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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e442ba5 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #65140 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65140) diff --git a/old/65140-0.txt b/old/65140-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 1e4d70b..0000000 --- a/old/65140-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,966 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Not in the Rules, by Mack Reynolds - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Not in the Rules - -Author: Mack Reynolds - -Release Date: April 22, 2021 [eBook #65140] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NOT IN THE RULES *** - - - - - NOT IN THE RULES - - By Mack Reynolds - - A planet's strength was determined in the - Arena where brute force emerged victorious. But - the Earthman chose a forgotten weapon--strategy! - - [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from - Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy - April 1951 - Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that - the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] - - -I got the bad news as soon as we landed on Mars. The minute I got off -the spacer, the little yellow Martie was standing there with a yellow -envelope. He said, "Gladiator Jak Demsi?" - -I admitted it and he handed me the envelope. Made me feel kind of good, -as though I was somebody important, which I'm not. I'd been taking -plenty of guff on the trip. Not only from Suzi, but from Alger Wilde, -who was also along. Yeah, between them they'd ridden me as well as the -liner, all the way from Terra. - -I handed the Martie a kopek and put the yellow envelope in my pocket, -as though I was used to getting spacegrams. - -I said to Suzi, "Let's hit the chow line." I don't usually talk that -fancy, but I was trying to impress her with my knowledge of antique -phrases. Both Suzi and Alger Wilde are students of ancient times and -love to lard their conversation with such stuff. - -Suzi said, "Sure, Jak. Come on Alger," which wasn't what I'd meant at -all. And then she said, "Aren't you going to open that spacegram, Jak? -It might be important." - -"Probably is," I said carelessly. "But it can wait, whatever it is." - -And it did. I opened it after we'd ordered at the spaceport restaurant. -I should have waited until after I'd eaten, but I couldn't know that -until I read: - - SPACER TRANSPORTING GLADIATOR EARTH-MARS FOR INTER-PLANETARY GAMES - LOST. YOU HAVE BEEN APPOINTED EMERGENCY REPLACEMENT REPRESENTING - EARTH. GOOD LUCK. - -I gulped. If you don't know all about the Interplanetary Meet which is -held every decade, then maybe you don't know why I gulped. If you do, -you do. It's tough enough being a gladiator on Terra but at least you -have a chance of coming out alive; you've even got a chance of winning. -But at the Interplanetary Meet! Who ever heard of a Terran coming out -in one piece? Not to speak of winning. - -Sure, I'm a gladiator, but I've always been strictly a second rater; in -fact, some of the sports writers call me a third rater. Anyway, I've -always worked in the smaller meets where the gladiators, even when they -lose, usually get off with their lives. In the small town stuff, they -don't kill expensive gladiators, if they can help it. - -My head was doing double flips trying to figure out some way of making -myself scarce, when Suzi said, "What is it, Jak?" - -Like a fool, I handed the message to her and she and Alger read it -together. - -Suzi's eyes widened and she started to say something, worriedly, but -Alger stuck out his hand and said, "Congratulations, Jak. I knew you -had great things in you. Now they'll be coming out.... Er.... That is, -just think, one of the three gladiators representing Terra. What an -honor!" - -I was sunk. - -The Interplanetary Meet was just three days off and I had three days to -live. - - * * * * * - -I wouldn't have been on Mars in the first place if it hadn't been for -an argument I had with Suzi back on Terra just before she was scheduled -to blast off for Mars to cover the Interplanetary Games. Suzi is a -sports reporter, see. She covers the meets from the woman's angle. What -she really wanted to do was write books about primitive culture; and -what I wanted her to do was spend the rest of her life being my wife. -Neither of us seemed to have much of a chance of making good. - -As usual, Suzi was giving me _kert_. If you'll pardon my language. "I -don't know why I bother with you, Jak," she said scowling. "You've had -the book a week and don't know a thing about it. You're nothing but a -drip, a square." - -"Listen," I said resentfully. "Don't use those mythological terms on -me. Last time it took me all day to look them up. Besides, I try don't -I? My manager's going crazy because I've been spending so much time -reading instead of training for my next meet." - -You get the idea. The girl was just gone on the ancients. She wouldn't -have tolerated me for an hour if I hadn't been willing to let her cram -her nonsense into me at every opportunity. - -"How long do you expect to be on Mars?" I asked her. - -She shrugged. "Perhaps three months, Terra time." - -"Three months!" - -She patted my hand. "Don't worry about me, Jak. I'm taking along an -extensive micro-film library dealing with the literature and drama of -Twentieth Century North America. As you undoubtedly know, it reached -its height in the comic books and cartoon movies of the time. Besides," -she went on, "Alger Wilde will be there, covering the meet from the -society angle. He'll be good company. Alger is quite an authority on -prehistoric literature." - -"And also on today's women," I yelped. "You didn't tell me that -_makron_ was going to be on Mars with you." - -She held her hands over her ears and said indignantly, "Please, Jak, -save your vulgarities for the games." - -"I'm going with you," I grated. "I don't trust that guy with my woman." - -She flared up at that. "Your woman! Let me tell you, Jak Demsi, when -you begin to display the cultural achievements of Alger Wilde, you -may begin, just begin, mind you, to think of me as your woman, as you -so crudely put it. Meanwhile, I have no desire to link myself with an -ignoramus. Besides, I'm beginning to believe that you have no interest -in cultural pursuits. You've merely deceived me these past months with -pretended...." - -"Aw, Suzi," I began. - - * * * * * - -I had trouble enough raising credits for my fare, but more still -getting last minute reservations on the crowded excursion