"I will call upon Moloch!” the woman stated. “I will call upon Moloch the god of darkness and his power shall be mine! I shall avenge the indignities we have endured and bring destruction upon our foes!”
The woman was rather short and frumpy, with black hair and features that bespoke of an admixture of savagery, along with dark eyes filled with evil and insanity. Now in middle age, her face showed a look that may have been somewhat attractive in her younger days, before the ravages of time took their toll upon her. She was clad in a dress of ebon hue as she sat there at the table of her bedroom with a spread of tarot cards before her.
“Yes, it has been revealed to me,” she continued, her voice now lower and with an edge of unholy cunning having entered it. “It has been revealed to me by the cards, and by the mystic powers that I possess. It has been revealed that I shall be the one to wreak vengeance on those who have opposed our plans; upon those who have harassed and stalked us all these years; upon those who have made themselves the enemies of our beloved Spectral Paranormal -- upon those who have stood in the way of the great Magister Don Wingus and of our own beloved teacher, the Paranormalist Vince Wilson!”
With this, the woman’s voice again grew to a mad crescendo with a peal of wicked and utterly insane laughter.
“I am the one!” she shrieked. “I am the one who shall do this! I am -- the Mystical TeAnna!”
There was then a knock on the bedroom door, and the woman -- forsooth the self-proclaimed “Mystical TeAnna” turned her head slightly to-wards it.
“Mom?” enquired the voice obviously of a young girl. “Are you all right? Dad will be home from work soon. Are you going to make dinner?”
“Yes, Willow,” returned the woman with a note of annoyance. “Now go away so I can get finished here.”
Turning back to-wards the table after hearing her daughter walk away, Mystical TeAnna fingered a wicked ceremonial dagger that lay upon it whilst her voice again lowered and she continued:
“You yourself will play a part in our vengeance, Willow. You will do well and you will have the honour to be an offering upon the altar of the great god Moloch. I am the Mystical TeAnna, trained by Vince Wilson himself and created to be a psychic performer, and soon I shall use this power to bring about our revenge.”
And indeed, as she spoke a certain darksome effulgence began to raise about her form, a grotesque nigrescent mist that surrounded her as she spoke, her voice again rising into a screeching infernal cackle.
“The powers of Moloch have accepted me!” she stated. “The powers are mine and now our plans shall be underway! We shall take our place as the supreme priesthood of the dark one in this world! We shall bring vengeance upon our foes! We shall destroy Doctor Daniel Rumanos and Millie Drake!!” …
My name is RUMANOS -- DOCTOR DANIEL RUMANOS, Extraterrestrial Espionage Agent and Intergalactic Man of Mystery. Even though I have the physical appearance of an human being, I am in fact several thousands of years old and do carry within my blood the vastly superior genes of the legendary Aeternusians or “Watchers” of the Daemon-Star ALGOL. Originating ninety-three light years from planet Earth, we are the most intellectually advanced race in all of the known galaxies, whose technology is so sophisticated it often appears to be “magic” and “miraculous” to lesser beings.
Whilst most Algolites tend to keep to themselves, preferring to live in elitist seclusion from the rest of the Universe and thus merely observing the goings-on of the myriad races of the vast reaches around them, I am an Operative for a secret organisation known as the KOSMIKOS or Cosmic Intervention Department, tasked with maintaining peace and order throughout the farthest reaches of Space and Time. You know, “plausible deniability”, and all of that sort of thing. It is our ongoing mission to defend the weak, the unfortunate, and the innocent from those who would harm or exploit them.
Currently assigned to Earth, I protect its people (both upon their own planet and across the eternal void) from the hideous manipulations of the arch-villain known as Magister Don Wingus, along with his dangerously-seductive daughter Anastasia, and his occult terrorist organisation Spectral Paranormal; as well as from alien invasions, mad scientists, mutated monstrosities, power-crazed dictators, and indeed all manner of menace. Assisted by my friends -- the beautiful Miss Millie Drake, and our catlike robot known as Kit-10 -- I am the living icon of Algol on this world. I am a Knight of the Eternal Spires. I am the professor of the impossible, the purveyor of Pure Mystery, the saviour of the Cosmos, and the sword of justice from the planet Daemonia. I am the cosmic crusader. I am the stellar swashbuckler.
