priest, and his job was to guard the treasure—a brooch called the Snakestone, a knife, and a cup. But since his master left him, the Sleer has had no one to serve. That's what makes him especially vulnerable, despite his fearsome appearance, to being enslaved by the evil Jack Frost, who wishes to uses the Sleer for his own wicked ends. The Sleer was specifically created to protect his master's wealth from the grasping hands of the greedy and ruthless. Yet Jack Frost wants to use the Sleer to protect himself against those such as Bod who wish to rid the world of this malevolent creature. But the Sleer will never recognize Jack Frost as his master, as Jack discovers to his cost.

The Sleer doesn't need to use a gun, a knife, a sword, or any other kind of conventional weapon. Instead, he uses fear. As the Sleer explains to Bod, he uses fear to guard his master's treasures—his brooch, goblet, and knife—while he's away.

Truth be told, Bod isn't very impressed by these items:

An old brooch, a cup, and a little stone knife? They don't look like much.

Nor, for that matter, is he particularly impressed by the weapon of fear that the Sleer wields against anyone who dares to try and steal his master's treasures. As Bod points out to the Sleer, he can't touch him or Scarlett; all he can do is scare. And as neither Bod nor Scarlett seems especially scared of this strange creature, it's safe to say that there's a limit to the potency of Sleer's weapon.

To be sure, Scarlett was initially more than a little uneasy at hearing the slithering sound of the Sleer as it moved, as most people would in her situation. Under the circumstances, it's not altogether surprising that she should feel that something horrible is about to happen. But fortunately, Bod is on hand to reassure her that there's nothing to worry about. Their subsequent encounter with the Sleer, though more than a little unnerving perhaps, merely confirms Bod's initial instincts.