TotW 233 - The Duel
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The Duel
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Spoiler for Submission 1:The Duel
Twenty paces in front of me stood my opponent. His face was hidden behind a mask; a grey, ghastly façade that permanently frowned at me. His left hand was outstretched, holding the pistol, loaded and ready to end my life. I loosened my shoulders and straightened my bow tie, before pointing my pistol at the masked man. Today would be the day, the day we would settle this. One way or another it would end here, on this field.
My grip tightened on the gun as I tried to gauge my shot, if I missed I had no doubt that he would not. And still his mask frowned at me as if disappointed that it should end this way. I suddenly found myself wishing to put a hole in it, just to stop the frown. As my finger tightened on the trigger, my opponent called out in a voice muffled by the mask,
“Come now sir! Can we not discuss this like gentlemen?”
“Sir, this is a matter of honour! You rob me at the side of the road like some sort of peasant and then you expect us to sit down and talk? I dare say you are mad, no gentleman would ever make such a ludicrous suggestion!” I shouted back, almost laughing at the frowning face.
My opponent shrugged and we both went back to our firing poses. The whole world seemed to slow as I pulled the trigger, smoke exploded from the pistol as the round musket ball flew faster than my eye could see. I heard a second gunshot through the smoke cloud and I involuntarily tensed,expecting the exploding pain at any moment...
Nothing.
The smoke cleared, my opponent still stood there, apparently unharmed. It appeared that my duelling lessons with my chums in Parliament were in vain. I slowly looked down at my suit. There were no holes in it, no blood leaking from it, no guttural screams echoing from my lips. I was alive and unharmed.
I gave a loud laugh.
“Huzzah! It would appear sir, that your shot did not match your bravado!”
“That, my dear gentleman…”
My opponent slowly removed his mask.
“…is no way to speak to a lady.” Brunette locks were shaken free as the mask was hurled to the ground, a grinning face of sparkling white teeth and a face paler than mine. I froze, speechless. A woman? So well spoken, yet would rob Members of Parliament?”
“Surprised?” she asked, her voice filled with contempt.
I nodded slowly, not quite sure what to say.
“Well, I have another one” she said with a small laugh and pulled out another pistol. I would have bet five pounds that it was loaded.
"Your shirt please."
“Oh.” I said softly as she pointed it at me, realising that while I had begun the day minus a few gold rings, I was not going to end it with my dignity intact.
Spoiler for Submission 2:"Upon my honour..." What honour? I don't have any, it was taken from me just like everything else I held dear by that bastard. I guess a person without honour wouldn't worry about swearing such an oath knowing they were going to break it before the day was out.
"Praise to the Lady..." What Lady? She had abandoned me just the same as all the others. Our most noble deity, it seemed, only favoured those who stayed at the top, as soon as you went to this level the priest stop caring and helping - they were just as corrupt as all the others; including me.
"Gentlemen, you may rise," I stood at the priests lofty command, "rise now as one of the Anointed and leave your old lives behind." I couldn't, there was too much left to avenge. It was ironic that the path for vengeance led me to this place, this order, where the past was supposed to be let go and in its place a life forged anew.
"Huzzah" I shouted along with the other newly Anointed, I shouted the words but didn't mean them - I wasn't truly one of them. But it was the only way to b my burning desire, no my burning need, for revenge. I could only achieve this by reaching him, and this was the perfect way to do it. And then? Well then I would duel him, and this time I would fight without honour, like he did. And this time I would win.
Spoiler for Submission 3:The Duel
London outskirts, March 7th, 1721
The night had descended over the city streets and all but the late drunks, the occasional lady of the night or her customers had already turned in. Walking calmly, as if they belonged, two men were heading in the direction of Upper St. James’s Park.
- Emmet, couldn’t this have waited until tomorrow, why...
- No, James, it couldn’t have, now shut up and pay attention.
- What is it?
- Tomorrow morning, at around 9, Baron Herbert Hervey and Baron Conyers Darcy de Knayth are going to duel in Upper St. James’s Park. Apparently, Conyers laughed at Herbert’s barony, saying it was just leftovers from the Irish, or some such nonsense, and it was undeserved.
- Honestly, who can understand these nobles, James said, they treasure their so-called honour so much, as if it means anything.