These are my memoirs. This is my story.
I am -- THE DAEMON-STAR!!! …
In our secret headquarters, located as it is within the golden trapezoidal rooftop of a certain downtown skyscraper, I sat before a computer monitor perusing some information.
“By the Triple Star!” I swore. “It appears that we shall once again have to go to the Lord Biltmore Hotel, hmmm?”
“What for, Daniel?” enquired my companion, young Millie Drake. “Is yet another Spectral Paranormal operative doing a ‘magic show’ there as cover for their satanic terrorist activities?”
“Quite so, my dear,” I affirmed. “Quite so, and it is one who was specifically trained by the execrable individual known as Vince Wilson.”
“Oh my gosh!” exclaimed Millie. “I really hoped we had seen the last of him.”
“If only that were the case, Mills,” I agreed. “Unfortunately, as you know, Vincent Gale Wilson Jr. was able to cheat death due to certain abilities he acquired by having had a homosexual relationship with Don Wingus shortly after the latter’s usage of the Time-stalker device. Although Vince is not currently manifest in this reality, he maintains an influence over some individuals whom he trained as agents of the occult terrorist network. One such agent is the one whom we must now investigate.”
I was clad in my usual finery, including a frilled poet shirt, purple velvet suit, and jungle boots. My panama hat and opera cape hung from a near by hallstand.
Millie is an exceedingly beautiful young lady, petite and perfect with luxurious chestnut hair, enchanting blue-violet eyes, a sun-kissed complexion, and luscious cherry lips. The tight, short, pink-hued dress she wore only served to highlight the soft curves of her slender, barely-adolescent figure.
Also near by was our mobile personal computer, the catlike Kit-10, who was busily attached to one of the systems; seeing to the specifics of some electronic filing whilst her system let forth a sound quite like unto a contented purring.
“So what is the Spectral Paranormal Agent’s name?” queried Millie Drake.
“Her legal name is TeAnna Crusse, her surname having been Tandon before her marriage, though of late she has been calling herself ‘The Mystical TeAnna’. She is of mixed ethnicity, so one can only speculate as to what unholy taint of savage horror lurks within her ancestral lineage.”
“Sounds like a terrible person,” shuddered Millie. “What else do we know about her?”
“She is forty-seven years of age,” I replied, “and before starting this ‘psychic entertainer’ nonsense, she apparently worked for Mercy Healthcare Systems in Overlea. She left that type of employment suddenly after there was a rumour of her abusing a patient. Her husband is a blacksmith by the name of James Crusse, and they live on Cockspur Road -- yes, that is what they call it! -- in the Middle River area of the County. They have a teenage daughter named Willow, as well as two younger children, a boy called Cade and a girl named Brylee.”
“So what exactly is she doing at the Lord Biltmore Hotel?”
“According to the press release of the show she is presenting this very night, which has all the earmarks of classic Spectral Paranormal misdirection, she will be doing a ‘re-creation’ of a worship ceremony to Moloch, that hideous and mysterious ancient Canaanite deity -- whose very name means ‘King of Shame’ -- so rightfully spoken against by the Hebrew Prophets.”
“Oh my goodness!” exclaimed Millie Drake. “So is Moloch a real thing then?”
“It is not a ‘god’, of course,” I returned, taking a book from a near by shelf and slipping it into my jacket pocket. “The only legitimate religion on planet Earth is that of Hashem, the God of Israel. Nevertheless, it is known that the worship of Moloch was punctuated by certain manifestations of seemingly otherworldly power.”
“So we have to go stop her!” proclaimed my companion.
