It was over more quickly than I could have imagined. After they each threw a few punches that careened off their hardened torsos, and Digby missed with a kick, Delph got a chokehold on him. He lifted him full off the ground, spun around and delivered his opponent face first into the hard dirt. There was a crunching sound and Digby lay still.
Delph let go of Digby’s neck and rose. The referee checked Digby’s status and then waved over the Mendens, who hurried in with their bulky bags. While they were resuscitating Digby, the referee raised Delph’s hand to the sky and declared him the winner. I cheered louder than anyone. When Delph came back over, he was the old Delph again, the steely, disquieting look gone and replaced with a lopsided grin.
I gave him a hug, and when I drew my hand back, it was covered with blood. I looked up in horror at him.
‘’Tis Digby’s, not mine, Vega Jane.’
I glanced over at Digby, who was slowly sitting up, his face covered by a veil of blood and his nose cleanly broken.
Ten slivers later the first set of bouts was over.
The bell for the next bouts rang immediately after the fighters had gathered on their respective quadrants. Twenty hard-fought slivers later, more fighters were out of the Duelum, while their opponents had moved on.
Eventually, the final set of bouts was called, and it was my turn. I had seen on the competition board that I was the only female left. I took a long breath while Delph gripped my shoulder and gave me encouraging words.
‘He’s a soft Wug, he is,’ he told me. ‘Loon won’t know what hit him.’
I smiled weakly and nodded. ‘We can celebrate this night,’ I said.
But on the inside I was scared. There was no other way to describe it. Cletus had taken off his shirt. He was not as flabby as he used to be, with his body growing as much as it had. I had to concede that he was probably stronger than me, but the bloke was not tougher than me.
Loon grinned maliciously and puffed out his chest and flexed his arms while I stood rock still. Our referee appeared and told us the rules, of which there were precious few. One that did surprise me was that if you were forced out of your quadrant by your opponent, he was given a free blow to any part of your body. Why Delph had failed to mention that one, I had no idea. It was no wonder Wugs charged each other on the bell.
The referee stepped back.
Right before the bell was to ring, Cletus said, ‘If you pretend to faint, I’ll go easy on you. You’ll be able to see out of your eyes and chew your meal this night.’
‘Funny, I was just about to make you the same offer.’
His grin disappeared and was replaced with a determination I had seldom seen on his features. So much for my bravado.
I glanced over his shoulder and was not surprised to see Delph gazing anxiously at me. But I was startled to see that my brother was staring just as anxiously from the platform. To my left stood Cletus’s parents. Cacus Loon looked very confident. Hestia looked like she might be sick.
My heart was beating fast and I had no saliva left in my mouth. I felt like I had forgotten how to breathe. Before I realized it, the bell had rung, and Cletus came charging at me. I managed to block most of his first blows, but my arm instantly started swelling. I fell back, giving up precious ground of which Cletus took full advantage.
He swung a kick at my midsection that I just barely managed to avoid. But I was near the edge of the quadrant and if Cletus got a free shot on me, I seriously doubted I could withstand it. At the last instant I ducked under his blow, whipsawed around him and stood back up on the other side of him. He whirled and came at me.
‘What’s the matter, Vega – afraid to fight?’
I would have said something clever back, only my mouth was so dry all that came out was, ‘Aaaghmllff-prat.’
We danced around for a bit, each probing the other’s defences. I threw a few awkward punches, which he easily blocked. His confidence was growing by the sliver, I could tell. I swung a kick that he easily flicked away. He laughed.
But I had my plan and I bided my time. And then it came. He feinted with his right hand. I kept the grin from showing on my face as I pretended to block this blow. When he threw his left, I had already struck. I slammed the top of my head into his face, a move that Delph told me Wugs fighting in a Duelum quaintly termed a ‘Wormwood kiss’. As Cletus had done when I tricked him into revealing his fighting manoeuvres, he brought up his knee, aiming for my belly. However, my blow to his head having staggered him, Cletus’s strike was slow and off-target, allowing me to hook his leg with my arm. With all my strength I ripped upward on this limb. He flipped over backwards and landed on his head. Then I pounced. Scissoring my long legs around his torso and pinning his arms to his sides, I pounded away with my fists until Cletus, teary and wailing like a hungry baby Wug, screamed out that he was surrendering.
