Chapter 9

At the sound of the mirror being smashed, everyone in the worship chamber came fully conscious, torn from the lulling spell of erotic enchantment by Ed's sudden intrusion. Raoul and Lorraine scrambled madly out of the way of the splintering glass.

"Ed!" Marion screamed, when she saw her husband fully revealed. "Oh Ed!"

Tears streaming from her face she ran to her husband and they embraced tightly.

"It's okay, baby, it's okay! Don't cry."

"Oh, Ed, it's been horrible. HORRIBLE!"

"You don't have to say a word, honey, I know everything that's happened. Everything!"

Marion drew back, terrified.

"Oh, Ed, can you forgive me?"

Suddenly another voice rang out.

"Forgive you? Hell, Marion, he did the same thing only two hours ago."

"What?" Marion asked, astonished, "Ed, is it true?"

Ed moved angrily into the room, stepping over the glass. He shook his fist at Lorraine.

"You smug little bitch. I ought to smash you for what you did to me. I ought to smash all of you," he said, his raging eyes taking in Alida and Raoul who glared at him imperiously.

"You have interrupted the worship service," Alida said, her voice hard and edged with steel.

"Crap!" Ed retorted. "You're a bunch of phonies and crooks!"

"What?" Alida asked, arching an eyebrow.

"You heard me!"

Ed turned to his wife.

"Marion, I got mixed up with Lorraine because I wanted to find out about this damn cult before you got into any trouble. Well, I guess I'm the biggest sucker of them all because they had me falling for all that hogwash too. But I've waked up now! What about you?"

"Oh, Ed, I woke up the first day I came here, but I couldn't do anything because... because..."

"Because they blackmailed you. Yes. I saw the pictures."

Marion hung her head in shame.

"Don't worry, baby," Ed continued in a kindly tone, "I know they forced you to do it. It don't matter to me at all."

"Truly?" Marion said, her eyes brightening.

"Yeah," he said, "truly."

He turned to the others, advancing menacingly on Alida.

"Now, there's a little matter of some money I believe my wife gave you."

"It's in the bank, my dear," Alida said.

"Don't give me that, bitch, I saw Marion give it to you not more than half an hour ago. Fork it over or I'll slap you silly!"

"Don't you dare speak to my mother that way," Raoul said sneeringly. "Get out of here before we call the police!"

"Don't get tough with me, buddy, or I'll let you have it, too!" Ed snapped.

Suddenly the dark-skinned gypsy grabbed the large metal- dagger-symbol of Vallus from the altar and ran towards Ed as if to stab him. But Ed swiftly grabbed him by the wrist, and twisted his arm back, forcing him to drop the lethal object. Then, anger and hatred suddenly boiling up in him, he smashed his fist into Raoul's jaw, sending him reeling backwards to the carpet. Raoul spun around suddenly and lunged for Ed's stomach, but Ed caught him with a left hook that sent him sprawling in a heap against the drape-lined wall.

"Oh, my darling," Alida shrieked, rushing to her son's side, bare you all right?" She gasped as a thin trickle of blood slid out of the corner of his mouth. "How dare you?" she shrieked at Ed, "HOW DARE YOU?"

"Don't get all upset, lady," Ed said, laughing, "your little boy's all right. Isn't that right, sonny?"

Raoul turned away with a scowl on his face.

"Get out," Alida commanded. Get out!

"With pleasure, sweetheart, with pleasure!" He turned to Marion. "Get your clothes on, Marion, we're going home." As Marion quickly gathered her clothes, Ed faced Lorraine, moving towards her as she backed away fearfully. "You put me through quite a trip, baby, but believe me I'll get over it. We'll both get over it," he said glancing lovingly towards his wife. "but dames like you... well, you'll dig your own grave, believe me.'

"I'll do all right," the redhead sneered. "I always have and I always will."

"Sure thing," Ed said.

"I'm ready, Ed," Marion said, after hastily pulling on her clothing. "Let's go."

"I'm ready too. All I need is for Momma here to fork over our money."

"It's in the front office," Alida said in sudden resignation. "Follow me."

Without glancing back, Ed and Marion followed Alida out of the room. In the front office, Alida opened the metal box and took out a wad of bills.

"Here, take it, take it and get the hell out of here."

"Don't worry," Ed snapped, "you ain't gonna see hide nor hair of us ever again. And that'll be too soon for me."

"The feeling is mutual," Alida muttered as she opened the door. Ed and Marion left quickly and walked down the street towards their cars. Making sure they were gone, the gypsy woman locked the office door and moved back down the hall to the worship chamber where Raoul and Lorraine were in the midst of a violent argument.

"Don't you say that to me," Raoul screamed, "I am the slave- prince of Vallus! I am a chosen one!"

"Don't give me that crap," Lorraine shot back, "You're not talking to some dumb chick like Marion. This is Lorraine, honey, and I know the score. How the hell could you let the two of them get in here together? That took real brains!"

