“You traitor!” Jack shouted at Mr. Tenderleaf “So it was you who provided misleading informations and led Barbarossa to the trap!”
Moily looked angrily at Mr. Tenderleaf and shouted “Shame! You are nothing but a blot on our race”.
Devil smiled at Moily and said, “He is sensible-not a fool like you. He will be rewarded handsomely”.
“I spit on such reward!” Moily replied in a hateful tone “loyalty is too precious commodity to be sold”.
“Everything in the world is up for sale” Mr. Tenderleaf mumbled incoherently “only the price offered needs to be right”.
Jack looked at each nook and corners inside the tent and asked in alarm “Where is Barbarossa?”
“Oh, did you expect to find your friend tied to that tent post?” Devil asked.
“Or did you expect him to sit with us and toast wine?” Beelzebub added.
Both Devil and Beelzebub laughed aloud.
“Well, well, your friend is not very far off from here” Devil said. Then he turned to Beelzebub and said “We can finish our brunch later. Let’s first take them there, before Barbarossa dies”.
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Chapter 51
The Handshake
Devil’s henchmen followed Devil and Beelzebub. They led along Jack and Moily amidst tight security.
Devil’s minions had pinioned Barbarossa’s hands and feet securely with ropes. They had stuffed a handkerchief into his mouth.
As soon as they arrived, Devil’s minions tied Barbarossa to one wooden log and threw him on a pile of woods. One of Devil’s henchmen poured fuel oil over him.
“Nooooo! Set him free” Jack screamed in horror.
“Now watch in front of your eyes, Jack” Devil whispered near Jack’s ear.
“Have mercy pleeease…” Jack’s voice was trembling.
“Someone fetch me a matches” Devil said.
An errand boy ran and returned back a few minutes later with a matchbox.
Devil held the matchbox and took out a matchstick. Then he went close to Jack and whispered in his ear “Nobody desires to deliberately skip the funeral ceremony of their near ones, isn’t it? This is your best friend’s funeral. So watch and enjoy-don’t close your eyes”.
Devil lit the matchstick and took a few steps towards the wooden pile.
“Stopppp! For heaven’s sake…”
Devil turned around and hissed with anger “I don’t care much about heaven! I didn’t find a place there” While Devil’s attention was diverted, the fire touched Devil’s finger. He threw the burning matchstick instantly, yelled “Ooouuucch!” and put his finger in his mouth.
Devil looked at Jack with bloodshot eyes and roared, “Gag that rascal’s mouth too!”
Then he took another few steps towards Barbarossa uttering “Oh my finger! Oh my finger!”
Barbarossa was struggling madly to roll out of the heap, emitting shrill voice from his nose. But the log he was tied had got jammed among other logs and his every effort failed. He was drenched in fuel oil.
Devil stood beside the heap and took out another matchstick.
One of Devil’s minions was holding the house-elf Moily’s right arm securely, and the palm of his other hand was held tightly on Moily’s mouth.
All of a sudden Moily turned and punched on the minion’s underbelly with his left hand. The minion’s hand loosened reflexively. Moily jerked his head and dug his teeth in the flesh of the minion’s right arm. The minion gave out a scream, letting Moily free.
Within a flash of a second, Moily drew a sparkling dagger from his knee high socks, sprang upon Devil with his hand raised and plunged the dagger up to the hilt inside Devil’s ribcage.
Devil writhed in pain, yelled in agony, and collapsed on the ground.
Two of Devil’s henchmen rushed forward and held Moily securely. They slapped and punched him really hard.
Slowly, Devil started getting up. He stood on his legs and then dusted off the dirt from his clothes. He staggered and took a few menacing steps towards Moily.
“So you wanted to kill me, you great fool?” Devil said with laughter.
Devil pulled out the dagger slowly, and displaying the bloodstained dagger proudly, he announced, “No conventional weapon can kill me. I wasn’t created to die like mortals…now watch this,” he pointed at the wound.
Jack watched to his horror that no blood was gushing out, not even a drop was seeping out. Even the cloth surrounding the stab mark hadn’t become red!
Devil’s wound started healing just before his eyes. A few moments later, all that was left visible was a small cut mark on the cloth.
