Ariel by Steven R. Boyett Page A

and spun, clutching his shoulder. He tried to pull out the dart and couldn't; it was wedged in the socket and probably against bone. He ran away. In the confusion he must have managed to pull himself over the fence one-handed. We didn't see him again, anyhow.
    Russ Chaffney, meanwhile, had engaged the hatchet-bearer. He blocked the man's powerful swings successfully with the baseball bat, holding it with both hands and catching the hatchet on the handle, just beneath the blade. He couldn't counter, though; the heavy blade didn't give him time to swing. Asmodeus had taken wing and was trying to get in at the man's eyes, but he was slashing too wildly. As Russ kept trying to get in on him the man backed out of range.
    Malachi's fight with the broadsword bearer took exactly two moves. His opponent aimed a powerful stroke at Malachi's head. Malachi brought the sword straight up from its low guard position and cut through the man's wrists. The hands fell to the ground, still clutching the heavy broadsword. Without hesitating, Malachi brought the sword back, stepped in, and crosscut through the man's neck. The head rolled. Spurting blood caught Malachi across the waist as the body fell.
    Russ blocked his opponent's hatchet once more, this time pulling back on the bat as he did. Wedged under the blade, the tug brought the man off balance. Russ kicked him in the stomach as he fell forward. He let out an empty-sounding whuff! and lost his grip. The hatchet fell to the grass.
    Asmodeus clawed and screeched. The man brought his arms up to ward off the falcon and Russ's bat at the same time. Russ raised the bat and advanced. The man backed up and the point of Malachi's sword appeared almost magically through his chest. It made a ripping sound as it came through. The sword pulled back and he fell, hands twitching randomly.
    It was over. Not ten seconds had gone by. I looked at the blood and bodies and vomited.
    Emilio got away.
     
    * * *
     
    I had to help Russ and Malachi with the bodies. I won't talk about that, if you don't mind.
    Malachi put the heads on his fence.
    "Getting pretty crowded up there," said Russ. There were now eight heads atop the black spikes.
    "There's plenty more room," I said heavily. "Besides, the fence goes all the way around the yard."
    Russ put his hands on his hips and cocked his head to one side. "What's the matter with you?"
    "Nothing. I'm always this cheerful when I kill people."
    Malachi looked at me. "You didn't kill anybody, Pete."
    "No. You did."
    "What did you expect?"
    I waved him off and turned away. "I don't know."
    "Was it the blood, Pete?" asked Ariel. "You didn't expect it to be like that, did you?"
    I shook my head.
    "Killing isn't clean," said Malachi. "You've killed before; you should know that."
    "Yeah, I've killed before. When I had to. But not like that."
    Malachi stood next to Russ. "Pete. Nobody said swords were bloodless. It's not lofty and chivalrous. You had this Errol Flynn movie in your head; you never stopped to think that when you cut somebody, he bleeds." He pulled out his blade and looked at it. He'd cleaned the blood off with a silk rag. "Swords aren't romantic, glorious things. They're messy."
    "You like it and you know it."
    "No. I love the artistry in knowing how to use a blade, in being good with one." He raised an eyebrow. "And yes, there can even be a certain artistry in killing a man with good technique. But I don't have to like it. And I don't."
    "Then why do you do it?"
    "Because my sword is what I know. Because I only use it in situations where it's kill or get killed. Not because I like it. Do you think it's any less right to kill a man with a sword than with a blowgun, just because one's bloody and the other isn't?"
    "It makes me sick."
    Russ put a strong hand on my shoulder. "Me, too. You get used to it. You have to."
    I looked at him in disgust. "Get used to it? I never want to have to."
    "You have to," he repeated firmly, "or you end up like that." He jerked his