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fight was a cover for a move against Garth, who was not in the column of
march.
The mob in the arena waited, wondering where its favorite was, fearful that he
had left as mysteriously as he had arrived. The trumpet sounding the call for
the fighters echoed and half a million were now on their feet, watching as the
fighters for the second round of the second elimination stepped out onto the
field.
It ll be a setup. He won t let you off that field alive, Hammen said
gloomily.
You can always stay up here in the stands.
Like hell. I ve seen it through this far though only the Eternal knows why.
Well, let s get on with it, Garth announced, and he stood up, casting aside
the heavy cloak under which he had kept himself concealed. He pushed his way
through the stands and down to the barrier that marked the edge of the
fighting field and leaped over the wall, turning to help Hammen down.
Instantly half a dozen warriors raced toward him, assuming he was an overeager
fan. Garth turned to face them.
A wild cry of delight rose up from the audience, racing out from the point
where he was standing.
One-eye!
The guards slowed, coming to a stop, looking at him with openmouthed surprise.
Garth strode past them as if they were not there. The mob, taken by the fact
that he had been sitting with them, broke into thunderous applause as Garth
walked across the field to the circle assigned to him for the next match.
The circle was directly below Zarel s throne and Garth looked up at him,
smiling, and saying nothing.
Zarel stood up, gazing down with open hatred, and Garth turned his back in an
open display of contempt. The roaring of the mob redoubled.
He could kill you like this, Hammen shouted, trying to be heard above the
howling mob.
He doesn t have the guts to do it now, Garth said quietly as he stepped into
the neutral box. If he touches me now, half a million will storm this
field.
Put not your trust in the mob.
I don t, but I do trust their hatred of him.
His opponent, a young woman from Kestha, came forward and stepped into her
box, looking over
anxiously at Garth.
How do you declare this fight? the circle master asked, looking over at
Garth.
Spell match.
The circle master turned and looked back at the woman and she gave the same
reply.
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The fight was over in seconds. Even before she had drawn up sufficient mana
to mount a defense, Garth s mammoth had her pinned to the ground, the woman
looking up at the beast in wide-eyed terror.
She raised her hand in token of submission and Garth called the great beast
off and then conjured it out of existence. The circle master approached the
woman to take her spell offered in wager and Garth extended his left hand,
palm downward to indicate that he would not accept the wager, the crowd
roaring their approval at his chivalrous act.
He walked back calmly to the stands where the Bolk fighters sat. Many of them
looked at him with obvious suspicion, but Naru shouted with delight.
Good, I can still fight you. I thought you run away.
Garth laughed, and went over to a table set with fresh fruits, cheese, and
decanters of wine for the refreshment of the fighters, scooped up a handful of
pomegranates and, taking a jug of wine, went over to an empty seat, motioning
for Hammen to follow.
Kirlen, sitting upon her throne, looked down at him.
You missed the morning procession.
I thought it best for reasons of health.
Kirlen laughed coldly.
It would have been amusing to see how you handled it.
No sense in causing trouble.
Like last night?
Garth smiled and, saying nothing, settled down in his seat to watch the show.
The third elimination round started and he was called out immediately for the
next round, returning back to his seat less than half an hour later, this time
carrying a red spell of fireball taken from his unconscious opponent, the
crowd now at a hysterical pitch of excitement, even though it now took the
betting of a silver on One-eye to win back a copper.
With the end of the third elimination the noontime recess was called. In the
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