Trading in Futures by Steve Miller, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
Authors: Steve Miller, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
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think you will? Lord
yos'Phelium has made his choice. Plainly, he is a man who stands by
his decisions, no matter how foolish they may appear. I would
counsel you to do the same."
"Lord yos'Phelium," said the Master of Duel,
"choose your weapons."
Daav stepped forward, knelt in the grass and
picked up the first balloon. It was not quite as firm as he wished
and he set it aside. The second pleased him and he cradled that one
in his arm. The third...
"Will you hurt him?" Kesa asked from his
side. He glanced at her, unsmiling.
"I do not think these will hurt him, though
that is always a danger, in a duel."
"But you will make him ridiculous," said
Kesa. "Jen Dal hates to be laughed at."
"Many people do," Daav said, finding his
third weapon in the seventh balloon. He tucked it neatly in the
cradle of his left arm and rose to his feet. Stand clear of the
firing range, Lady Kesa. Of your kindness."
She hesitated a moment longer, throwing one
of her disconcertingly direct looks at his face. Then she bowed,
simply, as between equals, and walked sedately to her father's
side, in the first rank of spectators.
Daav waited while his opponent randomly
picked his weapons, then stomped to the center of the field, the
balloons wriggling and threatening to leap from his ineptly crossed
arms.
The dueling master held his hands over his
head.
"The contestants will count off six paces
each, turn and stand steady. First shot to the challenged. A hit is
counted only on a strike to the body of one's opponent. The affair
is finished when each contestant has expended his ammunition. The
win goes to the contestant who has taken the least hits, or to he
who draws first blood. In case of tie, Lady yo'Lanna shall decide
the victor." He lowered his hands and stepped back.
"Gentlemen, turn. Count off. One! Two!
Three! Four! Five! Six! Turn! Lord yos'Phelium, fire at will."
Deftly, Daav plucked a balloon from the
cradle of his arm, gauged its flow, probable spin and mass--and
threw.
The balloon elongated, caught up with
itself, tumbled once and hit Jen Dal's tunic, dead center, with a
satisfying splat. Someone in the crowd laughed, and quickly
stopped.
"This is a farce!" shouted Jen Dal.
"It is a duel," the master returned sternly.
"Attend, if you please, sir. The shot is yours."
Jen Dal clumsily tipped his balloons onto
his off-hand, snatched one free, holding it firmly--as it happened,
a bit too firmly, for the sphere exploded, showering him with
water.
Ignoring the resulting curses, the dueling
master looked to Daav, who sent his next balloon high into Jen
Dal's left shoulder.
The dueling master had scarcely given his
sign before the sodden young man had snatched up his second
balloon--somewhat less robustly--and hurled it in Daav's
direction.
It was a good throw, only missing by twelve
or fifteen inches.
Daav weighed his last balloon in his hand
and considered deloping.
"A duel with toys and water," Jen Dal
del'Fordan called from his position. "Korval takes good care that
it spills no blood for honor."
The balloon was airborne before Daav had
taken conscious thought. It sped, hard and true, and struck his
opponent precisely in the nose.
Jen Dal howled, dropped his remaining
balloon and bent double, both hands rising to his face. Med-techs
rushed in from the sidelines and the dueling master raised his
hands above his head.
"Lord yos'Phelium has drawn first blood! The
duel is done!"
* * *
"HOWEVER DID YOU hit upon water balloons?"
his mother inquired some time later, in the privacy of Jelaza
Kazone's upstairs parlor.
"Something I read of Terran custom," Daav
said hazily. "You know what Scouts are, ma'am!"
"Indeed I do," she replied, sipping wine and
looking out into the peaceful night-time garden.
Abruptly, she turned from the window. "Daav,
I am persuaded you did right to speak to the Delm about your
worthiness to stand Korval."
He froze, heart rising into his throat. She
had seen! Observing the duel with Korval's Own Eyes, she
yos'Phelium has made his choice. Plainly, he is a man who stands by
his decisions, no matter how foolish they may appear. I would
counsel you to do the same."
"Lord yos'Phelium," said the Master of Duel,
"choose your weapons."
Daav stepped forward, knelt in the grass and
picked up the first balloon. It was not quite as firm as he wished
and he set it aside. The second pleased him and he cradled that one
in his arm. The third...
"Will you hurt him?" Kesa asked from his
side. He glanced at her, unsmiling.
"I do not think these will hurt him, though
that is always a danger, in a duel."
"But you will make him ridiculous," said
Kesa. "Jen Dal hates to be laughed at."
"Many people do," Daav said, finding his
third weapon in the seventh balloon. He tucked it neatly in the
cradle of his left arm and rose to his feet. Stand clear of the
firing range, Lady Kesa. Of your kindness."
She hesitated a moment longer, throwing one
of her disconcertingly direct looks at his face. Then she bowed,
simply, as between equals, and walked sedately to her father's
side, in the first rank of spectators.
Daav waited while his opponent randomly
picked his weapons, then stomped to the center of the field, the
balloons wriggling and threatening to leap from his ineptly crossed
arms.
The dueling master held his hands over his
head.
"The contestants will count off six paces
each, turn and stand steady. First shot to the challenged. A hit is
counted only on a strike to the body of one's opponent. The affair
is finished when each contestant has expended his ammunition. The
win goes to the contestant who has taken the least hits, or to he
who draws first blood. In case of tie, Lady yo'Lanna shall decide
the victor." He lowered his hands and stepped back.
"Gentlemen, turn. Count off. One! Two!
Three! Four! Five! Six! Turn! Lord yos'Phelium, fire at will."
Deftly, Daav plucked a balloon from the
cradle of his arm, gauged its flow, probable spin and mass--and
threw.
The balloon elongated, caught up with
itself, tumbled once and hit Jen Dal's tunic, dead center, with a
satisfying splat. Someone in the crowd laughed, and quickly
stopped.
"This is a farce!" shouted Jen Dal.
"It is a duel," the master returned sternly.
"Attend, if you please, sir. The shot is yours."
Jen Dal clumsily tipped his balloons onto
his off-hand, snatched one free, holding it firmly--as it happened,
a bit too firmly, for the sphere exploded, showering him with
water.
Ignoring the resulting curses, the dueling
master looked to Daav, who sent his next balloon high into Jen
Dal's left shoulder.
The dueling master had scarcely given his
sign before the sodden young man had snatched up his second
balloon--somewhat less robustly--and hurled it in Daav's
direction.
It was a good throw, only missing by twelve
or fifteen inches.
Daav weighed his last balloon in his hand
and considered deloping.
"A duel with toys and water," Jen Dal
del'Fordan called from his position. "Korval takes good care that
it spills no blood for honor."
The balloon was airborne before Daav had
taken conscious thought. It sped, hard and true, and struck his
opponent precisely in the nose.
Jen Dal howled, dropped his remaining
balloon and bent double, both hands rising to his face. Med-techs
rushed in from the sidelines and the dueling master raised his
hands above his head.
"Lord yos'Phelium has drawn first blood! The
duel is done!"
* * *
"HOWEVER DID YOU hit upon water balloons?"
his mother inquired some time later, in the privacy of Jelaza
Kazone's upstairs parlor.
"Something I read of Terran custom," Daav
said hazily. "You know what Scouts are, ma'am!"
"Indeed I do," she replied, sipping wine and
looking out into the peaceful night-time garden.
Abruptly, she turned from the window. "Daav,
I am persuaded you did right to speak to the Delm about your
worthiness to stand Korval."
He froze, heart rising into his throat. She
had seen! Observing the duel with Korval's Own Eyes, she
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