Fertal knew that besting this world's Astra, Astra Transtrygia, would be hard. She had experience at this particular form of combat, where he had none. Artizza's win against her opponent had given him hope, and he had thought of a strategem while watching the next two matches. If this world's Astra was good and humane, as he had hoped for anyway, his ploy might even the odds. If she were not, it would be better to know now. As his world's Astra dropped the cloth, Fertal advanced a step, and then fell to his knees. He grimaced as if injured. His opponent stopped, and jogged to him. Fertal was a little worried that his world's Astra would call a halt to the combat, but she had not, although she was walking in, too. Now his opponent was bending over to see what was the matter. Fertal balled his right hand into a fist and aimed for Astra's solar plexus. This would not cause her any permanent injury, but would knock her out long enough for him to tie the rope around his neck. His fist grazed Astra's arm, and his punch landed somewhat to the left of where he intended it to. But he saw Astra recoiling, and she fell back. "Good enough!" thought Fertal, and for a second he thought that he had won. But then he felt Astra's hands clasp his shoulders, and her arms under his armpits. She had him caught in an underhook. As Astra fell back, his own feet were leaving the ground. She was flipping him over! Fertal's feet were flung in a semicircular arc, with his head at the centre of the semicircle. At the end of this arc, Astra unclasped Fertal's shoulders, and Fertal flew through the air, landing on his back, just inside the circle. Fertal rolled over, in time to see Astra pick up the rope and tie it around her neck. Fertal's opponent then walked over to see if he was hurt. Fertal quickly shook his head. His world's Astra then addressed all present. "Although Fertal's actions may have been within the rules, I am going to disqualify anybody here who feigns injury to win. The purpose of this is not only to choose a leader, but to take the measure of our companions. Feigning injury to win a match is not helpful." Fertal replied, "My apologies to the Astras. But such a strategem had not been forbidden. I used it in part to take the measure of one who I do not know. If she had ignored me and had taken the rope, I think that I would have learned something that I needed to know. As she did not, I have gained much respect for her character, as well as for what she can do in a fight. I can go in the combat with the utmost confidence in at least one of my new companions." His opponent made a gesture of bringing her thumb and forefinger together in a circle, to signal that there were no hard feelings on her part.
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8/11/2004 2:13:24 AM
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