- Well, I just wanted you to know so you can get things ready...can you do that, Emmet asked impatiently.
- Settle down, James said amused by his friend’s restlessness, you can consider it done. What are they using, tilters or poppers?
- Pistols, I reckon, Emmet said. It’s settled then, I’ll see you tomorrow?
- Aye, tomorrow, James said, leaving Emmet’s side and turning onto a dark street, darker than the night, but whence sweet music and women’s laughter could be heard.
Upper St. James’s Park, March 8th, 1721
In the early hours of the day, two horse-drawn carriages stopped in front of the entrance to Upper St. James’s Park. While the coachmen remained behind, the five people that had come out of the carriages walked towards the park’s entrance, the physician first, followed by Baron Hervey, the challenger, and his second and by Baron Darcy de Knayth, the challenged, and his second. The grounds for the duel had already been agreed upon and once there, the two seconds measured the appropriate distance and stuck two swords in the ground, to mark the two duellists’ starting positions.
- Doctor Bellmore shall give the signal gentlemen, one of the seconds announced, and then you shall advance against each other and fire at will.
It seemed to take forever, but as soon as the handkerchief started falling, the two men started walking, cocking their pistols and aiming.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Shots started firing at the two duellists and for a second neither reacted. They weren't the ones firing. As they looked over to where their seconds were, they could see one of them holding the doctor while the other drew his sword.
- Huzzah, huzzah, get them boys, get them, an unknown voice started screaming, Emmet, Henry, follow me.
The man that had shouted was out of the bushes, in the open now, gun in hand, firing at the barons, killing the doctor and the two seconds.
It was all over faster than it takes for a body to hit the ground. Four men, Emmet and James among them were already searching the bodies, taking anything of worth. The duel had ended before it had even begun!
Spoiler for Submission 4:"Riverbank, gloomy terrain," said the first man out loud.
"It rained last night... there must have been a fog in the morning," continued his companion, as he walked into the scene, careful to look where his feet were.
"The farmers say they found them earlier today, heard gun shots, four of them, then came over to check," he continued, as the first man walked between the two remarkably well dressed corpses that lay about twenty steps from each other, each holding a revolver.
After a minute or two, the first man finally made a comment.
"A duel in a foggy morning. Easy to trip, difficult to see where your adversary stands. Hardly the best setting for a duel between gentlemen. How do you think this went?"
The companion spoke quickly, thinking it figured out.
"Two men, by their looks aristocrats, wish to settle a dispute. Someone's honour was hurt, perhaps a lady was involved, hardly relevant. In any case, they agree to meet alone, before dawn, in an empty field outside of London. Against all odds, they walk away, shoot at each other, and hit the target...fatally."
"No detail is hardly relevant, my friend," the first man replied, "And seldom do events occur against all odds."
"Then how do you explain this?" the second man inquired.
"How do you get two men to agree to meet in a remote location, at a time when fog is commonly found, no moon in the sky, and thus its easy for them to miss what's around them as they try to focus on each other?," the first man inquired.
His companion, clearly an apprentice, paused, wheels turning in his head.
The teacher looked at him in the eyes.
"The reasons that brought them here are -very- relevant."
"Are you saying they were tricked into killing each other?" his companion inquired.
"Nay... I'm saying there was a third shooter."
"What makes you think that?" the apprentice said, with disbelief.
"There are hints on the ground. He was careful, tried to conceal his steps, but the ground was muddy and he didn't have much time before dawn."
The apprentice looked at him, unimpressed.
"You will need a little more than 'hints' to support that story," he said, challenging his story. "I can't see any foot steps besides these two's."
"You said the farmer told you he had heard four shots?" said the teacher, seemingly ignoring his comment.
"Aye," the other muttered.
"Curious," he continued. "This revolver has only one missing bullet. Can you check the other?"
He stepped over to the cold corpse and inspected the weapon. "Only one shot too," he replied, attempting to conceal a his surprise. The teacher stood up, and faced his pupil.
"Huzzah," he exclaimed, with a smirk.
"Looks like we're heading off to London, my friend," as he cleaned his clothes from dust on the ground. "This just turned from a the scene of a duel, to the scene of a murder."
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Originally Posted by Lortano
I wanted to get in on this one, but alas.
