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He opened his eyes, and they were slightly glazed. It was as if he had slipped into some kind of trance. ''There is much you do not know.'' |
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"Enlighten me," I snapped, giving him another glimpse of the Mauser. |
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"Sate is not a product of the Middle Ages. The Ancient of Ancients reaches back into the dawn of all civilization, even before the time of the great celestial storms. He is a consort of the very Prince of Darkness himself." |
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I got up, poured myself another drink and tried to decide whether Kelto needed another bop on the beak or a straight jacket. All of this talk about the dawn of civilization and the Prince of Darkness was more than I could handle. He was rapidly being reclassified in the Wages reference file from weirdo to wacko. |
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"So you're telling me this guy Sate is several thousand years old?" It was becoming more and more difficult to keep a straight face. |
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"That's exactly what I'm saying," Kelto insisted, "but you still don't understand. Sate is not a mere mortal. He is a cursed force, an extension of the most evil one, and he has great powers." |
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I slumped back down on the bed, managed to locate a cigarette and took a swig of the tepid Scotch. I had just about decided Kelto's mumbo jumbo would make more |
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