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'Does the moon look bigger to you tonight?'

The Book of Ataniel

For The Sins Of Somebody Else's Past



�Wait,� said Jack Yearlate, scrambling across the rocks of the improbable hilly terrain, �so did Coyote Jay say you had to go back to being the guy you were before, or just give up on getting rid of him completely?�

�I don�t know,� Ebreth admitted. �I don�t really understand half of what that guy says, to be honest with you.� He extended his hand down the plateau to the smaller man. His grip was stronger than the Jack Ebreth was used to. �I�m not sure if there�s a difference. I don�t give a damn about being a great hero or someone people remember in 500 years or whatever Brett was going on about, but I�m not real happy with the idea of promising a bunch of semi-divine spirits to keep that last Ebreth Tor around in my soul. Who knows how the hell they�re going to interpret that.�

�Well, was he really that bad?� Jack asked thoughtfully.

�You don�t even remember that?� Ebreth gave his friend an incredulous look. �Yeah. Yeah, he was. I can�t go home like that. I�ve got a baby back there.�

�Really?� Jack said happily.

�Yeah. It�s a long story. We�ve got a lot of catching up to do, if we ever get out of here.� Ebreth squinted at the suddenly-approaching woman, who he could swear hadn�t been there a minute ago. �What the--is that Aithne?�

�Who?� said Jack.

�She�s your Other�s girlfriend. What�s she doing here?�

The young woman waved enthusiastically as she neared. �Jack and Ebreth!� she said happily. She was very pretty, Jack noticed despite himself. �I am find you! Khyrisse is very worried about you.�

�You�re really Aithne, then?� said Ebreth. �Not some... impression avatar... thingie?� She gave him a strange look. �Ah, hell, don�t look at me. I don�t know how to explain this place. How did you get in here, anyway?�

She wasn�t hearing him anymore. She was looking at Jack now, and her breathing had basically stopped. �Uh, hello?� he tried awkwardly, wishing Ebreth had remembered to tell him what the flark was going on in this relationship. �I have, uh, amnesia, and--�

�Doppelganger!� screamed Aithne, and Jack was enveloped in flame.

***

Jack was following Jackson Cage down the dirt embankment to Highway 9 when it hit, a searing wash of heat and pain. �Johnny?� he heard the bard�s surprised voice, as he stumbled blindly, lost his footing, and went rolling down into the highway.

***

Ebreth tackled the young witch to the ground and got her by the wrists. �Stop it,� he said forcefully. �Aithne, stop! He�s okay, he�s with us!�

Ebreth made an involuntary gasp as his own body went up in fire. He kept forgetting the girl didn�t need her hands to cast. Or time, for that matter. Ebreth had no idea how to stop her from casting, other than killing her. He didn�t want to have to resort to that. What if Ebreth Tor is the only one who can get him out? he remembered without wanting to. He slammed Aithne�s head into the nearest rock, trying to give her enough of a concussion to incapacitate her. It was hard to do even for an expert martial artist, and it didn�t work for Ebreth now; all it did was break her nose. �Khyrisse is going to be so pissed at you if you kill us, Aithne!� he shouted, hoping the mention of her matriarch might deter her.

�You are not real Ebreth, you bad doppelganger!� she yelled back at him.

Which was when he turned into a pig.

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