"This dignitary," said Sken-Pitilkin, indicating the old man,
"is the abbot of Qonsajara, Qonsajara being the monastery in which
we now stand."
        "A priest, is he?" said Jarl.
        "In a manner of speaking," said Sken-Pitilkin. "His name is
Ontario Nol. He is a wizard of the order of Itch - a wizard of the
winds."
        "A wizard!" said Jarl. "And what thinks he of the Rovac?"
        "He thinks them dangerous," said Sken-Pitilkin, "therefore
demands that you do him the courtesy of surrendering your sword
while you enjoy his hospitality."
        "That I will do, then," said Jarl.
        With that, Jarl drew his sword. An odd gesture, this. For a
blade is not surrendered naked - rather, it is more properly
yielded by unbuckling the swordbelt which sustains its scabbard.
Ontario Nol's eyes widened marginally, for he knew the murderous
appetites of the Rovac.
        With his sword drawn to the full length of its murder, Jarl
hacked at the head of Ontario Nol. But the wizard had been given
an eyeblink or more to prepare himself for attack, and an eyeblink
was sufficient.
        "Ja-bree!" screamed Nol, flinging wide his hands as Jarl
struck down.
        A wizard-wind whirlwind caught Jarl in a wind-slam funnel-
spout. Trapped in a wind-whipping whirlspill, Jarl was spun first
deasil then widdershins.
        "Cha!" shouted Nol.
        And Jarl was released from the grip of the wizard-win.
Pirouette by pirouette, the warrior spun to the nearest wall,
which slammed him in the face, rebuffing his ballet with
puritanical retort.
        "Bravo!" said Guest, applauding vigorously as Thodric Jarl
slid down that wall, staining its stones with a snail-track of
blood from his vigorously bleeding nose.
        "Blood!" said Rolf Thelemite excitedly. "See! Blood, blood!
The ribs have pierced his lungs! He's done for, now!"
        But that was not the case.
        On close examination, it appeared that Thodric Jarl had
suffered no more than a chipped tooth and a bloody nose. He had
not even been knocked out. Nevertheless, it must be admitted that
this was most definitely not the most auspicious of introductions.