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one-handed, then extended the staff to the armsmaster.
Only to disarming or to surrender, Zastryl declared..
That ll save someone, muttered Stendyl.
Khaesyn just grinned. You about ready, Pretty Boy?
Rahl dropped into the sense of being just where he was, all senses focused on
Khaesyn.
Khaesyn s first move was a feint, and Rahl eased to one side, slightly, just
enough not to reveal he knew it was a feint.
Then came a slash thrust, one that Rahl evaded, sensing the possible trap.
Don t fight by running, taunted the marine.
Rahl said nothing, instead offering a lightning jab to the marine s free
forearm, and pivoting away.
The bigger man charged clearly willing to take a hit, as he brought a
cut-slash that would have snapped bones had it struck. ,
,. Rahl slipped it.
The blond s arm was overextended, and he-was off-balance, with all his weight
on this right foot. Rahl could have snapped his knee, but instead he pivoted
and yanked Khaesyn s tunic, .driving the bigger man into the padded mat
face-first, then jumping back..
A laughing titter came from somewhere, then cut off abruptly.
Khaesyn jumped to his feet and circled toward Rahl. Little dancer& dancing
doesn t win.
The marine jabbed again, and Rahl avoided the jab and delivered a slamming
blow across the side of Khaesyn s hand, so that the blond s truncheon took
some of the force. Khaesyn s truncheon dropped to the mat, and he looked at
Rahl, who had stood back but not lowered his truncheon.
Then Khaesyn grabbed his weapon.
Enough! snapped Zastryl.
I was just getting started, bellowed Khaesyn.
You were just getting started on the way to getting yourself permanently
maimed or killed. Perhaps you didn t notice, Khaesyn, but you never touched
Rahl. At one point, he considered breaking your leg, but only put you on the
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mat. If you keep trying to kill him, at some point you re going to get hurt
very badly. You might even get killed.
Rahl noticed how the magister used a touch of order to emphasize the last few
words, enough so that Khaesyn finally shook his head.
The two marines turned.
Wouldn t last a moment on a deck& can t dance like that&
Rahl lowered the truncheon and waited. He s right about that, you know, said
Zastryl. Yes, sir, but I wouldn t have waited in that kind of fight.
I didn t think you would. Zastryl paused, then frowned before speaking
again. I have a question for you,
Rahl. It s one I don t want you to answer. In fact, I forbid you to answer me.
I just want you to consider it.
Yes, ser.
You clearly respect me. Just as clearly, you do not respect most of the other
magisters. Why is that so? I d like you to think that over.
Rahl pondered the question.
Why had Zastryl asked the question? Was it that clear that Rahl respected
Zastryl? But why did he respect the armsmaster? Because Zastryl didn t hide
behind words? Or didn patronize Rahl?
Not now, said Zastryl with a laugh. We need to start you with a blade.
That s going to be much, much more difficult, and you ll have a much harder
time using it against someone like Khaesyn.
But why would Rahl have to? He could carry a truncheon anyplace he could carry
a blade.
Because, Zastryl answered the unasked question, you may well be someplace
where the only weapon is one you can take from someone else, and that is most
likely to be a blade. In weapons, as in many things in life, we don t always
get the choices we want.
That was becoming increasingly clear, Rahl admitted. He didn t have to like
it, though.
XXIX
After the midday meal on sevenday, Rahl took a nap, then washed up and headed
down the long road to the harbor. He was looking forward to the evening
because Magister Thorl had invited him to the evening meal it was dinner in
Hamor, not supper at a harbor eatery that served Hamorian food. While Rahl had
avoided the harbor for a time, even after that, he had never really properly
explored the area around it, and now he did finally have a few coppers to his
name, not that he intended to spend them. Some few were to go to send the
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