Queen of Swords
by Jessica Knoch (2003)
Genres: Slice of life


action: %
response: Each week, you spend four hours round-trip in a car to take a beginner's fencing class at the Virginia Academy of Fencing in Springfield. It's fun, you tell yourself, and it never hurts to be more active. David, on the other hand, wants to compete. Your husband wants to join the U.S. Fencing Association and begin competing in regional tournaments after only eight weeks of classes, when they tell people to take lessons for a whole year before competing. However, David will want what David will want, and you love your husband dearly, so...

There's a tournament in Glen Falls this weekend, and you're going. On your last trip to VAF you spent over $900 on electric fencing equipment. The real problem is going to figure out how to use all of it: what plugs into where, which piece you need to put on first, and how to fence with a floor cord holding you back. That's why you and David are going to use tonight, while you have the room at the local library reserved, to practice gearing up for electric.

David gets a good parking spot downtown, and the two of you haul the bags of equipment out of the trunk and into the library. The librarians wave at you as you pass, already used to seeing you, and the two of you make your way to one of the larger meeting rooms upstairs to set up the electric strip.

David drops his equipment bag near the door and smiles at you. "I'll put the strip up," he says. "Why don't you go ahead and get your stuff on?" You look at your bag uncertainly. "I'm not sure I know where everything goes," you say. He grins. "Me neither," he says. "If you have trouble, let me know, and I'll try to help." He takes the bag with the scoring box and floor reels and goes to set up a table. You survey the room.



Players may wish to type ABOUT.

McIntire Meeting Room, Downtown Library
A large, open room, with plenty of room for a few fencers to practice. Of course, tonight it's just you and David. A row of tall windows line the western wall, and stacks of chairs are at either end of the long north-south room. The door to the hallway is east. An industrial-type carpet in garish red covers the floor.

The open windows let in a welcome breeze.
action: You look at what you're carrying with you
response: You are carrying:
a fencing bag (which is closed)

David pushes the table against the eastern wall.
action: You open the bag
response: The bag is bulky enough to get in your way when you try.

David notices your conflict, and says, "You could just put the bag down, love. It'll be fine right there."

He sets the bag of scoring equipment on the table and opens it.
action: About you
response: You look just as you always have.

You are carrying:
a fencing bag (which is closed)

David is rummaging in the bag.
action: You put the bag on the table
response: You put the fencing bag on the table.

David takes a floor reel and floor cord from the bag.
action: You open the bag
response: You open the fencing bag, revealing a mask, a jacket, a body cord, an electric foil, a lam?, a glove, a plastron and a chest protector.

He walks to the north end of the room and sets down the floor reel.
action: You examine david
response: Your husband is a tall man in his mid-thirties, with clear gray eyes and a wonderfully misshapen nose. His smile lights up your day, and he doesn't smile much except at you: but he smiles a lot at you.

David plugs the floor cord into the floor reel.
action: You examine david
response: Your husband is a tall man in his mid-thirties, with clear gray eyes and a wonderfully misshapen nose. His smile lights up your day, and he doesn't smile much except at you: but he smiles a lot at you.

David walks back to the center of the room and looks in the bag on the table.
action: You hit David
response: Violence isn't the answer to this one.

David pulls the scoring box out of the bag and sets it on the table.
action: About yourself
response: You look just as you always have.

You are carrying nothing.

David takes the other floor cord out of the bag and plugs one end into the box.
action: You examine the d-the ring
response: The D-ring is sewn onto the back of your lam?. Its purpose is solely to give the hook from the floor reel something to latch onto, to give the three-prong connection a bit of slack and make your life easier.

David takes the other reel from the bag.
action: You look at the box
response: A handy little device: this is the thing that makes it all work. The scoring box lights up whenever a fencer (properly plugged in, of course) scores a touch, and lets you know whether it was on-target (on the lam?) or off-target (anywhere else) by lighting up either the fencer's colored light (on) or white light (off). You're fencing on the right side, so the green light is yours, and the red light is David's.

He walks down to the south end of the room, and winks at you.
action: You get the box
response: There's no reason to do anything besides look at the lights.

