“Frankly, I don’t know. But, as I said, this is a political problem more than a scientific one. I’m tired and frustrated and I’m feeling my years. I want to return to Carinae and spend me next few months considering beautifully abstract problems such as instantaneous transportation devices. Let Massan and the Star Watch worry about Kanus.”
“Oh! That’s what I came to tell you. Massan has been challenged to a duel by Odal.”
“What?”
“This afternoon. Odal went to the Capital building and picked an argument with Massan right in the main corridor and challenged him.”
“Massan accepted?” Leoh asked.
Hector nodded.
Leoh leaned across his desk and reached for the phone. It took a few minutes and a few levels of secretaries and ssistants, but finally Massan’s dark, bearded face appeared on the screen above the desk.
“You’ve accepted Odal’s challenge?” Leoh asked, without preliminaries.
“We meet next week,” Massan replied gravely.
“You should have refused.”
“On what pretext?”
“No pretext. A flat refusal, based on the certainty that Odal or someone else from Kerak is tampering with the dueling machine.”
Massan shook his head sadly. “My dear learned sir, you do not comprehend the political situation. The government of Acquatainia is much closer to dissolution man I dare to admit publiclyThe coalition of star-nations that Dulaq had constructed to keep Kerak neutralized has broken apart completely. Kerak is already arming. This morning, Kanus announced he would annex Szamo, with its enormous armaments industry. This afternoon, Odal challenges me.”