anything. As far as or anything. As far as I I knew, metal was the knew, metal was the only only medium of choice when you wanted to decapitate someone special, so what was medium of choice when you wanted to decapitate someone special, so what was this this stuff? stuff?

After a moment or two of contemplation, I decided the only thing they could reasonably be made of was diamond-two incredibly large large diamonds cut into subtle killing blades. Gla.s.s or crystal would have shattered instantly in battle, but diamonds were pretty hard little fellows and could take care of themselves-and diamonds cut into subtle killing blades. Gla.s.s or crystal would have shattered instantly in battle, but diamonds were pretty hard little fellows and could take care of themselves-and these guys these guys were about as far from Harry Winston as they came anyway. were about as far from Harry Winston as they came anyway.

There was a hypnotizing quality about these diamonds, and I found myself desperately wanting to reach out and touch one of the blades, caress its smooth sharpness with the hollow of my throat . . . Eww, did I really just think those words? Jeez, the thing Eww, did I really just think those words? Jeez, the thing has has to be magic the way it's trying to compel me to kill myself on it. to be magic the way it's trying to compel me to kill myself on it.

Thank G.o.d I didn't have a body-or the diamond-bladed monster would've gladly had my blood for lunch. And since I'd already spilled enough of my own platelets that day, I was all for not having a corporeal form so I didn't have to worry about keeping away from the thing.

I watched in awe as Indra raised the weapon high above his head, his body tensing as he waited for the horde of soldiers to envelope him. It was surprising how quickly the armor-clad men gave in to the weapon's siren song. It was amazing to see the men-all of them ashen and mealy eyed underneath their heavy bloodred and midnight armor-rip their breast plates away from their throats and eagerly sacrifice themselves to the call of Indra's twin sickle blades. As each man died, their last prayers for grace gurgling in their throats, the blades would glow white-hot, almost like they were absorbing the souls of their prey.

I had a hard time reconciling the idea of an inanimate object actually eating eating, but that was what was happening-Indra's scepter was scarfing down human souls like a gluttonous little pig. It reminded me of the time I'd watched a group of Atkins Diet acolytes from work-three middle-aged women in pantsuits-scarf down a whole spit of shawarma at a Middle Eastern- themed Christmas party.

The amount of food consumed was stupefying.

Indra's scepter put them to shame.

I found myself with a much healthier respect for Indra after that. Any man or G.o.d that could wield that that kind of weapon was pretty d.a.m.n hot in my book. In fact, Indra was starting to take on Fabio-like proportions in my mind. I could imagine Indra's face on the cover of one of those cheesy bodice rippers, his cheek nestled into the swell of my breast as we pretended to be a pirate and a princess, respectively. If I'd had a body . . . well, let's just say I had some very wanton things I wanted to do with Mr. s.e.x on a Stick. kind of weapon was pretty d.a.m.n hot in my book. In fact, Indra was starting to take on Fabio-like proportions in my mind. I could imagine Indra's face on the cover of one of those cheesy bodice rippers, his cheek nestled into the swell of my breast as we pretended to be a pirate and a princess, respectively. If I'd had a body . . . well, let's just say I had some very wanton things I wanted to do with Mr. s.e.x on a Stick.

You know, can I just take a minute to digress here?

It's always really bothered me the way my mind can hate a man one minute and then want to have s.e.x with him the next. Like this whole s.e.xual attraction to Indra thing, it made me feel like a total s.l.u.t.

I can only imagine it has something to do with this whole love-hate thing we women are conditioned to feel toward s.e.x. It's like we can't love it too much too much because then we're bad girls, but if we "just say no," then we're uptight prudes. because then we're bad girls, but if we "just say no," then we're uptight prudes.

Instead of having all this ambivalence toward s.e.x, I wish society-and my brain-would make up its mind about the whole thing, so I could enjoy getting laid without all the ha.s.sle of having my libido-and emotions-smacked around like a Ping-Pong ball.

While I debated s.e.xual politics with myself, Indra finished off the last of the soldiers. The bodies of the dead and dying lay strewn around him, the spoils of a one-G.o.d fighting machine. As each corpse expired, its body seemed to shrink in upon itself, its flesh taking on the purplish black hue of rotten meat. It gave new insight into the term "meat puppet." I mean, that was all these soldiers really were in the end . . . just giant rotten globs of meat and sinew. It was kind of sad, all that wasted life, but there was really nothing Indra could do about it. It was either kill or be killed, as far as I could see. And since I was hanging out in Indra's body, it was pretty obvious whose side I was on here.

Indra put the scepter back in his magical pocket-or maybe it was the scepter that was magic, not the pocket-as the last gurgles of life were ebbing away from his victims. He looked back up at the castle as if daring its keeper to send another round of infantry to their deaths.

