Page 127 (1/1)

Spink, in contrast, was short and wiry and had not shed his boyish proportions His nose was snub, his teeth a bit too large for his e for his wrists His uniform had been home-tailored frorow itsand stood up in defiant tufts on his head He looked like a reyhound The rest of us ide-eyed in silent apprehension

Gord’s intervention surprised all of us "Let it go, Spink," he counseled hiht in quarters"

Spink didn’t look away fro down if you want to, Gord, though I’ll own I don’t understand why you eat the dirt they throw But I’m not about to ser in his voice when he spoke to Gord shocked ry at Gord as he was at Trist Trist’s acidaway at Spink’s friendship with Gord

Gord kept his voice level as he answered Spink "Most of the by it, no more than we mean harm e call Rory ‘Cadet Hick’ or eare not going to be changed by anything I ht say or do to them I follow my father’s rule for command in this He told me, ‘Mark out which noncommissioned officers lead, and which ones drive fronore the herders They’ll do themselves in with no help fronet to bed, and the clearer our heads will be in the aze to Trist "Both of you"

Trist didn’t sit down Instead, he flipped his book shut on his papers with one disdainful finger "I have work to do And it’s obvious that I won’t be allowed to do it here at the study table in any sort of peace You’re being a horse’s ass, Spink, ht recall that you were the one shoving inkwells about and shaking the table and talking All I was trying to do was get id with fury Then I witnessed a remarkable show of self-control He closed his eyes for an instant, took a deep slow breath, and lowered his shoulders "Nudging your inkwell, shaking the table, and speaking to Gord were not intended to annoy you They were accidents Nonetheless, I see they could have been irritations to you I apologize" By the tishs of relief as aited for Trist to respond with his own apology Emotions I could not name flickered across the handsoled, but in the end, on out was not pretty His lip curled with disdain "That’s what I would expect fro" He finished picking up his books froht he would walk away and he did turn, but at the last moment he turned back "Once pays for all," he said sweetly, and with a graceful flick of his ers, he overturned the inkwell onto not only Spink’s paper but also his book

Gord righted the inkwell in an instant, snatching it away froood that he did so, for in the nextas Spink took two giant steps over the table to fling hiht drove them both to the floor in front of the hearth In half a breath, they were rolling and grappling We ringed the that would ordinarilyin a circle of their fellows I think every one of us atched knew that we suddenly had been catapulted to a decision place Spink and Trist were breaking Acade in quarters The rules of the Academy said that at least one of the combatants must be expelled and the other suspended, if not both expelled The rules stated that anyone witnessing such a fight eant Rufet By not i in the fight Every one of us standing there suddenly was risking his entireso

I expected Trist to end the conflict quickly He was taller and heavier than Spink, with a longer reach I braced to see Spink go flying and hoped there would be no blood I think if Trist had ever et to his feet, he would have made short work of my friend But to my astonishment, once Spink had Trist down, he quickly restrained him Trist, shocked to be borne down and then held facedown on the floor, first thrashed and then flailed like a landed fish "Let ht me like a man!"