For a few minutes, after dropping the branches and twigs they had brought to the fire site, the group stood around, idly chatting. Ed Bates adjusted the horns to his forehead and immediately assumed a new persona. His voice vibrated with authority and certainty as he ordered the members to congregate around him. He seemed to be no longer the Chief of Police but the servant and foremost disciple of the unknown forces of the night. He was, without question, the High Priest. When they were all together, he struck a match and ignited the desiccated pieces of wood, and the adherents stood about, watching the fire catch and blossom into a conflagration soon illuminating much of the surrounding area. Almost at once, as though on cue, the calming breeze surged its intensity, as though pulled in by
