Never Say Die (6/8)

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***

"Duncan MacLeod," Andrew murmured. He gazed at the
handsome, dark-haired man who looked so vibrantly
alive. "Was he born in Scotland?"

"Yes." Seeming to weigh his words carefully, Adam said,
"He was probably the best and noblest of all the
Immortals."

"So how did he die?" Andrew couldn't shake the disloyal
thought, //Why were you the last survivor?//

Adam looked away from the cheery tableau in the
clearing. "It was over two hundred years ago. MacLeod
and I were living on Grenoble, teaching at a university.

"A friend had been visiting, and we saw him off at the
spaceport. We could have headed straight back to the
city, but we chose to have dinner in a spaceport
restaurant. One of those trivial decisions that change
everything...

"We were still there when a starship preparing for
launch burst into flames. With a hundred people
aboard. We ran to try to rescue them--I don't know if I
pitched in and did the right thing that time because of
MacLeod's example, or because I was remembering
Richie.

"We were badly burned, but we knew that couldn't hurt
us permanently. W-we dragged dozens of injured
victims off the ship--" His voice broke.

He cleared his throat and took a long swig of beer. The
hands that gripped the flask were shaking. "Th-then the
damn thing blew up," he continued hoarsely. "I was off
it, but in so much pain that I didn't know *where* I
was--or where anyone else was.

"MacLeod was still on board." Another swig of beer. "I
didn't know he'd been...blown to bits...till I was hit by
his Quickening."

Andrew could say only, *"Shit."*

When they'd had more beer, he mused, "That must
have been hell for you. But he died a hero, and you
have his Quickening. How in God's name did you get
away, after taking it in such a public place?"

"Just vanished amid the confusion. I was seen, even
caught on newsvids. But I'd been burned beyond
recognition."

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