The referee quickly stepped in. When he tried to help Cletus up, he pushed him away, nearly causing the referee to fall. The referee lifted my hand in victory at the same time that Cletus punched me full in the face. I fell backwards and carried the referee down with me.
Cries of ‘Foul!’ and ‘Valhall for him!’ came from the crowd of Wugs.
Cacus Loon grabbed his enraged son by the arm and dragged him off the pitch while Delph raced over and lifted me off the ground.
‘Are you OK, Vega Jane?’ he asked anxiously.
I rubbed the blood off my mouth and nose and checked to make sure my teeth were all still there. They were, but I felt my eye swelling already. Despite all that, the biggest grin spread across my face.
‘I won, Delph,’ I gasped.
‘I know you did,’ he replied, grinning back.
With his help I staggered off the pitch. The first round was done. Only four more to go. With this thought, the grin slipped off my face. But only for a sliver. I had won after all. The first female to ever do so in a Duelum.
As I looked up at the platform, I saw John standing and clapping while Morrigone put her hands together once and then stopped. As we passed the betting circle, I saw Roman Picus giving what-for to Cacus Loon. My victory had apparently cost Roman dearly.
I was surprised when Delph went over to Roman and held out a tiny slip of parchment. Roman eyed him resentfully and then proceeded to count off ten coins and hand them to Delph. ‘Beginner’s luck,’ Roman said bitterly, casting a glance at me.
‘She won fair and square,’ replied Delph. ‘No luck about it. Har!’
As we walked off, I said, ‘You bet on me?’
‘Course I did.’
‘Delph, you’re unbelievable – you really are.’
‘And we’re also winners this light, Vega Jane.’
We were winners, both of us. I hadn’t felt this good in a really long time.
Even with a bashed-in face.
Later, Delph told me he planned to use his coins to treat us to a meal at a place on the high street called the Starving Tove. I had never eaten a meal out before. It was not something that a working Wug like myself could ever have considered.
Before setting out for the Starving Tove with Delph, I washed and put on the only other set of clothes I owned – a wool skirt that nearly reached the ground and a long-sleeved shirt made from amaroc hide that had belonged to my mother. I even found an old hat of hers from a pile of odds and ends in the corner. It was wide-brimmed and faded and looked, I’m sure, hideously old-fashioned. But I wanted to wear it that night more than anything I had ever owned. I ran cold water from the pipes over my eye, but it was still so puffy I could barely see out of it. I decided against using the Adder Stone to heal it. Wugs might get suspicious at such a speedy recovery.
Delph and I sat at a table in the back of the Starving Tove. Other Wugs sat at several tables nearer the front. I didn’t know if that was because we weren’t dressed as nicely, but it probably was. The other Wugs eating there – two of whom were members of Council – occasionally glanced over at us and then had whispered conversations.
Delph, who had
obviously noted this, said, ‘Everybody knows you now, Vega Jane.’
I focused on him. ‘What?’
‘Beat a male, didn’t you? Famous you are.’
I thought about this for a sliver or two and looked around at some of the Wugs who were staring at me. A couple smiled and nodded encouragingly. Maybe Delph was right.
When our food came, I couldn’t believe the abundance of it. I didn’t even pick up my fork. I just looked at the heaped plate in front of me. I whispered to Delph, ‘Do we just take a bit and then pass it on to the other tables?’
‘’Tis all yours, Vega Jane.’
‘Are you sure?’ I said incredulously.
‘Yup.’
‘But you’ve never been here, have you?’
‘Once.’
‘When?’ I demanded.
‘After I won a Duelum. Roman Picus took me here.’
‘Why would that lout take you anywhere?’
‘It was me first Duelum. I was the underdog. Picus bet many coins on me and won. So he treated me to a meal. Only thing I ever got from him, o’course.’
