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Message: <blockquote data-quote="talien" data-source="post: 2508290" data-attributes="member: 3285">Cast Upon Tides of Weal and Woe - Part 5b: All Ashore That Are Going AshoreThe crowd parted like water as Zainat Zameri strode out into the center of the alley to face Kham.  The usually raucous masses became silent in breathless anticipation of a duel.“Well if it ain’t just my lucky day,” said Zainat with his peculiar accent.  “I done thought Cam Val’Abebi went down with the Dauntless.” He eased back his midnight blue watch coat to reveal the mother-of-pearl handle of his flintlock. “There’s a bounty on yer head, boy.”  Two more hired thugs flanked Zainat but stood off to the side. “And I intend to collect on it.”Kham froze in mid-step.  He pushed his back his jacket to reveal all four of his handgonnes. “It’s pronounced ‘kai-EM’. Have we met?”“Fortunately fer you, not ‘til today,” said Zainat.  “I hear ya run off from Altheria with the plans tah make a bunch of gonnes.  From whatcher carrying there, I can see it’s true. Ya been abusin’ the privilege of an Altherian, boy. I’m here tah set things straight.  I’m a callin’ you—“BLAM! BLAM!Kham’s hands drew and fired his handgonnes so quickly that they were a blur.  Zainat dove to the side, but not fast enough.  One of the shots blew a hole through his coat but was stopped by the chainmail beneath.“100 gold to switch sides!” shouted Kham, reaching for his next pair of guns.The two thugs hesitated, looking uncertainly between Zainat and Kham.Zainat addressed his hired help out of the corner of his mouth. “I’ll pay you 200,” he whispered.“Now damn it all!” shouted Zainat, tossing his hat down onto the road in disgust.  “I try to have a decent duel with ya, man to man, and ya had to go an’ be a coward about it.” In a flash, Zainat’s pistol was out and aimed at Kham’s head.  “As fer you,” he said, “if ya wanna fight like a coward, then ya can run like one too!”An unreasoning fear overcame Kham that chilled him to the bone.  It was like the feelings he had when he gripped Soulripper: deep, primal, unreasoning.  And it was also impossible to ignore.  Against his will, Kham turned and ran off down the alley in the direction of his comrades.Zainat picked up his hat.  “Used tah be a time when a man could duel with honor,” he said with a sneer. Zainat screwed his hat onto his head.  “If that’s their excuse fer a vanguard, Broled’s got the boy by now.  Another time then, Cam.”A strange mist welled up from the ground at his feet.  Zainat turned and disappeared into the fog, whistling as he went.</blockquote>

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