Setting the floor reel on the carpet, David plugs the free end of the floor cord into it.
action: You look at the lights
response: A handy little device: this is the thing that makes it all work. The scoring box lights up whenever a fencer (properly plugged in, of course) scores a touch, and lets you know whether it was on-target (on the lam?) or off-target (anywhere else) by lighting up either the fencer's colored light (on) or white light (off). You're fencing on the right side, so the green light is yours, and the red light is David's.

David turns to survey his work.
action: Examine reel
response: The floor reel is made to connect you to the floor cord. It's supposed to sit at the end of the strip, and the floor cord plugs into it. The hook that comes out the front attaches to the fencer's body cord, and when released it retracts like a self-retracting tape measure. Your floor reels are Uhlmann made, with dark blue plastic casing and rubber feet to keep them in place.

"Oops," David says, "I forgot to plug in the box."
action: You plug the floor cord into the floor reel
response: David will plug in all of the floor cords. Just worry about your own stuff for now.

He walks back to the table in the center of the east wall.
action: You look in the bag
response: In the fencing bag are a mask, a jacket, a body cord, an electric foil, a lam?, a glove, a plastron and a chest protector.

David peers in the bag and gets out the AC adapter for the scoring box.
action: You plug the reel into the body cord
response: You're not suited up enough to plug in yet.

David plugs the adapter into the box.
action: You look at the chest protector
response: The chest protector is hard plastic, molded to fit your body. Females are required to wear them at USFA competitions, and you're just as glad, since it really cuts down on the bruises. The elastic bands hook behind your back like a bra.

He plugs the free end of the adapter into the electrical outlet in the wall.
action: You look at the plastron
response: The plastron is a thin, white, half-shirt, designed to protect the underarm of your weapon arm from an errant hit. It has elastic bands to secure it in place, and it is supposed to go on under everything else.

"There!" David says, looking over the electric strip in satisfaction. He turns to you. "Now, let's get suited up and then we can fence!"
action: You get the chest protector
response: Taken.

David looks you over. "Looks like you don't quite have all your stuff. Check in your bag--if you need help with something, show it to me."
action: You wear it
response: You start to pull the chest protector on, but the unfamiliar cold plastic stops you. Ah yes, you're supposed to have the plastron on underneath!

Meanwhile, David gets his gear on amazingly fast. He says, "We'll salute as soon as we're both ready."
action: You get the plastron
response: Taken.

David connects to the far floor reel. "I'm about ready," he says.
action: You wear it
response: You put on the plastron.
action: Wear the chest
response: You put on the chest protector.
action: You examine the jacket
response: Your jacket covers your torso and arms while you fence. They are required to be white, and yours zips up the front (making it much easier to put on by yourself). Although the FIE requires 800 Newton resistance, you are merely fencing in the USFA, which has much more lax requirements than its European counterpart, so yours is only rated at 350 Newtons.
action: You get the glove
response: Taken.
action: You examine it
response: White, with leather on the palm for a better grip.
action: You wear it
response: You put on the glove.
action: You wear the jacket
response: (first taking the jacket)
You must unzip the jacket before you can put it on.
action: You unzip it
response: You fumble with the zipper, but the glove is too thick to allow you to get a good grasp.
action: You remove glove
response: You take off the glove.
action: You unzip the jacket
response: You unzip the jacket.
action: You wear the jacket
response: You slide the clean, white jacket on and tug it into place.
action: Zip jacket
response: You zip up the jacket, tugging the zipper up to make sure it's all the way up.
action: You examine the bag
response: Your fencing bag is a calming maroon color. It's long enough to hold a foil, and deep enough to hold your mask, clothes, and all the other cords and things you need for fencing.
action: Wear glove
response: You put on the glove.
action: Search bag
response: In the fencing bag are a mask, a body cord, an electric foil and a lam?.
action: You wear the mask
response: (first taking the mask)
You put on the mask.
action: You wear the cord
response: (the floor cord)
(first taking the floor cord)
David will plug in all of the floor cords. Just worry about your own stuff for now.
action: You wear lame
response: (first taking the lam?)
The mask blocking your peripheral vision makes your task difficult. You seem to remember it's the very last piece of equipment to go on, just before you begin a bout.
action: You wear lame
response: You take off the mask.
You must unzip the lam? before you can put it on.
action: You wear it
response: You fumble with the zipper, but the glove is too thick to allow you to get a good grasp.
You must unzip the lam? before you can put it on.
action: You remove glove
response: You take off the glove.
action: You wear it
response: You unzip the lam?.
You struggle to get your jacketed arms through the small openings in the lam?. Finally, you get it on.
action: Wear glove
response: You put on the glove.
action: Search bag
response: In the fencing bag are a body cord and an electric foil.
action: You examine it
response: Your body cord is used in electric fencing to connect several different circuits of electricity. On one end, the two-prong connector attaches to your electric foil. The other end has an alligator clip, to hook to your lam?, and a three-prong connector, to plug into the floor reel. In between is about five feet of insulated wiring, which is supposed to run up your sleeve and down your back.
action: You attach it to the lame
response: That's not supposed to attach directly to the lam?. You may wish to attach it to the D-ring, or it may not be necessary at all.
action: You put the bag on the table
response: You put the fencing bag on the table.

