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Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780449005835 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Random House Publishing Group |
| Publication date: | 05/02/2000 |
| Edition description: | 1 MASS MKT |
| Pages: | 448 |
| Sales rank: | 362,701 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.86(w) x 4.12(h) x 1.21(d) |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Alive.
It was still alive.
She could feel it inside her. It was moving again, twisting and writhing in her belly.
She'd hoped it would die.
Hoped. And prayed. Since the moment she first felt it inside her, she'd fallen to her knees, begging God to deliver her from the evil within her—desperate prayers that continued through long days and longer nights. Sleep never came, for she dared not ever let down her guard, not ever relax her vigilance against the evil even for a few seconds of blessed release from the terror. Lying awake on dank sheets, listening to the whine of insects beyond the window, how many times had she gotten up from her bed in the meanest hours to stand at the window, gazing out into the black abyss, wondering if she shouldn't open the screen and let the predators in?
Once, she slashed through the mesh with ragged nails, ripping the screen to shreds, tearing open her nightgown as if to a lover, presenting her tortured body to the horde of tiny creatures that spewed forth from the night to settle on her skin in a thick and pulsating scum: clinging to her with piercing barbs; miring in the oily sweat that oozed from her; pricking with stinging needles. Producing a thrill of pain as she willed them to suck out her blood, and along with it, the evil that pervaded her every pore.
But the vileness within her had prevailed, as even against her own will she swept the insects away, slammed the window shut, and stood beneath a scalding shower for hours in a vain attempt to cleanse herself of the poisons.
She had returned to the bed, cursing herself and the man who lay beside her, but most of all cursing the disease that ruled her.
Disease.
Truly, that was what it was: an illness cast upon her in retribution for sins so vile that she had repressed even their faintest memory, leaving only the corruption inside, the monstrous horror that was metastasizing through her, consuming a little more of her every day.
"Dear God, why hast Thou forsaken me?"
The words—the cry of anguish that should have shattered the very air—dribbled from her lips like the mewling of a baby, a pitiful, weak sound, but enough to drive the life within her wild. It sent her screaming and stumbling from the house, where her balance deserted her and she dropped to her knees, skinning them on the harsh paving of the driveway. Moaning, she sprawled out, and for the tiniest moment of ecstasy thought she might be dying. Then the fury within her eased, and after a while her ragged panting mellowed into a rhythmic breath. Deliverance was not yet at hand. She struggled back to her feet and stood staring at the house.
She had thought it beautiful once, with its high-peaked roof and many gables, the broad veranda that wrapped around it with the fullness of a petticoated skirt, the shutters and gingerbread that decorated its face like the millinery of an age gone by. Now, though, she saw the fancywork for what it was: a veil that only barely covered the wickedness that lay within; a mask peeling back to reveal the slatternly face of a whore.
A whore like me.
The words rose unbidden from the depths of her subconscious, in a choking sob.
The evil within her tested its strength, and the woman's body convulsed. She staggered forward, driven by pain. At the foot of the steps leading to the veranda—and the cavernous rooms beyond—she stopped.
Not inside.
The certain knowledge that something was different, had changed in the seconds since she'd fled outside, made her turn away.
Behind.
It's behind the house. As if under the power of an unseen force, the woman slowly groped her way around to the back of the house. The sun, close to its zenith now, beat down on her, making her skin tingle and burn in an angry, itching rash that spread scarlet from her belly across her torso, down her arms and legs, like claws scraping at her from the inside, pushing to tear free from the confines of her body.
Then she saw it.
Her hands rose reflexively to her face as if to blot out the vision before her, or even to tear her eyes from her head. Then they dropped away, and she gazed unblinking at the specter beneath the ancient magnolia tree that spread its limbs over the area beyond the house.
It was the man.
The man she had married.
The man who had brought her to this house.
The man who had delivered the disease upon her.
The man who had lain unconscious beside her as she'd prayed for a salvation she knew would never come.
Now he was gone, his body, stripped naked of even the tiniest shred of clothing, hung from the lowest branch of the tree, a thick hempen rope knotted tightly around his neck.
His head hung at an unnatural angle, and his lifeless eyes were fixed upon her with a gaze that chilled the remnants of her soul.
The knife with which he'd slit open his own belly was still clutched in the stiffened fingers of his right hand, and his entrails lay in a bloody tangle below his dangling feet.
