David Baldacci - The Finisher

“It was a volatile time in our history.”

“ Volatile . You can’t mean the Battle of the Beasts I was told about at Learning? That took place long before my grandfather was even born.”

Domitar looked angry for his choice of words. “Let sleeping canines lie. That’s the better policy.”

“To Hel with sleeping canines, Domitar. I want the truth.”

He turned and went back into his office, like a rabbit into its hole. Or a rat down a drainpipe.

Later that night, with Harry Two at my side, I trudged to the village center and joined the crowd massing there. A wooden platform had been set up with stairs made from roughhewn planks leading up to it. I was not surprised in the least to see Bogle and the carriage already there. I was also not surprised to see Thansius and Morrigone seated on the platform. But I was flummoxed to see John sitting next to them. And he wore the black dress tunic of Council!

Someone whispered in my ear, “’Tis John.”

I turned to see Delph standing there.

Indeed ’tis John , I thought. And indeed ’tis not John .

Pretty much every Wug was here. Roman Picus and his Carbineer mates, Cletus, Non and Ran Digby, were standing at comical attention with their knives and long and short mortas. I was thankful to be downwind from Digby. The niff that bloke sent off would have me barfing. As a female, I had thought about skiving off this meeting, but I was too curious to stay away.

The one Wug missing was Jurik Krone. I scanned the row of Council members seated in front of the platform, but he was not there. It was not like him to skip a public event where he could preen for the audience. I wondered when he would challenge Thansius for Council leadership. I also wondered what the other far more senior Council members thought about John sitting up there while they were relegated to being down with us average Wugs. Julius Domitar was there with tiny Dis Fidus hovering beside him. Ezekiel occupied a solitary corner of the square, resplendent in his white tunic. The Loons residents were clustered like chickens on the far side of the square.

I was startled to see Ladon-Tosh, armed to the teeth, guarding the steps up to the platform. He looked as maniacal as ever. I made sure not to lock gazes with him. For some insane reason, I thought I might disappear if I did.

All the males looked tired and dirty. All the females, while a bit cleaner by comparison, looked even more knackered. They had to work on the Wall as well, but they also had to take care of their families — cooking, cleaning and being mother Wugs. Despite all that, I sensed excitement in the crowd. And the reason was obvious. Five hundred coins. The desire for it was palpable. No one had collected the reward on Quentin Herms. But some Wug had to win the Duelum and with it the coins.

Thansius cleared his throat and stood. He raised his hands above his head. “Greetings, fellow Wugmorts. We have asked you here this night to announce the latest Duelum. It will begin at the second section of light a fortnight hence. The reward for the champion, as you no doubt already know, will be five hundred coins.”

Whispers and murmurs zipped through the crowd. However, my gaze held steady on my brother. He was seated next to Morrigone and the two of them seemed to be having a conversation about something. John seemed happy, content. And Morrigone, well, she appeared to be like a proud Preceptor with her prize prodigy. Then Thansius said something that made my attention snap back to him.

“This Duelum will be different from all the others.” He paused, seeming to gather oratorical fortitude. “This Duelum will also include all females between the ages of twenty and twenty-four sessions.” And he added the stunner. “The females’ participation is mandatory as well.”

Now the whispers went up a thousandfold. Most males were guffawing. Females were looking confused and frightened. That included myself, although I was not old enough to have to participate. I was afraid for the females who were. I shot a glance at Delph. He wasn’t laughing at the idea of females in the Duelum. I next eyed Cletus Loon. He was snickering with two of his loutish friends.

Thansius cleared his throat and asked for silence.

We Wugs quieted down. Of course there would have to be two champions, male and female, because there was no way they could expect females to fight males.

Thansius cleared this up with his next comment. “There will be only one champion.” I looked up at him, stunned. He continued. “We Wugmorts have to accept the fact that there should be more equality between males and females.”

Okay, I thought, if they wanted equality how about having more than one female at Stacks? Or telling males that they could cook and clean and tend to the very youngs just as well as females? Somehow, though, I didn’t see getting one’s brains smashed in by a far stronger male Wug as resounding evidence of a forward-thinking society.

Thansius continued. “And now here is Morrigone to more fully explain the reasoning behind this decision.”

I supposed the “reasoning” behind that was it took a female to explain to other females why it made sense to get your brain smashed in. I watched along with every other Wug as Morrigone rose and glided to the front of the platform. She was perfectly composed and took a sliver to look over the crowd and let them feel her presence. Well, I would be composed too if I were her. She was certainly older than twenty-four sessions and therefore would not have to pit herself against males. But then again, she might be able to win against them.

Morrigone said, “No doubt many of you, particularly the females among us, are wondering why this decision has come about. First, let me state that all females within the age requirement who are mates with males, or mothers, or who are currently with child, or had a child within the last full session, will not have to compete.”

A collective sigh of relief flowed through the crowd. There were a great many females who would qualify for these exceptions, I knew.

Morrigone continued. “As well as any females with physical disabilities or other weaknesses or infirmities. This last exception of course will apply to males as well.”

I looked around the crowd of Wugs and saw a good many females who would also qualify for this exception, along with about a dozen males. They too looked greatly relieved.

She added, “But all others must fight. They will be pitted against the males. Some may say this is unfair. But times have changed in Wormwood. The Outliers surround us. They do not care who is male and who is female. They will attack us all. Thus the able-bodied and younger females among us must be prepared to fight. And the way to do that is to train to fight. To learn how to defend themselves. That is why a fortnight has been given for all eligible females to learn these skills. And professional fight Preceptors will be available for all, males and females, who desire to be trained up. I would recommend that all females competing in the Duelum avail themselves of this opportunity.”

I gazed up in disbelief at her. Time to learn these skills? In a fortnight? Was she serious? When females were already killing themselves building the Wall? The males wouldn’t have to waste time training, just the poor females. They couldn’t suddenly put on ninety pounds of muscle. They couldn’t very well turn into a male. Not that they would ever want to.

Thansius nodded at one of the Council members down below. The Wug stood and held up a cloth bag. Thansius said, “The prize of five hundred coins.”

Wugs made a great fuss over this great bag of wealth. And then Thansius added, “In order to make things a bit more enticing” — he paused for effect — “if a female were to win the Duelum, the prize will be increased to one thousand coins.”