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  When I thought he was ready, I closed again—but this time I cut at his head. Bard’s weapon was out of position, and he couldn’t lift his shield fast enough to block me. He went down like a slaughtered ox

  I moved away, shutting down my weapon and shield. I was breathing through my open mouth and hunching forward a little to make it easier to pull air in. I dropped the shield into my tunic pocket and stroked Lad’s long fur. He rubbed hard against my leg, whining.

  My weapon had enough authority even at ten percent that I might’ve given Bard a concussion. I wondered if he had servants or friends at the sideline. I hadn’t paid any attention before: I’d been studying him as my coming opponent, not worrying about after the bout.

  Bard reached up with one hand and touched his head, but he still lay face down in the grass. I didn’t try to help him, because his dog growled every time I moved. I don’t trust chows, no matter how well trained they’re supposed to be.

  A fellow in a dull-red tunic jogged to us from the sidelines. He carried a shield and weapon in holsters on both hips. They didn’t look nearly as good as Bard’s equipment, though without getting into them in a trance—or facing them, as I had Bard’s—I couldn’t be sure.

  “By the Almighty!” he said. “Is he going to be all right?”

  “He’ll have a headache,” I said, hoping that was the worst it was. “He’ll be okay in a couple hours.”

  “Nobody on Tunbridge ever whipped Bard,” the fellow said, looking carefully at me. “Nobody even came close. Where are you from?”

  I pocketed my weapon. It’d cooled enough to do that.

  “A place called Beune,” I said. “But we’re on Dun Add now. How I stacked up on Beune doesn’t matter to anybody.”

  I stood up, breathing normally again. “Can you handle him?” I said to Bard’s friend. He nodded in reply, and I walked back to the palace with Lad.

  I’d planned to get in several live bouts, but the way Bard had dropped was bothering me. He was a complete newbie. He had good equipment, but he’d never faced first-class talent. He should’ve been fighting fellow Aspirants for a while and worked into what it took to become a Champion of Mankind.

  It had been a fair match: with my hardware turned so low, he probably outclassed me there. But I was used to fighting Champions, while he’d been facing hicks in Tunbridge. I’d faced Lord Clain—and Clain had rung my bell, just as thoroughly as I had Bard’s a moment ago.

  I felt a little better then, but I still went to the practice hall to use the machines instead of picking up another human to spar with.

  Lad and I walked through the south wing of the palace, nodding to the guard in the passage when he bowed to me; through the courtyard, dodging the families relaxing there, children playing with each other and occasional adults. Palace servants didn’t mix much with townies, though there weren’t any rules against it. Those who recognized me bowed, but most didn’t, not dressed like a farmer.

  I entered the north wing and the practice hall. What had originally been a large room of the palace had been twice extended by wooden additions on the back wall into what had been brush and meadow beyond. Jon continued adding practice machines as frequently as they turned up and Louis could repair them with his stable of lesser Makers, most of whom were better than me. By now there were over fifty machines, and more than half were in use.

  Lad and I walked to the farthest aisle and then along it to an empty machine. I switched it on to cycle among opponents from Level Nine to the top at Level Twelve

  Practice machines were nothing much to look at: a bundle of rods, usually crystalline, in a flat base, usually black. They varied in size and finish, but even the biggest were no more awkward to handle than a folded beach umbrella. The best were light enough that Guntram, an old man, had carried one to Beune for me to train on.

  A warrior in orange appeared before me with an Alsatian. Most simulacra attacked in a rush, but this one was programmed to play a waiting game. It blocked my initial thrusts but never counterstruck enthusiastically enough to get out of position. Its equipment was very good—enough so that I was sure that I was starting out at Level Twelve. This was like fighting a member of Jon’s Council, somebody as good as Lord Baran had been.

  Well, I’d wanted exercise—and I’d wanted something to wash away the memory of how that newbie had gone down. I still felt like I’d clubbed a puppy to death, but after an hour of battering at the image I was too tired to really care.

