'Least I didn't lose the eye...

Sometimes I wonder why I keep goin' to Joe the Bastard's dances in Eavesdown. I s'pose it's that hope the hwuan dan dangles in front of me, that maybe I'll best the other fighters an' win the purse. So I keep tryin', an' I keep spittin' blood 'cause of it.

Well. 'Least I still got all my teeth.

There was a dance last night. Joe's got a pretty good pit for it, all hidden away from pryin' eyes. Pretty well-attended, too, there was quite a crowd gathered to watch us bleed for 'em. We got there late but Joe was still tallyin' up the bets. He seemed'ta have a spot of trouble gettin' people to sign up to fight, but he got a handful, when push came to shove. Was a fella there that tried'ta back out, but once your name is on the list... not a whole lot you can do 'bout it.

Duncan went in first, 'gainst the yellowbelly that didn't wanna fight. T'was a good fight, but I think maybe Duncan didn't wanna hurt him too bad or nothin', 'cause the fella lasted the whole two minutes and Joe the Bastard called it a double defeat. I took exception to that, but Joe plays by his own damn rules. Duncan was just about to take the fella out, too.
He seemed'ta be all right, though. Duncan. Weren't messed up too bad, but he weren't in a good mood, neither. 'Cause of the way Joe called it, I s'pose.

I was up next. An' it don't matter how many times I do this, when they call my name, my stomach just starts makin' these li'l loops, an' my heart starts racin'. An' then Joe called the name of the person I was gonna fight an' my stomach stopped makin' loops and just dropped to the floor. Fargis.

I hadn't e'en seen her, there was so many people in that li'l room. Didn't know she was back on Persephone. Not that it's my business knowin' her whereabouts, an' to be perfectly honest, I don't rightly care.

Either way, there she was, hands wrapped up an' lookin' like she was ready to administer a world'o hurt. Which. Well, kinda the point, innit?

We climbed into the cage an' Joe locked it up tight behind us. We shook hands'n all, all polite-like, an' I s'pose that's how it's gotta be. Don't matter none who's in the cage with you. Only thing that matters's that when that bell goes off for the second time, you're the one still standin'.

Everyone was suddenly rushin' to make last-minute bets, an' we were standin' there in the ring, sweatin' under the lights, for a good ten minutes 'fore we had'ta start yellin' at Joe to just ring the bell an' start the show.

An' I s'pose we put on a good one. Fargis can throw a punch like she means it, believe you me. But she didn't fight dirty, 'least not dirtier than I did. I got a couple good hits on her, but by the time the bell rang, the last person standin' weren't me. I hit the canvas hard 'nuff to knock the wind right outta me, 'course, my pride was stingin' more'n anythin'.

"Gorram, Gabe, you can fight!" she said.

Had'ta spit to clear my mouth 'fore I could say anythin' back. "Can say the same for you, I reckon," I told her. Well, seein' as I was the one that was down for the count, there was no arguin' with that. She stood over me an' she coulda gloated if'n she'd wanted to. Didn't, though. Offered me her hand to help me up, instead.

"Good fight. Glad D's got someone who knows what she's doin' watchin' his back." She had a split lip that musta stung like hell, but she grinned anyways. I dunno 'xactly what I'd been expectin'. Weren't this, though.

I shook hands with her again, an' didn't rightly know what to say. "Yeah," seemed appropriate. "Good fightin'."

Had so much gorram milk acid runnin' through me I could barely walk outta the cage, my legs were shakin' so bad. Sat next to Duncan to watch the next couple step into the ring. Say what you will 'bout ole Joe, but he's got some good couches in his pit. Doc JJ came over and lectured me 'bout fightin'. Had a cut o'er my eye she didn't like the look of.

"That cut isn't pretty," she told me. "Any lower and you could have lost the eye." I told her that then it was a good thing it didn't hit any lower. She didn't seem'ta think that was funny. Said I was lucky I didn't need stitches. She tended some to my hands'n all, but the wrappin's took most'a the punishment an' I was given the all-clear. When she left she was mutterin' somethin' 'bout the sillyness of adults fightin' just 'cause they could, or somethin', but I didn't rightly hear her. S'pose she's right, though. Kinda silly. But what the hell're you s'posed to do when time're this lean?

Sat on that couch for the rest of the night. Fargis went in to fight in the final round, but she couldn't hold her ground 'gainst the big fella, Zerbino or summat, that was in there wit' her.

Dunno if that would'a made it more worth-while or nothin', but. Would'a kinda liked to see her win, 'yknow?