David pushes the table against the eastern wall.
action: You open the bag
response: You open the fencing bag, revealing a mask, a jacket, a body cord, an electric foil, a lam?, a glove, a plastron and a chest protector.

He sets the bag of scoring equipment on the table and opens it.
action: You get the body cord
response: Taken.

David is rummaging in the bag.
action: You examine it
response: Your body cord is used in electric fencing to connect several different circuits of electricity. On one end, the two-prong connector attaches to your electric foil. The other end has an alligator clip, to hook to your lam?, and a three-prong connector, to plug into the floor reel. In between is about five feet of insulated wiring, which is supposed to run up your sleeve and down your back.

David takes a floor reel and floor cord from the bag.
action: You get the plastron then wear it
response: Taken.

He walks to the north end of the room and sets down the floor reel.
You put on the plastron.

David plugs the floor cord into the floor reel.
action: You get the chest protector then wear it
response: Taken.

David walks back to the center of the room and looks in the bag on the table.
You put on the chest protector.

David pulls the scoring box out of the bag and sets it on the table.
action: You get lame then wear it
response: Taken.

He plugs the free end of the first floor cord into the scoring box.
You could put the lam? on, but you know it would make more sense to put the jacket on first.

David takes the other floor cord out of the bag and plugs one end into the box.
action: You get the jacket
response: Taken.

David takes the other reel from the bag.
action: You wear the jacket
response: You must unzip the jacket before you can put it on.

He walks down to the south end of the room, and winks at you.
action: You unzip it
response: You unzip the jacket.

Setting the floor reel on the carpet, David plugs the free end of the floor cord into it.
action: You wear it
response: You slide the clean, white jacket on and tug it into place.

David turns to survey his work.
action: You wear lame
response: You stop to think. It'd be silly to put the lam? on over your unzipped jacket.

"Oops," David says, "I forgot to plug in the box."
action: You zip the jacket then wear lame
response: You zip up the jacket, tugging the zipper up to make sure it's all the way up.

He walks back to the table in the center of the east wall.
You must unzip the lam? before you can put it on.

David peers in the bag and gets out the AC adapter for the scoring box.
action: You unzip lame
response: You unzip the lam?.

David plugs the adapter into the box.
action: You wear lame
response: You struggle to get your jacketed arms through the small openings in the lam?. Finally, you get it on.

He plugs the free end of the adapter into the electrical outlet in the wall.
action: Zip lame
response: You zip up the lam?, and adjust the Velcro at the collar to make sure you have a proper fit.

"There!" David says, looking over the electric strip in satisfaction. He turns to you. "Now, let's get suited up and then we can fence!"
action: You show the cord to David
response: (the body cord to David)
"Hm," David says. "You need to put the two-prong connector into your jacket sleeve. Try that."

