Jellico was taller than the Eysie who faced him, but almost as lean. Hard
muscles moved under his skin, pale where space tan had not burned in the
years of his star voyaging. And his every movement was with the liquid
grace of a man who, in his time, had been a master of the force blade.
Now he gripped in his left hand the claw knife given him by Groft himself
and in the other he looped the throwing rope of the net.
At the other end of the field, the Eysie man was industriously moving his
bootsoles back and forth across the ground, intent upon coating them with
as much of the gritty sand as would adhere. And he displayed the supreme
confidence in himself which he had shown at the moment of challenge in
the Great Hall.
None of the Free Trading party made the mistake of trying to give Jellico
advice. The Captain had not risen to his command without learning his
duties. And the duties of a Free Trader covered a wide range of knowledge
and practice. One had to be equally expert with a blaster and a slingshot
when the occasion demanded. Though Jellico had not fought a Salariki duel
with net and knife before, he had a deep memory of other weapons, other
tactics which could be drawn upon and adapted to his present need.
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