The Year's Best Horror Stories 03 by Richard Davis

Author:Richard Davis [Davis, Richard]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Horror - Anthologies
ISBN: 9780722128619
Publisher: Sphere
Published: 1973-01-01T23:00:00+00:00

SATANESQUE

by Allan Weiss

Sheriff Holland stood with his daughter in silence behind a sea of excited chatter. Before him stood a small and undulating crowd which had gathered in the park and had kept a steady rumble. Their voices reeked of skepticism, many people mentioning how the artist who had brought them here had had no talent whatsoever as a child.

Only yesterday the sculptor had returned to his birthplace, with the delivery of a gift he felt was the greatest he could give. The culmination of nearly two years’ effort, his largest and most elaborate statue, stood cloaked in the center of Hilden’s Park. With glee the mayor had accepted the gift sight unseen, and it was erected in the park almost directly at the center of town. The twelve-foot monolith now stood with its cover glistening with ice after an exceptionally cold night, waiting impatiently for its creator.

Paul Riley was a small man, thinly built and with short cropped yellow hair, but his hands were large as suited a sculptor. His mouth was closed shut as he emerged from the hotel and marched past Holland to stand beside his statue. Mayor Williams read his prepared speech, expressing the town’s thanks and appreciation. Riley just nodded in acknowledgement as the thanks dribbled out; “. . . and we appreciate your having abandoned your world-wide audience for a little while to honor our town . . .” To the relief of the chilly spectators he finally wound up his wordy speech with: “It is my great privilege to present to you Paul Riley and his gracious gift to our fair town.” Brief half-hearted applause accompanied Riley’s ascent to the statue’s base; he heard someone mutter, “He warn’t nothing as a kid.” Holland searched the faces in the crowd, noticing anticipation, boredom, relief. Only Amos Sharton’s face disrupted the pattern; his was creased with anger and anticipation.

Riley thanked the mayor tersely and took hold of one corner of the white sheet. His mouth almost opened, but instead was quickly shut tighter, and he yanked at the cloth. There followed a gasp from the spectators, who recoiled from the work of art.

“God preserve us!” a woman screamed from the back, and the impatient rumble of the crowd became an angry roar. Men crossed themselves; children were stuffed behind mothers’ backs; eyes turned towards Riley. He stood in the shadow of his statue, his expression unreadable. He showed no surprise at the reaction.

It stood, an ebon giant, in a proud and sweeping pose. Its feet were bare, its legs loosely skirted, its waist tied with a detailed rope. The cloths that straddled its chest seemed to flap in the breeze. From its back sprawled two half-folded, angelic wings. Its face had a childish innocence about it, its eyes wide and full of wonderment, its lips clinging to questions it needed answered. Its head was crowned with a shock of rampant hair. And yet, despite the handsome angelic features, there was something too proud, too subtly pompous, for any angel of God.

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