So... it's all going to come to nothing. All because of that fool that calls himself a priest. Are you surprised?

Am I ever suprised much anymore?

If anything fails it is only because I let it.

Heh. You may be surprised when you see what's left of that girl you think you're in love with. If there's anything left. That Rakel woman seems to like you... you might wanna consider hooking up with her, when you give up on this foolish quest.

You are pathetic, you know that. Maria is fine, and if she's not then woe be unto the world. As for Rakel, she does what she must, she has no need of me and is destined for far greater things. I grow weary of your tyrades.

You know... come to think of it... the other noble you know those Jakovians captured got altered... you'd like that, wouldn't you? If Maria was as fucked up as you... you could be two freaks together, nothing to keep you apart anymore.

No, but I would accept it. You see, we are already two freaks, as strange and unusual as everyone else in this world. No amount of genetic modifications can change that.

Before me is a great trial. I have no time for you anymore. Too much work to do.

Yeah right... because let me tell you, there's nothing more freakish than a teenage girl rebelling against her father by convincing herself she's in love with a bad man... that was sarcasm by the way

I'm I really this much of an ass? ::laugh:: ... no you're right. Whether its love or not I don't care. But I owe her more than she deserves and I'm not giving this up until I'm even with the house.

One of these days you're going to realize the hard, cold truth... Maria doesn't love you... she doesn't know what love is, doesn't understand... it's going to break you some day.... rescue her, fine, if that will make you happy, but if you don't take a hard look at yourself and her afterwards, you're doomed to disappointment

What do you want from me?

You won't believe anything I say.

Let me decide that for myself.

But, as a passenger in your head, your well-being is of paramount importance to me... I wouldn't want you to start pining for lost love and put a bullet through our mutual domicile

You nothing would be more satisfying right now, but I've got too much to do.

True enough. Kill the priest, you'll feel better.

He has his part to play. I don't hate him, I pity him.

~~~

Need help?

Yes, but not from you.

So how much you think you can throw by yourself? I suspect it's about 60 kilos

I can try. Damn it!

if not it might throw him down.

~~~

So... thought about taking that help now?

suit yourself

I'm going to be very distraught if you get us killed

I'll live and die without you.

So this is how we end, bleeding to death on an alley floor? Kinda fitting, from filth born to filth return.

So all your posturing ends in a moment of weak surrender huh? Who's going to save everyone without you to get them to act?

They will carry on without me.

Deluded to the end. Do you think they'll follow the Hawkwood without you and Aleph? Do you think the foolish priest, the blunt inquisitor, or the wishy washy doctor can motivate anyone?

And what makes me any better. We see my fate, felled by a lone Kossack in a dark alley. Thats not how leaders die.

If you can't be a legend, might as well be a martyr, is that it? How pitiful.

Full of ego and hubris, it hurts to be deflated, to see you're just a mortal man, no more able to stop a sword than to move a mountain, doesn't it?

Listen to me... I am a man... and I will move a mountain, for the Pancreator has no more power than that which he put inside me.... just you watch.

You can't do it from down here

Stand up damnit, or you were always just a worthless nothing... worth less even than the lowest peasant because he didn't know his place!

STAND UP!