ting
fed up with the airs of Sov officers; caste lines were over here, if
anything, more strictly drawn than at home.

Joe came to his feet on recognizing his visitor and answered the
other's bow. "Colonel Kossuth," he said.

Bela Kossuth clicked heels. He held the case before him, opened it.
Two heavy fighting knives lay within. Joe looked at them, then into
the other's face.

Kossuth said, "Frankly, major, your somewhat unorthodox selection of
weapons has been confusing. However, we have located two Bowie knives.
Since it is assumed that the two gentlemen opponents are not
thoroughly familiar with, ah, Bowie knives, it has been suggested that
each be given his blade at this time."

Joe got it now. Sandor Rakoczi hadn't become the most celebrated
duelist in the Sov-world by making such mistakes as underrating his
opponents. The weapon was new to him. He wanted the opportunity to
practice with it. It was all right with Joe.

Kossuth clicked his heels again. "Our selection, unfortunately, is
limited to two weapons. Since you are the challenged, Captain Rakoczi
insists you take first choice."

Joe shrugged and took up first one, then the other. It had been some
time since he had held one of the famous frontier weapons in his
hands. When still a sergeant in the Category Military, he had once
become close companions with an old pro whose specialty was teaching
hand-to-hand combat. Over a period of years, he and Joe had been
comrades, going from one fracas to another as a team. He had taught
Joe considerable, including the belief that of all blade hand weapons
ever devised, the knife invented by Jim Bowie, whose frontier career
ended at the Alamo, was the most efficient.

Joe ran his eyes over the blades carefully. On the back of one was
stamped, _James Black, Washington, Arkansas_. Joe had found what he
was looking for, however, he pretended to examine the other knife as
well, ignoring the Sheffield, England stamp of manufacture.

[Illustration]

The Bowie knife: Blade, eleven inches long by an inch and a half wide,
the heel three eighths of an inch thick at the back. The point at the
exact center of the width of the blade, which curved to the point
convexly from the edge, and from the back concavely, both curves being
as sharp as the edge itself. The crossguard was of heavy brass, rather
than steel and a further backing of brass along the heel, up to the
extent where the curve toward the point began. Brass, whi