Hellboy: The God Machine Read Online Free PDF Page A

stone, our mother's love was strong, and she continued to bless us, allowing our kind to grow in number over the centuries even as those who had turned her to rock dwindled and eventually were dust."
    King Seamus reached over to gently stroke the brindle-colored fur of his rabbit mount as it nibbled on what remained of the late-fall grass. "But now she is gone, and already I see signs that our days are short."
    A female Graken approached the king, hands upon her stomach. "A babe grew inside me, but now 'tis gone," she cried in a tiny, pathetic voice. One of the soldiers, the husband, Hellboy guessed, came to her then, taking her in his arms. They cried inconsolably.
    "This is why we are enraged, Hellspawn," King Seamus said, voice rising in anger. "This is why we are moved to war, for without our Sheela-Na Gig, we will soon be no more, going the way of the Gathan, the Goblin..."
    "Yeah, yeah, the Fittletot and the Whoopity Stoorie," Hellboy finished for him, moving closer to where the sacred stone had lain. "I get the picture. Without the rock, little Graken production goes belly-up."
    He knelt in the dirt, after making sure that none of the Graken were beneath him, and began to check out the scene. BPRD file said the rock was at least five hundred pounds, Hellboy thought, stroking his chin. Whoever took it needed some heavy machinery, or was pretty damn strong.
    He stood up, looking around for any signs that a machine had been driven across the yard, but found nothing. The lawn was intact.
    Kramer stood shivering with the Graken legions.
    "You heard nothing," Hellboy said to him again, hoping to jar some memory that might give him something to work with.
    The man shook his head as he blew hot breath into his cupped hands. "Not a sound."
    Hellboy turned his attention to the Graken Spriggin. "And I suppose you guys didn't hear or see anything either?"
    The creatures were silent, helplessness etched on their homely faces.
    "Evil is afoot," King Seamus said, slowly nodding his large head. "'Tis dark magick that took our mother."
    "Y'know what, Tiny," Hellboy said, gazing up into the gray winter sky, at the cawing crows circling above. "You just might be right."

    Hellboy reached across the meeting table for a bagel. "Does this look like cinnamon raisin to you?"
    Abe Sapien popped a piece of lox into his mouth and started to chew. "Either that or chocolate chip," he said after he'd swallowed. He brought a napkin to his mouth. No talking with his mouth full for Abe.
    The amphibious BPRD agent had excellent manners.
    "Whatever." Hellboy cut the bagel in half with a knife. Breakfast meetings with actual breakfast weren't the norm at the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, but every once in a while the suits tossed a bone to the grunts--to keep morale up and all. Hellboy wasn't complaining; he was starved.
    "Is there any cream cheese?"
    Kate Corrigan, the assistant director of field operations, looked up from her notes long enough to pluck a small container of cream cheese from the tray in the table's center and slide it over to him.
    "Hey, H.B.," Liz Sherman called from across the table, where she sat slumped in her chair, hands clasped in a death grip around a steaming mug of coffee. "Hear you kept us from going to war yesterday."
    Hellboy thanked Kate and glanced at Liz, petite and pretty, dark circles under her eyes from too little sleep.
    "Yeah, I guess," he said as he slathered his bagel with the cream cheese. "Had a tribe of Graken Spriggin up in arms over in Plymouth 'cause a statue of their mother got ripped off."
    "Graken Spriggin," Abe repeated, pretending to shiver with revulsion as he helped himself to more of the raw salmon. "They are a nasty bunch."
    "Yeah, real sweethearts," Hellboy agreed, around a mouthful of bagel.
    "So what'd you do?" Liz asked, taking a sip from her coffee.
    "Good question," Kate said, setting her pen down. "Considering that I don't have a report on the case yet."
    "You look particularly