A swarm of flies had already settled on his disemboweled corpse; soon their eggs would hatch, releasing millions of maggots to feast upon him.
He had found his escape.
He had left her alone.
Alone with the disease.
Nearly doubled over by a spasm of terror and revulsion, the woman turned away and lurched toward the shelter of the house.
Muttered words, unintelligible even to herself, tumbled from her lips. By the time she escaped the brilliant noon sun, her entire body was trembling.
Hide.
Got to hide.
Hide from him.
Hide from it.
The corruption inside leaped to life again and, no longer aware of where she was or what she was doing, she obeyed the dictates of the foulness within.
A door opened before her, and she stumbled, then fell, plunging into the shadowy darkness, feeling blackness surround her, welcoming the release of death.
Her body slammed against the coldness of the cellar floor. She lay still. Against her will, her heart once more began to beat, her lungs to breathe.
And now the final agony—the agony she had always known would come.
It arrived as a point of white heat deep within, which spread and burned as it raced through her, igniting every nerve in her body into a fiery torment that sent a scream boiling up from her throat, instantly followed by a stream of vomit.
Every muscle in her body cramped. Limbs thrashing, hands and feet lashing out as if at some unseen tormentor, she was engulfed by the growing pain.
"NOOOooo ..." The single cry of anguish burst from her, then trailed off into hopeless silence.
For a long time she lay unmoving, as the fire withdrew, leaving at last an absence of pain. A blank emptiness where the disease had been.
She pulled herself up and gazed at the tiny thing that lay between her legs.
Still covered with bloody tissue, the baby stretched its tiny arms, as if reaching toward her.
The woman stared at it, then reached out and picked it up.
She cradled it in her left arm, and with the fingers of her right hand she stroked its face.
Then, her eyes still fixed upon the infant, her fingers closed around its neck.
She began to squeeze.
As her fingers tightened, she heard herself say the familiar words that lifted her spirit and filled her soul with peace. "Our Father, who art in Heaven ..."
The baby thrashed against her grasp, its fingers instinctively pulling at her own.
"...Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us ..."
The baby's tiny fingers fell away from hers; its struggles weakened. "... Deliver us from evil."
The movements stopped. The infant lay still in her hands.
"Amen."
They found her just after sunset.
She was still praying, but of the baby, there was no trace to be found. Indeed, it was as if the infant had never existed at all.
She offered no resistance when they lifted her to her feet, none as they led her from the house and put her in the ambulance.
As the ambulance drove away, she did not look back.
Her face was serene; she hummed softly to herself.
Deliverance, finally, was hers.
Interviews
On Thursday, June 24th, barnesandnoble.com welcomed John Saul to discuss THE RIGHT HAND OF EVIL.
Moderator: Welcome, John Saul! We are so pleased that you could join us tonight to discuss your just-released novel, THE RIGHT HAND OF EVIL. How are you this evening?
John Saul: I'm fine and very glad to be here!
Marco Aurelio from Fortaleza, Brazil: Hello there, Mr. Saul! I'm glad you are here tonight. I've been reading your books since my teens, and I really enjoy them, scary stories that make me jumpy. You are one of my favorite authors in the genre, along with the wonderful Dean Koontz and bestselling unfortunately hurt author Stephen King. I want to ask you: 1) What keeps you writing? Is it really money, as I heard? 2) Who are your favorite authors in the genre you write?
John Saul: I've always been a writer, and I've been in the fortunate position of being able to make a living at it. So, in a way, I do write for the money, but I also love telling the stories. As for who my favorites are in the genre, I don't read the genre, because I'm far too much of a chicken!
Andy from Hoboken, NJ: I see that you wrote a serial novel. How is that process different than writing a full-length novel like THE RIGHT HAND OF EVIL?
John Saul: The serial novel was actually six small novels connected by an overarching story. It was great fun to write, but also a bit scary, since Ballantine was actually publishing the book before I was finished writing it. There's a big difference in writing a single story, since it has to be much more complex than any of the six small tales of Blackstone were.
Greg from Southport: What inspired the story line of RIGHT HAND OF EVIL? How long did it take you to write? I know you are known for your speed!
John Saul: THE RIGHT HAND OF EVIL was actually a twist on a very old tale, which, for those who haven't yet read it, I won't reveal here. It took about two months to write the manuscript, but that was after several months of thinking, scratching my head, and working on the outline.
