“Are you insane?” he said, his voice husky from sleep. “Come now, you must have heard the rumors!” I said cheerfully. “More importantly, though: Are you insane? Here you are, sleeping heavily without even bothering to bar your door, a hallway away from one of your enemies? That is either insanity or stupidity. Pick one.” He brought his knee up sharply, aiming at my side. I bent my arm to block the strike with my elbow, pointing the blade instead at his stomach. “You lost before you woke,” I said. “First lesson: The best way to win a fight is to avoid having one. If your enemy is a heavy
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