That had been replaced by a cool tingling across his forehead. It felt quite soothing. Slowly he opened his eyes, saw nothing and panicked. “What!!?” A firm hand held him down. It may have been the calming voice of a ministering angel except for the following instruction. “Hold still you stupid puttock. I haven’t finished!” Ned tried struggling but strong hands gripped his shoulders and held him down. “There, done!” Suddenly his world was bathed in light, and before him a blurry visage was surrounded by a halo. As his vision cleared, he found himself looking up into the upside down face of a heavily built man, complete with a savage scar that half closed his right eye. Not an angel instead the familiar visage of a leering devil. “By Christ, a daemon! “You can let him up, Roger.” The gruesome, threatening face retreated and Ned quickly pushed himself up off the pallet. It was while in transit between horizontal and vertical that he realised his head felt better and his ribs didn’t ache quite so much.
