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.""Indeed," saidOxford.He gestured to Lucy."Stop gawping, girl, and get outof the way.Go about your duties or I'll have them take a cane to you."He had clearly taken Lucy to be a servant girl.Obviously, he could not tellone servant from another.This, as much as the threat of a caning, told Lucyeverything she wished to know aboutOxford 's treatment of his inferiors.Itsuited Lucy to be anonymous in front ofOxford 's men so she curtseyed andremoved herself to a corner.Oxfordstrolled arrogantly down the stairs."Hawkins, eh? I suppose you are oneof that noxious brood fromPlymouth.""I have the honour to be cousin to both John Hawkins and Francis Drake," saidWilliam, bowing."No honour, Captain, to be the cousin of pirates," saidOxford , with a sniff."And how do you propose to arrest me?"William smiled and raised his cutlass.Oxford walked down the stairs andraised his rapier."You men,"Oxford said to the sailors "back off and give usroom."Oxforddid not lack for courage, whatever other vices he had, thought William."Want us to shoot him down, sir?" asked the boatswain, who had no pretensionsto be a gentleman."No, I will deal with him," said William, who did have certain pretensions inthat direction.The two men took a stance andOxford immediately attacked.He was a tall manwith a long reach, which he ruthlessly exploited.After the first exchange,William knew that the aristocrat was an accomplished duellist.Oxford unleasheda complicated series of offensive manoeuvres.William was slow todisengage.Oxford slashed him across the arm, drawing blood.The earl drew backand saluted with his weapon."First blood to me, Captain."'Lucy, your captain is being outfought,' thought Lilith.Lucy did not answer but Lilith could see her life signs move into panic mode.It was a measure of the girl's distress that she did not bother to correctLilith about him not being her captain.Page 215 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlThe men fought on.William moved straight to the attack, trying to beatdownOxford 's lighter rapier.The earl parried brilliantly andcounterattacked.He soon had William on the defensive again.Oxford executed abeautiful feint and pricked William in the shoulder.Again the earl backed offand saluted."Second blood to me, Captain.Mayhap you should have stayed inPlymouth ratherthan trying the patience of your betters.""Sound council, my lord.I will try to remember it, if I ever meet mybetters."They took their stance again.William was bleeding from two wounds.The firstwas bloody but inconsequential but the second clearly hurt him.The point isalways more dangerous than the edge.Lucy eased her blade out and gripped itby the tip behind her back.'That's it, Lucy.BringOxford down,' thought Lilith.'No one will notice ifyou do it right.''William will notice', thought Lucy.'I can't do that to him.'The men had started the duel again.'You can't save his life? What madness is this, Lucy?''Oxfordmight kill him but I can do much worse.I can strip him of his honourand his manhood.I can destroy him.All I have to do is help him, Lilith,that's all it takes.He's a man so he would rather die.''Men are such wonderfully illogical creatures.They are so handsome andexciting but do you not sometimes think that their irrationality makes themmore trouble than they are worth?' thought Lilith, trying to distract Lucyfrom the fact that her sea captain was soon in deep trouble again.'Why haveyou drawn the knife if you are not going to intervene?''To avenge him, Lilith,Oxford dies one second after William,' thought Lucy.Iwill killOxford if the boatswain does not shoot him down first.'Oxfordspun his sword around William's cutlass to get inside his defence andthen lunged.The rapier struck William in the body and penetrated along theside of his ribs.Oxford relaxed and started to back off.William pulled hisleft arm in to hold the weapon in place.He stepped towardsOxford , movingonto the rapier, drawing more blood.William's face twisted with the pain.Oxfordlooked surprised; one's opponent in a duel is not supposed to walk ontoyour sword.He impatiently tried to free his weapon but William had it tight.William had all the time in the world.He raised his cutlass high and slashedthe earl across the neck in a single fluid motion.The heavy weapon cut deepenough to nick bone.Oxford fell without a sound.The weight of his fallingbody pulled the rapier out of William's side.A new flow of blood stained hisshirt."Oh William, William, you're hurt." Lucy ran over to pull his shirt off.The boatswain pounded up the stairs, closely followed by the rest of theSwallows.Oxford 's leaderless and demoralised supporters put up a feebleresistance before crying for quarter.Page 216 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlSimon organised a party to search the house.The boatswain escorted theprisoners out.That only left Gwilym in the room with William and Lucy.Gwilymtook his customary bodyguard stance by the door and took a keen interest inwhat was left of the ceiling decoration.The rapier had glanced off a rib and ripped up William's side.Lucy reachedunder her dress and pulled off a petticoat.William could not take his eyesoff her.She tore the petticoat into strips to clean and bind his wounds.Shewas very thorough.The slightest cut could kill through infection by noxiousvapours.When she had finished, she stood in front of him and looked up at him.Tearsrolled down her cheeks."I'm only crying because I am so mad at you.He shouldhave killed you.I thought you were going to die in front of me.""Shush." He wiped her face with a stray piece of petticoat."Oxfordwas aduellist and a far better one than I could ever be.He was a duellist but I ama soldier, Lucy.He wanted to play with me to show his skill.I just killedhim at the first opportunity.Thank you for believing in me enough not tohelp.""Stupid male pride.Uncle is just the same.You are all the same." She stampedher foot."Thank you." He kissed her.She did not move a muscle but continued to gaze up at him with big eyes
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