“But you turned the voice off. I saw you do this.”
“She can still hear me.”
“Even though she is not here? Is she a God, then?”
“Yes, I suppose you could say Martha is like a God,” Tedra said bitterly, and added in a Kystrani aside, “Don’t choke laughing over that one, you farden traitor.” Then, to the barbarian again, “She could make me disappear if she chose to, or send me down a male who would pass for the protection you say I need. She obviously chooses to do neither, but to leave me to deal with you myself.”
Doubt was writtenallover him, telling her he didn’t believe a word of that. “I had thought you from Ba-Tar-ah in the far north, but the Ba-Tar-ahi speak as we do. From what country do you come, woman, that your other words have no meaning? From this Sha-Ka’ari you have spoken of?”
“Sha-Ka’ari is your language, my big friend, not mine. I come from Kystran, not another country here, but another planet. I’m here to trade with your people, to offer them the wonders of my world.”
“Another planet.” He grinned, and Tedra knew he still wasn’t buying any of it. “How does one come from another planet?”
“In a spaceship,” Tedra gritted out, then added much louder, “Which Martha could show you if she’d just realize I’mmaking a breakthrough here.”
“The Kystran woman has a talent for storytelling.” The barbarian chuckled. “I am not displeased. I will look forward to more of your amusing tales.”
“Damn it, I really am here to trade—and maybe hire some mercenaries if some of you warriors are interested. I need to speak with yourshodan.Can’t you at least hold off with this claiming nonsense until I’ve had a chance to prove—”
He waved her to silence. “A woman would not be entrusted with such a task, with trade or the hiring of warriors. Too long have you worn these warrior’s clothes, I think. They have let you believe you can do as you please, but such is not so.”
He didn’t tell her to remove them again. His arm stretched out toward her, intending to grasp her hand to bring her to him so he could see to the matter himself. But Tedra wasn’t having any of that. She caught his arm in both hands and tugged, dropped back for the pull, and raised her legs to help send the barbarian flying over her head. It worked, even with his colossal weight, but only because she’d used the additional kick of her legs. She was on her feet the moment the move was completed. The barbarian was now flat on his back.
He stayed like that for about ten seconds, then sat up and looked over his shoulder at her. He didn’t look mad. He didn’t look surprised either. She had a suspicion the barbarian rarely showed what he was feeling.
“I am going to assume, woman, that you knew not what you were about.”
“You can do that, but I wouldn’t recommend it. There’s more where that came from.”
“Then you have challenged me.” It wasn’t a question, and he gave a short bark of laughter before he got to his feet. “By the stones of gaali, you have solved the problem of your own resistance.”
“I have?” she said blankly, then, “Wait a minute. I’m not challenging you, barbarian. All I did was defend my right to keep the clothes on my back.”
“A claimed woman has no rights, and you have indeed challenged me. I now accept the challenge. The choice of weapons is mine.”
He was serious, she realized, and had a sinking feeling there was no way out of it. He saw this as the answer to some problem he had faced and was absolutely delighted that she’d solved it for him.
“I suppose you’re going to hack me to pieces with that sword of yours?”
He merely grinned at her. “You could not even lift a warrior’s sword,kerima,if there was one here for your use. No, I will choose weaponless combat, of which you appear to have some knowledge.”
It was Tedra’s turn to grin. “If you insist.”
He was not expecting such easy compliance. “You understand the outcome of a challenge?”
“No, but I’m sure you’re dying to tell me.”
He grunted at her nonchalance. “The victor can demand death or service of the defeated one. No other thing can he demand.”
“In other words, the loser can’t buy his way free of this service, should service be chosen?”
“There is no avoidance of service if it is chosen.”
“What if the loser just simply refuses to go along with it?”
“He would be shamed with the loss of his rights. Most times his hand is cut off, so he can never issue challenge again that he does not intend to honor.”
“Who decides that, the victor?”
