(This was one of only two elements borrowed from that movie.) Whether this is strictly canon is debatable (Clive Barker wrote the story the script was based on, but whether he introduced that concept is unknown), but there is a hint of this in "The Hellbound Heart" when the Cenobites offer Frank a chance to refuse their services.
Yet the threat that they can claim him for opening the puzzle box is itself based on the hospital scene in "The Hellbound Heart" when a Cenobite insists that Kristy must come with it, even though her solving the puzzle was accidental and despite the fact Frank had been offered the chance to back out. And of course it is based on the ending of Hellraiser when the Cenobites try to renege on their deal with Kristy.
Pinhead's willingness to negotiate and cooperate rather than exercise his power and just take who he wants is based in part on his manner in the first two movies. He is not a mindless juggernaut like Jason Voorhees or Michael Mysers, or a scheming killer like Freddie Krueger. He is intelligent, articulated, and urbane, in his own way as aristocratic as Sir Differel herself, yet also free to act as he sees fit. In both the story and the first movie Kristy is able to bargain with him (though in the story this characteristic appears to be common to all Cenobites), and in the story he keeps his word.
It is also based on my impression of his character. Pinhead's power is near infinite, yet his restrained movements and actions suggest that he doesn't need to threaten or coerce to achieve his goals, especially if others already know how strong he is. He only seems to use his power to claim his victim in the end. He certainly has the power to confront the resurrected Frank and force him to return, but in both the story and the first movie he permits Kristie to do it. So why search the entire manor for one elusive person when he could let Sir Differel and her staff do his work for him?
Pinhead's willingness to answer Dr. Mabuse's questions is a minor point, because in "The Hellbound Heart" the Cenobites were willing to answer questions and even volunteered information, as Pinhead did to Sir Differel. More vexing perhaps is the fact that Mabuse was able to defeat him so easily (though what she did wasn't exactly easy, and would have been too late had it acted as less of a deus ex machina). Yet Hellraiser did establish that the Cenobites are vulnerable to manipulations of the Lament Configuration, thereby suggesting that other Lemarchand Boxes could affect them as well. Though not part of Mr. Barker's canon, the movie Hellraiser IV: Bloodline showed that the Cenobites could be destroyed by the Elysium Configuration, a different kind of box. Although, I modified this so that the Cenobites were merely trapped, and only until the Lament Configuration is opened again. However, the primary factor is that the Cenobites cannot prevail in this story, and the only character who can possibly best them, other than Medb hErenn, would be Mabuse the mad scientist by taking advantage of their one weakness.
Finally, the epilogue is based on the end of "The Hellbound Heart" (though the line "for when this existence no longer satisfies" comes from the movie Hellraiser: Revelations). The Engineer's choice of Sir Differel is meant to recall Pinhead's statement that she could be a Cenobite herself because of her dark soul.
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About the Author
Kevin L. O'Brien was born with a pen in his hand.
Well, not quite, but he has been writing for as long as he can remember, at least since First Grade. Writing has always been his first, true love, but it hasn't always been his career. He worked for 15 years as a biomedical researcher, then for 3 years as a web designer. However, after 30 years of trying to be published in print with little success, he has decided to try his hand at self-publishing. Most of his works will be sold as ebooks through various online retailers, but he also plans to make some available for free exclusively on Goodreads.
He writes primarily speculative fiction--fantasy, science fiction, horror, and their sub-genres--but he also likes to try his hand at thrillers, suspense, mystery, and even westerns. However, his stories tend to have a fantasy element, no matter how subtle.
Most of his stories involve the following three main characters:
Medb hErenn [https://www.medbherenn.com/]--One-time queen of Ireland, she is over 3500 years old. A warrior and a sorceress, she cannot be harmed by any weapon made by the hand of man.
Eile and Sunny, Team Girl [https://www.teamgirlforever.com/]--They are two adorable, vivacious, fun-loving young women whose motto is ONWARD TO ADVENTURE!!! Yet trouble follows them like a love-sick puppy wherever they go.
Sir Differel Van Helsing [https://www.sir-differel.com/]--The descendent of Abraham Van Helsing and King Arthur, she heads the Caerleon Order, the premier monster-hunting organization of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. She commands Dracula, the most powerful vampire extant, and the greatsword Caliburn, better known as Excalibur.
