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Chapter Sixty-Nine
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There was stunned disbelief in the atmosphere. One of the Kindred slowly stepped forward, hefted a quarterstaff, and swung at Taberah.
Taberah dodged; he swung again, and this time Taberah caught the staff and twisted it so that the Kinsman fell on his back.
Taberah used the staff to create around him an area of space; another person raised a two-handed sword, bringing it down. It broke the staff in two -- as had been the Kinsman's intent -- and Taberah's.
Taberah was now holding twin longswords.
From the outside, it looked as if a thousand things were going on; from the inside, Taberah was only aware of one thing. He kept dancing until he had struck all but one of the Kindred -- all but one. They were locked in a dance, the Kinsman skillful and masterful, possessing far greater power than he appeared to have, Taberah moving in a way that was cunning, alien, brilliant. Elika looked on intently; this was the most magnificent fight he had seen.
Suddenly, unexpectedly, the Kinsman threw down his sword, and opened his arms. Taberah followed suit, and the Kinsman reached out to grab Taberah's testicles.
Taberah, with equal swiftness, struck him on the side of the neck, knocking him out.
Taberah turned around slowly, looking, and once again made the sign of the cross.
One of the Kindred looked at him, and said, "Who are you?"
Taberah said, "I am your new leader, and I have many things to tell you. I wish to tell you about a kind of role play beyond your wildest imaginings, a role play that will give you what you search for in vain in calling yourselves the Kindred. Kindred we will be, bound much more tightly than ever a game designer imagined."
"And what is that, that will bind us?"
"It is a dirty word among your circles. Love."
There was murmuring, and a voice said, "Love is very nice for some people, but we need something more real. Something that knows pain. Something that knows angst."
"The love that I know was tortured to death."
"What is this love of which you speak?"
Taberah thought of a short answer, and then said, "That is not a little question, and it deserves more than a little answer. We are tired and bruised; let us, each of us, get a good night's sleep, and then I will give you an answer."
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Chapter Sixty-Nine
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