Звездный десант

           Well,thatsettlesthat.ButI’vegotoneotherthingonmymind.Ihappenedtonoticethatthewashroomneedscleaning...andIthinkmaybeyouandIoughttoattendtoit.Soputyourbookaside...asJellysays,non-comsarealwaysonduty."

           Hedidn’tstiratonce.Hesaidquietly,"Youreallythinkit’snecessary,Shortie?AsIsaid,Igotnothingagainstyou."

           "Lookslike."

           "Thinkyoucandoit?"

           "Icansuretry."

           "Okay.Let’stakecareofit."

           Wewentafttothewashroom,chasedoutaprivatewhowasabouttotakeashowerhedidn’treallyneed,andlockedthedoor.Acesaid,"Yougotanyrestrictionsinmind,Shortie?"

           "Well...Ihadn’tplannedtokillyou."

           "Check.Andnobrokenbones,nothingthatwouldkeepeitheroneofusoutofthenextdrop—exceptmaybebyaccident,ofcourse.Thatsuityou?"

           "Suits,"Iagreed."Uh,IthinkmaybeI’lltakemyshirtoff."

           "Wouldn’twanttogetbloodonyourshirt."Herelaxed.Istartedtopeelitoffandheletgoakickformykneecap.Nowindup.Flat-footedandnottense.

           Onlymykneecapwasn’tthere—Ihadlearned.

           Arealfightordinarilycanlastonlyasecondortwo,becausethatisallthetimeittakestokillaman,orknockhimout,ordisablehimtothepointwherehecan’tfight.Butwehadagreedtoavoidinflictingpermanentdamage;thischangesthings.