to the finish." She bowed slightly. "Therefore, I've an offer to make to you."
Davage turned to his right. A corridor trailed away. Struggling, his legs like lead, he went down it.
"Well?" her voice echoed from behind. "Care you to hear my offer?"
Davage reached a dead end. He Sighted. He couldn't see through; his Sight didn't work. He felt very alone without it. "Fine then," he said. "What is your offer?"
"I offer you your crew, sir. We will fight here, you and I. We will battle to the death, and regardless of the outcome, I will not blow myself up and take half your ship with me. I could do a lot of damage in the brig. You know I could. Fight me, and I will spare your crew. That is my offer. Choose not to fight—choose to seek the Sisters—and your ship sinks in a spray of my bones and my guts. What say you?"
"The Sisters will not allow you to sink the ship."
"I'd not be able to build up as large of a Shadow tech charge as I wish before they became aware of what I was doing, that is true, but still … I'll make a rather large hole regardless."
Davage shook his head. "I do not wish to kill you," he said. "I want to help you."
"Help me? I need no help. A noble if foolish sentiment. Regardless of what you wish, I greatly wish to kill you, and if you do not fight me, I will ruinously damage your ship."
"I how can I trust you'll keep your word?" he asked.
"You cannot … yet, I speak truthfully when I say yours is the only soul I want to claim. Yours is the only life I wish to take. The rest are worthless. Useless!"
"I've nothing to fight with. I am unarmed."
His CARG appeared in front of him, coppery in the dark, and his MiMs too and gun belt on the ground. "Here are your weapons and your Gifts. I give them back to you. In this shadowy place, you can do everything you can in the real world … and so can I. Though this be naught but a dream landscape, to us it is very real. We will face each other, your power against mine. The winner walks away; the loser dies."
Davage strapped on his gun belt and picked up his CARG and closed his eyes. He felt his Sight returning to him, and that made him feel a bit better. "We needn't do this. I was trying to be civil—to offer you a bit of courtesy."
"And I thank you. I will remember you fondly. And never fear, we will be seeing each other again soon in hell. The Sisters will be very angry when they see what I've done to you … when they find you dead. They will tear me apart. They will feast upon my flesh. Ha! Let them—I'll have you, nevertheless."
The sky overhead became turbid and fierce. Davage held his CARG at the ready.
She looked at him and, in a mocking gesture, imitated his guard with a similar stance. So short, clad in her scarlet robe, she looked like an ancient fire plug.
She Wafted in a blast of wind and vanished. He lit his Low Sight and whirled around.
"I was hoping to find good in you," he called out into the air, "to know why you are so angry!" he shouted.
She appeared behind him. He put the horn of his CARG on her neck. Tenderly, she reached up and touched its length with her black gloved hands.
"Anger, sir, is all I know. Hate, sir, is all I feel."
"That isn't how it has to be. What sort of life is that? Let me help you!"
He reached out to her, and she recoiled in surprise for a moment. She tipped her sashed head to one side. "You are such a kind man," she said softly. She ran her fingers up and down the length of his CARG. "So kind …" Slowly, Shadow tech claws grew out of her fingers. Grabbing on, she stroked the length of the CARG. "Let me pleasure you," she said as her claws grew and grew until they were two feet long, their undulating black blades sparking against the surface of the CARG.
"Unfortunately, your kindness is unwarranted, unasked for … and unwanted."
And like he had once been told, Shadow tech didn't make a metallic sound when scraped. Instead it moaned and wailed, like it was alive.
They circled once or twice, she
Davage turned to his right. A corridor trailed away. Struggling, his legs like lead, he went down it.
"Well?" her voice echoed from behind. "Care you to hear my offer?"
Davage reached a dead end. He Sighted. He couldn't see through; his Sight didn't work. He felt very alone without it. "Fine then," he said. "What is your offer?"
"I offer you your crew, sir. We will fight here, you and I. We will battle to the death, and regardless of the outcome, I will not blow myself up and take half your ship with me. I could do a lot of damage in the brig. You know I could. Fight me, and I will spare your crew. That is my offer. Choose not to fight—choose to seek the Sisters—and your ship sinks in a spray of my bones and my guts. What say you?"
"The Sisters will not allow you to sink the ship."
"I'd not be able to build up as large of a Shadow tech charge as I wish before they became aware of what I was doing, that is true, but still … I'll make a rather large hole regardless."
Davage shook his head. "I do not wish to kill you," he said. "I want to help you."
"Help me? I need no help. A noble if foolish sentiment. Regardless of what you wish, I greatly wish to kill you, and if you do not fight me, I will ruinously damage your ship."
"I how can I trust you'll keep your word?" he asked.
"You cannot … yet, I speak truthfully when I say yours is the only soul I want to claim. Yours is the only life I wish to take. The rest are worthless. Useless!"
"I've nothing to fight with. I am unarmed."
His CARG appeared in front of him, coppery in the dark, and his MiMs too and gun belt on the ground. "Here are your weapons and your Gifts. I give them back to you. In this shadowy place, you can do everything you can in the real world … and so can I. Though this be naught but a dream landscape, to us it is very real. We will face each other, your power against mine. The winner walks away; the loser dies."
Davage strapped on his gun belt and picked up his CARG and closed his eyes. He felt his Sight returning to him, and that made him feel a bit better. "We needn't do this. I was trying to be civil—to offer you a bit of courtesy."
"And I thank you. I will remember you fondly. And never fear, we will be seeing each other again soon in hell. The Sisters will be very angry when they see what I've done to you … when they find you dead. They will tear me apart. They will feast upon my flesh. Ha! Let them—I'll have you, nevertheless."
The sky overhead became turbid and fierce. Davage held his CARG at the ready.
She looked at him and, in a mocking gesture, imitated his guard with a similar stance. So short, clad in her scarlet robe, she looked like an ancient fire plug.
She Wafted in a blast of wind and vanished. He lit his Low Sight and whirled around.
"I was hoping to find good in you," he called out into the air, "to know why you are so angry!" he shouted.
She appeared behind him. He put the horn of his CARG on her neck. Tenderly, she reached up and touched its length with her black gloved hands.
"Anger, sir, is all I know. Hate, sir, is all I feel."
"That isn't how it has to be. What sort of life is that? Let me help you!"
He reached out to her, and she recoiled in surprise for a moment. She tipped her sashed head to one side. "You are such a kind man," she said softly. She ran her fingers up and down the length of his CARG. "So kind …" Slowly, Shadow tech claws grew out of her fingers. Grabbing on, she stroked the length of the CARG. "Let me pleasure you," she said as her claws grew and grew until they were two feet long, their undulating black blades sparking against the surface of the CARG.
"Unfortunately, your kindness is unwarranted, unasked for … and unwanted."
And like he had once been told, Shadow tech didn't make a metallic sound when scraped. Instead it moaned and wailed, like it was alive.
They circled once or twice, she
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