liner to -Mars. It took some string pulling on my manager's part to get me the -tickets. Nobody who can raise the credits would dream of missing the -Interplanetary Meet, and every spacer to Mars was packed. - -Suzi was surprised when I stepped up to her table in the spacer's -lounge. At least, her eyebrows raised. The little minx was as pretty as -a Venusian rose-orchid. She was sitting with Alger Wilde, a _makron_ -from the word _glorm_. - -"Hi," I said, using a prehistoric formal salutation in hopes of -pleasing her with my knowledge of olden times. - -"By Jove," Alger Wilde exclaimed. "If it isn't Jak Demsi." He added, -smirking, "Pardon the expression. Jove was an ancient deity. I -sometimes slip and use such terms." - -Did he think I was stupid? Hadn't I been reading up on all that stuff -for months? I sat down casually in an empty acceleration chair. - -"Of course," I said. "An Egyptian God; also known as Jupiter by their -neighbors, the Aztecs, and by the name of Zeus, by the Chinese." - -And that's the way it was all the way to Mars. I tried to hang on and -stick it out with them, but I came in a bad third. I was fighting out -of my class. In fact, just before we arrived on Mars, Suzi made it -plain that she thought I might as well give up my attempts to become -cultured. She said I just didn't assimilate the stuff, that it didn't -come off on me. I could read whole libraries of the ancient classics -and recall none of the significance of what I'd read. In short, I -wasn't doing so good with Suzi. - - * * * * * - -Well, three days after getting the telegram, I met the other two -gladiators from Terra in our dressing room at the arena. They weren't -much happier about the meet than I was. - -It's one of the occupational hazards of our trade. If you get too good, -you'll probably be chosen as Terra representative to the Interplanetary -Meet and your chances of surviving are almost nil. Of course, the pay -is high and your survivors get a big chunk of credits but it's a chilly -prospect at best. - -The other two were pretty well armored and had chosen spears as -weapons, but I left off all armor and took a short sword. I planned on -moving fast and the less weight I carried the better. - -When the various preliminaries were over and the crowd shouting for the -main event, we trotted out to the field, joined the gladiators from -the other planets and paraded toward the stand at which the judges -and diplomats were seated. There was a mob of these, each with his -assistants and secretaries. You could bet that little that happened -would miss them. After all, on this meet hung the destinies of planets. - -Thousands of spectators from every planet and every principal satellite -in the system stared down from their arena seats. I knew that the -majority of them had expended a fortune in transport from their homes -and for tickets to the meet. But why not! It was the equivalent of -having a box seat at a full scale war of the type held in legendary -times. Certainly, the ultimate effect was as great or greater. -Each spectator knew that upon the manner in which their planet's -representatives fought this day, their fates depended. - - * * * * * - -The planets have long since abolished war, but they put great store -by these Interplanetary Meets. The theory is: Why fight a war and kill -off billions of population when you can figure out before the fighting -ever takes place who'd win? It's the natural ultimate development of -diplomacy. Everything is settled by the diplomats without resorting to -armed conflict. - -Suppose, for instance, that Mars decided to assume domination of Terra. -She notes, as do the Terran diplomats, that, at the Interplanetary -Meet, the Martian gladiators wiped up on those from Terra. Obviously, -if the same fighting would take place on a gigantic scale the same -thing would result. So why fight the war? Terra simply accepts the -domination. Of course, it's all done in very diplomatic language so -that nobody loses face, but the results are the same. - -As a matter of fact, I'm surprised that one of the other planets hasn't -already taken over Terra. The most recent addition to the League of -Solar System Planets, we're by far the weakest. Probably our strongest -defense has been the fact that several different League members have -had their eyes upon us and each has counteracted the other. It's -certain that Venus, Saturn, and even Pluto would like to assimilate -Terra. Actually, any one of them could do it. - -As is customary, a beauty from the planet upon which the meet is -being held, a Martian Princess in this case, opened the main event -by throwing out the prize. It was a tremendous Venusian emerald, the -largest ever discovered and the size of a man's hand. It doesn't really -make much difference who catches the prize, except that it's considered -to be a lucky sign; the gladiator who survives the contest is the one -who finally takes it. - -I could see Suzi in the press box, sitting next to Alger. She seemed -pale. I thought I might as well show her that some of the stuff she'd -given me to read had been remembered. So just before the Princess -tossed out the emerald and while the others stood about nervously and -impatient, I drew my sword, flourished it, and called out, "We who are -about to die, salute you!" - -The Martian Princess smiled down at me. "Good fortune to you, gladiator -from Terra," she said, and deliberately threw the stone. - -I'd just as well she hadn't. The man with the prize is always the -center of conflict and to have a hundred or so of the most efficient -killers in the system out after you is no way to live to a ripe old age. - -But I caught the emerald and the battle was on. I'd hardly got it into -my belt before I heard a swish and a Mercurian _Bouncer_, the steel -knives on his heels flashing, missed me by a fraction of an inch. -Before it could jump again, a four armed Martian pierced it with a -javelin. The Martian went down in his turn under a crushing blow from -a _Slaber_. - -I ran backward quickly, knowing that where there's one _Bouncer_ -there's another. They fight in a group of twenty or thirty. - - * * * * * - -Sometimes I wonder about that rule. Each planet is represented in the -final free-for-all, the climax of the Interplanetary Meet, by weight. -The Mercurians, who are about the size of Terran chickens, have thirty -gladiators in the battle. The group from Calypso numbers eight, and -looks like a gang of human dwarfs. Jupiter and Saturn have only one -representative each because of their gigantic size. Mars has four, -Terra