Devil raised his clothes partly. Only a pale scar mark was visible on the skin.
Devil turned to Moily and said, “You risked your life to save that wretch?”
Devil lowered his voice and said to his minions “I don’t like to disappoint anyone. Don’t let his efforts go in vain. Release Barbarossa!”
Jack was so stunned with joy that he couldn’t utter a sound.
Devil glanced at Jack, smiled faintly and said “Let Jack’s servant, Moily take Barbarossa’s place. It is written in his fate; I can’t do anything about it”.
The joy faded from Jack’s face instantly and he watched with horror as Devil’s henchmen tied Moily to a log and gagged his mouth. They threw Moily on the wooden pile.
Devil’s men untied oil-soaked Barbarossa from the log, but held Barbarossa’s arms and mouth so tightly that it was almost suffocating him. Devil lighted a matchstick and threw the burning matchstick at the fuel oil drenched heap and quickly stepped back.
Jack closed his eyes as the wooden pile was engulfed in a huge roaring flame instantly.
Jack’s struggle ceased and he stood stunned like a lifeless statue. But still those henchmen held Jack securely.
They held Jack tightly till the flames had almost died down and only glowing charcoal and ashes remained of the heap.
Devil looked at Jack and said “Ah let the poor fellow go. We are all armed and he is fully unarmed. Release him!”
Jack staggered towards the heap of glowing woods and ashes. His hands and legs trembled so violently with adrenaline rush that it seemed he would collapse at any instant. The sky seemed to spin in his head and his world seemed empty and meaningless now.
When Jack reached nearer, he collapsed in grief, falling on his knees and sobbing.
Devil looked at Jack with ultimate triumph in his eyes.
“Now get up Jack” Devil said with a remorseless tone “Your faithful servant has already been reduced to ashes. Your sobbing won’t bring him back”.
“What have you done, you bloody rascal!” Jack yelled.
“Shout as much as you like. Now it’s your turn” Devil licked his lips “But your fate is far more horrible. No quick death for you. You shall burn in the eternal flames of hell, if I throw this parchment in the burning embers. Surrender unconditionally!”
Instantly, Jack’s sorrow faded and turned into violent anger. His body was trembling, and muscles in his jaws twitched. It looked like he was grinding hard nuts between his teeth in extreme rage.
Devil looked at him and laughed. “Calm down Jack, you fool! Don’t you know, anger is injurious to your health? It will harm you, not me”.
Devil took out one pocket watch and looking at it he addressed Jack again “Look around, you fool. We are all armed, and far outnumber you. You are helpless as a fledgling. Let me help you calm down. I will be counting and timing you. One…Two…Three…”
Jack looked at Devil with an awful hatred in his eyes. “What do you want now? If you want to kill me, just do it. I’ll hardly have any regrets. I have lost my most faithful servant”.
Devil stopped counting and smiled. “Of course I can kill you! And as I said, it won’t be as quick as your dear servant. But, dear Jack, I feel pity on you. You have done exactly as I had planned. You have raised an army of dark forces, which soon will be mine”.
Dev
il looked at his advisor Beelzebub, who was standing close by, and said, “Bring those papers, my red ink and my quill”. Then he turned back to Jack again and said, “First, you must understand Jack…life doesn’t stop even when we lose our closest ones. So act sensibly now. I am generous person, so I will offer you one last chance. I’ll spare your life, in return for a treaty”.
“Great generosity indeed!” Jack said with a tone of intense hatred and disdain “What do you want now?”
“You shall sign a treaty and announce publicly that you are handing over all your army under my command” Devil demanded “You shall resign as the spiritual leader of the dark forces of Halloween; forever”.
Jack felt like shouting, but something stopped him. As if his voice suddenly choked like a blockage in the throat by an outburst of raw emotion.
Jack remained silent for a few moments and then asked “What about my sister Snegurochka? You must release her”.
“Now at least you are talking like a sensible person, Jack!” Devil said, “A wise person should always learn to restrain his uncontrolled emotions. But your demand is too high Jack”.
“How can it be too high, when you demand the surrender of my whole army?”
