Lucifer's Lottery - Edward Lee [0]
“The living legend of literary mayhem. Read him if you dare!”
—Richard Laymon, Author of Funland
“Edward Lee’s writing is fast and mean as a chain saw revved to full-tilt boogie.”
—Jack Ketchum, Author of Joyride
“He demonstrates a perverse genius for showing us a Hell the likes of which few readers have ever seen.”
—Horror Reader
“Edward Lee continues to push the boundaries of sex, violence and depravity in modern genre lit.”
—Rue Morgue
“One of the genre’s true originals.”
—The Horror Fiction Review
“The hardest of the hardcore horror writers.”
—Cemetery Dance
“Lee excels with his creativity and almost trademark depictions of violence and gruesomeness.”
—Horror World
“A master of hardcore horror. His ability to make readers cringe is legendary.”
—Hellnotes
TO SEE THE DEPTHS OF HELL
“You’ll have exactly six minutes to listen to the Trustee, ask any questions you have, and then accept or reject the offer. And even if you accept, which I pray you’ll do, you’re under no obligation. Nothing becomes binding unless you say yes upon completion of the tour.”
The tour . . . Those words bothered him more, perhaps, than anything else tonight. There was something potent about them. Even when he thought the words, they seemed to echo as if they were called down from a mountain precipice.
But then more thoughts dripped. “This is a pact with the Devil, you mean.”
“Not a pact. A gift. One thing to keep in mind. The Devil doesn’t need to offer contracts for souls very often these days. Think about that . . .”
Hudson’s eyes narrowed. “But I’m about to go to the seminary. To be a priest!”
Her voice drifted in delight. “Perhaps what you see will dissuade you. Your reward will be beyond imagination . . . .”
Other Leisure books by Edward Lee:
THE BLACK TRAIN
THE GOLEM
BRIDES OF THE IMPALER
TRIAGE (Anthology)
HOUSE INFERNAL
SLITHER
THE BACKWOODS
FLESH GOTHIC
MESSENGER
INFERNAL ANGEL
MONSTROSITY
CITY INFERNAL
EDWARD LEE
LUCIFER’S
LOTTERY
For Rex Miller—Rest in peace.
DORCHESTER PUBLISHING
July 2011
Published by
Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc.
200 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016
Copyright © 2010 by Edward Lee
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, without the written permission of the publisher, except where permitted by law. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
ISBN 13: 978-1-4285-1126-2
E-ISBN: 978-1-4285-0941-2
The “DP” logo is the property of Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc.
Printed in the United States of America.
Visit us online at www.dorchesterpub.com.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This project is a novelization of my previously published small-press novella The Senary. I liked the concept so much that my Muse demanded I transform it into a full-fledged novel for my mass-market readers. Ultimately, I must thank you, the reader, for buying it! I hope you like reading the book as much as I liked writing it. More thank-yous to: Don D’Auria, Wendy Brewer, Dave Barnett, Tim McGinnis, GAK, Bob Strauss, Larry Roberts, Jason Byars, William Patrick, Thomas Deja, and Christine Morgan. William at the Tyrone Barnes & Noble; Shroud Magazine; my friends at Wild Willy’s in Largo, Florida, the coolest bar in the world: Nick, Rhonda, Johnny, Bob Monday, Sheri, Roz, Stacy, Mitch, Randi, English Richard, James, Royce, Doug, and the rest. Krist at Diabolical Radio; Tracy Lee Hunt and Temple Arnold Corson IV. Also