three. The others have varying numbers. - -The other two gladiators from Terra tried to cover me, but went down -in the rush. The first fell victim to the heavy, ponderous and nearly -weapon proof gladiator from Saturn, victor of the last Interplanetary -Meet. The Terran tried to run in close, beneath the other's guard, but -was smashed with a sweeping blow that broke half the bones in his body. -The crowd cheered for the nice try, and the Saturnian brandished his -half ton club again and peered about near-sightedly for another enemy. - -My second companion in arms had an arm severed near the shoulder by -a fast moving Plutonian _Gadaboot_. He fell to the ground bleeding -profusely. At least, he'd probably survive and get back to Terra. - -I had seconds to live. As I said, we Terrans don't show up so well in -the games. The gladiators from _any_ planet can take us. Oh, I don't -mean that a Terran couldn't defeat _one_ Mercurian _Bouncer_, or _one_ -Calypso _Dwoorf_, but face our three Terrans with the whole Calypso, or -the whole Mercurian delegation and we don't last very long. - -I had seconds to live. They were all centering toward me, taking side -swipes at one another if the opportunity allowed, but heading for me. - -Ordinarily, before a contest, my manager fills me full of last minute -advice and instructions; but I'd hardly seen him in the past few -months. I'd been too busy reading Suzi's books about the ancients. I -was on my own. - -I didn't have time to figure it out. It just happened automatically. I -remembered something and before I had time to place the memory, I had -taken the emerald from my belt, held it up momentarily so they could -all see it, and yelled, "For the greatest fighter of all," and threw it -into the midst of them. - -Later, I recalled a guy in one of Suzi's books having done something -similar, except I believe he yelled, "For the fairest," and threw a -golden apple. At any rate, the result seemed to be about the same. That -guy started the Trojan War. - -[Illustration: The Earthman drew deliberate attention to himself by -rushing into the thick of the battle, his blade slashing viciously. And -a roar went up from the crowd....] - -It gave me a breathing spell. They piled on one another until I thought -that the meet would end then and there. A Venusian spiderman bent to -pick up the emerald and had five of his limbs and his head cut off -before he could straighten again. A _Gadaboot_ grabbed it and tried to -dart out of the crush but ran into the darting rapier of a Uranian. -Rising dust swirled up and enveloped the rest. - -In moments, the fight had settled down into a series of individual -combats all over the field. - -I could see the slow moving _Slaber_ from Jupiter stalking about -weaponless, seizing and crushing all with whom he came in contact. I -could see the Mercurian _Bouncers_ dying like flies, but killing their -share and more of opponents with the razor sharp spurs attached to -their feet. They would fling themselves high into the air and come down -from above, heels slashing death. - -I had no more time to observe. Five remaining Calypso _Dwoorfs_ -disengaged themselves from a fight centering about two Venusians, spied -me, and dashed in my direction. - - * * * * * - -Ordinarily, the Calypso gladiators would be even weaker than we -Terrans, but they have the advantage of a universal mind. That is, -they think together. Each knows what every other _Dwoorf_ is thinking; -it goes beyond mere mental telepathy. They act as though they were a -single individual. Talk about team work! You get three or four of them -about you, all working in complete and perfect harmony, and you're sunk. - -I groaned for my manager's advice again and resigned myself. When they -got within fifteen feet of me they opened their mouths and cried in -unison. "Prepare to die, Terran _makron_." - -For a second that did it. I raised my short sword and started toward -them. They spread out like a fan to encircle me. Once again I didn't -consciously figure it out. The idea came spontaneously with my acting -upon it. I just suddenly turned on my heel and started to run. They -followed me like a pack. - -I'd gotten halfway across the arena and could hear the thousands in -the arena seats booing me like thunder, before it came back to me what -I'd read. It was a trick some gladiator from Rome or Greece had pulled -once. I looked over my shoulder. Sure enough, they were still coming, -but now they were strung out in a line. The fastest runner of them all -was only a short distance behind me, the slowest, quite a ways back. -The other three were in between at varying distances. - -This next is going to sound like it took some time but actually it was -all over in split seconds. - -I stopped, whirled, and said tightly to the one pressing me, "Who's -calling who a _makron_ now?" At the same time my sword parried his -and ripped into his unprotected belly. He died, his eyes wide with -surprise and pain. - -I hardly had time to disengage my sword before the second _Dwoorf_ was -upon me. I dropped to one knee and slashed upward cutting completely -through his right arm. The arm fell to the ground, his hand still -clutching the three pronged javelin with which he'd expected to spit -me. He screamed in agony and stumbled away hopelessly trying to staunch -the flow of blood with his left hand. - -The third came running up, both hands high over his head, ready to -bring down his battle ax. I kicked him savagely with a spiked shoe, -cracking a knee and bringing him to the ground. I could have finished -him then and there but didn't have the time. The fourth, yelling like a -maniac, slashed into me, his blade ripping my right arm from elbow to -shoulder. He brought up his sword for another stroke. - -I was short winded from the long run across the arena and from the -fast action of the past few moments. I drew all my strength together -and lunged desperately forward. My sword pierced his throat. He fell, -writhing, taking my blade with him. - -I stood up wearily to confront the fifth one. My arm was bleeding -freely and I had no weapon nor time to get one. - -He came shouting, raging with bloodlust and desire for revenge. His -arm flew back for the javelin cast when a Plutonian _Gadaboot_ -shot out from a nearby melee and struck him from the rear. The -_Dwoorf_ collapsed, bleeding his life away in moments. The _Gadaboot_ -straightened up, shrilling its death whistle, preparatory to darting at -me, but a Mercurian _Bouncer_, wounded and fluttering, came down from -above and made a last desperate