David looks you over. "Looks like you don't quite have all your stuff. Check in your bag--if you need help with something, show it to me."
action: You put the connector in the sleeve
response: Which do you mean, the two-prong connector or the three-prong connector?
action: You put two-prong connector into jacket sleeve
response: That would be far too difficult for you to try while you're wearing the jacket. You're just not that coordinated yet.

Meanwhile, David gets his gear on amazingly fast. He says, "We'll salute as soon as we're both ready."
action: You remove the jacket
response: You'll have to take off the lam? first.

David connects to the far floor reel. "I'm about ready," he says.
action: You put two-prong connector into the jacket sleeve
response: That would be far too difficult for you to try while you're wearing the jacket. You're just not that coordinated yet.
action: You remove the lame
response: It's almost impossible to take off a lam? while it's zipped up; you're pretty sure about that one.
action: You remove the jacket
response: You'll have to take off the lam? first.
action: You unzip the lame then remove the lame then unzip the jacket then remove the jacket
response: You unzip the lam?.
Taking off the lam? is almost as much of a struggle as putting it on, but somehow you manage.

You get the thing off, eventually.
You unzip the jacket.
You pull your arms out of the slightly sweaty sleeves. It takes a bit of flapping, but you manage to get out of the jacket.
action: You remove the jacket
response: That's already open.
Taking off the lam? is almost as much of a struggle as putting it on, but somehow you manage.

You're not wearing that.
You're not wearing that.
action: You put two-prong connector into the jacket sleeve
response: You slide the two-prong end of the body cord into the jacket sleeve.
action: You wear the jacket
response: You could put the lam? on, but you know it would make more sense to put the jacket on first.
You zip up the lam?, and adjust the Velcro at the collar to make sure you have a proper fit.
You pull the jacket on, trying to keep the dangling bits of the body cord out of the way. What a pain!
action: You show the cord to David
response: (the floor cord to David)
(first taking the floor cord)
David will plug in all of the floor cords. Just worry about your own stuff for now.
action: You show body cord to David
response: (first taking the body cord)
"Hm," David says. "You need to put the two-prong connector into your jacket sleeve. Try that."
action: Inventory
response: You are carrying:
a body cord
a jacket (being worn and open but empty)
a lam?
a chest protector (being worn)
a plastron (being worn)
action: You zip it
response: You unzip the lam?.
You stop to think. It'd be silly to put the lam? on over your unzipped jacket.
You zip up the lam?, and adjust the Velcro at the collar to make sure you have a proper fit.
action: You look in the bag
response: In the fencing bag are a mask, an electric foil and a glove.
action: Wear glove
response: (first taking the glove)
You put on the glove.
action: You get the foil
response: Taken.
action: Glove
response: mask: You already have that.
glove: You already have that.
action: You look at what you're carrying with you
response: You are carrying:
a mask (being worn)
an electric foil
a glove (being worn)
a body cord
a jacket (being worn and open but empty)
a lam?
a chest protector (being worn)
a plastron (being worn)
action: You remove all
response: AC adapter: Just let it be.
floor cord: David will plug in all of the floor cords. Just worry about your own stuff for now.
floor reel: There's no need to move either of the reels; David will have them just where he wants them.
David: This isn't really the time or the place, is it?
strip: That's hardly portable.
carpet: That's hardly portable.
comfy chair: That's hardly portable.
window area: That's hardly portable.
table: That's hardly portable.
action: You take off the mask
response: You take off the mask.
action: You take off the glove
response: You take off the glove.
action: Doff lame
response: Taking off the lam? is almost as much of a struggle as putting it on, but somehow you manage.

