Before Klein could turn over his new thoughts, he saw Councillor Maynard's rigid body brace itself on both hands and, with a heavy whoosh of wind, lunge straight at him — straight at his left side!
If this had been before, faced with such a sudden incident, his reaction would have been slow and he would have struggled to dodge; even if he had sensed it in advance, he would have had to roll and tumble to clear the lunging arc.
But now, Klein reacted almost on instinct: the gleaming buttonless leather boots pushed off, and his whole body sprang diagonally aside, landing onto a high-backed chair.
Since he'd only just advanced a day ago, he wasn't fully accustomed yet to his own strength, agility, and speed. In his haste, that jump went too high and too far; his landing spot was the top edge of the chair-back!
It was only a narrow strip; Klein's heart tightened. He quickly mastered his body and adjusted his center of gravity.
After wobbling a few times, he stood firm — like a black cat showing off its sense of balance.
And as he wobbled, his left arm swept out: riding the momentum of the 'living corpse' Maynard's forward lunge, his cane struck the corpse's flank with a clean blow, knocking it off balance so that it stumbled face-first onto the carpet.
Standing atop the chair-back, Klein's right hand shot up swiftly, reaching toward his armpit, intending to draw the revolver from its holster and put a silver Monster-Hunting Bullet into the living corpse before him.
But in that very instant, he suddenly thought of how to handle the loose ends.
If a shot left a hole in Councillor Maynard's body, how would he later explain the cause of death to the man's family and to the New Party councilmen who were watching this case?
'I just put another round into his corpse'?
While these thoughts flashed, Klein's right hand slid into the same-side pocket of the police uniform and found a triangular thin plate.
A Soul-Soothing Spell-Card… — He made his judgment quickly; without hesitation he produced the silver-made charm and uttered a single word in Ancient Hermes:
"Crimson!"
As the opening incantation echoed, the charm gave off a calm, tranquil feel. Klein hurriedly poured his spirituality into it and tossed it at the struggling-to-rise 'living corpse' Maynard.
Ice-blue flames sprang up, wrapping and burning the triangular plate; a soothing, gentle blackness spread fast, dispelling the soul's tension and unease.
The 'living corpse' Maynard halted there, hollow eyes blankly fixed on the floor, the sticky drip at the corner of its mouth falling onto the carpet drop after drop.
Klein let out a breath of relief and was about to take out materials, lay out the ritual, and dispose of the unclean creature before him by means of purification.
But all of a sudden, a heavy hahh-hahh sound came again from Maynard's throat; the hollow eyes turned again toward the left pocket of Klein's police uniform.
Damn it… — Klein leaped, springing from the top of the high-backed chair onto the windowsill of a bay window.
At the same moment, he heard the high-backed chair fall and snap.
Scalp prickling, Klein had no choice but to fish out another rectangular silver plate.
This was a Deep-Sleep Spell-Card!
It wasn't only the living who needed sleep — the dead were themselves in 'long sleep' and had to be disturbed by something abnormal before they'd awaken and wander the surface!
Some mystical books even describe certain 'living corpses' this way:
By day they sleep, by night they wake.
"Crimson!" Klein cried again in Ancient Hermes; this time, if it failed, he wouldn't think about consequences — he'd draw the revolver and unload it.
Only by living do you get to fret about what comes after!
Feeling the silver plate go cold in his palm, Klein poured spirituality into it and flung it out.
Dark-red flames lit up his eyes in an instant; a series of small crackling explosions echoed in the guestroom.
A tranquil, gentle force diffused out, carrying a weariness no living being could resist; the 'living corpse' Maynard, having just climbed up from the broken chair, wobbled, closed its hollow eyes, and toppled flat to the floor.
Having learned from the previous moment, Klein did not relax. He immediately took out the materials — "Amanda Pure Water" distilled from Night Fragrance, Deep Sleep grass, and chamomile, and "Full Moon Essential Oil" made from Dragon-Pattern Bark and the moon — and quickly laid out an altar.
Then, using "Sacred-Night Powder," he sealed off the nearby area with a wall of spirituality, enclosing the altar and the sleeping 'living corpse' Maynard within.
Murmuring the incantation, lighting the three corresponding candles, dripping pure water and essential oil into the candle flames respectively, and sprinkling herb powders, Klein took a step back; eyeing the 'living corpse' Maynard warily, he chanted in Hermes:
"Goddess of Night, more exalted than the starry sky and more enduring than eternity;"
"I beseech Your favor;"
"I beseech that You watch over one of Your faithful guardians."
"I beseech the crimson power;"
"I beseech the power of sleep and silence;"
"I beseech that You purify this unclean creature beside me — the gentleman who was once called John Maynard."
……