“My marriage with beautiful ‘Snegurochka’ is preordained” Devil said “Therefore drop this demand Jack, and wish us a blissful married life” Devil gave a mocking smile and said “and of course, you will be most welcome at my marriage party, Jack”.
“She is absolutely against this marriage,” Jack said “she might even kill herself if you force her” Jack said helplessly. Jack tried his best, but couldn’t stop the tear flowing down his cheek.
“You don’t know anything about ladies, Jack” Devil laughed aloud “I should take her ‘no’ as emphatic ‘yes’. You want to convince me that she will rather die? Hah! Nonsense! She must be dying to marry me” Devil’s laughter turned into a growl, and then into a revengeful anger. “And don’t speak about her committing suicide to avoid marriage. If I can’t have her as my seventh wife, I’ll chop her to pieces with my own hand”.
“This is most humiliating offer” Jack said “You take away everything from me, including my sister”.
“Do you have a choice Jack? The alternative to signing the treaty is…here it is Jack!” Devil took out a rolled, withered parchment and tucked it again in his garment. “Think it a generous offer. I can simply throw the parchment in burning embers and have all I want”.
“And what about my freedom if I sign?”
“I am very generous. And anyway, you will be quite useless and irrelevant after you sign and announce publicly. So, yes, you can have your freedom. You see, it is not so humiliating agreement after all”.
“Not humiliating, huh?” Jack blurted, “You want me to fall on my knees and sign it?”
Devil laughed heartily “Who asked you to fall on your knees? If that’s what troubles you, then let’s make the agreements with a handshake like two gentlemen”.
Devil took a step forward and offered his hand.
Jack hesitated, offered his partially fisted hand, hesitated again and withdrew his hand into his pocket.
Devil’s henchman Beelzebub came close to Jack. “Don’t hesitate, Jack! Don’t waste this golden opportunity” Beelzebub whispered in Jack’s ear “People sacrifice their own sister in dire emergency. Snegurochka is only your adopted sister”.
“Snegurochka is my sister” Jack snapped.
Beelzebub stepped aside, while Devil offered his hand again.
Jack took out his hand slowly from his pocket.
Devil took another step forward and clasped Jack’s partially clenched fist.
Devil jerked abruptly, as if he had been struck a mighty blow with a hammer on his head by some mysterious force.
“May this crucifix-handshake be memorable” Jack whispered and put his other palm as well and clasped tighter.
Devil jerked and twitched and gave out a shrill, deeply painful cry. It appeared as if some invisible hammer was delivering a series of rapid concussions on Devil’s head.
“Do you remember all the pains you had inflicted on innocent, helpless victims?” Jack asked with a flash of revenge on his face “Remember how you enjoyed torturing them slowly till their last breath? How does it feel now?”
Devil’s face turned pale and then almost white. His right hand started trembling involuntarily.
“Mercy! Mercy!” Devil moaned feebly “Let me go. Have mercy on me!”
“Did you show mercy to my servant?” Jack burst out in a fit of rage.
Devil’s eyes were rolling back in the sockets and he was gasping for breath.
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Chapter 52
Surprise
Jack put his left hand inside Devil’s robe and groped madly. His right hand was still locked in handshake position. Devil was trembling and shaking violently and was unable to move his limbs.
Jack pulled out two rolled parchments from inside Devil’s robe. He tucked one of them inside his own pocket.
He held one end of the other parchment between his teeth, and with some effort, he unrolled it. The writings appeared upside down. Holding one end of the paper between his lips again, he managed to turn it right and have a look at it.
“That’s it!” Jack exclaimed with joy and excitement.
He took a rapid look once again at the paper he was holding.
Jack looked around him. He was fully surrounded by Devil’s henchmen. Some of them were holding and pointing spears and bayonets at Jack. But all of them looked confused and clueless. They were totally unaware of what was happening and what to do next.
They were all very scared on seeing their master in this condition, and dared not approach any further.
Jack crumpled the parchment into a ball with his left hand, while his right fist pressed Devil’s fist in a locked position.
Devil was helplessly gurgling-his own saliva frothing and foaming in his mouth like soap water. His suppressed voice seemed just like a frog’s croak.
