- Sedric and Satan
-
- In Tuffelhoften, In the Snow
- 'Neath the moon, Clouds
lurking low
- A portent ominous to see
- A darker day in history
-
- His breath is dry, his pulse
is racing
- Round about that circle pacing
- Seven years, he'd learned to
fear
- His soul's foreclosure growing
near
-
- A darkness falls through heavy
air
- A raking scrape on marble
stair
- A heavy shuffle in the room
- A twisted face within the
gloom
- Two crimson eyes, a twitching
tail
- A choking throat expels a wail
- A growling laugh of howling
glee
- A grotesque inhumanity
-
- To circles edge,that fetid
mass
- A sudden stop- it cannot pass
- A fierce glare, a sudden
breath
- A solemn threat of final death
- Sedric tamed his fear at last-
- A moment, two, then three had
passed
- He held his ground, though
hope seemed bleak
- When Satan drew a breath to
speak
-
- "Ye sealed the pact, thy
soul is mine
- Now come to me that I might
dine
- Seven years of might and
health
- Of women, wine, delightful
wealth
- Of fame and all desired by
thee
- Surrender what is due to
me"
-
- But Sedric simply held his
ground
- And watched as Satan paced
around
- That circle's edge with futile
ire;
- With bellowed threats of
brimstone Fire
- With pounding fists and
thrashing tail
- With gurgled oaths and flaming
hail;
- With hallow hope, and downcast
eyes
- Confounded he the Lord of
Flies
-
- Against the circles edge the
Beast
- In rage proclaimed: "I
wish to feast!
- So come ye to this circle's
line;
- Surrender to me what is mine!
- Or here I wait, through night,
through day
- Until thy body wastes away!
- The pact is sealed, I'll keep
it well!
- Tonight ye feel the fires of
Hell!"
-
- A moment, two, then three had
passed-
- 'Til Sedric finally spoke at
last
- He fixed his gaze, he drew a
breath
- One hope forstalled his final
death:
-
- "And so ye come with
smoke and fire
- To purge me of mine heart's
desire?"
- Ye are but shadow, are but
shame
- Are simply fear by given name.
- A lie to keep me from a truth
- T'was known to me before my
youth-
- As I have done, so I receive.
- Ye are but apparition. Leave!
- A dying hope! O misted vision!
- Figment of mine heart's
condition!"
-
- Satan bellowed, screamed
- and... was gone...
-
- No cloud of smoke, no demons
sang
- No bells beneath, infernal
rang
- No trace upon that marble
floor
- The nightmare simply was no
more
-
- In Tuffelhoften, in the snow
- Another man may come to know
- That all he is, all he might
be
- or not, in truth depends on he
...
