H. Beam Piper Last Enemy

[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

and had a bay in which the seconds and other could stand during the firing.
They repaired thither in a body, Klarnood gathering up several hotel servants
on the way through the kitchen. Verkan Vall stripped to the waist, pulled off
his ankle boots, and examined Olirzon's knife. Its tapering eight-inch blade
was double-edged at the point, and its handle was covered with black velvet to
afford a good grip, and wound with gold wire. He nodded approvingly, gripped
it with his index finger crooked around the cross-guard, and advanced to meet
Marnark of Bashad.
As he had expected, the burly politician was depending upon his
greater brawn to overpower his antagonist. He advanced with a sidling,
spread-legged gait, his knife hand against his right hip and his left hand
extended in front. Verkan Vall nodded with pleased satisfaction; a
wrist-grabber. Then he blinked.
Why, the fellow was actually holding his knife reversed, his little finger to
the guard and his thumb on the pommel!
Verkan Vall went briskly to meet him, made a feint at his knife
hand with his own left, and then side-stepped quickly to the right. As
Marnark's left hand grabbed at his right wrist, his left hand brushed against
it and closed into a fist, with Marnark's left thumb inside of it, He gave a
quick downward twist with his wrist, pulling Marnark off balance.
Caught by surprise, Marnark stumbled, his knife flailing wildly away from
Verkan Vall. As he stumbled forward, Verkan Vall pivoted on his left heel and
drove the point of his knife into the back of Marnark's neck, twisting it as
he jerked it free. At the same time, he released Marnark's thumb. The
politician continued his stumble and fell forward on his face, blood spurting
from his neck. He gave a twitch or so, and was still.
Page 21
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Verkan Vall stooped and wiped the knife on the dead man's
clothes another Khanga pirate gesture and then returned it to Olirzon.
"Nice weapon, Olirzon," he said. "It fitted my hand as though I'd been born
holding it."
"You used it as though you had, Lord Virzal," the Assassin replied. "Only
eight seconds from the time you closed with him."
The function of the hotel servants whom Klarnood had gathered up
now became apparent; they advanced, took the body of Marnark by the heels,
and dragged it out of the way. The others watched this removal with mixed
emotions. The two remaining principals were impassive and frozen-faced. Their
two Assassins, who had probably bet heavily on Marnark, were chagrined. And
Klarnood was looking at Verkan Vall with a considerable accretion of respect.
Verkan Vall pulled on his boots and resumed his clothing.
There followed some argument about the pistols; it was finally decided that
each combatant should use his own shoulder-holster weapon. All three were
nearly enough alike small weapons, rather heavier than they looked, firing a
tiny ten-grain bullet at ten thousand foot-seconds. On impact, such a bullet
would almost disintegrate; a man hit anywhere in the body with one would be
killed instantly, his nervous system paralyzed and his heart stopped by
internal pressure. Each of the pistols carried twenty rounds in the magazine.
Verkan Vall and Sirzob of Abo took their places, their pistols lowered at
their sides, facing each other across a measured twenty meters.
"Are you ready, gentlemen?" Klarnood asked. "You will not raise your pistols
until the command to fire;
you may fire at will after it. Ready.
Fire!
"
Both pistols swung up to level. Verkan Vall found Sirzob's head in his sights
and squeezed; the pistol kicked back in his hand, and he saw a lance of
blue flame jump from the muzzle of Sirzob's. Both weapons barked
together, and with the double report came the whip-cracking sound of Sirzob's
bullet passing Verkan Vall's head. Then Sirzob's face altered its
appearance unpleasantly, and he pitched forward. Verkan Vall thumbed on
his safety and stood motionless, while the servants advanced, took
Sirzob's body by the heels, and dragged it over beside Marnark's.
"All right; Honorable Yirzol, you're next," Verkan Vall called out. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

Wątki