Suddenly, the ground underneath us began to shake. All I could think of was earthquake earthquake! I waited for Indra to run away, to duck and cover, to cluck like a chicken to cluck like a chicken . . . I didn't care; I wanted him to do . . . I didn't care; I wanted him to do something something other than stand there like a stupid statue. I had a terrible feeling that the whole castle was gonna come down on top of us, and we were gonna be buried under ten tons of dead human body parts until the end of eternity. other than stand there like a stupid statue. I had a terrible feeling that the whole castle was gonna come down on top of us, and we were gonna be buried under ten tons of dead human body parts until the end of eternity.

But the castle stood firm, and the ground stopped its shaking almost as quickly as it had begun.

"You are a coward, hiding behind your minions!" Indra yelled up to the castle's battlements. Why are you goading it! Why are you goading it! I thought miserably to myself, wishing I had some kind of conduit into Indra's brain so I could give him a good stiff talking-to. I didn't think taunting a monster-no matter I thought miserably to myself, wishing I had some kind of conduit into Indra's brain so I could give him a good stiff talking-to. I didn't think taunting a monster-no matter what what kind of magical scepter you had in your pocket-was a very wise choice. Why not just ask the monster to come outside and talk like civilized adults, hmm? kind of magical scepter you had in your pocket-was a very wise choice. Why not just ask the monster to come outside and talk like civilized adults, hmm?

I amended my opinion of our situation when the castle began to belch out flaming fireb.a.l.l.s of black goop that rained down on us like a plague from G.o.d. I had no clue what the goop b.a.l.l.s were really really made out of, but they smelled suspiciously like burning hair and p.o.o.p-which definitely gave me pause. I decided that any creature that was partial to flaming b.a.l.l.s of s.h.i.t was made out of, but they smelled suspiciously like burning hair and p.o.o.p-which definitely gave me pause. I decided that any creature that was partial to flaming b.a.l.l.s of s.h.i.t was not not civilized. They were just civilized. They were just foul foul.

I was also perturbed to find that I could smell again when I was still still unable to do anything else that required a body. I mean, come on, here I was stuck inside another person, and all I could do was stop and smell the s.h.i.t . . . so unable to do anything else that required a body. I mean, come on, here I was stuck inside another person, and all I could do was stop and smell the s.h.i.t . . . so not not fair! fair!

After a few minutes the deluge of flaming goop b.a.l.l.s finally died down, and I found we had been spared their touch-although the rest of the landscape was severely littered with goop-ball carnage, making it look like the Exxon Valdez II Exxon Valdez II had decided to explode at our feet. had decided to explode at our feet.

What next? I thought to myself. I thought to myself. Vomit locust? Snot toads? Vomit locust? Snot toads?

But the goop b.a.l.l.s weren't finished with us yet.

The goop ball closest to Indra began to roil and smoke like a just-lit firecracker. Indra, sensing danger, immediately backed away from it, his hand instinctively reaching for his pocket, but before he could get the scepter out and defend himself, the goop ball exploded, covering him in a thick, oozing sludge that stank like an outhouse. Instantly, the sludge began to harden, encasing Indra inside it like a fly in amber. Of course, we were still sharing a body, so I could feel his rage, his mounting frustration at being captured, but sadly I was as impotent to help him as I was to help myself.

While Indra bellowed to be released from his sludgy prison, the remaining goop b.a.l.l.s-like they'd each been given an individual all-clear sign-started to smoke and bubble in unison, churning faster and faster as they folded in on themselves until each ball had increased its size by half, so that when they were finally done expanding, they looked just like beached, goop ball- colored puffer fish.

I watched in horror as inside of each "puffer fish" a tiny head and baby-sized fists began to form, pushing their way to the surface, dragging their tar baby-like bodies with them as they burst from their goop-ball chrysalises and took their first, tentative bipedal steps.

When the conversion had been completed, there were more than a hundred of the creatures, each sludge-colored body no taller than a small Saint Bernard, each face devoid of eyes, nose, and mouth, so that every countenance was just a slick of featureless goop. Silent as toddler-sized a.s.sa.s.sins, they began to move forward en ma.s.se until they were surrounding Indra's prostrate form.

They stood like sentries above him, their empty heads tilted down at his writhing form-and even though they had no eyes, I knew that somehow they were seeing right down to his soul . . . and mine.

Then, without warning, the goop-ball creatures swarmed Indra, swallowing him whole. I tried to hold on to consciousness, keep my brain focused and aware, but it was impossible. I felt my very essence rent from me, leaving me an empty sh.e.l.l inside a swirling ma.s.s of brown, stinky sludge.

And then I floated away.

nineteen.