9.

"Well that stinks," said Hellboy. "There goes our Shemp prospect." He looked at Kate. You OK, Kate? Get up here." He boosted Kate up to his shoulder. She grabbed one of his horn stumps to steady herself, then was embarrassed.

"Sorry," she said. "Can I touch that?"

"For you that answer's always yes," said Hellboy.

She cuffed him on the back of the head. "It never stops! OK, now what?"

"We wait for Abe." They stood quietly, surveying the dark water. Hellboy narrowed his eyes. "Kate, switch sides," Kate clambered over to the left shoulder and Hellboy reached up with his left hand to steady her. The Right Hand of Doom disappeared beneath the water.

Something moved near the surface on the other side of the pit. "Abe? Abe?" There was nothing more. Hellboy suddenly shifted and Kate grabbed again at his horn stump to keep balanced. "Yow! That was something! Abe? ABE!" Abe poked his head out of the water. "There you are! Abe, what's down there? Something that bites?"

"Yes," said Abe. "Three things." He disappeared again.

Kate and Hellboy were left quietly standing in the water again. "This reminds me of Star Wars," said Hellboy.

Kate surveyed the water nervously. "Are they going to bite you?"

"I know where they're _not_ going to bite me."

"Where?"

"Underneath where I have my other hand."

Abe poked his head back up. "Don't move that hand."

Hellboy suddenly began rocking back and forth. "GAAAH! "Back! That's where! Back! Abe!" Kate looked down in horror at the glistening black coils which lashed the water behind them. Abe disappeared and moments later about ten feet of a long eellike body floated to the surface.

"Where's the head?" asked Kate.

HB spoke through gritted teeth. "Still clamped on to my back, I think. I hope it's not sucking blood." Another eel body floated up, this one with the lamprey-like head still attached.

Abe poked his head out of the water. "Number 3 is getting away. I'm going after it. Hellboy, got rope?

"Yeah. Hang on up there, Kate." He let go of Kate with his left hand then rummaged through his coat, producing a coil of rope."

Abe tied it to his belt. "Three tugs, pull me back." Then he disappeared.

Hellboy and Kate were alone in the dark water again. After a while Hellboy looked up at Kate. "Say Kate, if this is halftime, you want to try to get that thing loose from my back?"

"Oh, sure. You poor thing! I'm sorry." She pivoted atop Hellboy's shoulder and felt around his low back. "Here it is."

"I know," said Hellboy.

"No need to get snippy," said Kate. "Ew, bones. Not yours I hope." She tried stomping down against the attached head, producing grunts of pain from Hellboy. This went on for several stomps. Kate reached down to check. "Still on there pretty good."

"Try this," said Hellboy. He handed Kate a Schlitz Malt Liquor bottle opener. "Use the curvy side."

"If you say so," Kate went to work and within a few second the head was loose. "That worked great!"

"That's why I carry it. That and for beer." The severed head with its ghoulish rings of lamprey like teeth floated in the water next to them. Hellboy fished it out. "I'd like to keep this."

"Why?" asked Kate, now back atop Hellboy and mostly out of the water.

"You know Lindsey? In the armory? She said she's never seen a monster up close."

Kate's lips tightened. "Lindsey. The little one?

"She's not all little," went on Hellboy, unable to see Kate's expression. "Anyway

she said maybe if I brought something for her sometime it would be nice. Educational, you know?"

"That's what she said?" spat Kate.

"Yeah, more or less," said Hellboy, noticing Kate's tone. "What, you think she won't like it? Too scary?" He lifted the head out of the water and looked up at Kate quizzically.

Suddenly the rope tied around Hellboy went taut and he lurched forward. Kate toppled off and he dropped the lamprey head to grab her, taking hold of the rope in his stone right hand. There was a huge splashing in the water, which resolved into a swirling vortex as the water rushed out. "Whoah whoah whoah! Hang on!" Hellboy and Kate dragged along the rocky bottom towards the hole. As they reached the vortex they were sucked under. A few seconds later the water was gone, leaving Hellboy spanning the opening with the Right Hand on the near side of a gaping dark hole and his feet braced against the far side. Kate clung atop him. The rope dangled from his waist down into the darkness.

Hellboy kicked off from the far side of the hole and climbed to his feet. He looked at Kate, still clinging to him. "You can let go now," he told her. "Or not."

Kate rolled her eyes, let go and cuffed him in the small of the back. "Ow!" winced Hellboy.

Kate covered her mouth. "Oh, sorry, sorry Hellboy! I forgot that monster was just chewing on you."

"That's OK," he said mournfully. "Everybody does. I would forget too. If it weren't for the pain." He looked sideways at Kate. "The terrible pain."

Kate kicked his hoof. "Nothing bit you there. Recently." She picked up the rope just as Abe emerged and untied himself.

"Got number 3. Plus I found a side passage to let this water out."

Hellboy nodded. "Good. Now with this big hole, we can go after them. Maybe find out what they're up to."