A Duel is Proposed

The Never Ending Quest - Episode 57303

"Not till we've had a little talk," Gog said. "Get down from the horse."

"Very well," Astra said, keeping her pleasant tone even though she feared the worst. She dismounted, and Hesht did the same, albeit much more clumsily.

"You two wouldn't be working for a man named Ghermiz by any chance?" Gog asked.

"I've never heard of him," Astra replied truthfully.

Hesht said nothing, but Gog thought that he saw a flicker of recognition on his face. "The boy's reaction suggests differently," he said to Astra. "Ghermiz has been interfering with our boss's business, so he would like to talk to some of Ghermiz's operatives so that he can explain to them why that's a bad thing. So you two will be coming with us to see him. But there's no hurry for that. You and I could get to know each other a bit better first."

From the way that the man was leering at her, Astra had no doubt concerning what he had in mind. Things looked black, for unarmed she could not expect to take out two armed men, and she doubted that Hesht would be much help. But then an idea came to her. Perhaps she could turn the man's lust to her advantage. "Does your companion have a sword like yours?" she asked, pointing at the short sword in Gog's hand.

"What if he does?"

"I was going to suggest that, if I could borrow a sword, we could fight a duel. If you win, then I agree to lie with you willingly."

"And with me," Magog interjected.

"Very well. And with your friend. But if I should win, then you must let us go on our way unmolested."

Gog hesitated for a moment. Whoever heard of a woman who could use a sword? This should be easy. And yet... She was unusually tall and athletic- looking for a woman, and she moved with a fluid grace. And why should he fight her, when he could have her anyway, willing or not?

"Of course, if you're frightened..."

That decided him. He knew that if he refused to fight her, Magog would tell everyone, and then he would never hear the last of it. The man who was too scared to fight a woman. "Of course I'm not frightened of a woman," he said contemptuously. "You're on. Just so long as you aren't trying to be clever when you say you'll 'lie with' us."

Astra heaved a sigh of relief. There was little chance that this thug would be a match for a swords-mistress of Aqualaria. Of course, she didn't necessarily expect the two men to uphold their end of the bargain, but once she had won the fight one of them would no longer be a threat and she would have a weapon with which to deal with the other. "No, I'm not trying to be clever," she said. "If I lose, I'll do whatever the two of you want, up till - say - dawn tomorrow."

"And after that you and the lad will come with us to meet our boss, and neither of you will try to escape. And we get to confiscate your horse and anything else that you might have that we take a fancy too.

"Agreed."

"Swear to it."

"I do solemnly swear that I and my companion will abide by these terms."

"Then you got yourself a deal."

Magog went over to where his belongings were stowed, and came back with a short sword much like Gog's. Astra hefted it in her hand. It wasn't a very good weapon - the balance was all wrong - but no doubt her opponent's sword would be little if any better. "Let's get started then," she said.

Meanwhile Hesht had not tried to intervene. He remembered Astra telling him of her prowess with a sword, and recognised that this represented their best chance of escaping unscathed. Besides, he was too scared.

  1. Astra wins.
  2. A combination of bad luck and Gog being a better swordsman than she had expected result in Astra losing.
  3. As the fight progresses, Astra is handicapped by an increasing feeling of stiffness in her calves. Evidently she isn't yet fully recovered from the effect of the chemical in the stream after all.
  4. But as she faces up to Gog, Magog - taking no chances - brings his quarterstaff down on her skull from behind, and everything goes black.

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JH

3/8/2006 10:17:54 AM

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