{"id":2969,"date":"2018-11-10T15:44:13","date_gmt":"2018-11-10T15:44:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/FanFic\/?page_id=2969"},"modified":"2018-11-11T23:11:38","modified_gmt":"2018-11-11T23:11:38","slug":"chapter-19","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/FanFic\/volume-iii\/part-ii-counterpoint\/chapter-19\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 19"},"content":{"rendered":"

I will have my revenge.<\/em><\/p>\n

He ran, as fast as he could run giving his state of fatigue.\u00a0 He ran as hard as he could, up the side of the mountains, toward the pass, his heart pounding in his chest, in his ears, his thoughts rushing in time to the slapping of his feet against the snow. He felt the tickle between his shoulder blades, waiting for the bolt, the arrow, the blow from behind that would take him back once more to the cage.<\/p>\n

He ran, and he remembered.<\/p>\n

He remembered year after year of casually approaching people from behind and reaching around them, drawing the sharp blade across their throats and walking away as though nothing about them had ever been alive, and thinking nothing of it at all.\u00a0 The memories blurred together, of course; there were far too many of them to separate out any faces. There were just eyes, terrified eyes that dimmed as the life left them.\u00a0 And none of them had mattered to him at all.\u00a0 Some of them he had killed because he was paid to do so; others he had killed because he wanted to. He remembered wondering why they even ought<\/em> to matter, because he surely didn\u2019t matter to them.<\/p>\n

He remembered the knives, and the screws, and the beatings. Over and over they had come while he fought to keep from crying out, while his stomach had wept in empty, gnawing pain and his body had shaken with the unfulfilled need of his addiction, while the Thalmor voices had whispered \u201ctell us. Tell us who sent you and we\u2019ll make the pain stop,\u201d even though he couldn\u2019t tell them because he couldn\u2019t remember, because his head hurt far too much to remember, because he was afraid to remember.<\/p>\n

He remembered now.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know who had sent him to kill Ondolemar, of course; he would never know that. He remembered the courier, and the note, and killing Alessia Previa just before he finished his last contract and began his trip to Skyrim.<\/p>\n

But back then, back in the cell, he\u2019d been confused, and lost, and hadn\u2019t even known who he was.<\/p>\n

I am Andante<\/em>, he had told himself. And I will have my revenge. <\/em><\/p>\n

He remembered now.\u00a0 He remembered almost everything. There were a few gaps, here and there, things that he might not have recalled ever, anyway; but the rest of it he knew, with the cold, hard, uncaring anger that was Vitus Perdeti.<\/p>\n

And he was afraid. He was afraid because they had every reason to want him dead.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d waited in that cage, and watched, and fashioned the crudest possible weapon from a bone leftover from one of the meager meals they\u2019d given him, using tiny strips torn from the already-threadbare clothing he wore.\u00a0 And one day he\u2019d reached through the bars in movements he\u2019d made a thousand times before but didn\u2019t remember and silently ripped the man\u2019s throat open, stealing his life and the cell key. He had left, killing the guards and the interrogators one by one, making his shaky but practiced way out of his confinement and running, running, until finally he\u2019d come to himself on the side of a mountain.<\/p>\n

I thought they dumped me there but they didn\u2019t. It was me. I simply didn\u2019t wake up until I was almost safe.<\/em><\/p>\n

He had thought it was all over, once he had his health back. He had thought becoming wealthy and joining both the Dark Brotherhood and the Thieves Guild in Skyrim had made him safe; and the fear and anger over having no self more than two years old had subsided, faded into the background.\u00a0 He had thought becoming one of the most powerful vampires in Tamriel would ensure his continued existence. He had thought that having Brynjolf let him get close would heal the wounds.\u00a0 But he had been wrong.<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve made me afraid. <\/em><\/p>\n

Ondolemar would never give up. He had been embarrassed, humiliated by having a would-be assassin walk right into his headquarters and fail only because of his own weaknesses. He\u2019d been further humiliated by having a retired interrogator steal evidence that they should have kept just to have the appearance of a trial before they put the assassin to death. The Thalmor Embassy itself had seen Ondolemar\u2019s failure and badgered him about it, and he would never give up until he could watch the man die who was the cause of that humiliation.\u00a0 Andante knew that as well as he knew that his real name was Vitus Perdeti; and while he was relieved that they\u2019d never learned about Roggi\u2019s part in Ondolemar\u2019s humiliation, he knew what kind of fate awaited him at their hands.\u00a0 He was afraid.<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve made me afraid.<\/em><\/p>\n

