“Judge Holden is the principal antagonist of ‘Blood Meridian.’ One of the most frightening things about him is his physical appearance: he is bald, well over six-foot and hairless.
Although few of his crimes are ever directly witnessed by characters in the novel, McCarthy heavily alludes to Holden being a paedophile and carrying out a number of sadistic murders. Perhaps the most unsettling moment is the novel’s final chapter, when Holden and the kid (McCarthy’s protagonist) reunite in a tavern. They hold a philosophical debate, before the kid leaves to go to the nearby outhouse. He discovers Holden naked in the closet and McCarthy leaves the rest to our imagination.
Holden then reappears in the tavern, dancing naked on a table and McCarthy concludes the book by saying that Holden, ‘…never sleeps. He says that he will never die. He dances in light and in shadow and he is a great favourite. He never sleeps, the judge. He is dancing, dancing. He says he will never die’.”
Song Of Ajax 