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Show But in a few moments Simon drew in his breath sharply. "Kostya's devils!" he cried and lunged for the door, for he, had seen the big knight and his squire step from behind a thicket and make a grab for the maid and her mother just as they reached their aircar. The scattered patrons in the alehouse jerked up their heads at Simon's outburst, and the barmaid-a strapping redhead of some seventeen stone-emerged purposefully from behind the spigots, wiping her hands on her apron and pushing up her sleeves. "Is't trouble now, Simon?" she rumbled. By the time she reached the open door; every patron in the place was at her broad back-some thirteen, including two eager boys dressed in Merchant velvet who crowded forward, then burst from behind the barmaid and out the door on Simon's heels. "To the rescue!" the youngsters cried. "To the rescue!" echoed the others, urging them on, and then they stood in a clot before the alehouse door watching with interest as the boys dashed across the square, cloaks streaming out behind them in the reddish Twinlight. The barmaid and Simon, however, turned aside and, arms flexed and at the ready; made their way swiftly behind some low nettle trees toward the road by the alehouse, for the big knight already had Janni on his saddle and was pounding toward that very road, skirting the hurtling boys and urging his huge mount furiously onward with his heels. "Ho there!" screamed Simon, who emerged from the brush of a sudden and ran ponderously into the road to head off the mounted knight, churning the air with his muscular arms. The barmaid, a little behind Simon, lunged for the reins. But the knight, in a lightning move, swerved aside, alas, and Simon and his barmaid collided in a boneshaking embrace, then rolled all a-tangle into the dust. 153 |