Neither man wore a PPS. Allor ran across the main cathedral towards the man that had killed his mother, his sword high over his head. When he was less than ten maatars from Pens, the high priest activated his cloaking and disappeared. Allor went past him swinging at empty air and crashed into the wooden pew in the front row.
“Fairness Principle,” yelled Indira. And then she did the most peculiar thing. A woman her age moved as if she were a ballerina, leaping over to Allor and shoving something into his hand. She leaned close to him and whispered to him. A moment later Allor too disappeared. After a few seconds and a scream from some of the worshipers in the corner of the church, nothing changed.
“Gentlemen,” yelled Wingut. “You have reached an impasse that will only get other people killed. If you wish to continue, then you must both agree to turn off shielding.”
“I will,” said Allor.
“I won’t,” said Pens.
“Coward,” yelled Allor.
“Stupid,” replied Pens.
“Come face me,” said Allor, and then he appeared.
“Stupid,” said Pens.
Then Pens stabbed Allor with his sword. The shape of it formed as it was covered with the blood of Allor. And with the shape of the blade came the location of the owner. As he fell forward towards Pens, he shot the blaster that Indira had given him. Pens passed into his composite molecules quickly and fell as black, red, and gray dust onto the floor.
The mechanical feet of Professor Wingut were much faster than naturally developed feet. He was beside Allor an instant after he hit the floor. The remedium was on and he was moving it to the wound when Allor began a large seizure.
“Shit,” said Wingut as he desperately began to find the location of the worst part of the wound and heal it before Allor died. The seizure escalated and found rhythm for a moment as Allor jerked hard three times then collapsed into a motionless state.
“Shit,” said Wingut as he continued to move the remedium over the wound.
Allor lay motionless on the floor. Indira had moved quickly to Allor and was running another remedium directly over his heart.
“Shit,” yelled Wingut.
Third shits are a charm, and it was with this third shit that Allor took a deep breath at last, his first in almost twenty-five tix. Indira quit subconsciously holding her breath along with him.
“Whoa, I got a failure reading for a moment,” said Wingut, and he held up the remedium and shook it as if it might have loose parts inside.