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so much as the nose on her face. The hidden cave could have been as small as a pantry or as large as the Superdomeit was impossible for her to tell. Pretty sure that Cyrus would kill her if she went any farther, Kyna reached out with one arm and walked her fingers out as far as she could. The ground on the other side of the opening was flat and damp and seemed to slope downward. |
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Certain now that she had discovered the American equivalent of Tutankhamen's tomb, Kyna was just about to go back and make herself a torch when she heard footsteps behind her. |
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"That didn't take long," she said as she spun around. |
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The two men were strangers. And yet Kyna had a pretty good idea of the identity of at least one of them. The first man was thin and nervous with a neatly trimmed goatee and a dark green raincoat that covered his lanky frame like a circus tent. He carried a battered brown leather suitcase in one hand and a short broadsword with a curved blade in the other. |
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The second man was a giant, with skin as black as coal and a tattooed face that still played a major role in her nightmares. Around the giant's shoulders was a rain-soaked cape of blue, black and red feathers that gave him the appearance of a rather awkward bird of prey. |
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"Ah, Ms. Rand. At last we meet face-to-faceso to speak." |
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Stall, she thought. Cyrus will be back at any moment. |
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As if reading her mind, the Dark Man glanced around the cave. "No Mr. Trigg? Don't tell me he ran off and left you?" He clucked his tongue and shook his head. "Well, you know how young men are today. My own son was less than reliable at times." |
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The Dark Man turned to his assistant. "Prepare the ceremony." |
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The man with the goatee took a small cotton cloth and several vials from the leather case. The cloth was the size of a Motel 6 bath mat and decorated with occult symbols. Next, he removed several jars, a long knife with an ornate handle, a three-legged clay bowl and several skin pouches and set |
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