Wildeblood's Empire by Brian Stableford

Author:Brian Stableford
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: science fiction, space travel, sci-fi, space opera, arthur c. clarke
Publisher: Wildside Press
Published: 2012-01-26T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

The next day was noticeably warmer, and it seemed as if spring had arrived at last. All the cloud and rain was gone. Nathan and I returned to the ship in the early morning in order to make what preparation we could for the big event. As the weapon to be used in the fight had not been issued to us beforehand Nathan had borrowed a saber of the appropriate size and weight in order to familiarize himself with it and practice a few flourishes. He didn’t say, exactly where he got it from, but I suspect that one of the younger members of Philip’s extended family had helped him out. I expect that Zarnecki was suitably amused.

Owing to the lack of space inside the ship Nathan had to put on his exhibition in the open, and I have no doubt that the assorted watchers had a more enjoyable time that morning than ever before. We were at least discreet enough not to parade ourselves in view of the cottage where most of the surveillance team were holed up, but took our problems down to the dunes.

Nathan did not have a good time. He found the weapon rather heavier than any stage sword he had ever handled, and complained about its design. It was also rather blunt and had more than a little rust near the hilt. I pointed out to him that it was probably a working weapon of purely functional aspect, and that the ones used in the duel would, in all likelihood, be clean and sharp with ornamental finger-guards. This didn’t seem to soothe him much, and I could see why. Whatever else it might be, the sword was serviceable. A man who received a solid clout from it would not be getting up to look for more. It had an approximate point but it was really built for slashing—not the kind of thing you’d use for a little fancy dancing and a token prick on the arm. Even if neither of the duelists wanted to hurt the other badly an accident could very easily happen. And if one or the other lost his temper....

“It’s all to your advantage,” I told him. “The heavier the sword the slower the contest. The slower the contest the bigger the margin between his drug-induced torpor and your drug-induced vitality. He’s no bigger than you are, he’s no stronger than you are, he’s no fitter than you are.”

“But he knows how to use a sword,” Nathan pointed out.

“How does he know?” I replied, with a liberal helping of scorn. “He was taught to fence, maybe. He’s been in duels before. But has he ever learned to use the thing properly? He’s been taught an elaborate ritual—move and countermove—whose purpose is to make a point, draw blood with a touch. It’s almost as phony as the way you were taught. Probably very much the same. There’s nothing to worry about. Even if you did lose you’d only spill a little blood. And if I can get even money I’ll put my last two years back pay down.

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