You're not wearing that.
action: You unzip the jacket then doff it
response: That's already open.
You pull your arms out of the slightly sweaty sleeves. It takes a bit of flapping, but you manage to get out of the jacket.
action: You wear the jacket then zip it
response: You pull the jacket on, trying to keep the dangling bits of the body cord out of the way. What a pain!
You zip up the jacket, tugging the zipper up to make sure it's all the way up.
action: You wear lame then zip it
response: You struggle to get your jacketed arms through the small openings in the lam?. Finally, you get it on.
You zip up the lam?, and adjust the Velcro at the collar to make sure you have a proper fit.
action: You wear mask
response: You put on the mask.
action: Salute
response: First things first: you NEVER salute with a mask on. It's considered very rude.
action: You remove the mask
response: You take off the mask.
action: Inventory
response: You are carrying:
a mask
an electric foil
a glove (being worn)
a jacket (being worn and closed)
a body cord
a lam? (being worn)
a chest protector (being worn)
a plastron (being worn)
action: You look
response: McIntire Meeting Room, Downtown Library
A large, open room, with plenty of room for a few fencers to practice. Of course, tonight it's just you and David. A row of tall windows line the western wall, and stacks of chairs are at either end of the long north-south room. The door to the hallway is east. An industrial-type carpet in garish red covers the floor.

On the table are a scoring box, a bag of scoring equipment (which is empty) and a fencing bag (which is empty).

The open windows let in a welcome breeze.

You can also see an AC adapter, a floor cord and a floor reel here.
action: You look at the foil
response: You've brought your best electric foil along for today's lesson. The blade is 36 inches long, and the whole thing weighs just under 500 grams. Your bell guard is still nice and shiny, thanks to a lack of use. The grip is a pistol grip of the Visconti style, painted blue so you can tell it apart from David's. There's also a two-prong receptacle for your body cord to plug into.
action: You plug two-prong in the foil
response: You attach the two-prong connector, which pokes out through your sleeve next to your glove, to the foil. It clicks into place.
action: You plug three-prong
response: What do you want to plug the three-prong connector in?
action: Scoring
response: Which do you mean, the scoring box or the bag of scoring equipment?
action: Examine box
response: A handy little device: this is the thing that makes it all work. The scoring box lights up whenever a fencer (properly plugged in, of course) scores a touch, and lets you know whether it was on-target (on the lam?) or off-target (anywhere else) by lighting up either the fencer's colored light (on) or white light (off). You're fencing on the right side, so the green light is yours, and the red light is David's.
action: Examine reel
response: The floor reel is made to connect you to the floor cord. It's supposed to sit at the end of the strip, and the floor cord plugs into it. The hook that comes out the front attaches to the fencer's body cord, and when released it retracts like a self-retracting tape measure. Your floor reels are Uhlmann made, with dark blue plastic casing and rubber feet to keep them in place.
action: You look at the strip
response: The "strip" is the area that fencers actually fence on. In your tournament on Saturday, the strips will be drawn out on the floor in paint or tape: one meter wide by fourteen meters long, with warning lines and en guarde lines and everything. Here, you and David just make your best guess as to where the lines are. But today, you have a real strip set up in some respects: the table in the middle of the eastern wall holds the scoring box, which is connect via the floor cords to a floor reel, one at either end of the strip. That's all it takes for you and David to plug in and have a real electric bout.
action: You plug three-prong into the reel
response: You connect the three-prong end of the body cord with the hook out of the floor reel. Getting close to fencing time!
action: Inventory
response: You are carrying:
a mask
an electric foil
a glove (being worn)
a jacket (being worn and closed)
a body cord
a lam? (being worn)
a chest protector (being worn)
a plastron (being worn)
action: About yourself
response: You look just as you always have.

You are carrying:
a mask
an electric foil
a glove (being worn)
a jacket (being worn and closed)
a body cord
a lam? (being worn)
a chest protector (being worn)
a plastron (being worn)
action: You show it to David
response: David looks your foil over. "Looks like it's in working condition," he says. "Just hang on to it until we're ready to fence. You'll need it for the salute!" His eyes twinkle at you.
action: You examine the glove
response: White, with leather on the palm for a better grip.
action: You show it to David
response: "Not much I can do to help with that," David says. "You'll just have to put it on."
action: Wear glove
response: You're already wearing that!
action: You wear mask
response: You put on the mask.
action: You examine the jacket
response: Your jacket covers your torso and arms while you fence. They are required to be white, and yours zips up the front (making it much easier to put on by yourself). Although the FIE requires 800 Newton resistance, you are merely fencing in the USFA, which has much more lax requirements than its European counterpart, so yours is only rated at 350 Newtons.
action: You show jacket to David
response: David takes the jacket from you and holds it so you can slip your arms in easier. "Here," he says.

