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Abandoning people in their house after they've offered you hospitality is incredibly rude, especially if the person in question is disabled and unable to follow. Leah was upset and bitter for at least fifteen minutes.

Then she got over it, tidied her apartment again and finished the headpiece she was working on. Visitors this morning would find her in the large basement room she had Sam convert into a target range, using her bow and laser sight to send arrow after arrow into the target. It's practically meditation.

Anyone who happened to be fiddling with their radio might find her frequency, too. She keeps them open.

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Leah listens for a few sentences, then clears her throat into the line. It sounds sermony, not conversational.

Father Jackal pauses in his speaking. He wasn't actually sure he'd get anyone. This could be...useful. "Hello mah child."

"Alright, there?" Leah says cheerfully. Her accent is northern British, with a singing lilt to it that speaks of her baseline good mood.

"How's it going?"

Jackal leans back in his chair, the wooden frame creaking beneath his girth. "Poorly my child. But, we still live, and so there is cause for joy."

He sounds like a priest. Leah doesn't have much time for priests.

"Well, yeah, there's that I s'pose. Living's always a plus."

Everyone has time for Jackal.

"Especially in this god forsaken world."

"You really think He's forsaken us," Leah goes out on a limb, "Father?"

He's not going to argue the title. "Do you think the world would be in the shape it is if He were still around?"

"Asked myself the same question years ago."

There is, audible, the sound of a taut string being released and a fast projectile passing her mic.

"Round about two thousand one."

"It stands to reason God has turned his back on us." Jackal clears his throat. "But that doesn't mean we shouldn't have Faith."

"Oh yeah?" Leah asks. "Faith in what?"

"Older gods. Ones that are willing to work for you, and against the infernal." It's probably best not to get Jackal started on the infernal.

"I know it's been a long time, Father," Leah says after a moment. "But isn't that giant Don't number one?"

"Why? Because God says so? Cause Yahweh is such a whiner, he can't stand a little competition?" He smiles, leaning forward in his chair. "You ever hear the story of Cain child?"

"I went to a Catholic school," Leah says, in lieu of saying 'well, duh'.

"Ah, so you heard the watered down version, hmm?" The vampires tell a rather bloodier story.

"I dunno, Sister Catherine didn't water down much."

"So, she told you that when Adam came to his sons and said 'Sacrifice your best and brightest to the Lord' Able did give of his sweetest and best aniamls, while Cain did give of the best of his fruits and grains? And only Able was blessed by the lord for this sacrifice. So, Cain, seeking to gain favour with the lord, did strike down his brother, as Able was his best and most loved."

"What's your version?"

"Thats what we're getting to." He clears his throat. "See, The lord was not pleased at Caine, and did cast him out, saying twas a sin to kill his brother, cause now the Lord cared or some such bullcocky. And Caine did wander in the darkness outside eden. Here's where the bible stops telling you about him."

Jackal, in his office, grins.

"But it's not the end of his story."

"So where's the rest of the story coming from?"

"Why, from Caine and his descendants, of course."

"'Course."

Leah is smirking a little now.

"So go on."

"When Adam cast Caine out, he laid a curse on his son. A mark upon his brow, that all would know he was damned, and that any who would harm him would have said harm revisted upon them ten fold. As Caine wandered in the darkness, he was approached by three angels. The first angel offered him redemption, said come back to us, and all is forgiven. Caine rejected him, because he felt there was nothing to forgive, he had done nothing wrong. And so the first curse was placed on him, that he should fear the comforting flame."

"The next night, the second angel came to Caine, offering redemption again. Caine refused, and a second curse was placed on him, denying him the comfort of food. Caine would drink naught but blood, he would eat naught but ash."

"The third night Michael himself, archangel of heaven, commander of the armies of the lord, cam down to Caine. And again, Caine refused. And Michael smote him, and denied him forever the warmth of the son, and made Caine to wander in darkness eternal."

"Uh huh."

It's a nice story, but Leah's kind of waiting for the punchline.