Morgan from Bastrop, LA: How did you get your first book published? Also, what advice would you have for an unpublished author? Also, how do you think your relationship with your editor has changed over the years? Do you think the editor/author relationship is changing as we speak?
John Saul: I was lucky enough to find an agent who believed in me, who found an editor who also believed in me. I think that's still the best way to go about getting published. Of course, you have to have something to show the agent and the editor, so I kept writing and writing and writing and writing.... I threw away about half a dozen novels without showing them to anyone. My relationship with my editor went on for nearly 25 years and was fabulous. Then Ballantine fired her a few months ago, so I have no idea what my relationship with my new editor will be. I do think, though, that few editors do much editing anymore. They acquire projects and then publish them, but I've been told their editing skills are a tad weak. I shall see -- and report more later...
Sam from Tampa: Would this be a good book for a teenager?
John Saul: Absolutely! It's fast-moving, very interesting, very scary, and not particularly violent.
Pac87@aol.com from xx: I have read every one of your books and loved them all. I can't wait to read the new one! I also know your niece, Allison Williams! Question: Why haven't they made more of your books into movies?
John Saul: I think Hollywood has a problem with as much plot as I tend to come up with. The simpler the story, the better the movie, and my stories are usually far from simple.
Kate from San Francisco: Any particular reason that most of your novels involve children? Are you a kid at heart yourself? Love your books. Keep writing!
John Saul: I just sort of started writing about kids and kept on going. Also, the nice thing about writing children is that you can have the hero of the piece also be the villain, since kids are never held responsible for their own actions. And what do you mean, a kid at heart? I'm only 18, for heaven's sake....
Jan from New York: You are so prolific, John -- 20 or so books. How do you keep this pace up and constantly generate intricate new book ideas?
John Saul: I wish I knew! Sometimes it seems like there aren't going to be any new ideas, but somehow one always turns up in the nick of time. I get them from everywhere -- someone I see or a conversation I overhear or a report on the news or even a strange-looking building can cue an idea.
Sam from Seattle: Critics like to bash horror books as a genre. Does this bother you, as it does other writers, like Stephen King?
John Saul: Ah, the old critics question. My feeling is that the best thing for an author to do is simply ignore all the critics, on the theory that if you're going to dismiss the bad reviews, you can't believe the good ones either. Since I've had rave reviews and terrible reviews (often on the same book), I tend to ignore it all.
Jeremy Lybarger from Ohio: THE RIGHT HAND OF EVIL, as well as many of your other novels, explores religious themes quite deeply. What are your own religious beliefs?
John Saul: More and more I'm coming to believe that all religion is nothing more than superstition. One man's faith is another man's nonsense, and as far as I'm concerned, everyone should be free to believe whatever they choose to believe. As for myself, I tend to believe that which I can see, hear, feel, and understand. If there is a "higher reality," which I tend to believe there probably is, I think it's so far beyond our ability to understand that it isn't worth theorizing about, let alone fight wars or persecute your neighbors over!
Ellen Wood from Portland, ME: With all the horrific shootings lately and the government increasingly cracking down on the violence in movies and video games, do you think this crackdown would ever carry over to the horror genre? Do you think public pressure against excessive violence could affect the horror genre as a whole?
John Saul: I think people are always looking for simple answers to complex questions, and certainly always looking for scapegoats. I find it fascinating that the government wants to crack down on the media, when it's so obvious that the real problem is that we all live in a very complex world that takes up so much time and energy from everyone that most parents these days simply don't have enough time even to keep track of what their children are doing, let alone give them the love and guidance they need. As for the government cracking down on books, it's been tried, but it never works out too well. For some reason, writers keep on writing, and readers keep on reading. And contrary to some opinions, most readers know the difference between reality and a made-up story.
Hank from Reno, TX: In your opinion, what horror movie translated well from book to screen?
John Saul: Don't ask me! I couldn't even watch "The Exorcist"!
Monica from Reno: Do you have a favorite among your books? A character you are particularly attached to? My favorites are SLEEPWALK and SECOND CHILD.
John Saul: Amazingly enough, SLEEPWALK is my all-time favorite, followed by BLACK LIGHTNING. SECOND CHILD was great fun, since I never quite figured out whether the ghost was real or not.
Martin from Montreal: Have you ever used a pseudonym?
John Saul: Yes. Two. And they shall remain pseudonyms.