“Quite right, Mills,” I agreed, fetching my hat and cloak. “Kit-10 had better stay here. The type of energies that were in those days observed around the ceremonies of Moloch appear to be of the type that has been known to damage her circuitry. But as for you and me, our ongoing mission for the Kosmikos demands that we must investigate this outrage immediately!” …
A short time later, we arrived in the parking garage of the now rather rundown Lord Biltmore Hotel. I parked our automobile (a specially modified canary-yellow Edwardian roadster affectionately known as “Lizzie”) and Millie and I headed for the elevator lifts. As we walked, we heard a strange chattering sound echoing through the semidarkness of the underground garage.
“Daniel, that noise,” whispered Millie Drake. “It sounds like…”
Suddenly, before we could react, something leapt forth from between two of the cars. It was a thing like unto an ape and a primitive man at the same time, small of stature but powerful of build. It was dark of skin and covered with coarse black hair, its face of an horrible simian visage. It headed directly for us!
I heard Millie scream as the brutish creature approached. I quickly moved forwards and gave it a swift kick to the stomach, followed by a blow of my fist to its subhuman face. The thing screeched one final screech of pain as it hurtled backwards and hit hard against the concrete wall of the parking garage.
I approached and observed its body sprawled and broken on the ground.
“It is dead,” I announced. “The impact shattered its spine.”
“It’s an ape-man,” said Millie, “or a man-ape, as you say!”
“Yes, it appears to be of the type occasionally observed deep in the jungles of India,” I explained. “Forsooth, some of the near by natives have retained simian traits by mating with the originals of such things. They are also exactly of the type of creature we have before seen utilised as bodyguards by Spectral Paranormal agents.”
“Like TeAnna Crusse?”
“Quite so, and we had better hurry. For her to send that thing against us must mean her horrid ‘magic show’ is already underway!”
We quickly took the lift to the hotel level on which was the ballroom used for the terrible “Mystical TeAnna” act.
Upon entering the ballroom, we beheld that the performance had indeed already begun. There were few spectators, the only audience being a smattering of mobility-challenged hotel guests, elderly and obese and dozing. On the stage was TeAnna Crusse, clad in a black dress that was far too tight and revealing for a woman of her advanced years.
“Good evening everyone,” she cackled. “Welcome to the greatest mystical magic performance of all time! I am the Mystical TeAnna, mistress of mystery and the Mid-Atlantic area’s fastest-rising psychic entertainer! I have performed in Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware and am expanding everyday!”
Whilst TeAnna Crusse spoke her spiel, Millie Drake and I approached the stage, staying to the side of the ballroom away from the direct lighting.
“Tonight I have a spectacle for you all,” continued the grotesque Mystical TeAnna. “A spectral spectacle of paranormal performance! Because right here tonight, I am going to revive for your entertainment the ancient rites of feminine-empowering paganism! That’s right; here tonight I am going to perform in your very view --- the Rites of Moloch!!”
“My goodness, Daniel,” Millie whispered to me, “she really does intend to call upon that horrible demonic idol.”
“Indeed so,” I returned, “but the question is -- how does she intent to do so? The worship of Moloch would have to involve…”
“Oh look,” TeAnna Crusse interrupted. “It looks like we have two special guests here tonight -- but they have only really come so that I can prove my superior power. Doctor Rumanos and Miss Drake, feel the powers of the Mystical TeAnna!”
Then, with no further warning, the hideous woman known as TeAnna Crusse lifted her hands and shot forth a stream of eldritch black energies directly at Millie and me. They hit us hard, and sent is careening across the floor of the ballroom to hit the floor near its back.
“Millie, are you all right?” I said to my companion, who was lying a couple metres from me.
“Yes… Yes, I think so,” she replied. “Daniel, what was that?”
“She already has acquired some power;” I explained, “some dark energy from the worship of Moloch.”
“But…” stammered Millie in horror, “what actually is Moloch?”
It was then that an even further terror, forsooth a further obscene horror concerning the intentions of the “Mystical TeAnna” Crusse revealed itself to us, there in the ballroom of the Lord Biltmore Hotel.
