ead down, hands reaching.
It was a ferocious thing to see. Smith could hear the gasps of
anticipation as he waited.

* * * * *

Smith chopped down with cupped hands as he stepped aside. He brought his
knee up into Sog-chafka's face and the instructor spun crazily across
the mat, his body sinking lower and lower and finally sliding forward on
his belly and lying there without moving at all. "Brute strength," Smith
said, "is what you want on Wortan."

Smith glanced at Geria. "As you said earlier, Geria, there's something
glorious about fighting tooth and nail. That's what you said."

Smith's foot was jerked from under him as Kard heaved. Smith's heavy
body thudded on the mat. Before he could twist around, Kard's powerful
arm was around his throat. Smith's wind was cut off. He felt his eyes
bulge, and he knew that Kard would kill him. "I think, Earthsmith, it
only right you should come down here with me!"

Smith put his right hand under Kard's right elbow. He clenched Kard's
right wrist with the other hand. He pushed up with his right hand,
heaved down with his left. Kard screamed a second time as his elbow
popped.

He had to let go or his arm would break, so he let go. As Kard rolled
free, Smith aimed for that vital point just to the left of the tip of
Kard's chin. The back of Kard's head thudded on the mat, his eyes rolled
up.

Smith got to his feet. He could hear Jorak of Gyra yelling. "He used
psi! He used psi!"

Smith hated to acquire another headache, but he felt this had to be
done. He concentrated on Jorak who started to sweat. Then Jorak came
down to the mats and began to writhe and hop around in a weird and
formless dance. Round and round the mats Jorak danced, his face working
fitfully.

Sog-chafka was on one knee. His face was swelling and blood ran from his
chin. He grinned and a broken tooth fell out. He looked up at the row of
spectators. "He didn't use any psi on me. I guess you could say it
wasn't necessary."

There was no applause from the spectators. There was a kind of bitter
ferment working, a wonderment and a suspicion and a dull kind of shock
that blanks out facing unpleasant truths.

Smith started past the first row, then stopped and looked down at the
woman. He'd miss her, she had seen to that, and she had only been
jesting. He'd think of how it might have been, at another time, in
another way--but he'd forget in time. You forgot and you grew.
Especial