stroke. They died together. - - * * * * * - -I shook my head to clear it, and reached down to disengage my sword -from the neck of the fallen _Dwoorf_ I'd killed last. I looked about. -There were no others near me. - -For a moment there was a breathing spell. In the past ten minutes, -two thirds of the contestants had either died or had been carried off -the field incapacitated. Those of us that remained were wounded but -still in the fight. As I stood there staggering, panting, aching, it -occurred to me that never before had a Terran lasted so long in an -Interplanetary Meet. - -As though by common consent, we all gravitated toward the center of the -arena. This was it. In the next few moments the contest would be over. - -And so would I. - -As I stumbled forward, a wounded Martian staggered to his feet and -made a half-hearted stab at me. I bypassed him. He was too far gone to -fight. Shortly, the judges' assistants would get to him and take him -from the field; possibly he'd have a chance to survive. I had no desire -to finish him off. In fact, I envied him. - -We were quiet momentarily; and so was the crowd. A hush hung over the -whole arena. I noted in seconds that among the survivors were two -of the four limbed Martians, half a dozen _Bouncers_, the gigantic -_Slaber_ from Jupiter, one of the Calypso _Dwoorfs_ almost helpless -now that his fellows were all gone, three or four _Gadaboots_, and a -Venusian spiderman. - -I wondered vaguely if my namesake, that gladiator of the fabulous days -of the legendary United States, the original Jak Demsi, had ever found -himself in a spot like this. I suppose that he had, possibly worse. -Suzi, who gave me the name, saying that it would be good for publicity, -claimed he was one of the greatest of all. I shook my head again, -trying to clear it, my loss of blood making me faint. - -And then it broke. The dust swirled high as we rushed together. I -felt a crushing blow, tried to deal one back, was struck again by the -ponderous gladiator from Jupiter and was thrown heavily to the ground. - -I tried to push myself to my knees, my already bloody sword still in -hand, still at the ready. I was in the center of the crush. This was -the end. Suzi flashed before my mind. - -Well, there was a tremendous controversy afterward and I was brought -before the judges and the diplomats more like a prisoner than the -victor of the Interplanetary Meet. I was laden down with bandages and -weak from loss of blood but they didn't look in the least-sympathetic, -not even the judge and diplomats from Terra. - -They got right to the point. - -The Martian judge, as senior, since the meet was taking place on his -planet, acted as spokesman. He was excited and indignant and would wave -three or four of his arms at a time to emphasize his point. I thought -vaguely of one of the olden time windmills I'd seen pictured in one of -Suzi's books. - -"Gladiator Jak Demsi," he rapped, "Our tendency is to rule your -conduct in the affray so unbecoming that not only will the prize not -be awarded you, as last standing contestant on the field, but we are -considering...." - -I wasn't having any. After coming through that scrap, I wasn't ever -figuring on taking a back seat again. I interrupted him, growling, "I'm -willing to stand behind anything I did in the arena on the grounds that -it was compatible with Terran custom and therefore allowable on the -part of a Terran gladiator." - -The Venusian judge sneered, without bothering to say anything; the -Plutonian tittered his disbelief; the Terran judge blinked at me, -shocked by my words. - - * * * * * - -I was getting mad. "In the press box, you'll find two reporters from -Terra. Bring them here. They are both students of Terran history and -ancient custom and will support what I say." - -Suzi and Alger Wilde were located and brought before us after a brief -debate between the judges. By their appearance, it was obvious that the -press box boys had similar ideas to those of the judges. Suzi showed -signs of concern about my wounds but she also half indicated that I -was a leper. There was no _half_ about it as far as Alger Wilde was -concerned. - -"You might have died like a man, Demsi," he said sharply, "instead of -bringing disgrace to Terra." - -The Martian judge said coldly, "This gladiator claims that his -astounding actions in the arena were excusable on the grounds that -everything he did is in accord with Terran customs and, consequently, -permissible by the rules of the Interplanetary Meet." - -Suzi's eyes widened. Alger Wilde began to protest. - -I didn't give them a chance to deny anything. "Just what are the -complaints?" I asked the judge. - -"As though they weren't obvious," he snorted, beginning to wave his -arms again. "First, your trick of throwing the emerald, the Princess -was so kind to honor you with, into the midst of the others and thus -diverting the strife from yourself. This was an act of--" - -"Strategy," I interrupted him. "The custom is to be found in Terran -history. An old maxim of the Sioux Indians was 'Divide and Conquer.' -That's what I did. I got my opponents to fighting among themselves so -that I could defeat them easier." - -"The Romans, not the Sioux Indians," Alger muttered. - -"Then you mean that this was actually a maxim of Terra?" the judge said -in surprise. I could see the other judges and diplomats, including -those from earth, were as shocked as the Martian. - -"Well, yes," Suzi told him. "Of course, they usually didn't use quite -the method that Jak did...." - -The judge snorted again. "Be that as it may, I don't see how Demsi can -justify his fleeing before the Calypso gladiators like a common coward. -Meet rules are that each gladiator must fight any who oppose him." - -Suzi shot a worried look at me. - -"Right in accord with Terran history and custom," I said decisively. -"For one thing, it was always a basic rule with a Terran general -to choose the battlefield where the fight was to be joined. It was -considered a major advantage. Another maxim was, 'Git there fustest, -with the mostest.' I merely ran to the ground that best suited me, and -then, when the Calypso _Dwoorfs_ were no longer the mostest, I fought -them one at a time." - -The judge raised his eyes questioningly at Alger and was rewarded with -a gruding nod. - - * * * * * - -The Martian shook his head as though in disbelief but went on. "Those -two matters you have explained, surprisingly, but acceptably. But to -this last charge there can be no possible honorable background in -Terran custom. I refer to the fact that in the final conflict _you fell -as though dead and remained on the ground until the other contestants -had all but eliminated each other_. When only the badly wounded -_Slaber_ and the half dead Venusian gladiator remained, you got up -again and, reentering the fight, finished off these opponents." - -The judge threw up his four hand in horror. "Certainly, you can't claim -justification for that! Not on any grounds, not by and...." - -I stood up as straight and defiantly as my heavy bandages would allow. -"Listen," I growled. "It's one of the oldest traditions of Terra. It's -called PLAYING POSSUM." - -For a full minute silence fell on the whole group. Then I could hear -one diplomat whisper questioningly to another. "_Playing possum?