'Prentice Dashwood was an extraordinarily charismatic man. When he spoke, everything made sense.'

'Cannibalism?' I kept my voice calm.

'Do you have any idea how pervasive the theme of humans eating humans is in Western culture? Human sacrifice is mentioned in the Old Testament, the Rig-Veda.

Anthropophagy is central to the plot of many Greek and Roman myths; it's the centerpiece of the Catholic Mass. Look at literature. Jonathan Swift's "Modest Proposal" and Tom Prest's tale of Sweeney Todd. Movies Soylent Green; Fried Green Tomatoes: The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, Her Lover; Jean-Luc Godard's Weekend. And let's not forget the children: Hansel and Gretel, the Gingerbread Man, and various versions of Snow White, Cinderela, and Red Riding Hood. Grandma, what big teeth you have!'

He drew a tremulous breath.

'And, of course, there are the participants of necessity. The Dormer party; the rugby team stranded in the Andes; the crew of the yacht Mignonette; Marten Hartwel, the bush pilot marooned in the Arctic. We are fascinated by their tales. And we embrace our famous-for-fifteen-minutes serial kiler cannibals with even greater curiosity.'

Another deep breath, exhaled slowly.

'I can't explain it, don't condone it. Prentice made everything sound exotic. We were naughty boys sharing an interest in a wicked topic.'

'Fay ce que voudras.'

I recited the words carved above the entrance to the basement tunnel. During my convalescence, I'd learned that the Rabelais quote in sixteenth-century French also graced the archway and fireplaces at Medmenham Abbey.

'"Do what you like,"' Midkiff translated, then laughed mirthlessly. 'It's ironic. The Hel Fires used the quote to sanction their licentious indulgence, but Rabelais actualy credits the words to Saint Augustine. "Love God and do what you like. For if with the spirit of wisdom a man loves God, then, always striving to fulfil the divine wil, what he wishes should be the right thing."'

'When did Prentice Dashwood die?'

'Nineteen sixty-nine.'

'Was someone kiled?' We had found only eight victims.

'There could be no replacement for Prentice. Folowing his death no one was elevated to the inner circle. The number dropped to six and remained there.'

'Why wasn't Dashwood on the fax you sent me?'

'I wrote down what I could recolect. The list was far from complete. I know almost nothing about those who joined after I left. As for Prentice, I just couldn't—' He glanced away. 'It was so long ago.'

For a long moment, neither of us spoke.

'You realy didn't know what was going on?'

'I put it together after Mary Francis Rafferty died in 1972. That's when I withdrew.'

'But said nothing.'

'No. I give no excuse.'

'Why did you tip Sheriff Crowe about Ralph Stover?'

'Stover joined the club after I dropped out. That's why he moved to Swain County. I've always known he was unstable.'

I remembered my most recent question.