"Recant your words," Broadhoof warned grimly. "My quarrel is not with you."
"Wrong. Your quarrel is with me. Not tomorrow, or the day after, but now. I personally assume whatever blame you assigned to this boy, I support and restate every insult he uttered, and I offer the following terms. We duel. Now. If you kill me, the matter of the boy is settled. If I best you, the matter of the boy is settled. Either way, all debts end up paid. And you get the opportunity to resolve this with a man instead of through a senseless mockery."
"A mockery?" Seth asked, sounding offended.
"Not now," Patton muttered out of the side of his mouth.
"Very well," Broadhoof said. "Without forgetting the good you have done for my kind, I acknowledge your challenge, Patton Burgess. Slaying you will bring me no joy, but I will consider all debts to my honor paid."
"I requested the duel," Patton said. "Choose your weapon." Broadhoof hesitated. He consulted briefly with Cloudwing. "No weapons."
Patton nodded. "Boundaries?"
"Within the hedge," Broadhood said. "Excluding the woodwork and the pond."
Patton surveyed the area. "You want some room to run. I can live with that. I am sure you will forgive me if I fail to make use of all the space provided."
"We must clear the field," Cloudwing said.
Patton looked at Doren. "Get the dwarfs to move up onto the boardwalk. And strike these tents."
"You got it, Patton." Doren ran off.
"When the field is clear," Cloudwing said, "I will signal the commencement of combat."
Broadhoof and Cloudwing cantered away.
"Can you take him?" Seth asked.
"I've never tested myself against a centaur in mortal combat," Patton admitted. "But I was unwilling to discover whether you would have survived. In this predicament, we had a single certitude-mercy would not have come to your rescue. Centaurs have let important wars pass them by without lending a hand, but insult their honor, and they fight to the death."
"But if you die, you won't be able to return to your own time!" Seth exclaimed. "History will be changed!"
"I'm not aiming to lose," Patton said. "And if I do, at this point in time, my life is over and done with-I don't feature how what happens now can change what already happened." "Because if you don't return, what already happened will never happen!" Seth cried.
Patton shrugged. "Maybe. Too late to back out now. Guess I better focus on winning. When jumping is the sole option..."
"... you jump," Seth finished.
"Kendra," Patton said, "I suppose you have been told that you shine like an angel."
"By fairies," Kendra said.
"Does your brother know?"
"Yes."
"You are more than fairystruck. Could you be fairykind?"
"It's supposed to be a secret," she said.
"Would be for most eyes," Patton said. "And I thought being fairystruck was an accomplishment! Seth, never let your opinion of yourself get inflated. There is always somebody out there to humble you!"
"You were fairystruck?" Kendra asked.
"One of my little secrets," Patton said. "We will have much to catch up on if I live through this."
A group of satyrs had already struck Kendra's tent. Another was tearing down the big one. A huge team of them had invaded the dwarfish encampment.
"I've never seen the satyrs work so hard," Kendra remarked.
"They will do almost anything for sport," Patton said. "The field will be clear in no time. You had better go find a place to watch."
"Why didn't Broadhoof want to use his sword?" Seth asked.
Patton grinned. "He knows how much I like using swords."
"It isn't fair," Kendra complained. "He has hooves."
Patton patted her shoulder. "Pray for me."
"Good luck," Seth said. "Thanks."
"My pleasure," Patton said. "I can always use an extra feather in my cap. I just regret missing the original exchange! A boy your age criticizing a centaur would be a sight worth seeing!"
Kendra and Seth set off toward the boardwalk.
"If you get Patton killed, I'll never forgive you," she seethed.
"He knows how to handle himself," Seth replied.
"You haven't seen the centaurs in action," Kendra said. "I don't want to watch this."
As Kendra and Seth took up positions on the boardwalk, the satyrs cleared the last of the tents from the field. Kendra noticed one satyr toting a reluctant dwarf under one arm. She glanced back at the pond, but no naiads had surfaced. What would Lena think if she knew Patton was here, not a photograph, but the actual man in his prime?
Walking toward the boardwalk, Patton waved at the onlookers. Cheering satyrs and dryads returned the gesture. He seemed to be positioning himself in order to give everyone a good view of the fight.
Cloudwing trotted toward the boardwalk with a regal bearing. He raised a muscular arm. "The contest between Patton Burgess and (he made a strange, braying sound) will commence on my mark. Stand ready. Go." He dropped his arm.
Broadhoof came loping across the field, face stern, massive muscles rippling. Patton stood his ground, hands at his sides. Broadhoof increased his speed to a furious gallop. "Prepare to defend yourself, human!" Broadhoof roared.
Kendra fought the urge to turn away. Patton looked small and defenseless as the raging centaur bore down on him. He was going to be flattened! At the last second, Patton skipped to the side with the nonchalance of a matador and the centaur raced past him.
Broadhoof wheeled around for a second charge. "I am not here to dance," the centaur declared. If anything, Broadhoof came at Patton even faster the second time. Patton feinted to the left. When Broadhoof swerved, Patton stepped in the other direction. As Broadhoof thundered past him, Patton swiveled and punched the centaur squarely in the flank.
The blow knocked the centaur crooked. With pain etched on his features, Broadhoof stumbled badly, narrowly avoiding a fall. The spectators groaned empathetically, then applauded, the satyrs in particular hooting their approval.
Broadhoof slowed and turned. Fixing Patton with a murderous glare, the centaur walked toward him. Straightening his shirt, Patton calmly awaited his arrival. When Broadhoof drew near to Patton, he reared, lashing out with his sharp hooves. Patton backed away just enough to stay out of range.