Hector didn’t answer, but merely stared in disbelief at the old man.
The building that housed the dueling machine was surrounded with throngs of people. Their restless, anxious murmuring could be heard even inside the normally quiet room. The press gallery, high above the machine itself, was packed with reporters.
For a solid week every tri-di outlet in the Acquataine Cluster had drummed continuously on the coming duel between Leoh and OdalGood against evil, with the issue seriously in doubt. The old, overweight, shaggy professor against the blade-slim professional killer.
Hector and Leoh stood before the machine. The meditechs were bustling about making final checks on the ontrols. On the other side of the room, tiers of temporary seats had been put in. They were fiUed with government and social leaders, military men, policemen, and a small contingent from the Kerak embassy. Geri Dulaq sat in the front row, next to the empty chair that would be Hector’s.
“I still don’t like it,” Hector said in a near whisper to Leoh.
With his eyes sweeping the room, watching the restless onlookers and the busy meditechs, Leoh answered, “Relax, my boy. We’ve turned the machine inside out. The worst he can do is to defeat me. At the slightest medical irregularity, the machine will automatically stop us. And besides, I still think I can beat him. I’ll be using the neutron star environment again, the same one I used against that college student. He’ll have no advantage over me there.”
A roar went up from the crowd outside.