"Oh, wait a sec," David says. "Let me unzip it first." He tugs the zipper down and opens the jacket. "Okay, go ahead."

The mask blocking your peripheral vision makes your task difficult. You seem to remember it's the very last piece of equipment to go on, just before you begin a bout.
action: You show the jacket to David
response: David takes the jacket from you and holds it so you can slip your arms in easier. "Here," he says.

"Oh, wait a sec," David says. "Let me unzip it first." He tugs the zipper down and opens the jacket. "Okay, go ahead."

You're already wearing that!
action: You wear the body cord
response: (first taking the body cord)
You can't wear that!
action: You look at what you're carrying with you
response: You are carrying:
a body cord
a mask
an electric foil
a glove (being worn)
a jacket (being worn and open but empty)
a lam? (being worn)
a chest protector (being worn)
a plastron (being worn)
action: You put the body cord in the jacket
response: That would be far too difficult for you to try while you're wearing the jacket. You're just not that coordinated yet.
action: You examine two-prong
response: The two-prong end attaches to your electric foil. The blue plastic casing is marked with a stylized "U" for "Uhlmann," the company in Germany that made it.
action: You attach the alligator clip to the lame
response: You attach the alligator clip directly to the metal vest, remembering to put it on the weapon arm side of your body as the rules require.
action: Doff glove then unzip lame then doff lame then unzip jacket then doff jacket
response: You take off the glove.
You unzip the lam?.
Taking off the lam? is almost as much of a struggle as putting it on, but somehow you manage.

You get the thing off, eventually.
That's already open.
You pull your arms out of the slightly sweaty sleeves. It takes a bit of flapping, but you manage to get out of the jacket.
action: You show the jacket to David
response: David takes the jacket from you and holds it so you can slip your arms in easier. "Here," he says.

You pull the jacket on, trying to keep the dangling bits of the body cord out of the way. What a pain!
action: You wear the jacket then zip jacket then wear lame then zip lame
response: You're already wearing that!
You zip up the jacket, tugging the zipper up to make sure it's all the way up.
You struggle to get your jacketed arms through the small openings in the lam?. Finally, you get it on.
You zip up the lam?, and adjust the Velcro at the collar to make sure you have a proper fit.
action: Inventory
response: You are carrying:
a mask
an electric foil
a glove
a jacket (being worn and closed)
a body cord
a lam? (being worn)
a chest protector (being worn)
a plastron (being worn)
action: You hold the foil
response: You already have that.
action: You wear mask
response: You put on the mask.
action: Salute
response: First things first: you NEVER salute with a mask on. It's considered very rude.
action: You ask David about the foil
response: "I don't know, love," David says. "Can it wait until later?"
action: You remove the glove then open the mask
response: You take off the glove.
That's not something you can open.
action: You show lame to David
response: "Oh, these things are a pain," David says. David unzips the lam? on the sly, so as not to draw your attention to the fact that he's doing it. He holds the lam? up for you to put one jacketed arm through, then helps guide your other arm into the small hole. He turns you around to face him, and straightens the lam? for you. "There you are," he says, and kisses your cheek.
action: Wear glove
response: The mask blocking your peripheral vision makes your task difficult. You seem to remember it's the very last piece of equipment to go on, just before you begin a bout.
action: Inventory
response: You are carrying:
a mask (being worn)
an electric foil
a glove
a jacket (being worn and closed)
a body cord
a lam? (being worn)
a chest protector (being worn)
a plastron (being worn)
action: Doff mask then wear glove then wear mask
response: You take off the mask.
You put on the glove.
You put on the mask.
action: You examine the cord
response: (the floor cord)
The floor cords are nothing more than long, insulated wires that carry electrical current between the floor reels and the scoring box.
action: You show the protector to David
response: David smiles at you. He holds the chest protector out for you, and you slip your arms under the straps. The mask blocking your peripheral vision makes your task difficult. You seem to remember it's the very last piece of equipment to go on, just before you begin a bout.
action: You look at three
response: This end is about two inches wide, with three metal prongs protruding from blue plastic casing. The plastic is marked with a stylized "U."
action: You show the protector to David
response: David smiles at you. He holds the chest protector out for you, and you slip your arms under the straps. You're already wearing that!
action: You show the plastron to David
response: David takes the plastron from you and holds it out. You work your arm in, and let David make the connections to keep it on.
action: About yourself
response: You look just as you always have.