They\u2019ve made me run because I\u2019m afraid. But I will have my revenge.<\/em><\/p>\n

He heard movement ahead of him and stopped, crouching out of sight, only to have Brynjolf hurtle past him into the bushes beside the road and launch a silent, overwhelming attack against a bandit who had appeared out of nowhere.\u00a0 Brynjolf seized the woman and wrapped his fangs around her throat.\u00a0 Vitus couldn\u2019t hear the sounds she made but he saw the blood spurting as Brynjolf tore her apart, and he smiled.<\/p>\n

Well done, my love. Well done.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

They all need to die. All of them.\u00a0 I will make blood of their sun, and make night of their day, and rain fear down on all of them. I will be the Dread Lord of Harkon\u2019s prophecy. And then I will kill them, one by one. I will have my revenge.<\/em><\/p>\n

But first I need to get away.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Brynjolf approached him, licking his lips clean.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you alright?\u201d he asked quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u00a0 We need to get out of Cyrodiil.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAye, but I mean you, Andante.\u201d\u00a0 Brynjolf reached out to touch his shoulder and he flinched, remembering the touches that had ended in pain.<\/p>\n

This is Brynjolf. He isn\u2019t going to hurt me. I need to calm down. <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Brynjolf. I\u2019m not alright. Maybe once we\u2019re someplace out of sight and safe.\u201d He looked back down the road, straining for any sign of movement but seeing nothing.\u00a0 They won\u2019t be running, not uphill; and even if they were they can\u2019t match our pace. I need to stop panicking.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhere do you want to go, lad?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI want\u2026\u201d I want to go back. To before any of this happened. To before\u2026 before I joined the Dark Brotherhood. Before I was old enough to be on my own. Before I learned to kill.\u00a0 Before I learned that nobody in this world would ever truly care for me. Not even you, Brynjolf, the only person who matters. <\/em>\u201cWe need to get back to Volkihar, but I can\u2019t possibly last that long. Maybe we can stop off at Dardeh\u2019s house?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf nodded. \u201cThat\u2019s a good idea. We can stay there and rest. I need to talk to you, Andante, but this isn\u2019t the place.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Andante looked back down the road toward Cyrodiil and wondered whether he\u2019d ever see it again, or whether the warm, languid afternoon entangled with Brynjolf next to a whispering stream would be the last memory he\u2019d carry of his home.\u00a0 At least it\u2019s a good memory to carry, he thought, smiling wanly.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go before they have a chance to close the distance.\u201d<\/p>\n

When they reached the border crossing gate, Andante kept his face neutral \u2013 or at least as neutral as he could manage it.\u00a0 Brynjolf spoke to the guards, told them they were on their way home to Windhelm.\u00a0 It was a brilliant off-the-cuff lie, and Andante suspected that it might also have been reinforced by the tiniest nudges from Brynjolf\u2019s mind. Whether that was the case or not, the gates swung open and they stepped through into Skyrim, walking briskly past the large patches of red that had yet to be covered with fresh snow.<\/p>\n

Andante was too lost in his memories, too focused on listening behind them for the sounds of pursuit, and took a wrong turn.\u00a0 He realized it when they rounded a corner and he saw Fort Neugrad ahead of them, a pitched battle going on outside it between Imperials and Stormcloaks.<\/p>\n

Damn. I wanted to take the other turn. I wanted to avoid these people. But I\u2019m hungry.<\/em><\/p>\n

He slipped quietly up to the nearest soldier, an Imperial, and fed from him, dropping him carefully to the ground while the rest of his fellows were preoccupied with killing the Stormcloaks facing them. Then he circled around to the other side of the road and found a Stormcloak soldier and took his blood as well. Can\u2019t be seen taking sides, he thought, laughing.<\/p>\n

Once he was past the fort he ran well ahead and then stopped to wait for Brynjolf.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was hungry, too,\u201d Brynjolf smirked as he shimmered into visibility beside Andante.\u00a0 \u201cThat was a good idea.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d love to take credit for it, loverboy, but it was more a happy accident than anything else.\u201d\u00a0 He squinted up at the sky.\u00a0 The clouds were rapidly burning off, and as usual he felt sluggish and cranky in the sun. \u201cAs soon as we find a place with decent visibility, I\u2019m going to take care of that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright,\u201d Brynjolf said. \u201cBut let\u2019s keep moving. I don\u2019t know about you but I\u2019m exhausted.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what you get for the time we spent beside the creek,\u201d Andante smirked. \u201cNot that I minded, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I do know,\u201d Brynjolf laughed. \u201cI\u2019d stop and remind you of it right now but we need to keep moving.\u201d<\/p>\n

