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at you functioned fully as a male
Kzin before inviting you to this most male of games. As you can well
imagine, for every success there is a loss; someone must lose." K'narl
paused for a moment. "Some learn to enjoy losing."
"Impossible!" Shaper said. "No self-respecting Kzin would want to
lose."
"They hide it well," K'narl said. "Those we find in that state we
exclude from the game; they are not worth the fight. Sometimes we use
them for... amusement." He chuckled, rumbling. "We are a very decadent
lot in many ways. But there is a pleasure in losing, even to those of
us who hate it. To know you have met an irresistible force, and that
force is one like you, and that you may one day be like him... There is
a pleasure in that. There is even a bodily pleasure, Shaper, in the act
of losing. You enjoy the burn of a deserved wound as well as any Kzin.
This is much like that.
"Do not learn to like losing too much. You must put your muscle
and bone into winning, Shaper. As your sponsor, I will not be
dishonoured."
"I shall win, sir."
"Good."
The train came to a halt and the occupants departed. Shaper felt
lost amidst such eminenc
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