"You callin' me stupid?" The guy got to his feet.
A weight lifter. Kinsman guessed. Pumps iron every day and now he wants to show off his muscles on me.
"I don't know you welt enough to call you anything."
"Well, I'm callin' you a chicken, A gutless motherfuckin' coward."
Slowly Kinsman got to his feet. It helped to have the wall to lean against.
"I take that, sir, to be a challenge to my honor," he said, letting himself sound drunk. It took very little effort,
"Goddam right it's a challenge. You must be some 14 goddam pig—secret police or something."
"That's why I'm wearing this inconspicuous uniform."
"To throw us off guard."
"Don't be an oaf."
"I'm gonna break your head, wise-ass."
Kinsman raised an unsteady finger. "Now hold on. You challenged me, right? So I get the choice of weapons. That's the way it works in the good ol' code duello."
"Choice of weapons?" The big guy looked confused.
"You challenged me to a duel, didn't you? You have impeached my honor. I have the right to choose the weap- ons."
The guy made a fist the size of a football. "This is all the weapon I need."
"Ah, but that's not the weapon I choose," Kinsman countered. "I believe that I shall choose sabers. Won a few medals back East with my saber fencing. Now where can we find a pair of sabers at this hour of the morning . . . ?"
The guy grabbed Kinsman's shirt. "I'm gonna knock that fuckin' grin off your face."
"You probably will. But not before I kick both your kneecaps off. You'll never see the inside of a gym again, muscleboy."
"That's enough, both of you," Diane snapped. She stepped between the two of them. The big guy let go of Kinsman.
"You'd better get back to your own place. Ray," she said, her voice flat and hard. "You're not going to break up my pad and get me thrown out on the street."
Ray pointed a thick, blunt finger at Kinsman. "He's an agent for the Feds. Or something. Don't trust him."
"Go home. Ray. It's late."
"I'll get you, blue-suit," said Ray. "Fll get you."
Kinsman replied, "When you find the sabers, let me know."
"Shut up!" Diane hissed at him. But she was grinning.
