Your steps resound in the icy darkness of the cave. The more you walk, the less confident you get about having ever been here before, all the more since you have the impression that the cavity is going up within the mountain in which it is dug whereas you should rather go down. A moon glimmer is progressively appearing in front of you. Then, as you move forward, you feel the cold wind carry ice spray along on your cheeks.

Once again you stand before a snowy landscape. But this time you can distinguish no horizon at all : the snow is falling in heavy and thick flakes, at times taken away by the North wind.

" Go and ask him what he wants " she says.

Why didn't she just stay mute ! An encounter with that monster, as short as it may be, does not fill you with enthusiasm. Yet, here you are, on your way to the front of the carriage.

The rough looking beast mumbles to himself as he sees you coming along. And, as if by magic, you understand what this indistinct mumble means; as if you had always spoken that animal's language before. So, spoken like a true native, you ask him what he wants.

The terrible Sister still has this lupine beauty that makes her so mysterious. Her face is as pale as a shroud, her skin fine and blue-shaded like ice. You can hardly make out her intention, all the more since she remains totally mute. Yet, her silence is so charged with authority that it makes you look down. You might as well say that you do not dare ask if it was really her you saw at the vampires' confabulation.

Suddenly the horses that pull the coach rear up. The carriage stops dead. You pass your head through the door and see an abominable android beast, a sort of threatening woolly gorilla. At the front, the coachman tries doggedly to bridle his animals. The Nun then speaks.

" Groaaar ! Oohoohoo..." he then says, spreading his lips to expose all his teeth.

You remain gaping before such an unseemly request. However, you feel obliged to accept ; the Nun is in the cab, waiting to set off. It is a matter of five minutes and you are back in the sleigh. This one leaves straight away. Not a single word of thanks ! Not even a word of sympathy for the consented sacrifice !

But you hardly have time to grumble your resentment than the coach stops again, some five minutes later.

A frightful bear faces the horses that are spitting their anxieties off all their nostrils. Once again it is for you to get out and sort things out. But as you know that you are now the Francis of Assisi of Hell, you are not unwilling to do it.

As you arrive under his nose the grizzly greets you with a roar that makes the horses step back. The conversation starts rather well in reality. You talk to the animal in his own language and ask what he wants.

" Moungrrrr... rhhow... yuk yuk baaarg !"

It seems that, far from having converted these animals to what remained of your humanity, they have passed on their bestiality to you. As you slide on the snow you feel your reason leaving you and being replaced by a multitude of irrepressible biological appetites. The first one being thirst. You lean your head outside and stretch out your tongue in order to catch thirst quenching flakes. You appear to have forgotten all about manners when suddenly, the sleigh stops again.

An imposing wolf, whose spine is as high as the horses', stands in front of the carriage. He is baring his teeth. What does that one want now ? Would it be one more sacrifice that you could accept ?