two
wings, this place had enough rooms for several hundred troops without inconveniencing
the residents.
"Yes, Captain," he said,
somewhat reluctantly. ’If you will follow me." He led us to the right down
the hallway and stopped at the second door. "If you and Colonel Jarde will
wait here, the Prince will see you shortly. Your team will be in the West wing
drawing room."
The colonel opened the door and waved
me in. Governor Li Ho Lew’s estate had been large and lavish, but this made his
look like a rundown little shack in comparison. The hallway alone was filled
with paintings, statues, and expensive looking articles on pedestals. The room
was definitely blue where pictures, tapestry, or windows weren’t shielding the
wall. A variety of chairs and couches were placed around the perimeter of the
room, leaving the center open. The ceiling appeared to be a giant mural of
angels, or someone’s idea of them. The colonel remained standing, so I did. I
was still surveying the enormous room when a middle-aged man about my size
walked in accompanied by two tall, muscular men in black military clothing.
Colonel Jarde braced to attention and saluted.
"Captain Sapir, may I introduce
you to Prince Badal." Jarde said. I gave a small bow.
"Welcome, Captain Sapir. I have to
admit I was expecting you and your team to be men," he said as he stood
appraising me. "I contracted for the captain who was the Black Guard
commander at Lanzhou, so I assume that’s you." He continued to inspect me
while his two bodyguards stood behind him with smirks on their faces. On their
belts were what looked like multifunctional weapons.
"Yes, I commanded the Black Guard
at Lanzhou. In fact, half of my current team were at Lanzhou during the
incident."
"You reportedly killed over two
hundred rebels. What were the women’s… parts?"
"Men and women are equal in the
Black Guard. Each individual has earned the right to wear the red dragon and is
second to none," I said, amused as Badal and his guards wrestled with the
idea that a woman could be an elite Guard.
"How about a demonstration,
Captain? You and my private bodyguard, Dara," Badal said, nodding to the
man on his right, who was sneering or had stomach cramps.
"I don’t do demonstrations. They
prove nothing."
"They prove who the better man is.
Are you afraid you’ll lose?" Dara said, trying to sound belittling.
"Since Prince Badal has picked you
as his personal bodyguard, I have no doubt that you are good at what you do.
But the only proof that counts is if you can keep Prince Badal alive when he is
attacked. Unlike a match between two persons, there will be no notice, no
choice of weapons, and no artificial determination of winning. The Prince
either lives or dies. My teams and I are members of the Black Guard; therefore,
we have proven we’re qualified. Whether you or anyone else is qualified or not
means nothing to me," I said, preparing for some macho move from one of
them. Dara’s face broke into a smile as his hand slid towards his weapon. I hit
the release on my whip, and it dropped lose. The Prince’s face lost his amused
look.
"Prince Badal, I’ll wager I can
separate Dara’s head from his body before he can pull the trigger on that
weapon he’s considering drawing." I stood ready, watching no one but aware
of everyone in the room. "That includes your other guard if he
interferes."
Silence followed as Dara considered his
options, which weren’t good. If he backed down he would look foolish and admit
I was better, at least, in his mind. If he tried to kill me, he faced a Black
Guard with an unknown weapon and risked death. And if he killed me, what would
Badal think and would the Guard leave?
"Dara, relax. Captain Sapir, you
said matches prove nothing but you were quick to incite one." A smile spread
back on his round face.
"Prince Badal, I gave warning only
because you started the tension by suggesting a match, which encouraged Dara to
be aggressive. You seem to think
wings, this place had enough rooms for several hundred troops without inconveniencing
the residents.
"Yes, Captain," he said,
somewhat reluctantly. ’If you will follow me." He led us to the right down
the hallway and stopped at the second door. "If you and Colonel Jarde will
wait here, the Prince will see you shortly. Your team will be in the West wing
drawing room."
The colonel opened the door and waved
me in. Governor Li Ho Lew’s estate had been large and lavish, but this made his
look like a rundown little shack in comparison. The hallway alone was filled
with paintings, statues, and expensive looking articles on pedestals. The room
was definitely blue where pictures, tapestry, or windows weren’t shielding the
wall. A variety of chairs and couches were placed around the perimeter of the
room, leaving the center open. The ceiling appeared to be a giant mural of
angels, or someone’s idea of them. The colonel remained standing, so I did. I
was still surveying the enormous room when a middle-aged man about my size
walked in accompanied by two tall, muscular men in black military clothing.
Colonel Jarde braced to attention and saluted.
"Captain Sapir, may I introduce
you to Prince Badal." Jarde said. I gave a small bow.
"Welcome, Captain Sapir. I have to
admit I was expecting you and your team to be men," he said as he stood
appraising me. "I contracted for the captain who was the Black Guard
commander at Lanzhou, so I assume that’s you." He continued to inspect me
while his two bodyguards stood behind him with smirks on their faces. On their
belts were what looked like multifunctional weapons.
"Yes, I commanded the Black Guard
at Lanzhou. In fact, half of my current team were at Lanzhou during the
incident."
"You reportedly killed over two
hundred rebels. What were the women’s… parts?"
"Men and women are equal in the
Black Guard. Each individual has earned the right to wear the red dragon and is
second to none," I said, amused as Badal and his guards wrestled with the
idea that a woman could be an elite Guard.
"How about a demonstration,
Captain? You and my private bodyguard, Dara," Badal said, nodding to the
man on his right, who was sneering or had stomach cramps.
"I don’t do demonstrations. They
prove nothing."
"They prove who the better man is.
Are you afraid you’ll lose?" Dara said, trying to sound belittling.
"Since Prince Badal has picked you
as his personal bodyguard, I have no doubt that you are good at what you do.
But the only proof that counts is if you can keep Prince Badal alive when he is
attacked. Unlike a match between two persons, there will be no notice, no
choice of weapons, and no artificial determination of winning. The Prince
either lives or dies. My teams and I are members of the Black Guard; therefore,
we have proven we’re qualified. Whether you or anyone else is qualified or not
means nothing to me," I said, preparing for some macho move from one of
them. Dara’s face broke into a smile as his hand slid towards his weapon. I hit
the release on my whip, and it dropped lose. The Prince’s face lost his amused
look.
"Prince Badal, I’ll wager I can
separate Dara’s head from his body before he can pull the trigger on that
weapon he’s considering drawing." I stood ready, watching no one but aware
of everyone in the room. "That includes your other guard if he
interferes."
Silence followed as Dara considered his
options, which weren’t good. If he backed down he would look foolish and admit
I was better, at least, in his mind. If he tried to kill me, he faced a Black
Guard with an unknown weapon and risked death. And if he killed me, what would
Badal think and would the Guard leave?
"Dara, relax. Captain Sapir, you
said matches prove nothing but you were quick to incite one." A smile spread
back on his round face.
"Prince Badal, I gave warning only
because you started the tension by suggesting a match, which encouraged Dara to
be aggressive. You seem to think
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