You are carrying:
a mask
an electric foil
a glove (being worn)
a jacket (being worn and closed)
a body cord
action: You examine the d-the ring
response: The D-ring is sewn onto the back of your lam?. Its purpose is solely to give the hook from the floor reel something to latch onto, to give the three-prong connection a bit of slack and make your life easier.
action: You attach the d-the ring to the lame
response: That's not supposed to attach directly to the lam?. You may wish to attach it to the D-ring, or it may not be necessary at all.
action: You put the cord in the d-the ring
response: (the floor cord in the D-ring)
David will plug in all of the floor cords. Just worry about your own stuff for now.
action: Wear glove
response: You're already wearing that!
action: You attach the hook to the cord
response: (the floor cord)
You would achieve nothing by this.
action: You examine hook
response: The hook has a receptacle for the three-prong connector of the body cord, and it also attaches to the fencer's D-ring to prevent unnecessary pulling on the body cord.
action: You examine david
response: Your husband is a tall man in his mid-thirties, with clear gray eyes and a wonderfully misshapen nose. His smile lights up your day, and he doesn't smile much except at you: but he smiles a lot at you.
action: You drop the bag
response: You set the bag down, out of the way against a wall.

David pushes the table against the eastern wall.
action: You open it
response: You open the fencing bag, revealing a mask, a jacket, a body cord, an electric foil, a lam?, a glove, a plastron and a chest protector.

He sets the bag of scoring equipment on the table and opens it.
action: You take the plastron
response: Taken.

David is rummaging in the bag.
action: You wear it
response: You put on the plastron.

David takes a floor reel and floor cord from the bag.
action: You take lame
response: Taken.

He walks to the north end of the room and sets down the floor reel.
action: You take body cord
response: Taken.

David walks back to the center of the room and looks in the bag on the table.
action: You take the jacket
response: Taken.

David pulls the scoring box out of the bag and sets it on the table.
action: You unzip lame
response: You unzip the lam?.

He plugs the free end of the first floor cord into the scoring box.
action: You unzip the jacket
response: You unzip the jacket.

David takes the other floor cord out of the bag and plugs one end into the box.
action: You look at the jacket
response: Your jacket covers your torso and arms while you fence. They are required to be white, and yours zips up the front (making it much easier to put on by yourself). Although the FIE requires 800 Newton resistance, you are merely fencing in the USFA, which has much more lax requirements than its European counterpart, so yours is only rated at 350 Newtons.

David takes the other reel from the bag.
action: You attach body cord to the jacket
response: You would achieve nothing by this.

He walks down to the south end of the room, and winks at you.
action: You examine the sleeve
response: Your jacket covers your torso and arms while you fence. They are required to be white, and yours zips up the front (making it much easier to put on by yourself). Although the FIE requires 800 Newton resistance, you are merely fencing in the USFA, which has much more lax requirements than its European counterpart, so yours is only rated at 350 Newtons.

Setting the floor reel on the carpet, David plugs the free end of the floor cord into it.
action: You look at the body cord
response: Your body cord is used in electric fencing to connect several different circuits of electricity. On one end, the two-prong connector attaches to your electric foil. The other end has an alligator clip, to hook to your lam?, and a three-prong connector, to plug into the floor reel. In between is about five feet of insulated wiring, which is supposed to run up your sleeve and down your back.

David turns to survey his work.
action: You put the body cord in the sleeve
response: You slide the two-prong end of the body cord into the jacket sleeve.

"Oops," David says, "I forgot to plug in the box."
action: You wear the jacket
response: You start to pull the jacket on, but something feels funny. Your front seems very... unprotected. Maybe there's another piece you're supposed to wear first.

