〃It was decorated with tiles…thousands of tiles…and they were all painted； so when you walked into the room it was almost as though…no； it was as though you were walking into another world。〃 He paused； contemplating the memory of this； awed by it still； after all these years。
〃What kind of a world？〃 Tammy asked him。
〃A world that was both very real and pletely invented。 It had space for sky and sea and birds and rabbits。 But it also had a little pinch of Hell in the mix； just to make things more interesting for the men who lived in that world。〃
〃What men？〃
〃Well； one man in particular。 His name was Duke Goga。 And he was there in the walls； on a hunt that would last until the end of time。〃
〃The man on the horse；〃 Katya said； 〃was the Duke。〃
〃I got that；〃 Todd said。
〃He lived a long time ago。 I'm not sure of exactly when。 When you're a little child you don't listen to those kind of details。 It's the story you remember。 And the story was this：〃
〃One day in autumn the Duke went out hunting； which he did all the time…it was his favorite thing to do…and he saw what he thought was a goat； trapped in a briar…thicket。 So he got off his horse； telling his men that he wanted to kill this animal himself。 He hated goats； having been attacked by one and badly hurt as a baby He still had scars on his face from that attack； and they ached in the cold weather； all of which served to keep his hatred of goats alive。 Perhaps it was a petty thing； this hatred； but sometimes little things can be the unmaking of us。 There's no doubt that Goga would not have pursued his goat as far as he did had he not been injured as a child。 And then…to make matters worse…as he approached the animal history virtually repeated itself。 The animal reared up； striking the Duke with its blackhoof and cracking his nose。 The goat then ran off。〃
〃Goga was furious； beside himself with fury！ To have been mistreated by a goat twice！ He got straight back on his horse； blood pouring from his broken nose； and went after the animal； riding hard through the forest to catch up with it。 His entourage went with him； because they were bound to follow the Duke wherever he went。 But they were beginning to suspect that there was something strange about where they were headed and that it would be better for them all if they just turned round and rode back to the Fortress。〃
〃But Goga wouldn't do that？〃
〃Of course not。 He was determined to chase down the animal that had struck him。 He wanted revenge on the thing。 He wanted to stick his sword through it； and cut out its heart and eat it raw。 That was the kind of rage he was in。
〃So he kept riding。 And his men； out of loyalty； kept following； further and further from the Fortress and the paths they knew； into the depths of the forest。 Steadily even the Duke began to realize that what his men were whispering was right： there were creatures here； lurking about； the likes of which God had not made。 He could see things between the trees that didn't belong in any of the bestiaries he had in the Fortress。 Strange； ungodly creatures。〃
As Katya told her story； Todd glanced at the dark mass of trees into which Goga and his men had just ridden。 Was that the Deep Wood she had just described？ Surely it was。 The same horsemen。 The same trees。 In other words； he was standing in the middle of Katya's story。
〃So。。。the Duke kept riding； and riding； driving his poor horse as he followed the leaping goat deeper and deeper into the forest； until they were in a place where there were certain no human being had ever ventured before。 By now； all the men； even the most loyal； the bravest of them； were begging the Duke to let them turn back。 The air was bitter and sulfurous； and in the ground beneath the horses' hooves the men could hear the sound of people sobbing； as though living souls had been buried alive in the black； smoking dirt。
〃But the Duke would not be moved from his ambition。 'What kind of hunters do you call yourselves？' he said to his men； 'If you won't go after a goat？ Where's your faith in God？ There's no danger to us here； if our hearts are pure。'〃
〃So on they went； the men quietly offering up prayers for the safety of their souls as they rode。
〃And eventually； after a long chase； their quarry came in sight again。 The goat was standing in a grove of trees so old they had been planted before the Flood； in the tangled roots of which grew mushrooms that gave off the smell of dead flesh。 The Duke got off his horse； drew his sword and approached the goat。
〃'Whatever thing you are；' he said to the animal； 'breathe your last。'〃
〃Nice line；〃 Todd remarked。
〃The animal reared up； as though it was going to strike the Duke with its hoof a third time； but Goga didn't give it the opportunity。 He quickly drove his sword up into the belly of the animal。〃
〃As soon as it felt the sword entering its flesh the goat opened its mouth and let out a pitiful wail。。。〃
Katya paused here； watching Todd； waiting for him to put the pieces together。
〃Oh Christ；〃 he said。 〃Like a baby？〃
〃Exactly like a baby。 And hearing this pitiful human sound escaping the animal； Goga pulled his sword from the goat's body； because he knew something unholy was in the air。 Have you ever seen an animal slaughtered？〃
〃No。〃
〃Well there's a lot of blood。 A lot more than you think there's going to be。〃
〃It was like that now？〃
〃Yes。 The goat was thrashing around in a pool of red； its back legs kicking up the wet dirt； so that it spattered Goga and his men。 And as it did so； it started to change。〃
〃Into what？〃
Katya smiled the smile of a storyteller who had her audience hooked by some unexpected change of direction。
〃Into a little child；〃 she said。 〃A boy； a naked little boy； with a nub of a tail and yellow eyes and goat's ears。 So now the Duke is looking down at this goat…boy； twitching in the mud made of dirt and blood； and the superstitious terror which his men had felt finally seizes hold of him too。 He starts to speak a prayer。
〃T？tal Nostru care ne e？ti in Ceruri； sfin_easca…se numele T？u。 Fie Imp？r？tia Ta； fac？…se voia Ta； precum ？n cer a？a si pe p？m？nt。〃
Todd listened to the unfamiliar words； knowing in the cadence that what Katya was reciting was not just any prayer； it was the Lord's Prayer。
〃Painea noastr？ cea de toate zilele d？ne…o nou？ azi si ne iart？ nou？ greselile noa？tre。〃
He scanned the landscape as he heard the prayer repeated； nothing had changed since he'd first set eyes on the place。 The light of the eclipse held everything in suspension： the trees； the ships； the lynchers at their tree。
The rush of pleasure he'd experienced when he first arrived had diminished somewhere in the midst of Katya's tale…telling。 In its place there was now a profound unease。 He wanted to stop her telling her story； but what reason could he give that didn't sound cowardly？
So she continued。
〃The Duke retreated； leaving his sword stuck deep in the body of the goat…boy。 He intended to climb back onto his horse and ride away； but his steed had already bolted in terror。 He called to one of his men to dismount； so that he might have the man's horse； but before the fellow could obey the rock beneath their feet began to shake violently； and a great chasm opened up in the ground in front of them。〃
〃The men knew what they were witnessing。 This was the very mouth of Hell； gaping in the earth beneath their feet。 It was thirty； forty feet wide； and the roots of those ancient trees lined it like the veins of a skinned body。 Smoke rose up out of the maw； stinking of every foul thing imaginable； and a good deal that was not。 It was such a bitter stench that the Duke and his men began to weep like children。〃
〃Half…blinded by his own tears； and without a horse； Goga had no choice but to stay where he was； on the lip of the Hell's Mouth； close to where his victim lay。 He tore his gloves from his hands and did his best to clear the tears from his eyes。〃
〃As he did so he saw somebody ing up out of the earth。 It was a woman； he saw； with hair so long it trailed the ground fully six feet behind her。 She was naked； except for a necklace of white fleas with eyes th