Jeremy Lybarger from Ohio: I've noticed that many of your books deal with children in peril. Do you feel the innocence and vulnerability of children enhance the often violent actions surrounding them?
John Saul: I think children's imaginations can make for more interesting stories. A kid hears something at the window at night, and five or six horrible things come to mind in a second. A grown-up hears the same noise, and knows it's just the wind. Or is it?
Linda from Massachusetts: I am a 40-something housewife, mother of one and grandmother of two. Am I truly "demented," as my husband so often says I am, because you are my absolute, positive, without a doubt most favorite author of all time?!
John Saul: Of course you're not demented! How could anyone even suggest such a thing about someone who is obviously as brilliant, perceptive, and discerning as you?
Pam from Cary, IL: You say you don't read other authors in the genre -- what type of books do you read and by whom?
John Saul: I always liked international spy thrillers. Early Ludlum was one of my all-time favorites. I'm having a terrific time right now with David Baldacci's THE SIMPLE TRUTH.
Mary from Baltimore, MD: Your books are so smoothly crafted, the writing seems effortless. Do you go through many drafts? Do you use plot outlines?
John Saul: I use highly detailed plot outlines, once even running to 60-odd (very odd) single-spaced pages. I don't do a lot of drafts. The one time I did a major rewrite before showing the manuscript to my editor, she demanded the original, then told me I'd taken out the good stuff. Now I do my job and let the editor do hers.
Niki from Niki_palek@yahoo.com: Do you personally believe that ghosts really do in fact exist?
John Saul: Mostly not, but sometimes yes. It's one of those eternal questions, like why did the chicken cross the road?
Beth from Allentown, PA: I noticed that THE RIGHT HAND OF EVIL doesn't seem as violent as some of your previous novels. Any particular reason? With all the public shootings lately, do you think readers will turn away from excessive violence in books? Do you feel pressure to make your books less violent?
John Saul: I deliberately made my books less violent years ago when I discovered how young some of my readers are. I still kill people off fairly regularly, of course, but I try not to dwell on the gore. I prefer the slow build of scare, when you hear the twig cracking underfoot in the forest at night, or you know someone is sneaking up behind you, just like they are right now. No, don't look. If you look, Lord knows what might happen...
Jeremy Lybarger from Ohio: Your previous book, THE PRESENCE, dealt more with science fiction concepts than with "horror." Do you see yourself exploring new fictional territories?
John Saul: I sort of go back and forth between ghost stories and technothrillers (a term I coined years before Tom Clancy even showed up on the book scene!), and the scary part of it all is that all too often, I seem to get it right. Or at least, half-right! Sometimes I think there's a great body of all knowledge floating around that all writers tap into, so that fiction isn't really fiction at all, but merely stories the press never bothered to report on.
Pam from Cary, IL: How much input do you have in the book-cover artwork?
John Saul: I have what is known as "cover consultation privileges." That means that if I happen to be in New York and happen to go into Random House, and they happen to be working on the cover, I'm welcome to compliment them on what they're doing. The truth is, I've always liked the covers they come up with, and the one time I had a real problem (they put the wrong kind of volcano on the first version of the cover for THE PRESENCE) they were more than willing to change it.
Ellen from Wisconsin: I'm a member of your fan club. Can you tell me what the surprise gift is going to be for filling out your survey?
John Saul: A recently discovered page from the old Conway family Bible, with an entry that no one has seen before...
Grace from Miami, FL: I've read about 90 percent of your books. When is the next one?
John Saul: Read the other 10 percent first! Actually, the next one should be coming out sometime next summer.
Marcus from Greensburg: I liked your twin characters, Jared and Kim. Are you by chance a twin or know some twins?
John Saul: I'm not a twin, but my best friend from high school was a twin. He and his brother were nothing alike, though, and certainly didn't have a trace of the "twin thing" that Jared and Kim shared.
Mark from Richmond: What inspired your six-part serial THE BLACKSTONE CHRONICLES? I loved them! John, do you prefer writing serials over single books? What are the advantages of serials?
John Saul: Actually, THE BLACKSTONE CHRONICLES were inspired by the idea for the CD-ROM game, although the game took far longer to produce than the books. As for the advantages of serials, I'm not sure there are any! For the writer, it means coming up with a lot more ideas, and for the publisher, it means publishing half a dozen books instead of just one. I'm not sure either I or my publisher would have done it at all if we'd realized just what we were letting ourselves in for. And my staff has informed me they'll go on strike if I ever even think of writing another serial.