He walks back to the table in the center of the east wall.
action: You wear the chest protector
response: (first taking the chest protector)
You put on the chest protector.

David peers in the bag and gets out the AC adapter for the scoring box.
action: You wear the jacket
response: You pull the jacket on, trying to keep the dangling bits of the body cord out of the way. What a pain!

David plugs the adapter into the box.
action: Zip jacket
response: You zip up the jacket, tugging the zipper up to make sure it's all the way up.

He plugs the free end of the adapter into the electrical outlet in the wall.
action: You wear lame
response: You struggle to get your jacketed arms through the small openings in the lam?. Finally, you get it on.

"There!" David says, looking over the electric strip in satisfaction. He turns to you. "Now, let's get suited up and then we can fence!"
action: Zip lame
response: You zip up the lam?, and adjust the Velcro at the collar to make sure you have a proper fit.

David looks you over. "Looks like you don't quite have all your stuff. Check in your bag--if you need help with something, show it to me."
action: You attach the alligator clip to the lame
response: You attach the alligator clip directly to the metal vest, remembering to put it on the weapon arm side of your body as the rules require.

Meanwhile, David gets his gear on amazingly fast. He says, "We'll salute as soon as we're both ready."
action: You attach two-prong to the foil
response: You attach the two-prong connector, which pokes out through your sleeve next to your glove, to the foil. It clicks into place.

David connects to the far floor reel. "I'm about ready," he says.
action: You put the reel in the d-the ring
response: There's no need to move either of the reels; David will have them just where he wants them.
action: You attach three-prong to the reel
response: You connect the three-prong end of the body cord with the hook out of the floor reel. Getting close to fencing time!
action: Wear glove
response: (first taking the glove)
You put on the glove.
action: Inventory
response: You are carrying:
a glove (being worn)
an electric foil
a chest protector (being worn)
a jacket (being worn and closed)
a body cord
a lam? (being worn)
a plastron (being worn)
action: You ask David about the reel
response: "I don't know, love," David says. "Can it wait until later?"
action: You attach the reel to the d-the ring
response: You attach the hook from the floor reel to the D-ring on your lam?. One step closer to fencing!
action: Salute
response: You raise your foil in a traditional salute towards David. He smiles at you, and you sweep the blade downward to finish the salute. You are now (almost) ready to fence!
action: Fence
response: You drop into your en guarde position, pleased to see David doing the same. You have fenced him often enough to know that you need to hang back, wait, and try to parry (or block) his attack, and riposte (or attack immediately after parrying). You take a few cautious steps forward (advances) and back (retreats), while waiting for him to make the first move. The floor cord tugs gently at you, through the hook-up on the D-ring, but after a few moments you don't notice it at all.

David makes a few feints, which you ignore, and then suddenly he is attacking! You try to parry, but it comes too late, and a loud buzz emanates from the scoring box. You look at the box, and see David's red light glowing, indicating that he scored a valid touch. You knew that much; you can still feel the spot on your chest where he landed. But to see it on the box is so exciting!

"One," you say to David, holding up a finger to indicate that he scored a touch. He nods, and backs up to his en guarde line. You both pause, and then begin fencing again. This time, you think, maybe it isn't such a good idea to try to defend, since he is so much faster than I am! With that in mind, you spring forward, tapping David's blade aside as you lunge (a "beat attack"). But David is fast, and he recovers from the beat in time to parry your attack. His riposte comes for you, and you do your best to parry it, but the buzzing of the score box can't be denied.

This time, there are two lights: David's red on-target light, and your white off-target light. You must have hit him off-target somewhere in there. Since the two of you are pretty new to the sport, and you have no director or referee to oversee your bout, you both shrug. Right-of-way, or "priority," can be hard to call, so you decide to throw it out.

.....

You and David spend the next hour practicing with your electric equipment, preparing for Saturday's tournament in Glen Falls. You don't expect to win any bouts in the tournament, and maybe not even to score any touches, but you feel confident you will at least know how to hook up.