  When the trumpet sounded for the end of a round, I switched the machine off rather than continuing the bout—or bringing up a different, almost certainly easier, opponent. The machines were handy and were capable of no end of variation, but I really preferred to practice with human beings.

  You could never tell what a real person would do. I’ve fought with warriors who made a really dumb move that nobody would’ve predicted—and got lucky. Once I was beaten by a guy who wasn’t good enough to make the cut for the Aspirants’ Tournament.

  When I turned away from the practice machine, I saw Baga watching me with a big grin. “Hey, boss,” he said. “I figured I’d just wait till you got done. He was a tough one, wasn’t he?”

  “Say, when’d you get back?” I said. “Is May at the house? I was ready to head out anyway.”

  Baga fell in beside me and Lad as we started down the aisle. I’d planned to go up to Guntram’s suite after I’d stabled Lad, but I was done practicing anyway. It was good to see Baga, and it’d be really good to see May.

  “Oh, not long ago,” Baga said. “I went out to the field first because Maggie said that’s where you’d gone, but when I didn’t find you I figured you’d be here.”

  As we passed through the north wing into the courtyard, he added, “Say—want me to put Lad away? May wants to see you, and she brought back somebody for you to meet.”

  “I want to see her too,” I said, though the mention of “somebody to meet” wasn’t something I’d hoped to hear. “Yeah, take Lad and then take the rest of the day off.”

  I slipped a silver piece into Baga’s hand, and we went off in our different directions. I’d really been hoping to be alone with May as soon as she got back, but I’d learned long since that what I wanted and what the Almighty decided for me were likely to be different things.

  CHAPTER 4

  Internal Politics

  The townhouse May had told me to rent wasn’t a mansion. For that I’d have had to build something west of the palace—or buy it; I suppose Lord Baran’s townhouse was on the market now. The house had three stories with two rooms on each floor, and a garret that I could use as a workroom the way I had the barn back in Beune.

  Mostly I worked on artifacts in Guntram’s room, though. New finds were delivered to him, either directly by folks who searched the Waste professionally or coming up from artifacts delivered to Jon. Louis went over those and culled for what he wanted, then sent the rest to Guntram.

  Louis was only interested in equipment with a military purpose; which in truth was a large portion of the artifacts which survived. The Ancients, whatever else they may have been, were clearly as warlike as we are, their descendants.

  Guntram and I played with the other bits and bobs which farmers plowed up in their fields or which the Waste washed against nodes or along the Road itself. I’m not sure of why Guntram did this. He said, “I like to learn things.” I think he really wanted to know all the knowledge that existed; it was his replacement for religion, because he didn’t believe in God.

  For me, I wanted to learn about the Ancients, which wasn’t any more practical than Guntram’s broader focus. I didn’t think it would make things better for people nowadays. After all, it was because of whatever the Ancients did that our world now is a scatter of tiny hamlets and monsters. I just wanted to know.

  The Leader and Louis are determined to bring safety and law to all Mankind. They believe that this sometimes requires force, and they’re determined that force will be available on Mankind’s b
ehalf. I believe those things too, and I’m one of the Champions of Mankind, applying that force.

  But I think that Mankind’s better for having Guntram in its members too; and I’m glad to be his friend.

  The townhouse is stone and dates back over a century, but it was completely rebuilt since the Leader and Lord Clain cleared the band of robbers from Dun Add and made it a worthy capital for the Commonwealth of Man. May said it was a very desirable property because of its location, so I told her to arrange the lease.

  I guess it was probably expensive, but Master Louis had set up a drawing account for me with the treasury. I’d brought back an enormous number of Ancient artifacts in working order when I captured Castle Ariel, and I don’t spend much on my own. Lady May thought we had to show our position in society, but she wasn’t really extravagant.

  If there was a problem, I figured somebody would tell me. Besides, revenues from Castle Ariel and the places the Leader had put under it would begin coming in shortly.