I looked down at the cornucopia of meats, vegetables, cheeses and breads, and licked my lips like a hungry canine. Which reminded me, I had to save some of this for Harry Two, who was patiently waiting outside on the cobblestones.
Thirty slivers later, I set down my fork and knife. I had my berry juice topped off and took a last long draught and rubbed my full belly. I then let out a long sigh and stretched like a feline after a nap. Delph grinned at me.
‘Good eating,’ he said.
‘You shouldn’t have, Delph. It cost a coin apiece. I saw the menu board out front.’
‘Coins you won me, so there.’
Well, I couldn’t really argue with that. And I had the bruises and cuts to show for it. I got a small bag from the server and put the rest of my meal in it for Harry Two.
Outside I gave him his meal right there, and he gobbled it up.
I turned to Delph. ‘Thanks for this.’
He smiled. ‘It was a good light.’
‘It was a great light. When will the next Duelum round be?’
‘Two lights.’
I groaned. I had thought there would be a longer interval.
‘When will we know who we have to fight?’
‘Next night.’
We walked back to my digs and sat in front of the empty fireplace.
It was night now and my eyes felt as heavy as stones.
Delph had clearly noted this, so he rose and we said our goodbyes. I watched him walk off down the Low Road until I could see him no longer. I closed the door and lay on my cot, Harry Two next to me. And then, exhausted, I closed my eyes and fell asleep.
My last waking thought was, I won!
40
A WAGER TO WIN
The next light at Stacks began with Newton Tilt, a tall, muscular, eighteen-session-old Dactyl coming over to me to congratulate me on my victory.
‘I’m glad you beat that bully Loon,’ he said with a wide smile. He lowered his voice. ‘You have a friend in the Tilt family, Vega, never fear. Done me heart good to see you tell Krone off like that.’
I smiled and thanked him and watched him walk off, my heart growing warm.
The next round of competitors would be posted at the first section of night. If I drew Delph, I didn’t know what I would do. I thought about us making a run for the Quag now. That would prevent them from taking my punishment out on Delph. Yet something held me back. Well, it was quite clear what was holding me back. I had given my word that I would fight my hardest in the Duelum. That had been my deal with Morrigone. She was not my favourite Wug. But a promise was a promise. I didn’t mind lying occasionally, particularly when it helped me survive. To go back on my word, though, that was something my grandfather never would have done. And neither would I.
I would never forget the look Thansius had given me when the marks were revealed on my skin. I just wanted to show him that, well, that I was an honourable, if not overly clean, Wug.
I looked up quickly when I spotted a shadow across my workstation.
Domitar was staring at me. I glanced up at him expectantly.
‘You did well last light, Vega – very well indeed.’
‘Thank you, Domitar.’
‘I won twenty coins on you, in fact,’ he added in a giddy tone.
I was very surprised by this, and my features must have revealed that.
He waved this look off. ‘I knew you would win. Cletus Loon is an even bigger idiot than his father.’ He toddled off, chuckling to himself.
The day passed by in a blur of boredom and toil, but finally I left Stacks and headed to my digs. En route, I was surprised to run into Delph. Then my surprise turned to shock because he was walking with the aid of a wooden crutch. There were pieces of wood tied around his leg to keep it supported and straight.
‘What happened to you?’ I said, eyeing his injured leg.
‘Creta broke loose from the wagon while we were loading it. Managed to catch the beast, but it broke my leg.’
‘But what about the Duelum?’
‘Tis over for me, Vega Jane.’
‘No it’s not. I can fix your leg in a jiffy, with the Adder Stone.’
He shook his head. ‘Menders already looked at my leg. They know it was broken. That’s why they splinted it up. How would it look if I showed up to fight all healed?’
I said slowly, ‘Oh, Delph, I am so very sorry.’
He cracked a grin. ‘Now you just have to win it, for both of us.’
The next light, I woke to find something licking my hand and I sat up and patted Harry Two on the head. When I looked outside my window, I saw Wugs streaming past in large numbers.