On stage, the wicked woman continued her announcements:
“Will you please welcome, assisting me here tonight, my daughter Willow!”
With this, a young girl stepped out from backstage. She was fair of skin, having inherited little of her mother’s tainted blood, and quite attractive, with long auburn hair and a lithe teenage figure. The girl was clad only in a thin white gown, through which her youthful form could easily be seen by the stage lights.
“Daniel,” said Millie Drake as we struggled to our feet, “do you think she really intends to… ?”
“So it appears,” said I, attempting to shake off the effects of the darksome energies. “That poor girl has no doubt been drugged in order to ensure her cooperation in this ungodly outrage. TeAnna Crusse indeed intends to use her own daughter as an human sacrifice to the demonic Moloch!!”
The few observers, if indeed any of them were even awake, given the fact of their own age and disability, thought nothing particularly of note in all of this. To them, the entire horrible performance would be nothing more than a mere illusion, just another harmless theatrical offering, an evening’s entertainment presenting solely for their amusement.
Willow Crusse slowing walked to the back of the stage, an area to which the lighting had now shifted in order to reveal a table that had been fitted as a black-draped altar of evil, above which was a symbol like unto three interlocking inverted triangles -- the horrid sigil of that infernal organization of occult terrorism known as Spectral Paranormal! The girl climbed atop the satanic altar and laid down, her white gown resting down to reveal the lines of her adolescent loveliness, the jutting nipples of her budding teen breasts now quite visible beneath the nearly-transparent fabric.
It was then that the girl’s horrid mother, the wicked woman and magical miscegenation known to eternal infamy as Mystical TeAnna, picked up an object from the table. It was a large and sharply-bladed ceremonial dagger.
“I call upon you, O great god Moloch!” chanted the horrendous TeAnna Crusse. “I call upon you and beseech you to accept this sacrifice! Accept this sacrifice and use the power of the blood here spilled to bring your full manifestation back to this world!”
When the hideous and grotesquely abominable woman quite indeed named in everlasting damnation as “Mystical TeAnna” Crusse then lifted the cruel sacrificial dagger above the helpless form of her young daughter, an unholy stench like unto a disgusting mixture of extreme halitosis and decidedly pungent body odour then suddenly permeated the room. Then, accompanying this there did appear, just above the satanic altar, a vision of something like unto a swirling black void, growing increasingly larger until it dominated the entire stage area.
“She has summoned Moloch!” I exclaimed. “The horrid evil has come to claim the sacrifice!”
Then, at the very centre of the darksome chaos that glowed like a black flame above the hideous altar, a bizarre figure appeared; in truth a figure of terror beyond anything even expected of an old heathen “god”. Accompanied by a sound as of laboured mouth-breathing mixed with an high-pitched whine, it was the form of a morbidly obese middle-aged man dressed in lurid carnival-hued clothing. His hair and scruffy beard were the very colour of excrement. As his appearance grew larger and closer, he seemed to smile a smile of madness and of absolute unmitigated iniquity.
By now, Millie and I had at last managed to regain our feet and were attempting to make our way to-wards the stage, barred as we were by the continually flashes of the darkling black energies that emanated from Mystical TeAnna; and even more so from the most incredibly bizarre and amazingly horrific thing that she had now managed to evoke into increasingly-corporeal existence -- forsooth, the grotesque and abominable thing that was not only the supposed manifestation of a terrible pagan deity, but also the attempted return to physical reality of one of the most insane and morally depraved villains ever known to our ongoing battle against the forces of evil. In truth, it was one of the most wicked and sinful criminals ever to stain the planet Earth with his iniquitous presence, a being of horror and eldritch terror, an ungodly and unhallowed filth in the form of a man -- a man who, along with his common crimes of rape and murder, had claimed to be a magician and psychic and “ghost hunter” and so many other scandalous titles of con artistry during his career when he had continually taken advantage of an unknowing public. It was an individual whom we had hoped against hope to never see again.
