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the bite of the serpent.’
    Picking up a Rosary of amber beads, he kissed it placing it with the crucifix. As he turned Douglas, felt quite shocked, as the priest seemed to change in stature and deportment, becoming a dignified clergyman, his hunched back now straightening, chin held high, his rheumy eyes glittering like pale sapphires. 
    He nodded to them holding up his hand, palm forward as if bestowing a blessing. ‘So now, Douglas – Nathan stand as I bless these sacred sacraments.’ 
    Feeling rather foolish Douglas stood crossing his hands in front of him whilst Nathan duly closed his eyes lifting his hands in prayer.
    Gone were the jarring gravel tones as the Father boomed out the sacred blessings and purifications rites in a rich mellifluous voice.  He took out a small bottle of oil. Holding it up, he directed his gaze to Douglas.  ‘The evil spirits hate this one. We use this in the very beginning, each room we go in we throw a few drops of oil across the threshold.
    I shall say the rites first in Latin and then in English. You will repeat the English after me. The evil spirits hate this one. Holding both hands over the bottle he said, ‘ Exorcizo te, creatura olei” (“I exorcise, creature oil”). Omis virtus adversarii, om.’  
    Feeling rather foolish, Douglas stumbled over the words. ‘I don’t speak Latin. I can’t remember it.’
    ‘Then repeat the English words' man.’
    Picking up another bottle the priest held it up. ‘Holy Water. This drives out demons and defends us against attacks. It cleanses the rooms of their evil impurity. Then we have the salt, which adds to the power. Beatus lux lucis of Deus fulsi continuo super illa sacramentum purgatio totus pro lemma. Exorczose diabolus quod everto. ’
    Turning to them, he repeated it in English. ‘May the blessed light of God shine forth upon these sacraments cleansing all before them.  May they exorcise devils and demons.’
    He paused as he said to Nathan, ‘You’ll best be off now.  I don’t want to leave you here on your own.  There’s no telling what will happen.’
    Douglas raised his eyebrows, grinning sarcastically at Nathan.
    The priest caught the glance muttering, ‘This is no laughing matter, be it ghosts or demons, ye could come back to find your brother spirited away , or worse still lying  there with his throat ripped out .’
    Nathan’s face blanched.  ‘Well it’s the Mariner’s Arms for me then.’ 
    Douglas watched him go, anger simmering, what a waste of time, he now had to spend the next few hours chasing non-existent ghosts.  
    The priest turned to him his eyes glinting, face solemn.  ‘We should begin with the attics.  Nathan tells me a couple of the workmen left, refusing to return.’
    Resigned to the task, Douglas  nodded.  ‘As you wish.’
    The attics covered a vast area, divided up into three parts with doors through to each partition.  The air seemed cooler with a sense of dampness. That shouldn’t be, as they had laid damp proofing throughout. Douglas hid his irritation as Father O’Reilly began to pray from the 54 th Psalm, his voice quivering,
               ‘ O God, by your name save us. By your strength defend our cause.
                 O God, hear my prayer. Listen to the words of my mouth...   
                Turn back the evil upon my foes; in your faithfulness, destroy  
                them...’                   
    As he followed the priest’s crooked form, shuffling through the hanging sheets of plastic, stumbling over tools and bags of cement, Douglas ignored the shadows dense and dark against the walls. 
    Father O’Reilly stopped, holding up his hand, listening to sounds of scratching and scuttling.  ‘ Hail Mary Mother of Grace...begone oh ye foul spirits...get thee hence ...’
    Douglas smiled his lip lifting in a slight sneer , as the priest declared the first two attics clear of infestation – the only