Ghastly Glass by Joyce and Jim Lavene Page A

visitors joined us but also at least ten residents that I noticed. Tony came close to catching me again with his sword. I decided I’d better pay attention.
    We feinted, parried, dodged, and whirled around each other to the delight of the crowd. Tony’s long red cape punctuated his every movement. You might think most people would be on my side, but there were as many people cheering for the Dark One.
    Too bad for Tony that he hadn’t bothered taking the free fencing lessons given by the master swordsman who’d been in the Village two years ago. His movements were a lot of jabbing and twirling while mine were actually skilled efforts.
    I gave him a second nick as he worried more about how his cape flew out around him.
    “Second blood goes to the craftsman!” Daisy called.
    Tony glared at me, and I smiled back at him. “Just luck,” he said. “I have longer reach.”
    “Whatever. We’re the same height. That means our arms are close to the same length. With my added skills, I shall smite thee down, Satan.”
    I went in for the kill but realized my mistake a moment later as Tony tagged me again with his sword.
    “Strike two for the Devil!” Daisy addressed the crowd. Half of them booed while the other half cheered. It was like being at a joust without horses. I noticed King Harold standing on the sidelines watching. He was surrounded by his courtiers, as always. A few new female faces were at his side (maybe the rumors were true about him and Livy breaking up).
    The event that had started so innocently was about to be over. I’d noticed Tony’s propensity for overcompensating because he liked to make his cape swing out. I went in for the pseudo-kill and stepped on the edge of his cape as he got ready to twirl it around for show. This made him step back and turn toward me, but his sword was in his left hand (Tony is a southpaw like our dad, while I’m a righty like Mom). I brought my sword in quickly, tagged him, then moved quickly out of his reach.
    “Score! The craftsman wins the match!” Daisy called out and held up my sword arm. The crowd went wild. Even the people who were for Tony were applauding me.
    Tony snarled and swept his cape around him as he dropped his wooden sword and stalked away from me.
    Of course, I’d never hear the end of this. Just one more thing I did better than my brother, which included most life skills. But I’d never be able to dance the way he had at the show. Maybe that was where his true talent lay. I knew he’d keep his mouth shut now. He never went back on a bet.
    The king came up and joined the event. He called for his squire to give him one of the gold plastic medallions they awarded from time to time, usually to visitors. “For ridding our Faire Village of the Evil One, we salute you, Sir Craftsman, and would know your name so it might be heralded throughout our kingdom for all time.”
    “I am Jessie the Fearless of the Village Craft Guild.” I held up my sword, and the crowd shouted, “Huzzah.”
    “We thank you for your good work, Jessie the Fearless. We invite you to join us for our feast tomorrow evening at six P.M. at the Great Hall in the castle near the main entrance. Tickets for the event are available at kiosks around the Village. Huzzah!”
    I was less than impressed by the king’s commercial. Still, a personal invitation to the feast meant I didn’t have to worry about what role I’d have to play there. I’d been everything from a kitchen scullion to the jousting knights’ squire in the tournament.
    “Thank you, Your Majesty,” I responded as I thought appropriate. “I shall attend thee at the feast on the morrow.”
    King Harold thanked me loudly for the benefit of the crowd, then whispered, “I’m sorry to have to do this to you, Jessie. No frills tomorrow. You’ll have to ask Portia for a gentleman’s feast attire. Can’t have the crowd expecting a hero and getting the belle of the ball. See you there.”
    “Of course, Your Majesty.” I