"Don't you speak to my son, that way," Alida said angrily, "you common slut!"

"Don't you call me that, bitch," Lorraine screamed. "THE TWO OF YOU MAKE ME PUKE."

"Get out! Get out!" Alida screamed, raging.

"Not till I'm good and ready!" Lorraine snapped.

Alida moved towards her, boiling with fury. She grabbed her by the arm as if to throw her out.

"I SAID GET OUT!"

But Lorraine twisted and hurled Alida backwards. She stumbled and fell against the huge towering statue of Vallus!

"MOTHER! CHRIST, WATCH OUT!" Raoul screamed as the enormous sculpture started to totter precariously. "IT'S GOING TO FALL! AAAAHHHH!"

"OH, GOD!" Alida screamed. "OH GOD!"

The huge likeness of Vallus then came crashing violently to the floor, crushing Alida beneath its heavy weight. The falling idol knocked over the candles of the altar, and the flames suddenly caught the velvet drapes, setting the heavy curtains ablaze; the room was a burst of fire within seconds. In the confusion, Raoul and Lorraine could not find the door. Smoke and fire filled the room and the two of them were coughing and screaming for help. But the soundproofing did not allow their voices to penetrate the walls. In a few minutes the entire building was a roaring inferno. By the time the firemen arrived, the building was a crumbled, smoking ruin, and it was hours before the charred remains of the three bodies could be identified.

After Marion and her husband had left the Vallus headquarters, they each drove home in separate cars. Each was shocked and stunned by the turbulent events of the day and when they arrived home it was quite a while before either of them knew what to say. Towards eleven that night, they were in the bedroom, getting ready for bed.

"Oh, Ed," Marion said as she slipped on a nightgown of sheerest silk, "I'm so ashamed of what I did."

"Don't worry, baby," Ed said, stepping out of a hot shower, "It's human... I guess we all get taken in by con artists once in a while."

"If only my mother hadn't been so insistent. I didn't really care much until she started sending me all those pamphlets."

"I know..." Ed said, glancing at her.

"Ed, did it bother you?"

"Yeah," he said, "I didn't like it at all."

"Then why didn't you say something?"

"Oh, I didn't want to insult your mother... and I knew you were really interested so I didn't want to interfere. I guess I just exploded the other night and just let it all come out at once. If I hadn't done that, maybe you wouldn't have gone there in the first place."

"Maybe not," Marion said thoughtfully, "but in a sense the whole awful thing taught me quite a lesson. I'll never get involved again, believe me."

"Great," Ed said gazing at her lovingly.

A feeling of great warmth passed between them and they moved to each other and embraced tightly.

Oh how good it feels to have my husband in my arms again, Marion thought as she held her naked husband tightly. She ran her hands eagerly over his muscular back and shoulders. They kissed with burning intensity, their mouths pressed hungrily together, and their tongues touching with heated passion. Marion suddenly realized that despite the anguish and shame she had experienced in the past two days, she had also learned much in the ways of love. She was infinitely more experienced now, and bolder, especially now that she was with her handsome husband again. She undulated her pelvis against Ed's throbbing penis.

Ed tightened his embrace as he felt his wife's loving warmth envelope him. He slipped his hands under the silky nightgown and let them run excitingly up and down her silky, tapered back.

"Oh, God, it's good to hold you again, honey," he moaned, "you don't know how I've missed you!"

"I've missed you, too! Oh, Ed, I love you so much!"

They kissed again, their bodies pressed tightly against each other and passion rose between them with incredible urgency. They fell back on their wide bed, their hands roving excitedly over each other's bodies. For a moment, Ed moved away, and quickly slipped the flimsy nightgown from his wife's body. He glanced down admiring the pearly whiteness of her skin, and the familiar blonde hair and blue eyes that never failed to drive him wild with desire. His hand trailed lovingly up between her smooth legs and then his middle finger began to explore the fleshy slit nestled in the curling strands of her pubic hair. He moved his finger up and down the entire length of the wet furrow, from the pinkly quivering bud of her clitoris, to the soft inviting entrance to her sweet pussy. Deftly he slipped the tip of his middle finger into the warm passage, gently widening the muscles and moving deeper and deeper. Then he bent down, and began to suck and bite at her nipples.

"Oooooohhhh," she sighed, as little tingles of delight washed over her body. "Oooohhhhh, Ed..."

She was consumed with desire as she felt his strong finger slipping into her vagina and his lips and teeth playing hotly teasingly with the hardening buds of her nipples. He pushed his middle finger higher up into her creaming vagina and she spread her legs to give him easy entry. Slipping her hand down between his legs, she began to stroke his enormous cock, delighted as she felt it throbbing with life and already hard as a rock.

Ed's mouth roved hungrily over each of his wife's soft, pendulous breasts. He was losing himself in the softly pliant mounds and each teasing little bite on her nipples and breasts sent little shivers of ecstasy through his wife's body. He moaned happily as she skillfully massaged his genitals with her hands, making him feel randy and potent.