The day was snowy, on both sides of the pass, but even so the sun made their movements slower.\u00a0 As they approached Helgen at long last Brynjolf finally spoke.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hate this time of day. I feel like I have weights around my ankles.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, and it\u2019s far too cloudy to guess where I should shoot to dim the sun.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou probably shouldn\u2019t do that anyway,\u201d Brynjolf said.<\/p>\n

Andante turned to him with what he knew was a grim smile. \u201cOh but I will, just as soon as I can see. I will do it as many times as we need to get where we want to go, and I will do it to make them all afraid.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLad.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. You heard me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf sighed, but didn\u2019t press the issue further.\u00a0 Still, Andante caught him slipping curious, concerned glances at him every so often.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m afraid, Brynjolf, and I\u2019m angry, and I will make them all pay.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

By the time they got to Helgen, the sun was blinding and directly overhead.\u00a0 Andante ran up to the top of one of the remaining towers before Brynjolf could stop him, and drew Auriel\u2019s Bow. For once it was an easy matter to find the sun.\u00a0 Once again its disc went black, then red; once again the muffled explosions split the air around him.\u00a0 And once again he felt his power returning to him as the comforting darkness spread across the sky.<\/p>\n

He smiled to himself, knowing that it was the cruel smile that belonged to Vitus, and came down from the tower.\u00a0 He found Brynjolf and they continued down the road, this time faster.<\/p>\n

They weren\u2019t far outside Falkreath when a man stepped out of a group of three, all clearly inebriated, into the road in front of them and smiled.<\/p>\n

\u201cHail, friend! It\u2019s good to see another hearty soul enjoying this fine day!\u201d<\/p>\n

Andante swapped a surprised look with Brynjolf, who grinned at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd a fine day it is.\u00a0 What can I do for you?\u201d he said, hoping that the dim light and his hood obscured the golden glint of his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, you look tired. Come, share a bottle of Honingbrew Mead with me!\u201d<\/p>\n

I haven\u2019t the time for this, and you\u2019re in my way.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

Andante reached into his pack and pulled out a bottle of Honingbrew that he had stashed in it sometime earlier.\u00a0 He offered it to the man with a smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere, take this. Why settle for only one bottle when you can have two? My drink of choice is brandy. I\u2019m happy to give this to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYsmir\u2019s beard!\u201d the man cried, earning a chuckle from Brynjolf. \u201cYou\u2019re one after my own heart. I would love another bottle! This good deed should not go unrewarded.\u00a0 Here, take this!\u201d He handed Andante a necklace, one which had some sort of enchantment that Andante couldn\u2019t determine with a casual glance. \u201cCheers, my friend,\u201d he continued. \u201cMay your adventures find you fame and fortune.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d Andante said, nodding to him.<\/p>\n

The man began lurching his way back toward his companions.<\/p>\n

\u201cSadly,\u201d Andante continued, \u201cmy current circumstances argue against fame, any kind of fame.\u00a0 In fact, it would be very much against my best interests to have anyone remember that I\u2019ve been by.\u201d\u00a0 He circled around behind the man, grabbed him, and sank his fangs into his neck.\u00a0 His blood carried the fragrance and taste of mead, and Andante enjoyed it a great deal before he ran ahead to the second farmer and repeated the process.\u00a0 He looked back to see Brynjolf finishing off the third man.<\/p>\n

At long last they reached Dardeh and Roggi\u2019s home.\u00a0 Andante had been paralleling the road rather than running along it, hoping at least to keep prying eyes away from their destination.\u00a0 He crept up to the door and knocked.<\/p>\n

There was no response.\u00a0 He frowned, and knocked again.<\/p>\n

Brynjolf came up behind him.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t see any light through the windows.\u00a0 I think they\u2019re not home, lad.\u201d<\/p>\n

Andante sighed.\u00a0 \u201cI think you\u2019re right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey wouldn\u2019t mind if we let ourselves in, I think,\u201d Brynjolf said, kneeling to pick the lock. \u201cAfter all, we\u2019ve shared hospitality with them before in Riften.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh good,\u201d Andante murmured. \u201cI was hoping you would say that. I\u2019m completely exhausted.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo am I.\u201d\u00a0 The lock clicked open and they slipped inside.<\/p>\n

