His portly friend reluctantly presented his sword. Akiko weighed it in her hand, adapting her grip to the unfamiliar weapon. ‘It’s light!’ she remarked.

‘Of course it is,’ said Sir Edmund. ‘Italian steel. The finest.’

‘Won’t save you, though,’ said Sir Francis, peeling himself away from the tree.

Jack and Akiko stood side by side, facing their opponents. The crowd fell silent in anticipation.

‘En garde!’ cried Sir Toby, dropping into a long low stance and holding out his rapier.

‘I assure you that you don’t want to do this,’ said Jack, maintaining a calm composure as he and Akiko prepared for battle. ‘Put away your swords now and we can forget all about our quarrel.’

‘I believe they’re scared,’ slurred Sir Francis, his rapier tip wavering.

‘I’m scared for you,’ said Jack. ‘Your last chance: sheathe your weapons.’

Sir Toby snorted his disdain. ‘This is a matter of honour. I must draw blood to be satisfied.’

With that, he lunged at Jack. At the same time Sir Francis went for Akiko.

The speed at which Sir Toby moved was astounding. Caught off guard, Jack barely saw the rapier’s sharpened tip as it thrust towards his heart. Only a deft, instinctive shift of his body saved him from being skewered. Meanwhile, Akiko was driven back by a series of sharp jabs from Sir Francis.

Recovering quickly, Jack drew his katana in one fluid movement and sliced down. The curved blade cut across Sir Toby, threatening to sever the man’s sword arm clean off. But Sir Toby was quick to pull back and the katana sliced through thin air, a fraction from the end of his nose.

‘Your sword work is too slow,’ sneered Sir Toby as if he’d only been testing Jack’s reactions with his first attack.

Then the stiffened ruff round his neck parted, fell away and dropped into the dirt.

‘Not that slow,’ replied Jack with a cunning grin.

Sir Toby’s face blanched at this indignity as sniggering spread through the crowd. The laughter caused Sir Francis to pause in his assault on Akiko, who’d been fiercely defending herself.

Sir Edmund waddled over in a panic and examined Sir Toby. ‘No blood,’ he declared with evident relief and Sir Francis resumed his attack on Akiko.

Although uninjured, Sir Toby was incensed. ‘You ruined my ruff! You’ll pay for that!’

He came at Jack like a thing possessed, his rapier stabbing for Jack’s eyes. Jack deflected the first thrust, dodged the second, but the third caught him across the cheek. Pain flared in a sharp line.

‘First blood!’ cried an onlooker in delight.

‘Sir Toby’s won,’ Sir Edmund announced with an official air.