"I am ever your humble servant," the Master replied, forcing himself to be calm, yet still his lips curled back to reveal his fangs. "I trust you'll forgive my frustration, but if you don't... well, it appears we'll both have to be patient while awaiting your next opportunity to punish me for my cheek. Now what the Hell happened?"

"As the barriers fell, the earth quaked and the rite of passage was disrupted - but not before trapping you between worlds," the demon explained. "Fitting, perhaps. We are both denied our freedom now."

The Master again shook the child. Its head flopped about like that of a rag doll. "What do you mean, trapped? If I did not succeed how can I be trapped?"

The child's eyes gradually closed as Laibach answered. "The barrier began to open, then sealed itself again. You filled the gap like a cork stuck in a bottle." The Elder's voice trailed off as the demon discarded the vessel that had allowed it to communicate. "So close," it said, the voice barely audible.