He also writes a series of sword & sorcery stories set in an alternative universe known as the Lands of the Dreams of Men.
Kevin lives in Denver with his family and 4 cats.
For more information, see the Songs of the Seanchai [https://www.seanchaisongs.com/].
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Discover other titles by Kevin L. O'Brien:
A fidus Aranea, Adventurer's Honeymoon, Barbarians R Us, The Beast of Exmoor, The Christmas Vampires, Dark Vengeance, A Deliberation of Morality, The Denver Walker, Desperate Acts, The Differential Damsel, Disposable Commodities, Do Unto Others, Double Image, Dribble & Maggot in the Land of Dreams, Far-Sight, Feline Savior, Felis ex Machina, Fun 'n' Games, The Golden Mushroom, Gourmand Hag, Gratuitous Crossover, Gruff Tolls, Immanuel, In an Octopus's Garden, Inseparable, Jigsaw Dragon, The Lions of Inganok, A Little Hospitality, Man Friday, Masie's Mind, No Torrent Like Greed, Oak Do Hate, One-Percenter Vendetta, The Peril Gem, Post-Traumatic Redemption, The Price of Folly, Pride and Fall, Pyrrhic Victory, Redshirt, Rhapsody in Orange, The Road to Hell, Sacrificial Offering, Shenanigans, The Steel Gazelle, The Surrogate, Survival & Sacrifice, The Temple of Ubasti, A Typical Friday Night, We Deliver
Enjoy these other titles at fine ebook retailers everywhere.
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Connect with Kevin L. O'Brien Online:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KLOB_writer
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kevin.l.obrien.1
Website: https://www.seanchaisongs.com/
DeviantArt: https://teamgirl-differel.deviantart.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/Kevin_L_OBrien
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Sample Excerpts
From "The Yellow Peril"
Medb hErenn paused at the crest of the hill overlooking Ulthar. It was a warm day for Autumn, compared to what she was used to in Erin. The grass of the meadows was still green and the trees, what few there were, were just beginning to turn color despite the lateness of the season; Halloween was only a week away. Yet there were signs of the coming winter. She had seen flocks of waterfowl winging their way south; nights in the Karthian Hills were becoming colder and frost occasionally coated the landscape in the mornings; Mt. Lerion's snowcap was expanding, growing steadily larger with each passing day; small birds adapted to colder weather were beginning to displace their fellows more used to warmth; and the small animals were changing their habits, spending more time collecting and storing food than they had even just a month previous. Most indicative was the fact that the fields and orchards and gardens around Nir, Hatheg, Pitcan, and Mozam had all been harvested, and most of the pigs and rabbits and domestic fowl had been slaughtered, except for what was needed to produce more next spring.
She stretched languidly, working the kinks out of journey-worn muscles. It was good to be back, after ten days traveling on business for Seidhloch. He had sent her on a circuit north through Hatheg and Joachimstahl, west around Mt. Lerion to Kirin, then east along the Oukranos River to Thran and the port city of Hlanith, south to Mozam in the shadow of Mt. Thorin, west to Pitcan, and finally to Nir. Her duties in each location were brief: examine the financial records of his bu
siness interests, question the managers on how the enterprises faired, deliver messages of praise or criticism when necessary, pass along instructions for the coming year, and collect the shares of the revenues owed to Seidhloch, from which she could take her fee. She was also expected to troubleshoot any problems. This last she was especially good at, because Seidhloch did not care how she solved problems as long as she succeeded, and her methods were always very effective, if sometimes ruthless. Since there were always problems, she was kept rather busy. Even so, she managed to make time to visit with friends and lovers in each town, as well as spend a night with the Zoogs in the Enchanted Forest.
Now that she was back, though, she was looking forward to a hot bath and massage at Yamamoto's bathhouse, followed by a feast at Gundersen's tavern and a full night in the arms of a few of Lady Titania's bondmen. After that she planned to sleep for a day before making her report to Seidhloch. The moneylender could wait; indeed, he had little choice, since no one could handle his commercial dealings as she could.
She turned briefly to check on her companions. The Zoog