Dennis Wheatley - The Rape Of Venice

Punctually at a quarter-​to-​six, Roger joined Droops and Colonel Thursby down in the main hall. They had there three types of pike for him to choose from. Having handled all three weapons, he chose the heaviest, on the assumption that, being stronger than Malderini. it would more easily enable him to beat down the Venetian guard. Droopy took the two rejected weapons back to the billiards room returned with the pair to the one Roger had selected they set off for the rendezvous.

It was a slightly misty morning which promised another lovely day. As it was a Sunday, none of Georgina's platoon of gardeners was scything the lawns or replanting the borders. Those who looked after the glasshouses would do their airing and watering before putting on their 'black' to attend church; but not for an hour or so yet.

Seven minutes' walk round the edge of the lake brought them to its far shore. At intervals in the wood along it, broad rides, which were kept clear for the pheasant shooting, came down to its edge. From one of them a turning led off to an open glade with a hillock at its far end. On it there was a small temple, or belvedere, consisting of six pillars of Verona marble on. carved stone bases and supporting a dome of delicately scrolled ironwork. A dozen yards from the temple, on the edge of the flat centre of the glade, two men were standing. They were Dr. Chudleigh and Major Rawton.

Greetings were exchanged and the Doctor reported that in case one of the combatants was too seriously wounded to walk he had left his coachman and carriage beyond the trees in the next ride, which was less than a hundred yards away.

Meanwhile, the Major, an elderly, paunchy, red-​faced man who clung to the fashion of wearing a wig, was eyeing the two pikes with a puzzled frown. On being informed that they were the weapons to be used in the encounter, he almost burst with indignation declaring that he was being made a fool of, as it was unthinkable that gentlemen should resort to such unorthodox means of settling a difference of opinion.

Fortunately, at that moment the other party arrived and Sheridan, who had also brought a pair of pikes, was able to pacify him. As principals, Roger and Malderini, who was wearing a heavy cloak, stood some distance apart, and away from the others while they settled final details.

The pikes that Sheridan had brought were much lighter than those Roger had chosen, so a coin was tossed up to decide which pair should be used. Droopy lost the toss, so Roger was deprived of any advantage he might have gained from the heavier weapons. He and Malderini were then brought face to face by their seconds and asked if they could see their way to compose their differences. Roger replied that he did not regard the insult to which he had been subject as mortal; but, having been struck, he must exercise his right to strike back in accordance with the conventions of polite society.

On that the principals were marched away to prepare themselves. Roger stripped to his shirt, but Malderini, alleging the chill of the early morning air as his reason, refused to take off anything except his cloak. Roger, who now felt that, as he had to fight with a strange weapon, he would be foolish to give away too many advantages, then wondered if he had been wise. The thick cloth of Malderini's coat, and even the multiple folds of his cravat, would, to some extent, protect him from a thrust. On the other hand, they would tend to restrict swift movement, and as Roger was relying mainly on his agility to secure a quick victory, he decided to face his antagonist in shirtsleeves and open necked.

Side by side, Colonel Thursby and Major Rawton measured twelve paces in the middle of the most even stretch of turf. Droopy and Sheridan handed their principals the pikes and led them up to the markers. Stepping back to a central position on either side of the combatants, they received from the Colonel and the Major the two heavier pikes, so that they might, if necessary, intervene and with them beat down the weapons of their principals.

'Attention!' cried Sheridan. 'Lord Edward will count three; and on the word three, you will engage.'

'One!' Droopy's voice rang through the silence of the woodland glade. 'Two!' The duellists raised the points of the long pikes. 'Three!'

Next moment they were at it hammer and tongs. Roger had never' before handled a pike and, as far as he could judge, neither had Malderini. Both, at first, used them much in the way they would have single-​sticks, each endeavouring to knock aside the other's weapon. But, very soon, Roger realised that he dare not put his full strength into his blows; for, if he did, the wooden staff of his pike might snap and leave him at the mercy of his antagonist.

Malderini had, from the beginning, done little more than parry Roger's efforts to beat down his guard; so the tempo of the fight changed and, following each sharp clack of the wooden shafts, one of them essayed a swift thrust at the body of the other. Yet both were greatly handicapped by the fact that the pikes were ten feet long, so terribly unwieldy for anyone who had no experience of handling them. The tassel-​decorated, sharp, metal spears on their ends tended to weigh them down, and after each thrust it needed a considerable effort to make a swift recovery.

Owing to Roger's ignorance about pike fighting, it was some minutes before he realised that the Venetian was fighting an almost entirely defensive encounter. He had hardly shifted his ground at all, but was stamping back and forth over the same square yard, while his attacker circled round and round him, striving to find an opening. For every three times Roger thrust, Malderini thrust only once, conserving his strength and waiting his opportunity.

Yet Roger, as he sprang in and out and from side to side, felt confident that Malderini could not stand the pace, and must shortly weaken so that for a moment he would lower his guard. Then, one swift lunge should settle the business.

The witnesses of the encounter maintained an absolute silence. The stillness of the glade was broken only by the clack of the wooden pike shafts as they came together, and the heavy breathing of the duellists.

By the time they had been at this furious slash and thrust for six or seven minutes, Roger was sweating from his exertions. During them he had been constantly switching his glance from Malderini's pike point to his face. This, again, was on account of the strangeness to him of the weapon he was using. Had it been a sword, he would have kept his gaze riveted on his enemy's eyes, it being a first principle of fencing that only by so doing can one divine one's opponent's intentions. Now, he decided that he would be wiser to adopt deceptive tactics. He would pretend to tire, slacken off his attack and tempt the Venetian into making an all-​out lunge at him. By watching his eyes he should be able to foresee the movement, side step the thrust and come in himself with a well-​aimed stab, which would render the heavy, awkward figure confronting him hors de combat.

He had adopted this new policy for not more than a long half-​minute before he suddenly became aware that he had thrown himself open to a deadly peril. Having stared for that time into the curious eyes of the Venetian, he could not now wrench his gaze away from them. In vain he strove to do so. Like a magnet applied to iron filings they held his own eyes fixed. Too late, he recalled the Princess Sirisha's warning: Have care not to look in his eyes.' He was doing so now and could not stop himself.

In an agony of apprehension he continued to flail this way and that with his pike. He knew now that Malderini had got the best of him. The Venetian's choice of pikes had had more to it than a reluctance to fight with swords or pistols. He had known that such a long weapon would give him the best chance of fending his enemy off until he could hold his gaze and exert hypnotic influence on him.