  The front door opened as I approached. Dom, standing three steps up on the stoop, said, “Thank goodness you’ve arrived, milord! Lady May has been quite concerned about your absence.”

  I nodded to Dom and came up the steps, taking them one at a time instead of in two hops. I was tired from that long bout with the practice machine.

  I was also more than a little angry. There was nothing really wrong with Dom’s words, but I didn’t like his tone. I didn’t say anything, though. Arguments are generally a waste of time and energy, and arguing with a servant was just plain dumb.

  Inside was what May called the cloakroom, where guests put their wraps when we entertained. I walked through it to the entrance hall beyond and called, “Hi, May! Did you have a good trip?”

  She was wearing an outfit with a gauzy pink outer layer. On one of the layers underneath, appliquéd gold birds seemed to flap their wings. I’d never seen her look prettier; or anybody look prettier, if it comes to that.

  “Hello, Pal,” she said.

  I put my arms around her and kissed her. I won’t say she pushed me away, but I’ve gripped trees that seemed more welcoming than May did right then.

  I backed with a frown and she said, “Allow me to present my cousin, Lord Osbourn. He’s Uncle Albrecht’s only grandson, and he’s here to become a Champion.”

  Well, I figured I understood then, though May had kissed me in public plenty of times before. A young fellow—Osbourn was sixteen, which is what I’d guessed—came out of the drawing room behind May and held out his right hand. He said, “I’m very glad to meet you, Lord Pal. I appreciate you sponsoring me for the Hall of Champions.”

  Osbourn was as tall as my five-foot eleven and probably didn’t have his full growth. He was very good looking, as blond as May and with hints they were relatives. Osbourn wore a moustache, which I read as being affected—but he was a kid and probably trying as hard to Be Somebody as I’d tried at that age. Which wasn’t all that long ago, to tell the truth.

  We shook and stepped back from one another. His grip was firm, but he didn’t try the dumb trick of trying to crush my hand. Which would likely have embarrassed him, because I spend an awful lot of my time sparring, either with real opponents or the practice machines. Holding my weapon has given me strong grip.

  “I won’t sponsor you,” I said, “but I’ll take you over to the Aspirants’ Hall and see that you get checked in. When would you like to do that?”

  I really hoped to have some time alone with May before I did anything else, but I was willing to wait if this was such an important thing to her.

  “Pal, I thought you could just sponsor Osbourn and avoid all that rigmarole,” she said.

  Keeping my voice as level as I could, I said, “Well, I maybe could, but—”

  “There’s no maybe about it!” May said. “You’re the great hero, Lord Pal, and the Leader owes you a favor for defending the Consort.”

  “May,” I said, turning to face her and still trying to be calm, “I won’t do that. I don’t think it’d be good for Lord Osbourn—” I almost said “…for the boy” but I caught myself in time “—and it sure wouldn’t be good for the Commonwealth. If Lord Osbourn is good enough…” I paused to swallow. My mouth was getting dry. “…he’ll go right on through, and I’ll work to get him that good.”

  “What I’m hearing…” said May. “Is that you won’t grant me a favor that really matters to me!”

  “Not that favor,” I said. “May, I’m sorry.”

  “Look,” said Osbourn brightly, “why don’t I go out and see some of Dun Add? I’ve never been here before, you know.”

  I hadn’t thought of Osbourn as anything but a nuisance until then. If he was smart enough to be embarrassed by what was going on, I was at least willing to like him.

  “The palace is up at the head of the street,” I said without looking away from May. “But I’ll take you there in a little bit—or there’s plenty of room here and I’ll take you up in the morning after you’ve rested.”

  “Well, I’ll go out now,” Osbourn said, walking past me to the door. “I think I saw a tavern up the street. I’ll be back in an hour.”

  He paused in the doorway—Dom had opened it—and turned. “Is that a good time?” he asked. “An hour, I mean?”

  “Yes,” said May in a brittle voice. “I’m sure that Lord Pal and I will have come to an understanding by then.”