_ What -does that mean?" - -And then with one of the most outstanding bits of pure statesmanship -the system has even seen, Suzi took up the cue and spoke in -collaboration. - -"He's quite right. Playing possum is in full accord with Terran -custom. Why," she added innocently, "earth always acts in that manner. -She pretends she's weak, helpless, someone to be ignored; and, then, -suddenly, and without warning, she shows her full strength." - -The various judges and diplomats shot glances at each other from the -sides of their eyes, especially those from Venus, Saturn, and Pluto. - -The Terran judge was no _makron_. When somebody yelled _glorm_ he knew -enough to grab the _gaboot_ and run with it. He looked at Suzi and -I severely. "Say no more, either of you. You are not here to reveal -Terran secrets." - -The other diplomats eyed each other again, nervously. - -The Martian judge, more genial now, said, "Undoubtedly, a mistake has -been made due to our lack of knowledge of Terran customs and practices. -The emerald shall be awarded the Terran gladiator, Jak Demsi, as soon -as it is found. It is undoubtedly still in the arena in the possession -of some slain contestant." - -I took it from my belt. "As a matter of fact, I have it here. I picked -it up while playing possum under that heap of corpses. It's an old -custom handed down from a Terran city named Brooklyn. 'When you see -something that ain't nailed down, latch onto it.'" - -Alger Wilde left the room hurriedly, followed hand in hand by Suzi -and I. It was time for the diplomats to begin their wrangling, the -wrangling that would settle the fate of worlds. As we passed through -the door, I could see the anticipation on the faces of the diplomats -from Terra. - -From what I heard later, they must have given the other diplomats -_kert_. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: Not in the Rules</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Mack Reynolds</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: April 22, 2021 [eBook #65140]</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Character set encoding: UTF-8</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Produced by: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net</div> - -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NOT IN THE RULES ***</div> - -<div class="titlepage"> - -<h1>NOT IN THE RULES</h1> - -<h2>By Mack Reynolds</h2> - -<p>A planet's strength was determined in the<br /> -Arena where brute force emerged victorious. But<br /> -the Earthman chose a forgotten weapon—strategy!</p> - -<p>[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from<br /> -Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy<br /> -April 1951<br /> -Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that<br /> -the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>I got the bad news as soon as we landed on Mars. The minute I got off -the spacer, the little yellow Martie was standing there with a yellow -envelope. He said, "Gladiator Jak Demsi?"</p> - -<p>I admitted it and he handed me the envelope. Made me feel kind of good, -as though I was somebody important, which I'm not. I'd been taking -plenty of guff on the trip. Not only from Suzi, but from Alger Wilde, -who was also along. Yeah, between them they'd ridden me as well as the -liner, all the way from Terra.</p> - -<p>I handed the Martie a kopek and put the yellow envelope in my pocket, -as though I was used to getting spacegrams.</p> - -<p>I said to Suzi, "Let's hit the chow line." I don't usually talk that -fancy, but I was trying to impress her with my knowledge of antique -phrases. Both Suzi and Alger Wilde are students of ancient times and -love to lard their conversation with such stuff.</p> - -<p>Suzi said, "Sure, Jak. Come on Alger," which wasn't what I'd meant at -all. And then she said, "Aren't you going to open that spacegram, Jak? -It might be important."</p> - -<p>"Probably is," I said carelessly. "But it can wait, whatever it is."</p> - -<p>And it did. I opened it after we'd ordered at the spaceport restaurant. -I should have waited until after I'd eaten, but I couldn't know that -until I read:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>SPACER TRANSPORTING GLADIATOR EARTH-MARS FOR INTER-PLANETARY GAMES -LOST. YOU HAVE BEEN APPOINTED EMERGENCY REPLACEMENT REPRESENTING -EARTH. GOOD LUCK.</p></div> - -<p>I gulped. If you don't know all about the Interplanetary Meet which is -held every decade, then maybe you don't know why I gulped. If you do, -you do. It's tough enough being a gladiator on Terra but at least you -have a chance of coming out alive; you've even got a chance of winning. -But at the Interplanetary Meet! Who ever heard of a Terran coming out -in one piece? Not to speak of winning.</p> - -<p>Sure, I'm a gladiator, but I've always been strictly a second rater; in -fact, some of the sports writers call me a third rater. Anyway, I've -always worked in the smaller meets where the gladiators, even when they -lose, usually get off with their lives. In the small town stuff, they -don't kill expensive gladiators, if they can help it.</p> - -<p>My head was doing double flips trying to figure out some way of making -myself scarce, when Suzi said, "What is it, Jak?"</p> - -<p>Like a fool, I handed the message to her and she and Alger read it -together.</p> - -<p>Suzi's eyes widened and she started to say something, worriedly, but -Alger stuck out his hand and said, "Congratulations, Jak. I knew you -had great things in you. Now they'll be coming out.... Er.... That is, -just think, one of the three gladiators representing Terra. What an -honor!"</p> - -<p>I was sunk.</p> - -<p>The Interplanetary Meet was just three days off and I had three days to -live.