the ultimate headset

Are you certain you wouldnt like to come up here, Professor? Nalizar called. Have a little match, you and I? Give the ren another glimpse of how it is really done? I let them each duel me in turn, of course, but they hardly give me a fair contest. Fitch paled. Um, I dont think Come now, Nalizar asked. Considering the rather unimpressive display you gave last time, I should think youd be eager for a chance to redeem yourself! Go on, Professor, Joel whispered. You can beat him. Ive seen you draw. Youre way better than he is. No thank you, Professor, Fitch called, laying a hand on Joels shoulder and turning him away. That hand, Joel noticed, was shaking noticeably. Joel reluctantly allowed Fitch to pull him away. He could hear as Nalizar barked something to his class. It was followed by laughter. Why? Joel asked as they walked. Why not duel him? It would be meaningless, Joel, Fitch said. I couldnt my tenure back for another year. If I fought and lost, Id be humiliated again. If I , all I would do is make an ever bigger enemy of Nalizar. Hes a hypocrite, Joel said. All that talk about keeping nonRithmatists out of his classroom, and then he comes out here in the open and displays his students for everyone to see? They will be on display at the Melee as well, Fitch said. I suspect Nalizar wishes to acclimatize them to drag in front of a crowd. But, yes, I see what you mean. Regardless, I will not put myself in a position where I must fight him again. It wouldnt be gentlemanly in this situation. Nalizar doesnt deserve to be treated like a gentleman, Joel snapped. He clenched his fists. If anyone was a bully, it was Nalizar. You really should have dueled him again. Pride or no pride. You dont have anything to loseeveryone already assumes that Nalizar is better. However, if you did , youd be making a statement. Fitch fell silent for a time. I dont know, Joel. Im just well, Im just not good at dueling. He defeated me, and deserved to. No. No, I should not like to duel him again, and that is that. We shall have no more of it. Joel couldnt help but notice that the professor was still trembling slightly as they continued on their way. CHAPTER There! Joel thought with satisfaction, snapping the book closed. After two weeks, hed finished all of the census records. He flipped through the stack of papers. The oldest page listed the graduates eighty years back, and hed been able to cross off every name on that list. The same for the next seven or eight years. The lists went all the way up to the graduates from one year ago. Only one of those had diedduring an accident at Nebrask. Along with the other reports, Joel had also included a special list of Rithmatists who had vanished, their whereabouts unknown. There werent any of those that had happened recentlysave for Lilly Whitingbut he figured that Fitch might be interested.