From: andrea@cm.deakin.OZ.AU (Andrea)
Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
Subject: Death and Destiny
Message-ID: <3581@sol.deakin.OZ.AU>
Date: 3 Aug 92 00:30:07 GMT

Keywords: 

Adrift in the void that lies between actualities, a luminous globe spins. It
is at once a living world, cradling its myriad souls, and at the same time,
somehow a representation, a symbol of itself. Two vast, shadowy figures, the
sole other occupants of this metaphoreality, face each other across the field
of play.

Destiny frowns from under his cowl at the current state of the game. Suddenly,
his sombre visage gains a grin to rival his sister's. He selects a gamepiece
formed out of pure elements. The shifting shape vaguely resembles a Knight in
smooth full-body chainmail, but instead of a horse, the figure seems to ride a
plank. Destiny gestures, and the piece moves on a Mobius path through
spacetime before returning to the board in a duplicated form, just in time to
foil Death's capture of a lizardlike figure sculpted of iridescent pearlshell.
"Nice move," Death says casually, "Take your bonus throw."

Destiny drops a set of infinihedral dice into a nearby gravity well. He shakes
and casts, then reads the number aloud. "Feigenbaum's constant." Death shrugs
at this, "Lucky throw." Destiny draws one from the fan of cards in his hand,
and places it face up on the field. The picture the card bears is
bewilderingly complex. A vast multitude of female portraits, all very
different, in the garb of every age. Each portrait is linked by a single
curving line in a tightly-wound spiral. The card's caption reads "The Shuttle
of Fate". Death sighs, "Well, if you're going to bring out that wildcard of
yours yet again..." She produces a card of her own from the folds of her robe,
saying "I'll spare us the cliche about 'Two can play'..." In contrast to the
earlier card, the picture this time is starkly simple. A man's face, suggested
rather than specified by a few lines in black ink. Somehow, smudges of black
depict not only the shape of the eyes, but the sorrow behind them. A single
swift line of ink shows both the curl of the lip, and the cynicism underlying
the grin. A hook at the end of the stroke might hint at a fang. The caption
reads "The Solitary". Death plays this card, but against another card, the
Thief of Dragons, not in opposition to Destiny's wildcard after all. Destiny
frowns with momentary unease at Death's surprising move. "What've you got
planned?" he mutters, not expecting a reply. Death, of course, just smiles...