Gargoyles

The devil

was once the most favored of the host of angels serving the Lord .

But pride welled in his breast...

He thought it unseemly for him to serve.

The devil and his hoard of followers Who likewise suffered the sin of pride

were defeated in battle by The Lord and his hosts

And were banished to the outmost depths of hell

never to know the presence of the Lord

or look on Heaven again.

Smarting from his wounds, but all the more swollen with pride

the devil cried out from the depths:

'' It is better to rule in Hell than to serve in Heaven. ''

The devil proclaimed that was was lost in Heaven would be regained on Earth.

He said:

"My offspring, the gargoyles will one day rule the Lord's works

the Earth and man. ''

And so it came to pass that while man ruled on earth,

The gargoyles waited; lurking, hidden from the light

reborn every 600 years in man's reckoning of time,

The gargoyles battled over man to gain dominion over the earth

In each coming, the gargoyles were nearly destroyed by men who

flourished in greater numbers.

Now it has been so many hundreds of years, it seems

it seems the ancient statues and paintings of gargoyles

are just products of man's imagination.

In this Year, with man's thoughts turned

toward the many ills he has brought upon himself,

Man has forgotten his most ancient adversary...the gargoyles.

I'm so glad you decided to join me. And bring me Calamodre.

Do you think I'd miss a trip to Mexico with you ?

Well, I don't suppose your mother wanted you to come, hmm?

She doesn't know.

I don't see her much since he married old Jim.

Yeah, it must be quite a change for her.

I think she misses the traveling with you. I know I do.

Well, here we are--on our way.

Calamodre will just about complete my collection of demons - thank you, darling.

- I saw you on that TV talk show. - Did you? I'm glad.

Kind of hoped you were watching What do you think of that, uh...

...self-styled witch they had on there?

You were, as always, the cool intellectual. She got pretty upset

when you started telling her she was just being superstitious about the devil.

Do you really think the world of evil is just fantasy?

Who knows? Sells my books. You should have read some of the letters,

I got at the university after that one.

How's your new book.

Okay!

I've decided to call it "5000 Years of Demonology".

I'm going to try to trace man's conception of evil

from, uh, 3000 BC to the present.

We'll start next month, with the Mayan and Aztec ruins.

It sounds like another big seller for Professor Mercer Boley.

Yep. More monsters for fun and profit.

The publisher's planning on putting it out for the next Christmas season.

You know, something

something colorful and expensive for the coffee tables of America.

My sexy pictures and your dry as dust prose?

Ah!

When do we start?

Well, I've just got to check out this old guy...

I don't know, he's got some wild story, maybe it's nothing, but ...

It's only a bit out of our way.

- Huh - how did that happen? - We're lost?

No, I must have taken a wrong turn back there.

I sure would hate to get stuck out here in the dark.

Oh, don't worry. I know what I did wrong.

We'll double back about 5 miles...

What was that?

I don't know.

And, uh, take the other turn.

Where are we headed, Dad?

Oh, don't worry, dear. It gets worse.

"Snake den?" Uh-uh.

They serve 'em for lunch.

I wonder which one he's trying to sell me?

The only one I'm enthusiastic about is the beer.

"Desert fish?"

The usual junk...

Hi!

You that Doctor Boley?

You must be. I wasn't expecting anyone else.

- Mr. Levert, this is my daughter, Diana. - Well now, ain't that nice.

- Why don't I just get you some beers? - Mmm. sounds good.

Well...

Did you come to talk or not?

I came to hear you talk.

You know, Dr. Boley ...

...you took your own sweet time about gettin' here.

Not that I hold it against you, but my time is valuable too--not just yours.

No, sir - I've got quite a business here.

Why don't you just take a look around.

That's a real live 11 button killer, little lady.

Mr. Levert, you wrote to me that you had some Indian artifacts,

some transcripts of authentic exorcism rites...

Yes, sir ... I seen you on this TV talk show...

...and I was impressed with your brains and your know-how.

And wrote to you right off, to that university

where you teach.

Are these your artifacts, this stuff? You know, we've come a long way.

Now don't get hot under the collar.

Don't pay no mind to this junk, this is for the tourists.

Well, we're not tourists, so if you have something to show me...

- Let's just sit down and finish our beer. - Mr. Levert ...

...if you have something worth my while, please get to the point.

- Otherwise we'll have to be leaving. - Now, now, don't rush me.

I don't know which way to turn. I thought we'd talk it over...

...and we'd write this book that I have in mind.

"Old Uncle Willie's Tales of the Desert."

Well, thank you.

Now wait a minute!

You realize I've got to check you out... See if you're on the level.

Diane...

And you're not just out here to steal my discovery.

- Don't worry about it. - But I do worry about it, Dr. Boley.

- Now, look... - Just wait a minute.

I'll show it to you.

It's in the shack ... over there.

Can't we just take a look?

Lead on...

You should have seen this place 20-25 years ago...

You know, I had it all painted up.

Had myself a two-headed calf, too...

...and a Siamese twin chicken.

Make my own cider..

Why, I tell you, I'd pull 'em in off the road.

You know...

People alway like to have something to stare at...

...something to scare 'em. Why nobody ever went west on a vacation without

...stoppin' at Uncle Willie's Desert Museum.

Yes, sir!

Then the highway bridge went the other way.

Just passed me by.

You know what happened then. Just like that...

...they all forgot me.

Yeah, come in - wait'll I get some light.

Don't want you stumblin' over something

Bones ... I smell old bones. .

I knew I picked a smart one.

It sure is lonely out here.

Oh, I like it like that.

I own this place out-right.

I got my pension,

pass my time thinking about a book I'm going to write.

You just wouldn't believe the things I know.

Things that I've never told anybody...

just been saving up for the right moment.

You'll see.

You'll see. You'll be glad you came to see old Willie.

What is it?

I just got it put back together again.

What do you mean "put back together again?" That never was together.

You assembled that out of a pile of old junk bones.

No!

I found it whole - over in the canyon.

Carted it back in my pickup. You can't even imagine

difficult it is to match them bones, Doc.

Come on, Uncle Willie!

This is excellent work, but ... but it's a concoction

of unrelated bones, some animal, some human...

This...

If I had more time, I'd ask you how you managed the joints

for the wings. That took great imagination,

coming up with wings.

No.

This is not a trick.

This is not for them tourists.

This is the real thing.

You don't believe me.

Willie, your talent is

wasted out here. - Now wait, Dr. Boley.

I've never showed this to nobody.

I thought you would be the one smart enough to understand.

Listen to me.

The Indians named this place "Devil's Crossing."

In their old language, back when they had a camp here.

They lived here for hundreds and hundreds of years.

The Indians told everything about these devils--these spirits. They were real!

I've got all the stories.

I'm sorry, Willie.

Dr. Boley...

Them devils used to live up there in the rocks.

Came all of a sudden-like. Just played hell with the tribes.

Then they chased them off

with their sacrifices and their offerings.

An old Indian told me.

It was his tribe's main legend for hundreds of years.

Now ain't that worth a book? Ain't it?

No!

No free pictures.

Now either you make a deal with me

to write this book

50-50 with my picture on the cover.

or you just get out. Get on out.

Alright, Willie. You're on.

Let's hear the story.

Hey, why are you locking that, what for?

It's getting late out now.

Got my good reasons, Dr. Boley.

I always bolt all the doors when the sun goes down.

Ah... can you remember what the Indian word was for the devils in the legends?