COLONISING
Mac was showing Geoff some of his stuff. They were using the common room with the chairs pushed right over the edge of the wire mesh. The chairs tilted dangerously. Each man held a wooden sword.
“These are practice weapons,” Mac explained.
“So I don’t get to kill you yet?”
“Later,” promised Mac. “Though I’m pretty sure I could kill you, even with these, if I really wanted to.”
“Then don’t really want to,” said Geoff. “I’m far too pretty to die. Now tell me what I’m doing with this.”
“You’re learning the basic sword guards. There are four.”
“And remind me why we’re avoiding the good doctor-historian?”
“Because the manual my group uses is German and later, and Artemisia would tell me that. In detail. And I know it already.”
“You mean it hasn’t been written yet? That’s jus
