"It is evil!" she said with loathing. "Why do you not flee?"
"That," said the wizard, "would be quite pointless."
She looked to Anest, who appeared uncomfortable as he said, "We cannot run from it. It is our intent to resist, to destroy it if we can."
"Destroy it?" she blurted, as if questioning the sanity of such an act, "evil cannot be destroyed."
"An unfortunate choice of words," interjected Belloc. "It can be resisted, and it can be changed."
She acknowledged the truth of this with a bleak look.
The wind was still picking up, coming in gusts of greater intensity from the east. Something of their nature made the sylph flinch and cling to Anest's arm. Seeing her discomfort, Belloc said, "Come inside, both of you. This ill wind has an unwholesome feel to it."
Far above them, passing in patternless waves from horizon to horizon, was a seemingly endless flock of crows or ravens . . . and another, much larger shape that passed overhead unnoticed and unseen, itself an indistinct guess.
Belloc's household were barely inside when the rain and wind hit in earnest, though soon the birds
were nowhere to be seen.
Joined by Caspar and his sons, they withdrew to the upstairs living-room, which was situated at the front and center of the house. It had both leaded, small-paned bay windows and a balcony at the front, and an enormous fireplace at the back.