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>I wouldn't have been on Mars in the first place if it hadn't been for -an argument I had with Suzi back on Terra just before she was scheduled -to blast off for Mars to cover the Interplanetary Games. Suzi is a -sports reporter, see. She covers the meets from the woman's angle. What -she really wanted to do was write books about primitive culture; and -what I wanted her to do was spend the rest of her life being my wife. -Neither of us seemed to have much of a chance of making good.</p> - -<p>As usual, Suzi was giving me <i>kert</i>. If you'll pardon my language. "I -don't know why I bother with you, Jak," she said scowling. "You've had -the book a week and don't know a thing about it. You're nothing but a -drip, a square."</p> - -<p>"Listen," I said resentfully. "Don't use those mythological terms on -me. Last time it took me all day to look them up. Besides, I try don't -I? My manager's going crazy because I've been spending so much time -reading instead of training for my next meet."</p> - -<p>You get the idea. The girl was just gone on the ancients. She wouldn't -have tolerated me for an hour if I hadn't been willing to let her cram -her nonsense into me at every opportunity.</p> - -<p>"How long do you expect to be on Mars?" I asked her.</p> - -<p>She shrugged. "Perhaps three months, Terra time."</p> - -<p>"Three months!"</p> - -<p>She patted my hand. "Don't worry about me, Jak. I'm taking along an -extensive micro-film library dealing with the literature and drama of -Twentieth Century North America. As you undoubtedly know, it reached -its height in the comic books and cartoon movies of the time. Besides," -she went on, "Alger Wilde will be there, covering the meet from the -society angle. He'll be good company. Alger is quite an authority on -prehistoric literature."</p> - -<p>"And also on today's women," I yelped. "You didn't tell me that -<i>makron</i> was going to be on Mars with you."</p> - -<p>She held her hands over her ears and said indignantly, "Please, Jak, -save your vulgarities for the games."</p> - -<p>"I'm going with you," I grated. "I don't trust that guy with my woman."</p> - -<p>She flared up at that. "Your woman! Let me tell you, Jak Demsi, when -you begin to display the cultural achievements of Alger Wilde, you -may begin, just begin, mind you, to think of me as your woman, as you -so crudely put it. Meanwhile, I have no desire to link myself with an -ignoramus. Besides, I'm beginning to believe that you have no interest -in cultural pursuits. You've merely deceived me these past months with -pretended...."</p> - -<p>"Aw, Suzi," I began.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>I had trouble enough raising credits for my fare, but more still -getting last minute reservations on the crowded excursion liner to -Mars. It took some string pulling on my manager's part to get me the -tickets. Nobody who can raise the credits would dream of missing the -Interplanetary Meet, and every spacer to Mars was packed.</p> - -<p>Suzi was surprised when I stepped up to her table in the spacer's -lounge. At least, her eyebrows raised. The little minx was as pretty as -a Venusian rose-orchid. She was sitting with Alger Wilde, a <i>makron</i> -from the word <i>glorm</i>.</p> - -<p>"Hi," I said, using a prehistoric formal salutation in hopes of -pleasing her with my knowledge of olden times.</p> - -<p>"By Jove," Alger Wilde exclaimed. "If it isn't Jak Demsi." He added, -smirking, "Pardon the expression. Jove was an ancient deity. I -sometimes slip and use such terms."</p> - -<p>Did he think I was stupid? Hadn't I been reading up on all that stuff -for months? I sat down casually in an empty acceleration chair.</p> - -<p>"Of course," I said. "An Egyptian God; also known as Jupiter by their -neighbors, the Aztecs, and by the name of Zeus, by the Chinese."</p> - -<p>And that's the way it was all the way to Mars. I tried to hang on and -stick it out with them, but I came in a bad third. I was fighting out -of my class. In fact, just before we arrived on Mars, Suzi made it -plain that she thought I might as well give up my attempts to become -cultured. She said I just didn't assimilate the stuff, that it didn't -come off on me. I could read whole libraries of the ancient classics -and recall none of the significance of what I'd read. In short, I -wasn't doing so good with Suzi.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Well, three days after getting the telegram, I met the other two -gladiators from Terra in our dressing room at the arena. They weren't -much happier about the meet than I was.</p> - -<p>It's one of the occupational hazards of our trade. If you get too good, -you'll probably be chosen as Terra representative to the Interplanetary -Meet and your chances of surviving are almost nil. Of course, the pay -is high and your survivors get a big chunk of credits but it's a chilly -prospect at best.</p> - -<p>The other two were pretty well armored and had chosen spears as -weapons, but I left off all armor and took a short sword. I planned on -moving fast and the less weight I carried the better.</p> - -<p>When the various preliminaries were over and the crowd shouting for the -main event, we trotted out to the field, joined the gladiators from -the other planets and paraded toward the stand at which the judges -and diplomats were seated. There was a mob of these, each with his -assistants and secretaries. You could bet that little that happened -would miss them. After all, on this meet hung the destinies of planets.</p> - -<p>Thousands of spectators from every planet and every principal satellite -in the system stared down from their arena seats. I knew that the -majority of them had expended a fortune in transport from their homes -and for tickets to the meet. But why not! It was the equivalent of -having a box seat at a full scale war of the type held in legendary -times. Certainly, the ultimate effect was as great or greater. -Each spectator knew that upon the manner in which their planet's -representatives fought this day, their fates depended.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The planets have long since abolished war, but they put great store -by these Interplanetary Meets. The theory is: Why fight a war and kill -off billions of population when you can figure out before the fighting -ever takes place who'd win? It's the natural ultimate development of -diplomacy. Everything is settled by the diplomats without resorting to -armed conflict.