•••

"Careful," Spike murmured as he caught Xander. The boy had stumbled over the rocky ground as they approached the border between circles. The foul stench that permeated the heretics' resting place was growing progressively worse, so that Spike was loathe to speak a word, lest he be forced to breathe in a draught of the noxious fumes. Xander wasn't so lucky; he had to breathe constantly and was turning green from nausea.

Doyle took pity on the boy. "Er, mebbe we should rest here for a bit, eh?"

Xander nodded gratefully and sat down on a nearby boulder, glancing at the ornate tomb that butted against it. 'Who's that for?" He asked Doyle.

The Irishman settled next to Xander on the rock, pulling Spike down to sit between them. "The First Watcher," He replied. "They had heresy issues as soon as the group began."

"No kidding," Xander panted. He wrapped an arm around Spike, encouraging the vampire to lean against him. Spike did so immediately, eyes drifting shut as he tried to relax. Xander rubbed his fingers in slow circles on the blonde's arm, rocking gently. He was well and truly worried for Spike; the vampire was putting himself through the ringer, letting his guilt and remorse rule him. "So, are we just gonna sit here, or what?"

Doyle thought for a moment. It would be good to give the guys some warning as to what they were going to see in the lower parts of Dis. Then again, he didn't want to reduce Spike into a gibbering idiot either. After a moment's thought though, he decided that the vampire could handle it. Maybe it would even toughen him somewhat against the sights he would see.

"I guess I could tell you about the rest of Dis," He said quietly. "I figure if I tell you now, we can get through them a little faster, you know? And you won't be as shocked, either."

Spike whimpered but nodded. It was a good idea, even to the tortured vampire. Doyle moved closer to him and Xander, sharing an understanding grimace with the young man. "I’m game," Xander murmured, giving Doyle the go-ahead.

"Just beyond these rocks are three circles," Doyle began, "All involving fraud of some kind. Since fraud is something peculiar to humans and other higher-order demons, it gets placed lower down." He paused briefly, waiting for Xander to catch his breath. Every time the boy thought he was ok, the stench got worse.

"The outermost circle is for the violent," The Irishman explained. "But they're split up three ways, since a body can do violence against three victims: your chosen higher being, your self, and your neighbor. That includes the property of your self and your neighbors, as well as all higher beings."

"Regardless of religion?" Xander inquired.

Doyle nodded. "It's no sin to be an atheist. But if you do choose to worship a higher power, you're bound to it. And anyone can suffer for destroying holy places. Just like you can be violent against your self, squandering your possessions, drinking yourself stupid, or killing yourself."

"Suicide'll get you down here?" Xander asked curiously.

"Sometimes yes, sometimes no," Doyle admitted. "Depends on why the person did it. Part of that circle has the murderers, thieves and robbers--people who are violent against others."

"Sounds lovely," Spike muttered. "Where do bad vampires go?"

"Everywhere," Doyle replied. "We've seen plenty already. But there are a lot of vampires in the Seventh Circle. There were a lot in with the gluttons too, though." Spike shuddered, so Doyle held him closer.

"The next circle, the Eighth, is for simple fraud. Funny thing, that, simple fraud. It's the biggest single circle in all of Tartarus, and the most complicated." He paused to check on Xander, who seemed to be improving a little. "But it's also a fun one, don't get me wrong. You'll see hypocrites, flatterers, sorcerers, falsifiers, simonies, barrators, panderers, and the like."

"Er, what are simonies?" Xander asked.

"'S a pope who sells positions in the church," Spike replied. "An' barrators are ambulance chasers."

"Fun shit," Xander agreed. "Any televangelists down with the simonies?"

Doyle grinned. "They're everywhere in the Eighth Circle. "

"But I'm confused," Xander commented. "Why aren't all the people back in the marsh down in these nasty places? I mean, I didn't think that it could get any worse, but it has."

Doyle sighed. He'd sort of been expecting this. "Well, see... those people back in the first circles, what they're really guilty of is weakness. Incontinence, and you can just cut out all the bathroom jokes right now. They didn't bother to get control of their impulses. Frauds, though, they targeted a mark, made their move, and..." He stopped when he saw how badly shaken Spike was. The blonde was clenching his hands convulsively, quaking like a leaf.

"I gotcha," Xander whispered. "Hey, Spike?"

"What?" Spike murmured.

Xander gave the vampire a hug. "You're not gonna get stuck here, I swear. If anyone so much as looks at you funny, me an' Doyle will tear them apart."

"Yep, can't be having you stuck here. You've got a date with this curvy blonde up in the Summerlands," Doyle added. "And on that note, we'd better get going. Well, if Xander can stand to breathe."

"I'm good here," Xander replied, easing himself and Spike off the boulder. Doyle assisted the vampire and soon they were skirting sepulchers and huge rocks, heading for the violent.