‘No.’
‘Oh.’
It hadn’t happened the way she’d expected; the other man’s sword breaking like that made it look like pure luck, which she was sure it wasn’t. No doubt all that meant was that he’d forced the other man to do something which was bound to break his sword, or else he’d have killed him anyway with the next thrust. She relaxed, and reached into her pocket for an apple.
The sight of a man being killed before her eyes hadn’t disturbed her, she realised; probably because she was too far away to see facial expressions or blood. From up here it was a game, and the dead man might just as easily not be dead at all, only shamming or acting. It had been exciting, she had to admit, and it was good that she’d spotted the winner from the very start. Nevertheless; she’d seen a Perimadeian lawsuit now, which meant that with any luck she wouldn’t have to see another one. As a means of settling a dispute over the late delivery of four tons of charcoal, it seemed excessive and in poor taste.
‘Can we go now?’
‘We should wait for the verdict.’
‘Verdict? But he’s…’
‘Well?’
Athli’s face, staring up at him out of a bloated dream of horror and incongruous detail. She looked as white as snow.
He didn’t reply. As he handed her the sword, he realised that he hadn’t wiped it. So what?
‘Well? ’ she repeated.
‘Well what?’
Athli swallowed hard. ‘What happened?’ she demanded. ‘I thought-’
‘So did I,’ Loredan replied, collapsing into his seat. ‘Do you mind if we don’t talk about it? And for pity’s sake keep those bastards away from me. If they come over here, I swear I’ll kill them.’
Athli gave him a horrified look, and hurried away to fend off the charcoal people. Probably come to complain about the stress of watching him nearly get killed; good reason for docking twenty per cent off the bill.
He thought about Alvise’s sword breaking. Just my luck, he reflected; two-thirds of the takings were now just so much scrap metal, just as their owner was so much meat. Who’d have thought the hilt of an old army broadsword could snap the blade of a top-quality law-sword? It only went to show something he couldn’t currently be bothered with.
Interesting, though; a tiny flaw in the steel, a bubble or a speck of grit or crap that had somehow been missed by the smith’s hammer, can reverse the outcome and overturn justice. He could feel that there had been something there that shouldn’t have been; something small and not accounted for, something somehow unfair.
Probably, he decided, I cheated.
‘I got rid of them,’ Athli said, flopping down beside him. ‘They said-’
‘I don’t want to know.’
Athli nodded. ‘Quite right. Large drink?’
Loredan shook his head. ‘I think I’d like to go somewhere and lie down,’ he replied. ‘And then I’m quitting the business. Permanently.’
‘Large drink.’
‘Oh, all right then, large drink. And then I’m quitting the business.’
‘You know,’ Athli said, pouring wine out of the pewter jug, ‘for a moment there I really thought you meant it.’
‘I did,’ Loredan replied. ‘And I do.’ He shifted his hand on the pad of wool he was pressing against his side. The bleeding had stopped long since, thanks to a smear of brandy and a few winds of cobweb from the rafters of the tavern, but for some reason he didn’t want to stop the pressure on the cut, as if he felt it ought to be far worse than it was. ‘Too old and not enough natural ability. I think it’s high time I did something else.’
Athli looked at him over the rim of her cup. ‘Such as what?’
‘I’m not sure.’ Loredan carefully nipped a small fly out of his wine. ‘The obvious thing would be to start up a school.’
‘You could do that, certainly,’ Athli replied. ‘Mind you, there’s a difference between knowing the moves and being able to teach them to other people.’
‘Well, it’s that or setting up as a clerk. Would I make a good clerk, do you think?’
Athli shook her head. ‘You’d be hopeless at it,’ she said. ‘You’d insult all the clients, for one thing. Also, you don’t realise how much hard work’s involved. Take me, for instance. I was up an hour before dawn, dictated twelve letters before breakfast, then out to meetings till it was time to come and collect you. And this afternoon I’ve got more letters to write, accounts to do, pleadings to draft-’
‘All right, you’ve convinced me. All that reading and writing’d drive me mad, not to mention the getting up early in the morning. If I’d wanted to get up early in the morning, I’d never have left the-’
He broke off, clearly embarrassed. Athli was intrigued.
‘Go on,’ she said. ‘If you’d wanted to get up early you’d never have left the farm. Am I right?’
Loredan grimaced and nodded. ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘Horrible life, glad to be rid of it. So-’
‘Well, well,’ Athli purred, amused. ‘So you’re a farm boy really, are you? Honestly, I’d never have thought it. I’d have been prepared to bet money you’d never been outside the walls in your life.’
Loredan kept his face completely blank. ‘Once or twice,’ he said. ‘My father had a small manor in the Mesoge. He was only a tenant, of course. Do you mind if we change the subject?’
Athli shrugged, slightly offended. ‘If you like,’ she said. ‘I was just interested, that’s all.’
Deliberately, Loredan refilled his cup and drained it, letting a few red tears trickle down his chin. ‘Anyway,’ he said, ‘that’s enough about that. So if you reckon I couldn’t make a living as a clerk, it looks like it’ll have to be teaching.’ He sighed. ‘It’d have been nice to have had an option or two which weren’t something to do with this loathsome profession,’ he said. ‘Trouble is, I can’t do anything else.’
‘Open a tavern?’
‘Too much like hard work.’ He smiled. ‘Plus I don’t actually know how you go about innkeeping. Isn’t that what old time-served soldiers are supposed to do when they retire from the wars?’
‘In theory, yes, though generally it’s their wives and daughters that do the work.’ Athli grinned. ‘My uncle ran an inn for a while after he retired from the sea. He did very well, got bored, sold the place at a profit and bought another ship.’
‘Is that a hint? I’ll have you know I can’t swim.’
‘Neither could my uncle. The general idea is to avoid putting yourself in a position where you have to.’
Loredan shook his head. ‘Too dangerous,’ he said. ‘You’d have to be out of your mind to spend your life entirely surrounded by water.’
Athli wasn’t listening, being too busy eavesdropping on the conversation at the table behind them. Loredan scowled, then tried to listen too.
‘Don’t be so obvious,’ Athli hissed at him. ‘It’s embarrassing. ’
‘Look who’s talking. Go on, then, what’re they talking about that’s so interesting?’
‘You, actually. They’ve just come from the court.’
‘Oh.’
‘Foreigners.’
‘Ah. That would explain it.’
Loredan craned his neck and took a closer look. He saw a long, skinny man with a thin face and high cheekbones, and a girl who was almost certainly his twin sister. On her, the shared features looked rather better.
‘Don’t be silly,’ the man was saying. ‘If his sword hadn’t snapped like that he’d have carved your man up like a roast hare. Never seen a bigger fluke in all my born days.’
‘Venart-’
‘Not to mention a miscarriage of justice,’ the man continued. ‘He was totally outclassed in every department. The other man was just playing with him, could’ve finished it long before if he’d wanted to. Serves him right for taking pity on the old buffer, I suppose.’
‘Venart-’
‘Amazing, really, that he’s still fighting at his age. I mean, it’s supposed to be a highly competitive business, only the best survive and all that. Dammit, I could’ve made a better job of it than he did with one hand tied behind my-’
‘Venart, he’s sitting behind you.’
The man froze as if he’d just put his foot in a trap. Loredan found that he was looking the girl straight in the eyes. He turned away.