</p> - -<p>Suppose, for instance, that Mars decided to assume domination of Terra. -She notes, as do the Terran diplomats, that, at the Interplanetary -Meet, the Martian gladiators wiped up on those from Terra. Obviously, -if the same fighting would take place on a gigantic scale the same -thing would result. So why fight the war? Terra simply accepts the -domination. Of course, it's all done in very diplomatic language so -that nobody loses face, but the results are the same.</p> - -<p>As a matter of fact, I'm surprised that one of the other planets hasn't -already taken over Terra. The most recent addition to the League of -Solar System Planets, we're by far the weakest. Probably our strongest -defense has been the fact that several different League members have -had their eyes upon us and each has counteracted the other. It's -certain that Venus, Saturn, and even Pluto would like to assimilate -Terra. Actually, any one of them could do it.</p> - -<p>As is customary, a beauty from the planet upon which the meet is -being held, a Martian Princess in this case, opened the main event -by throwing out the prize. It was a tremendous Venusian emerald, the -largest ever discovered and the size of a man's hand. It doesn't really -make much difference who catches the prize, except that it's considered -to be a lucky sign; the gladiator who survives the contest is the one -who finally takes it.</p> - -<p>I could see Suzi in the press box, sitting next to Alger. She seemed -pale. I thought I might as well show her that some of the stuff she'd -given me to read had been remembered. So just before the Princess -tossed out the emerald and while the others stood about nervously and -impatient, I drew my sword, flourished it, and called out, "We who are -about to die, salute you!"</p> - -<p>The Martian Princess smiled down at me. "Good fortune to you, gladiator -from Terra," she said, and deliberately threw the stone.</p> - -<p>I'd just as well she hadn't. The man with the prize is always the -center of conflict and to have a hundred or so of the most efficient -killers in the system out after you is no way to live to a ripe old age.</p> - -<p>But I caught the emerald and the battle was on. I'd hardly got it into -my belt before I heard a swish and a Mercurian <i>Bouncer</i>, the steel -knives on his heels flashing, missed me by a fraction of an inch. -Before it could jump again, a four armed Martian pierced it with a -javelin. The Martian went down in his turn under a crushing blow from -a <i>Slaber</i>.</p> - -<p>I ran backward quickly, knowing that where there's one <i>Bouncer</i> -there's another. They fight in a group of twenty or thirty.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Sometimes I wonder about that rule. Each planet is represented in the -final free-for-all, the climax of the Interplanetary Meet, by weight. -The Mercurians, who are about the size of Terran chickens, have thirty -gladiators in the battle. The group from Calypso numbers eight, and -looks like a gang of human dwarfs. Jupiter and Saturn have only one -representative each because of their gigantic size. Mars has four, -Terra three. The others have varying numbers.</p> - -<p>The other two gladiators from Terra tried to cover me, but went down -in the rush. The first fell victim to the heavy, ponderous and nearly -weapon proof gladiator from Saturn, victor of the last Interplanetary -Meet. The Terran tried to run in close, beneath the other's guard, but -was smashed with a sweeping blow that broke half the bones in his body. -The crowd cheered for the nice try, and the Saturnian brandished his -half ton club again and peered about near-sightedly for another enemy.</p> - -<p>My second companion in arms had an arm severed near the shoulder by -a fast moving Plutonian <i>Gadaboot</i>. He fell to the ground bleeding -profusely. At least, he'd probably survive and get back to Terra.</p> - -<p>I had seconds to live. As I said, we Terrans don't show up so well in -the games. The gladiators from <i>any</i> planet can take us. Oh, I don't -mean that a Terran couldn't defeat <i>one</i> Mercurian <i>Bouncer</i>, or <i>one</i> -Calypso <i>Dwoorf</i>, but face our three Terrans with the whole Calypso, or -the whole Mercurian delegation and we don't last very long.</p> - -<p>I had seconds to live. They were all centering toward me, taking side -swipes at one another if the opportunity allowed, but heading for me.</p> - -<p>Ordinarily, before a contest, my manager fills me full of last minute -advice and instructions; but I'd hardly seen him in the past few -months. I'd been too busy reading Suzi's books about the ancients. I -was on my own.</p> - -<p>I didn't have time to figure it out. It just happened automatically. I -remembered something and before I had time to place the memory, I had -taken the emerald from my belt, held it up momentarily so they could -all see it, and yelled, "For the greatest fighter of all," and threw it -into the midst of them.</p> - -<p>Later, I recalled a guy in one of Suzi's books having done something -similar, except I believe he yelled, "For the fairest," and threw a -golden apple. At any rate, the result seemed to be about the same. That -guy started the Trojan War.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus.jpg" alt=""/> - <div class="caption"> - <p>The Earthman drew deliberate attention to himself by rushing into the thick of the battle, his blade slashing viciously. And a roar went up from the crowd....</p> - </div> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>It gave me a breathing spell. They piled on one another until I thought -that the meet would end then and there. A Venusian spiderman bent to -pick up the emerald and had five of his limbs and his head cut off -before he could straighten again. A <i>Gadaboot</i> grabbed it and tried to -dart out of the crush but ran into the darting rapier of a Uranian. -Rising dust swirled up and enveloped the rest.</p> - -<p>In moments, the fight had settled down into a series of individual -combats all over the field.</p> - -<p>I could see the slow moving <i>Slaber</i> from Jupiter stalking about -weaponless, seizing and crushing all with whom he came in contact. I -could see the Mercurian <i>Bouncers</i> dying like flies, but killing their -share and more of opponents with the razor sharp spurs attached to -their feet. They would fling themselves high into the air and come down -from above, heels slashing death.</p> - -<p>I had no more time to observe. Five remaining Calypso <i>Dwoorfs</i> -disengaged themselves from a fight centering about two Venusians, spied -me, and dashed in my direction.