  Osbourn went out, the door closing behind him. From May’s tone, “an understanding” was a threat.

  “I’m glad you saw fit to come back to the house,” May said, and she sure didn’t sound glad. “You appear to have had a fine time while I was away. You didn’t spend a single night here, I gather. The servants say they don’t have any idea where you were.”

  “Maggie knew I slept in Guntram’s room,” I said, feeling sick to my stomach. “Didn’t she tell you?”

  “I’m sure Maggie would say anything you wanted her to,” May said. “She’d say that you were at prayer in the chapel the whole time I was gone.”

  “She wouldn’t say anything so stupid!” I said. “I only go to chapel on the high feasts, and I don’t pray much at all. May, what’s wrong with you?”

  “With me?” she said shrilly, walking over to the small table beside the door to the cloak room. “I come home after two weeks and look at what I find. Look at these!”

  She pointed at the notes in varicolored paper on the table. There were at least a dozen of them, most folded and sealed but a few of them rolled and bound with ribbon.

  “What are they?” I said, joining May at the table. I picked up a roll and slid the ribbon off it.

  “Ladies left them for you, milord,” Dom said in a voice that would have done for a burial service. “While you were gone, milord.”

  The sheet I’d picked up was signed “Lady Jessimyne.” I didn’t bother to read the contents, which I could guess well enough. That was one of the main reasons I’d been living in the palace and hadn’t told the house servants; though the reputation of Master Guntram’s quarters and his bird greeter would have kept most of them away even they’d known I was there.

  “Well, what are you going to do with them?” May said. Her voice made me cringe. I’d been so looking forward to her coming home.

  “I’m not going to do anything with them!” I said. “I’ll have Master Fritz burn them in the stove if you like! There’s nobody in Dun Add that I care about who didn’t know I wasn’t staying here while you were gone, and there sure isn’t anybody in Dun Add I want to know better than I already do!”

  Except maybe May herself. I didn’t know her as well as I’d thought I did before she went off to Madringor.

  Though I wasn’t sure I really wanted to know this Lady May better.

  May looked at me, but the glare of moments ago faded. “You really don’t see what the problem is, do you?” she said, her voice soft for the first time since this conversation began.

  I swallowed and said, “I see the proble
m, but I don’t know how I can fix it. It’s nothing to do with me.”

  “No, I don’t suppose it is,” May said. She kissed me, a little peck on the lips but with real affection, then turned to Dom—watching from the cloak room—and said, “Dom, tell Master Fritz that there’ll be three for dinner tonight—Lord Osbourn will be dining with us, and tell Elise to be sure that the guest room is ready for him. And while you’re talking to Master Fritz—”

  She pointed to the table.

  “—see to it that all the paper there is burned.”

  “Yes, milady,” Dom said, bowing low to her before he began gathering up the notes. I wondered if I’d recognize Lady Jessimyne if I saw her.

  “And tell Lord Osbourn to wait in the drawing room if he returns before we come down,” May said. “See that he has anything he asks for.”

  “Yes, milady,” Dom said with another bow. I didn’t want Dom kissing my feet, but I’d have liked him to show a bit of courtesy toward me too. I guess the truth is that to Dom, May was a fine lady and I was always going to be an oick from Beune. My being a Champion of Mankind and having the respect of the Leader didn’t affect Dom’s opinion.

  “And you, my dear—” May said, linking her arm with mine and starting toward the staircase. “Are going to come upstairs with me. I have some notions about how to loosen some of your strait laces.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” I said. I breathed a sigh of relief.

  CHAPTER 5

  Normal Life

  I kissed May softly but I hoped to get out of bed without waking her for choice. As I opened the clothes press to get out a suit to wear—and by the Almighty, what a lot of suits I have now!—May said, “Do you need to get up so early?”

  “I want to get Osbourn enrolled and moved in right away,” I said. “If there’s time, we’ll go right out to the field and I’ll put him through his paces.”