Jack looked at Beelzebub. Beelzebub was staring blankly at Devil’s face. It seemed to Jack that Beelzebub was totally out of his wits, waiting for a command from his master.
Jack gave out a sigh of deep relief, and threw the crumpled parchment in the still glowing charcoals of Moily’s funeral pyre. The parchment caught fire instantly and was reduced to ashes in moments.
Jack took out the other parchment from his pocket and proceeding as before he unfolded and looked at it.
For a moment, Jack’s face turned pale. But in no time, Jack broke out in a loud laughter.
Devil’s henchmen stared at each other’s face with suspicion and fear. Two of them took a step backward.
“Barbarossa, bring my Jack-o’-lantern here” Jack shouted.
Barbarossa shrugged off the two puzzled guards holding him, and snatched the Jack-o’-Lantern from one henchman. He rushed towards Jack with the pumpkin lantern, which was glowing with eternally burning embers, and held it in front of Jack.
“Who is the next in command?” Jack looked at Beelzebub and asked loud “I think it’s you Beelzebub, isn’t it?”
Beelzebub nodded mechanically like a fool.
“I order you to withdraw back your men instantly” Jack ordered.
Devil tried to say something, but nothing meaningful appeared from his gurgling sound.
Beelzebub looked very puzzled and afraid. He blurted “Step back fellows”.
Devil’s men stepped back, increasing the encircling radius by several feet. Devil made a mighty effort, spitted out saliva and blood and shouted, “What are you doing, you fools? Attack him with…grrr…aargh…glubbb…grrhhh….”
Devil’s henchmen rushed in.
“Stop!” Jack shouted “take one more step, and I’ll put this put this parchment in this burning ember of hell, which Devil had provided me to light my unending dark paths”. Jack held the parchment just above the glowing bluish flames of his Jack-o’-lantern.
“What’s that parchment about?” Beelzebub demanded.
“What else do you think Devil will keep closest to his heart?” Jack replied, “It is the thing you always feared most. It’s the same thing, which your master mentioned often to blackmail you, to keep you under complete control. It’s something which Devil didn’t feel safe to keep in the locker”.
The remaining trace of color vanished from Beelzebub’s face. He looked pale and bloodless.
Jack shouted “You will die a horrible death, Beelzebub, if you take another step forward. I have your signed contract-“
“Don’t listen to him…grhh…budbudd…grhh…” Devil gurgled feebly. Devil spit again. He spitted his own blood, mixed with saliva.
“Step back instantly, Beelzebub. Ask your men to throw away their weapons. Do as I say!”
Without another word, Beelzebub obeyed.
Devil ceased shaking and stood almost paralyzed, petrified like a stone statue.
The color of the skin on Devil’s hand had already changed to granite like and flexibility of the skin had gone. The skin had stiffened and started cracking; small bits started chipping off. Bluish foams bubbled out from his mouth like a person who had been bitten by a deadly snake.
“Ask your men to release Mrs. Santa and Snegurochka immediately” Jack commanded Beelzebub.
Beelzebub stood motionless, holding his head in his hands as if he had a stroke of dizziness and was struggling from collapsing. He stared at his boss with blank eyes and observed his rapidly deteriorating conditions.
“You are the second in command” Jack said, “Take your decision instantly. This is your last chance to save your boss”.
Devil stood stiff like a granite statue; smoke emerging from his palm, and his fingers slowly crumbling. He groaned in agony and excruciating pain.
All of a sudden, Devil’s whole right arm burst into flames.
Beelzebub gave a scream. “Rush to the dungeon. Release Snegurochka” Beelzebub spoke in torrential fragments in extreme panic “Go to basement. Release Mrs. Santa”.
The flame started spreading to other parts of Devil’s body. His skin started peeling off like the skin of a boiled potato and he was partly engulfed in semi-transparent flames.
“I didn’t break my promise. I didn’t attack you with my crucifix” Jack whispered to Devil, still holding Devil’s arm tightly “I was merely holding my silver crucifix in my palm. You took the initiative of shaking hand and the crucifix did the rest. Whatever happened afterwards was decided by the crucifix”.
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