As the door clicked shut Andante heaved an enormous sigh and stood for a moment, watching numbly as Brynjolf walked to the fireplace and began laying a fire.\u00a0 Safe. At least for the moment we\u2019re safe. And if Dardeh and Roggi return, well, we\u2019ll have it nice and toasty warm for them. <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI wonder where they all are,\u201d Brynjolf said.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Andante moved toward the table.\u00a0 At one end of it was a folded piece of paper; as he got closer he saw the name \u201cDardeh\u201d written across it in a feminine hand.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t a sealed note, so he picked it up and flipped it open.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere we are,\u201d he said, skimming the page quickly. \u201cLydia left a note. It says \u2018Dardeh, in case you and Roggi get back from Riften before we\u2019re home, the girls and I have decided to spend several days at Breezehome. Send word once you\u2019re home.\u2019\u00a0 What do you suppose took them to Riften again? That\u2019s hardly their favorite place, either of them.\u201d He refolded the page and placed it back where Lydia had left it.<\/p>\n

\u201cHard to say,\u201d Brynjolf said, standing and looking around. \u201cHmm. I see they have plenty of mead.\u00a0 Want one?\u201d<\/p>\n

Andante shook his head. \u201cNo, I\u2019ll pass. I have my own entertainment,\u201d he said, pointing at his pockets. The weariness suddenly hit him hard, and he found himself slowly sinking into one of the fireside chairs. He closed his eyes and took stock of his body for a moment, each sore muscle making its presence known and the crushing fatigue rising up around him, into his head, behind his eyes. He opened them, and frowned.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn second thought, Bryn, if I have one of these small bottles I\u2019ll be out cold for days.\u00a0 A mead? If you would be so kind? I don\u2019t think I can lift myself out of the chair.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf smiled and brought two of the amber bottles with him, handing one to Andante and taking a seat beside him.\u00a0 They sipped their drinks in silence for a few moments.\u00a0 Then Brynjolf spoke.<\/p>\n

\u201cI need to ask you something.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oh no. Now what?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cVery well. What is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRemember the night you came home and I was in your bath in Honeyside?\u00a0 The first time?\u201d<\/p>\n

Andante smiled at him. \u201cYou\u2019re actually asking me that question? I will never forget that night, Brynjolf, not as long as I live.\u00a0 It\u2019s one of the very best memories I have.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf smiled back at him. \u201cI\u2019m glad. Well here\u2019s the thing. I keep thinking about that note from the Listener.\u201d<\/p>\n

Uh-oh. <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIt said \u2018she\u2019s alive,\u2019 and that refers to Dagnell. But here\u2019s what I don\u2019t understand.\u00a0 How does she know that, Andante? How? And if she knows that Dag is still alive, why is it that she couldn\u2019t tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI, uh\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t think much about it at the time, because I was too busy being angry and relieved at the same time, thinking that Dag is still here; but the longer I think about it the more I wonder. Even if she had that information from someone else, she knows who that someone is. Why didn\u2019t she tell me that? What does she know?\u00a0 And why haven\u2019t I heard anything else since then?\u00a0 Do you know anything about it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d Andante stalled.\u00a0 Gods, I don\u2019t want to lie about this too but what choice do I have? I can\u2019t say anything before Roggi and Delvin\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cOh!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wonder whether Delvin called Roggi to Riften.\u00a0 Maybe that\u2019s why they went. Maybe he learned something that we don\u2019t know about yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf\u2019s brow furrowed as he considered that possibility. \u201cThat might well be.\u201d He leaned back in his chair, stretched his feet out in front of him and sighed. \u201cI suppose I\u2019ll just have to think it through a little more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then something happened that completely surprised Andante.\u00a0 Brynjolf reached across the space between their chairs and took his hand, and squeezed it gently. Andante stared at him in shock, trying to keep his face from showing that shock, and yet feeling his heart rise up at the sweetness of that simple gesture. Brynjolf didn\u2019t even seem to realize what he was doing, or at least not how it might seem to Andante; he simply continued to stare toward the fireplace, deep in thought.<\/p>\n

Andante closed his eyes tightly for just a moment, savoring all the bittersweet nuances of what he was feeling.\u00a0 I wish I could save this moment forever, he thought. I can almost pretend that he really cares about me, even though I know he\u2019s really thinking about her. I will just pretend that we\u2019re like\u2026 like Roggi and Dardeh, sitting in front of the fireplace, two people in love with each other holding hands.<\/p>\n