Joe from Metairie, LA: Why did you decide to pick the Pelican State as a setting for this new one? I am very anxious and excited to read it.
John Saul: Actually, your state was a latecomer. The tale started out in Connecticut, then moved south to Georgia, then wandered through Arkansas and Alabama before finally settling in Louisiana. I can't give you a rational reason for all this -- it's just that a story always works best where it's most comfortable, and RIGHT HAND just wanted to be down there with you.
Marsha from Chicago: You write really effectively about alcoholism in THE RIGHT HAND OF EVIL...was someone close to you an alcoholic so that you could observe what it was like to go off the wagon?
John Saul: I remember some stories of friends who had alcoholic parents, and years ago I worked in a recovery program. Also, I've nursed the occasional hangover in my time...
Colleen from Louisiana: Where do you think horror is going as a genre? What can we expect in the next millennium?
John Saul: I don't know where horror's going, but I'm going to Maui!
Sal from Kendal, FL: I need to know! What were Jared and his father going to do with George's right hand? Please tell me!
John Saul: That would be like a magician giving away his secrets. (Also, I'm not sure what they were going to do with it. It just seemed like a good idea to cut it off, given that it was the title of the book and all like that there...)
Jake from Great Falls: What was the worst job you ever held? Can you imagine yourself doing anything other than writing?
John Saul: The absolute worst was working in a salmon cannery. I had to shove racks of dead fish into a pressure cooker the size of a room, and I was sure the door was going to close and I'd wind up in a can along with the fish. I quit after four hours. As for doing something other than writing, I'm not sure anyone would pay me to do anything else!
Kim from Philadelphia, PA: First, I would just like to say thanks for scaring the life out of me. Second, I would like to know where you get your ideas for your books.
John Saul: See transcript.
Pam from Cary, IL: What kind of research, if any, do you do for your books? You seem to have picked up a theme about "nuthouses" in the most recent work and in THE BLACKSTONE CHRONICLES -- have you spent time in one?
John Saul: Tut! Don't be rude! As for research, I do as little as possible. That's the great thing about fiction -- they actually pay you to lie! No, I haven't been in a nuthouse yet, but life is long... .
Katie from Austin: Can you give us a little sneak preview of the novel you say will be out later?
John Saul: No!
Charlie from Homestead, FL: Where was this book written? Where on earth did you come up with the idea for this book? It was great!
John Saul: This one was written in Hawaii, on the bus I travel on, and various other places. See the transcript on the genesis of the idea.
Tami from Massachusetts: Do you plan on making any public appearances in New England in the near future? I would love to meet you up close and personal!
John Saul: Nothing is currently scheduled for New England, but you never know...
Pam from Cary, IL: I'm about halfway through your new book so I don't understand the significance of the title yet -- can you give us a clue why the "right" hand versus the "left"?
John Saul: Everybody always uses the left. I just thought I'd be different. Besides, haven't you ever heard all those phrases about "right-hand man," "good right arm," et cetera, et cetera, et cetera?
Lory from Roma, Italy: I'm Italian. Please, what kind of book is THE RIGHT HAND OF EVIL?
John Saul: Well, you might not want to send a copy to the pope...
Kim from Philadelphia, PA: What book do you consider to be your best?
John Saul: Absolute best? BLACK LIGHTNING. Absolute favorite? SLEEPWALK.
Roger Eber from Nebraska: THE RIGHT HAND OF EVIL seemed to illustrate a link between sex and religion and sex and death. Is this to imply that a consequence of sex is death, as the vampire myths supposedly teach us?
John Saul: Oh, please...
Lisa from Chicago: Any chance that you will write about anything in Chicago? There's always funky things going on here...
John Saul: My dad's from Park Ridge, and I spent a spring in Chicago when I was a student. Granted, it's funky, but it's not "my kind of town." (Mine are always a lot smaller!)
Kim from Philadelphia, PA: Do you plan on coming to Philadelphia for a book signing? It would be a great honor to meet you in person.
John Saul: No plans for Philadelphia at the moment, but who knows what lurks in the future?
Moderator: Thank you, John Saul, for chatting with us this evening! Before you go, do you have any closing remarks for your online audience?
John Saul: It was great fun joining you all this evening, and I thank you for listening to me. (Reading me? Whatever...)
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