Flinx Transcendent_ A Pip & Flinx Adventure - Alan Dean Foster [77]
He tried to envision the heads of two major companies or great trading families engaging in hand-to-hand combat on the floor of the Earth's center of government, with representatives from other worlds quietly looking on. AAnn custom ran old and deep, he reflected somberly.
Neither fighter was young. Both were experienced. Tails switching robustly from side to side, teeth bared, clawed hands upraised, they circled one another as each searched for an opening, an advantage, a misstep on the part of his opponent.
“Kwarranssk,” Eiipul hissed, “did you not sshare the experience of the menace? Are you blind to the danger that threatenss uss all?”
“It iss all nothing more than a sscheming trick of the ssoftsskin'ss!” The attacker was adamant. “Why do you intervene on itss behalf?”
“Did you not hear the pronouncement of the venerable Navvur?” Eiipul's powerful leg muscles were taut, ready to launch him at his adversary any second. His opponent was no less prepared.
“Even one sso gifted as the revered Navvur may be fooled,” the attacker growled. “No ssentient iss immune to clever deception.” Eyes full of fury flicked in Flinx's direction. “The ssoftsskin sseekss only to make hiss esscape by meanss of a clever ssubterfuge.” Peering at the surrounding, encircling crowd, the frothing noble beseeched his peers.
“We know nothing of what thiss intruder hass learned of Blasussarr, of our sstrengthss and weaknessess here! To let him go free without further ressearching the truth of hiss assertionss iss worsse than foolissh.” Returning his full attention to the attentive Eiipul, he concluded, “To harbor ssuch a sspy consstitutess treasson!” Then he launched himself.
Tails flailing, teeth and claws flashing, they slammed together in the space that had been cleared for them. The ritual clash differed little from those Flinx had encountered every day on the central sand-paved walkways of Krrassin. What was different this time was that far more than status was at stake. Talons slashed at eyes, teeth snapped at arteries, and mini-sonic booms echoed as tails snapped at exposed faces.
The razored claws of Eiipul's opponent ripped scales loose, gouging bloody gashes in his flanks. Ignoring the lacerations, Eiipul sought a firmer, deadlier grip. Closing around his rival's throat, the noble's jaws clamped shut. Blood fountained, staining both combatants and the beautiful floor.
An utterly barbaric and uncivilized exhibition, humans of comparable age and standing would have declared while turning away in revulsion. Until one of them was forced into a similar situation, Flinx knew. He had seen too much, experienced too much, to be lulled as were so many of his “civilized” species into thinking otherwise. Given the right circumstances and motivation, any pair of suitably antagonistic humans would quickly find themselves reduced to a similarly primordial style of combat. The only difference between them and the thrashing, grappling AAnn was a lack of sharp teeth, claws, and tail.
It was all over in a couple of minutes. Tail whipping slowly from side to side as he wiped at his bloodstained jaws, Lord Eiipul rose and stepped back. Blood gushing from the torn arteries in his opponent's neck began to pool on the gem-encrusted floor. Pushing their way to the front, a pair of medical techs bent over the gravely injured attacker. Only advanced technology allowed them to stanch the bleeding in time to save the nye's life. Breathing hard, Eiipul expressed his gratitude to them.
“Better that one doess not die,” he explained to Flinx as his seriously wounded adversary was hustled away through the crowd. “Were he to do sso it would mean a sseriouss feud between hiss family and mine.” Eyes afire with the aftermath of bloodlust, he looked back at Flinx. “That