Who am I fooling<\/em>.\u00a0 He opened his eyes and took a drink, then looked at Brynjolf\u2019s hand holding his.\u00a0 Brynjolf was running his thumb back and forth across Andante\u2019s in a mindless, affectionate gesture Andante had seen between other people before, but had never had displayed toward himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cI need to know, lad,\u201d Brynjolf said quietly. \u201cIt wouldn\u2019t change a single thing but I need to know how the Listener knows she\u2019s alive.\u00a0 I want to go see her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Andante sighed. I should have known it wasn\u2019t real. He just wants something from me again. And I\u2019m a fool and will try to figure out a way to give it to him even though I know she\u2019s his wife, and I know that it\u2019s not mine to tell him that. <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe we could do that,\u201d he said slowly. \u201cMaybe there\u2019s a way. I can\u2019t picture her letting me bring you into the Sanctuary.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf shook his head. \u201cOf course not, and that wouldn\u2019t be proper.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut maybe I can get her to agree to meet us at her house or something. She has a house outside of town.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know what she\u2019ll be willing to share but we could try.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf\u2019s eyes lit up. \u201cDo you think she would? Meet us, that is?\u201d<\/p>\n

Not in a million years, if she knows who wants the meeting.\u00a0 But I might be able to trick her.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t really know, Bryn, but I\u2019m willing to give it a shot for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

He couldn\u2019t interpret the look on Brynjolf\u2019s face at that moment. It involved a smile, and something else, but he couldn\u2019t tell what.<\/p>\n

Brynjolf tipped back his bottle and drained it, then set it down on the floor beside his chair.\u00a0 He heaved himself up out of the chair, but didn\u2019t let go of Andante\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on,\u201d he said quietly.<\/p>\n

Andante looked up at him in confusion, not wanting to let go of his hand but not knowing what was going on.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUpstairs,\u201d Brynjolf said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m tired, you\u2019re tired, and we need a little quiet time in a comfortable place.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure they won\u2019t mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Andante nodded. Of course. Quiet time. <\/em>He smiled. Quiet time will be fine<\/em>.<\/p>\n

They went up the stairs to the big, private room that Roggi and Dardeh shared. As Brynjolf was peeling himself out of his red armor, Andante noticed a note atop the bedroom safe. Without thinking, he picked it up and flipped it open.<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt says \u2018We need to talk \u2013 D.M.\u2019 And it\u2019s addressed to\u2026\u201d he folded the paper again and flipped it over to read the name \u2013 \u201cRoggi. They must have left after getting this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you were right, lad.\u201d\u00a0 Brynjolf walked over to him and took the note from him, dropping it back onto the safe.\u00a0 \u201cBut we can talk about that later. Get out of that armor for once, yes?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure. Right.\u201d Andante sighed and started working on the fastenings of his cuirass.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere, let me help.\u201d\u00a0 Brynjolf reached up and covered Andante\u2019s hands with his own, smiling, and pushed Andante\u2019s aside.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He was interrupted by Brynjolf\u2019s mouth on his own, gentle and sweet, and he closed his eyes and drank it in.<\/p>\n

\u201cLad,\u201d Brynjolf said a moment later, working at Andante\u2019s armor.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCome to bed with me.\u201d\u00a0 He looked up from the armor to meet Andante\u2019s gaze, and Andante saw only the smile that went from Brynjolf\u2019s mouth up to his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

For some time thereafter Andante lay quietly, his eyes closed, trying to make sure that he would always remember the feeling of Brynjolf\u2019s hand caressing his skin gently, his soft, undemanding kisses, and the sound of his voice murmuring quiet nothings. For a time, he forgot all the anger, and the killing, and the coldness. For at time he forgot all of the people who had hurt him, or had willingly made use of him but then turned away. For a time, he forgot that he was afraid.<\/p>\n

It is almost like two people who love each other.<\/em><\/p>\n

And finally, they fell into a long-overdue, peaceful sleep.<\/p>\n

Part II: Counterpoint<\/a><\/div>\n
Previous<\/a> \/ Next<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I will have my revenge. He ran, as fast as he could run giving his state of fatigue.\u00a0 He ran as hard as he could, up the side of the mountains, toward the pass, his heart pounding in his chest, in his ears, his thoughts rushing in time to the slapping of his feet against … <\/p>\n

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