“My gosh!” exclaimed Millie Drake at the sight of what had appeared above the stage. “Daniel, isn’t that… ?!”
“By the Eternal Spires!” I swore whilst we still attempted to fight off the power of the dark energies continually keeping us from the stage. “That thing… The very horror that claims to be Moloch! It is -- Vince Wilson!!!”
Do you see the total ungodly fear, in sooth the extreme satanic terror of this sickening situation, my dear friends and most indulgent readers? There we were, in the ballroom of the Lord Biltmore Hotel, where the evil woman known as TeAnna Crusse -- the self-proclaimed “Mystical TeAnna” -- was preparing to sacrifice her own teenage daughter to the dark deity of evil known to ancient infamy as Moloch! What is more, there we were as the disgustingly ungodly form of the execrable Vince Wilson hovered over us in an eldritch mist of phantasmagorical horror -- awaiting the blood sacrifice of an innocent young girl!
“Come forth, O Moloch our king!” madly exalted the Mystical TeAnna. “Come forth, O Vince Wilson Paranormalist!”
Whilst I ran to-wards the front of the ballroom, I reached into my jacket and retrieved the book I had placed there earlier. It was a pocket edition of the Torah.
“And now, Moloch,” announced TeAnna Crusse as she held the dagger above the helpless girl, “I give this life to you!”
In the last second, just before TeAnna Cruse could succeed in plunging the horrid blade into the innocent heart of her young daughter, a leaped up onto the stage and held the book aloft, at the same time intoning the holy prayer:
“SHEMA Y’ISRAEL ADONAI ELOHENU ADONAI ECHAD!!!”
Suddenly, a steam of pure white light seemed to permeate the room. I heard a scream of pain; a scream that came, oddly enough from the form of Vince Wilson and then briefly coalesced into his voice.
“I will destroy you, Daniel Rumanos!” he screeched. “I will return and I will destroy you, you alien so-called ‘Chosen’! I will humiliate and destroy you! I am Vince Wilson the occult mastermind, and I will destroy you!!”
Then, with this, the swirling energy suddenly vanished, taking the horrible form of Vince Wilson/Moloch with it. I returned the holy book to my pocket.
All was then quiet in the Lord Biltmore Hotel Ballroom, and the few audience members, thinking the performance at an end, shuffled back to their guestrooms.
Millie had by now joined me onstage, and together we hurried over to the area of the altar. TeAnna Crusse was dead before it, the dagger having fallen harmlessly from her hand.
“Heart attack,” I announced after quickly examining her. “At least that will be her official cause of death, hmmm?”
Millie had checked on young Willow Crusse, who was unharmed and just now recovering from her drug and trauma induced swoon.
“Fortunately,” I explained, “the powers of Moloch could not be entirely evoked before the sacrifice was complete, so the Hebrew prayer, along with the Torah of Hashem, sent the horror back to its inter-dimensional prison.”
“So was Moloch indeed actually… Vince Wilson?” questioned Millie Drake.
“As we said before, very little is known about the identity of Moloch,” I pondered. “The very ‘deity’ itself could have been an echo of Vince Wilson, his essence travelling through the timeless ethers and being worshipped in the hideous rites of ancient paganism. That would indeed explain the phenomena reported along with the Moloch worship, as it does quite resemble the energies we know Vince obtained from his own dealings with the Andromedan Cacodemons and also with the thing known as Pazuzu. Vince Wilson, the king of shame… Not too much of a stretch, hmmm?”
The denouement of all this was comparatively simple. Millie and I straightened everything out at the Lord Biltmore Hotel by utilising our contacts at the City Police Department. We saw that Willow Crusse returned safely to her family, after finding out that her father knew nothing of his now-deceased wife’s occult activities and would have in no way approved of such things. We made a promise to check on the young girl in the near future just to make certain that all was well with her. That is a promise that we kept, but I shall tell you that story another time.
***** DANIEL RUMANOS AND MILLIE DRAKE SHALL RETURN