I took a sliver to realize what was going on. The Duelum! It was at second light. I was late. I jumped off my cot, nearly scaring Harry Two to death, and scrambled into the clothes I had let fall to the floor the night before. I stopped, looked down at Destin where I had also dropped it on the floor. With that I could defeat any Wug in the Duelum. One thousand coins. It was a lot of wealth, more than I would ever have. But it wasn’t the coins that mattered. Other Wugs would think highly of me if I were crowned champion.
Still I made no move to pick up Destin. I finally used my foot to edge the chain under my cot. I didn’t have to win the Duelum. I just had to fight my hardest. I also wanted to win fair and square. I was a liar, and a sometime thief, but apparently I had some morals.
It occurred to me that I had not checked the board last night to see who I would be fighting. I arrived as the bell sounded and looked quickly around. Was I in this set of bouts? I spotted the betting board and rushed over to it.
‘When do I fight?’ I cried out breathlessly to the Wug there collecting coins and doling out parchment in return. His name was Litches McGee. He was Roman Picus’s chief competitor when it came to the betting business, which was reason enough for me to deal with McGee, as I saw it.
He looked at me. ‘Second set of bouts, Vega, for the good it’ll do you,’ he said snidely.
Then I looked up at the betting board and saw there were fifty bets placed on my match. And not a single Wug had picked me to win. My gaze went across the wood to see who I would be fighting. When I saw the name, I realized why the odds on my victory were so poor – well, non-existent, to be precise.
Non. I was fighting blithering, bleeding Non.
McGee smiled at me. ‘Nae Cletus Loon this light, female. Say goodbye to that thousand coins, or me name’s Alvis Alcumus.’
I trembled with rage at his words. I stuck my hand in my pocket, pulled out the only coin I had and held it out to him.
He nodded approvingly. ‘You’re betting on Non, o’course. Make up for having your brains beat outta you. But with the odds so in favour of Non, it won’t be much you win.’
‘I’m betting on Vega Jane to win,’ I said with far more confidence than I felt.
‘You’re joshing, o’course,�
�� McGee said in an incredulous tone.
‘Give me the parchment with my name as winner,’ I said between clenched teeth.
He sighed, gave me a patronizing smile, wrote it out and handed it to me.
‘’Tis your coin. But like taking it from a nip of a Wug.’
‘Exactly what I was thinking about you,’ I retorted, but my spirits plummeted. That coin was my last. I had not a single bean to my name after that.
The first bouts this light went by more slowly than in the first round. The competition had become harder as the weakest fighters had already fallen. This gave me time to work myself up into a ball of nerves so tight I found I couldn’t even speak.
It didn’t help that word had got around that Delph had withdrawn from the Duelum. I knew his absence from the field would make Non a favourite to win, as he had narrowly lost to Delph in the last Duelum. This would only give that oaf more incentive to crush me, not that he needed any.
I walked around the pitch, swinging my arms and trying to keep loose. I wasn’t paying attention and knocked into something so hard that I fell back on the ground. When I looked up to see what I had hit, Non was staring down at me. And behind him was Cletus Loon, with his face all bandaged, several cronies of Cletus, and Ted Racksport.
Non wore his metal breastplate, the dent still there.
He smiled and bent down so only I could hear him when he spoke.
‘Luck dinnae strike twice, Vega. If I were you, I’d see to a bed at the Care before you step in the quad with me.’ He put a knuckled fist in my face and said in a loud voice, ‘Be sure and count all your teeth. That way you’ll know how many you have to pick up when I’m done with ya.’
Racksport, Cletus and his chums roared with laughter even as I picked myself up and walked off on jelly legs. I was wondering if I had time to go back to my digs and retrieve Destin when the bell for the second set of matches rang.
My mouth as dry as the bank of a dead river, I headed for my assigned quad. I had not previously looked up at the spectator platform, but now I did. Thansius was there, but there was no sign of John or Morrigone. Well, at least Morrigone wouldn’t have the satisfaction of seeing Non beat me senseless.
Vega Jane and the Secrets of Sorcery Page 20
