Shiny Pants stopped strutting. His helmet turned in Adam’s direction. A cone of shiny metal—Adam could not get over the shininess—with long slits where his eyes should be.

Adam judged that the helmet would badly limit his opponent’s vision—not that it mattered in a mock battle—but wouldn’t the guy trip over his own feet? Also, bad PR. No one could see what this guy looked like; everyone liked seeing a warrior they could put a face to.

Adam walked to the center of the arena and waved genially. He nodded at Freya Goodnight. He gave a special wave to Tamalyn, who now hung over the fence next to the Gothic Times reporter, high-schooler Justin Scharphorn.

Hm. That was an interesting development.

Adam turned and waved to the crowd on the opposite side and faced enthusiastic cheers from Señor Alfonso and Ludwig. They must have hustled all their customers out and closed the restaurant to be here for his mock battle.

Warning shouts rose from the crowd.

He turned toward the dais and saw Mrs. Kulshan pointing a shaking finger toward him. Behind him.

The Shivering Sherlocks were on their feet.

Mr. Kulshan shouted, “Look out, boy!”

Adam spun.

Shiny Pants rushed him, sword swinging toward Adam’s injured shoulder. Adam had only a moment to wonder How does this stranger know where to aim? It was as if Shiny Pants had shot the sniper rifle that resulted in Adam’s injury...

Oh.

Now Adam knew who was inside the knight’s suit of plate armor.

The crowd hurrahed louder, thinking the demonstration had begun.

Adam lifted his arm and took the blow on his leather gauntlet. The force took him facedown to the ground, and his arm...

Pain. Stars speckled his vision. So much pain. The force of that blow, the unexpectedness of it, had not been for display. For whatever reason, this knight was after him.

A few people in the crowd seemed to know that the demonstration shouldn’t be happening this way, with one knight unarmed and the other hacking away with his full strength. Those people screamed at Adam to move.

He had to move.

He rolled to the right, faced his opponent in time to see Shiny Pants lift his long sword and point it down over his head, prepared to use all his strength and the power of gravity to skewer Adam.

The crowd booed.

Adam rolled again, away from the blow.

The knight drove the sword blade into the grass.

Now Adam knew why his foe was so awkward, so clumsy, so driven and insane he wanted to kill Adam. Holding his injured forearm, he sprang to his feet.

The crowd cheered.