From: kring@efes.physik.uni-kl.de (Thomas Kettenring)
Subject: [L] FINAL ATTACK-Part 1.1
Organization: FB Physik, Universitaet Kaiserslautern, Germany
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 22:56:39 GMT

>    "One moment!" he said.  "Your bodyguard is not what he seems to be,
>and an invisible wizard called Luthor is in this room.  In a room nearby..."
>     "You fool, what have you done?  You will ruin everything!" Permus shouted
>in disbelief.  He sliced at Mat with his sword in anger.

  The prince was close at running berserk.  This lowlife had spoiled it!  He
must be killed!

  Mat had reckoned with an attack but not so soon.  He jumped away just in
time to change what was intended as a deadly blow into a major scratch.  He
unsheathed his sword but Permus was on his heels and managed to get in a
second stroke.  The traitor staggered, fell to the floor, and held up his
weapon to protect himself.  Then the prince heard guards coming from behind
and jumped over the bandit while their swords met.  Mat turned around and
stood up, and two guards flanked him now.  Permus retreated to the wall, and
a quick glance to the right told him that another guard was fighting Bakr in
the corner nearby.

  The weighty magician's main feeling was not fear but rather anger.  He was
angry at himself and at Murell.  Had he exposed the bandit in time, this
would not have happened.  And Murell had told him he would do it!  This was
fishy in the extreme.  Murell didn't seem to be on the Queen's side, he was
fighting with fervour.  Well, Bakr would probably never solve this riddle.
He would die before.  The guard had already ripped his leg, and he was
bleeding.  He he had already smashed one guard with the bodyguard's sword -
he didn't know how to use it, but how to fake it, and the guard had *believed*
to be wounded, which was enough to faint - but his new opponent seemed to look
through the illusion, so Bakr clearly was no match for him.  He looked around
for help, but the next one available, Prince Permus, was fighting three
opponents.

  The prince had problems.  One of the guards had managed to cut a slit
in his cheek, and Mat had sliced his forearm.  He would have liked to join
Bakr and get a better position but a guard blocked the way.  Finally he got
the chance:  he parried the bandit's attack with a widely swinging stroke and
made Mat's sword hit the guard on the arm.  He used the impulse to jostle
against this guard and ran over to the corner.  Bakr's opponent was not quick
enough, and Permus' sword hit him in the neck.  He fell down, bleeding
profusely.  The prince whirled around to face his pursuers.  Now it was two
to three, but another guard was approaching.

  "I could as well use my resources for magic as long as I am relatively
healthy," Bakr thought.  "Let's see: no animal around.  Illusion?  Illusionary.
Detecting life and hearing through walls are useless.  Self-control?  Ditto.
Hypothetical hand!  Yes, that's it."  When Permus disarmed one of the guards
by ripping across his weapon arm, Bakr had a second of free time to cast his
spell.

  The queen had almost continued her next spell when something grabbed her
wrist and spoiled it.  It definitely was not Luthor, so she glanced over her
shoulder to the mage that had been her bodyguard, and indeed, he moved his
hand around in the same way as the invisible hand at her wrist.  But at the
same moment her hand was free - the mage broke down, hit by a guard's sword.

  He was too exhausted now to fight at the height of his powers, which were
not much anyway, and the guard he was fighting got through his defense.  His
knees gave way, and he broke down.  The guard instantly ignored him and slashed
at the prince, who once again had to change position.  He ducked and in a
desperate attempt ran through the gap between Mat and the other guard.  Mat
managed to hack in the prince's back when he turned around.  Permus ran on
until he was just out of reach, then stopped, whirled around, and came back
attacking him furiously.  Mat, who had not expected that, retreated a bit, and
when he felt a sharp pain in his foot - Bakr cutting his Achilles sinew in a
last effort before fainting - the prince was able to slice his belly.

  Mat folded up and joined Bakr on the floor, but Permus had no time to rest
yet.  Two guards were still there, and he was bleeding at more than one place.


Bakr ibn Ja'far ibn Musa al Mekneshi, apprentice mage.
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