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History buff that he was, Sanized many of the weapons: the famous claymore, the Scottish two-handed broad-sword; a bardiche, a Russian poleax; a short, curved French falchion; a shamshir, a Persian saber; an ivory-handled Omani khanjar; the Japanese katana, the samurai’s weapon of choice; the classic Roladius

Still others were new to hi throwing ax known as the Mammen; a ruby-inlaid Moroccan koummya

Reinal, is it?”

“What’s that?”

“Aa knife collection It would have been soif this case were filled with porcelain dolls”

They reached the far end of the case, rounded the corner, and paused to adyptian khopesh Fro of voices Through the length of the glass case Saure entered the room

“The shark has arrived,” Remi murmured

“And here I am without my bucket of poison chum,” Sam said

Speaking in lightly accented English, Hadeon Bondaruk’s deep basso voice filled the rooentleme

n I can see by your expressions you find ”

Shoulders back, hands clasped behind his back like a general inspecting a line of soldiers, Bondaruk strolled down the side of the case “The tools of war often have that effect As so-called civilized people we try to pretend we’re not captivated by death and violence, but it’s in our geneticfor survival”

Bondaruk stopped and looked around as though daring anyone to disagree with hiuests, he wore not a tuxedo, but a pair of black trousers and ablack silk shirt He was a leanblack eyes, and thick black hair tied into a short ponytail He looked ten or fifteen years younger than his reported age of nearly fifty

He paid no attention to his guests, all of who hied froht fear to curiosity

Bondaruk stopped and tapped the glass before hier,” he said to no one in particular “The traditional weapon of the Malay Beautiful, with its wavy blade, but not very practical More for cereain “Here’s a fine piece: the Chinese dao Perhaps the best melee weapon ever produced”

He continued on, stopping every few feet to hold forth on another weapon, offering either a brief history lesson or his personal impression of the weapon’s efficacy As he neared the end of the case, Sa with hi with their backs to the wall Bondaruk, his face reflected in the glass, turned the corner and stopped to admire a six-foot-tall halberd He stood less than six feet away now