Brine jumped into the truck, fired it up, and engaged the four-wheel drive.

Rachel read the last line of the invocation with a grandiose flourish of her arm. “In the name of Solomon the King, I command thee to appear!”

Rachel said, “Nothing happened.”

Catch said, “Nothing happened, Travis.”

Travis said, “Give it a minute.” He had almost given up hope. Something had gone horribly wrong. Now he was faced with either telling them about the candlesticks or keeping his bond with the demon. Either way, the hostages were doomed.

“Fine, Travis,” Catch said. “The old man is the first to go.”

Catch wrapped one hand around Effrom’s neck. As Travis and Rachel watched, the demon grew into his eating form and lifted Effrom off the ground.

“Oh my God!” Rachel put her fist to her mouth and started backing away from the demon. “Oh no!”

Travis tried to focus his will on the demon. “Put him down, Catch,” he commanded.

From somewhere down the hill came the sound of a truck starting.

Gian Hen Gian stepped out of the woods. “Catch,” he shouted, “will you never give up your toys?” The Djinn started up the hill.

Catch threw Effrom to the side. He landed like a rag doll, ten yards away. Rachel was shaking her head violently, as if trying to shake away the demon’s image. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

“So someone let the little fart out of his jar,” Catch said. He stalked down the hill toward the Djinn.

An engine roared and Augustus Brine’s pickup broke out of the tree line and bounced up the dirt road, throwing up a cloud of dust in its wake. Robert stood in the bed, holding onto the roll bar for support.

Travis darted past Catch to Amanda and Jenny.

“Still a coward, King of the Djinn?” Catch said, pausing a second to look at the speeding truck.

“I am still your superior,” the Djinn said.

“Is that why you surrendered your people to the netherworld without a fight?”

“This time you lose, Catch.”

Catch spun to watch the truck slide around the last turn and off the road to bound across the open grass toward the candlesticks.

“Later, Djinn,” Catch said. He began to run toward the truck. Taking five yards at a stride the demon was over the hill and past Travis and the women in seconds.

Augustus Brine saw the demon coming at them. “Hold on, Robert.” He wrenched the wheel to the side to throw the truck into a slide.

Catch lowered his shoulder and rammed into the right front fender of the truck. Robert saw the impact coming and tried to decide whether to brace himself or jump. In an instant the decision was made for him as the fender crumpled under the demon and the truck went up on two wheels, then over onto its roof.