Page 14 (1/2)
In a way he was Mercurian surface gravity was alravity, and it was soray eyes, watching sharply, noticed every sway in Urteil&039;s body, every knotting of a suddenone&039;s balance were inevitable orking in a gravity to which one was unaccusto from foot to foot and side to side in a broken ly dancelike and corowled Urteil in exasperation "A Martian waltz?"
"Kind of," said Biged outward, and his bare knuckles slaering the big fellow
There was a gasp fro for Urteil to recover his balance
Urteil did so in a ry red splotch on his side and a sirier one on each cheekbone
His own arh a slap would be sufficient to fling this stinging insect out of his way forever
But the blow continued, dragging Urteil about Big- a fraction of an inch to spare, with the sure judgment of a perfectly co-ordinated body Urteil&039;s efforts to stop his follow-through left himan placed his foot on the seat of Urteil&039;s pants and shoved gently The recoil sent hi easily backward on the other foot, but Urteil went slowly forward on his face in grotesque slow hter from the side lines
One of the spectators called out, "Changed "
Urteil ain, and from the corner of his thick lips a viscid drop of saliva made its way down the corner of his chin
"Up the gravity!" he roared hoarsely "Get it to norh?"
"I&039;ll kill you I&039;ll kill you," Urteil shouted
"Go ahead!" Bigman spread his arms in mock invitation
But Urteil was not entirely beyond reason He circled Bigainly fashion He said, "I&039;ll get rab you anywhere, that piece gets torn off you"
"Grab away"
But there was an uneasy silence a barrel, his ar Ms balance, catching the rhythraceful and self-assured as a dancer, yet he looked pitifully sman seemed unworried He hopped forith a sudden stah in the air, and when Urteil lunged at the rising figure, Bigman lifted his feet and went down behind Ms adversary before the other could turn around
There was loud applause, and Bigrinned
He performed as alreat ar the side of Ms hand sharply down against the biceps
Urteil restrained a cry and whirled again
Urteilprovocations now Bigman, on the other hand, tried in every way he could to taunt and sting Urteil into a wildoff balance
Forward and away; quick, sharp blohich for all their flicking qualities carried a sting
But a new respect for Urteil was growing in the s it He wasoff the attack of a hunting dog And Big which could only hover at the outskirts, snap, snarl, and keep out of the reach of the bear&039;s paws
Urteil even looked like a bear with Ms large, hairy body, Ms small, bloodshot eyes, and his jowly, bristly face
"Fight, cobber," jeered Big the customers a show"
Urteil shook his head slowly "Cohtly, dashing in With flashing ht Urteil on the side of the jaw and was under his arm and away in almost the same movement
Urteil&039;s arm half moved, but it was too late and the ain," he said
Big under his other ar with a little bow to accept the roars of approval
"Try it again," said Urteil thickly
"Sure," said Bighly prepared He ht foot shot forward
Bigman doubled, or tried to, in ht and pinned brutally for a man yelped at the pressure
Urteil&039;s rapid man, with a quick, desperate shove at the other&039;s back, accelerated that moveravity, was not thrown forward as far and recoveredcluht shoulder was caught in one haht in the other They went down together
A groan went up al ashen-faced, cried out, "Stop the fight" in a croaking voice that went corip firh he were a feather Big of his own
Urteil ht you ise, tricking ravity Do you still think so?"
Biget at least one foot on the floor Or on Urteil&039;s kneecap, for his right foot rested momentarily on Urteil&039;s knee and that would have to do
Biged his body backward
Urteil swayed forward That was not dangerous for Urteil in itself, but his balancinghi that, shifted his weight and pushed hard forward
Urteil went down so suddenly that the spectators could not see hoas accoman wrenched half free
He was on his feet like a cat, with his right arht his left arht up his knee sharply against the other&039;s elbow
Urteil howled and his grip on Bigman loosened as he shifted position to keep his own arnition He wrenched his pinned hand corip on Urteil&039;s wrist His freed hand came down upon Urteil&039;s arrip now on Urteil&039;s left ar to his feet, and as he did so, Bigman&039;s body bowed and his backthe line of Urteil&039;s own man&039;s muscles, combined with the action of Urteil&039;s lift, carried that large body free of the ground in a slow ravity field
With his man whipped Urteil&039;s torso still farther upward, then let go, watching it as it went flailing in a parabolic arc that seerotesquely slow by Earth standards
They all watched and were all caught in the sudden change of gravity Earth&039;s full gravity snapped on with the force and speed of a blaster bolt, and Bigman went to his knees with a painful wrench on his twisted ankle The spectators also went down in a chorus of confused cries of pain and astonishliravity had caught hi him doith sharp acceleration His head struck a protecting stanchion of one of the generators a sharp, cracking blow
Big painfully to his feet, tried to shake sense into his addled brains He staggered and are of Urteil sprawled li at Urteil&039;s side