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Ordinarily, the Calypso gladiators would be even weaker than we -Terrans, but they have the advantage of a universal mind. That is, -they think together. Each knows what every other <i>Dwoorf</i> is thinking; -it goes beyond mere mental telepathy. They act as though they were a -single individual. Talk about team work! You get three or four of them -about you, all working in complete and perfect harmony, and you're sunk.</p> - -<p>I groaned for my manager's advice again and resigned myself. When they -got within fifteen feet of me they opened their mouths and cried in -unison. "Prepare to die, Terran <i>makron</i>."</p> - -<p>For a second that did it. I raised my short sword and started toward -them. They spread out like a fan to encircle me. Once again I didn't -consciously figure it out. The idea came spontaneously with my acting -upon it. I just suddenly turned on my heel and started to run. They -followed me like a pack.</p> - -<p>I'd gotten halfway across the arena and could hear the thousands in -the arena seats booing me like thunder, before it came back to me what -I'd read. It was a trick some gladiator from Rome or Greece had pulled -once. I looked over my shoulder. Sure enough, they were still coming, -but now they were strung out in a line. The fastest runner of them all -was only a short distance behind me, the slowest, quite a ways back. -The other three were in between at varying distances.</p> - -<p>This next is going to sound like it took some time but actually it was -all over in split seconds.</p> - -<p>I stopped, whirled, and said tightly to the one pressing me, "Who's -calling who a <i>makron</i> now?" At the same time my sword parried his -and ripped into his unprotected belly. He died, his eyes wide with -surprise and pain.</p> - -<p>I hardly had time to disengage my sword before the second <i>Dwoorf</i> was -upon me. I dropped to one knee and slashed upward cutting completely -through his right arm. The arm fell to the ground, his hand still -clutching the three pronged javelin with which he'd expected to spit -me. He screamed in agony and stumbled away hopelessly trying to staunch -the flow of blood with his left hand.</p> - -<p>The third came running up, both hands high over his head, ready to -bring down his battle ax. I kicked him savagely with a spiked shoe, -cracking a knee and bringing him to the ground. I could have finished -him then and there but didn't have the time. The fourth, yelling like a -maniac, slashed into me, his blade ripping my right arm from elbow to -shoulder. He brought up his sword for another stroke.</p> - -<p>I was short winded from the long run across the arena and from the -fast action of the past few moments. I drew all my strength together -and lunged desperately forward. My sword pierced his throat. He fell, -writhing, taking my blade with him.</p> - -<p>I stood up wearily to confront the fifth one. My arm was bleeding -freely and I had no weapon nor time to get one.</p> - -<p>He came shouting, raging with bloodlust and desire for revenge. His -arm flew back for the javelin cast when a Plutonian <i>Gadaboot</i> -shot out from a nearby melee and struck him from the rear. The -<i>Dwoorf</i> collapsed, bleeding his life away in moments. The <i>Gadaboot</i> -straightened up, shrilling its death whistle, preparatory to darting at -me, but a Mercurian <i>Bouncer</i>, wounded and fluttering, came down from -above and made a last desperate stroke. They died together.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>I shook my head to clear it, and reached down to disengage my sword -from the neck of the fallen <i>Dwoorf</i> I'd killed last. I looked about. -There were no others near me.</p> - -<p>For a moment there was a breathing spell. In the past ten minutes, -two thirds of the contestants had either died or had been carried off -the field incapacitated. Those of us that remained were wounded but -still in the fight. As I stood there staggering, panting, aching, it -occurred to me that never before had a Terran lasted so long in an -Interplanetary Meet.</p> - -<p>As though by common consent, we all gravitated toward the center of the -arena. This was it. In the next few moments the contest would be over.</p> - -<p>And so would I.</p> - -<p>As I stumbled forward, a wounded Martian staggered to his feet and -made a half-hearted stab at me. I bypassed him. He was too far gone to -fight. Shortly, the judges' assistants would get to him and take him -from the field; possibly he'd have a chance to survive. I had no desire -to finish him off. In fact, I envied him.</p> - -<p>We were quiet momentarily; and so was the crowd. A hush hung over the -whole arena. I noted in seconds that among the survivors were two -of the four limbed Martians, half a dozen <i>Bouncers</i>, the gigantic -<i>Slaber</i> from Jupiter, one of the Calypso <i>Dwoorfs</i> almost helpless -now that his fellows were all gone, three or four <i>Gadaboots</i>, and a -Venusian spiderman.</p> - -<p>I wondered vaguely if my namesake, that gladiator of the fabulous days -of the legendary United States, the original Jak Demsi, had ever found -himself in a spot like this. I suppose that he had, possibly worse. -Suzi, who gave me the name, saying that it would be good for publicity, -claimed he was one of the greatest of all. I shook my head again, -trying to clear it, my loss of blood making me faint.</p> - -<p>And then it broke. The dust swirled high as we rushed together. I -felt a crushing blow, tried to deal one back, was struck again by the -ponderous gladiator from Jupiter and was thrown heavily to the ground.</p> - -<p>I tried to push myself to my knees, my already bloody sword still in -hand, still at the ready. I was in the center of the crush. This was -the end. Suzi flashed before my mind.</p> - -<p>Well, there was a tremendous controversy afterward and I was brought -before the judges and the diplomats more like a prisoner than the -victor of the Interplanetary Meet. I was laden down with bandages and -weak from loss of blood but they didn't look in the least-sympathetic, -not even the judge and diplomats from Terra.</p> - -<p>They got right to the point.</p> - -<p>The Martian judge, as senior, since the meet was taking place on his -planet, acted as spokesman. He was excited and indignant and would wave -three or four of his arms at a time to emphasize his point. I thought -vaguely of one of the olden time windmills I'd seen pictured in one of -Suzi's books.</p> - -<p>"Gladiator Jak Demsi," he rapped, "Our tendency is to rule your -conduct in the affray so unbecoming that not only will the prize not -be awarded you, as last standing contestant on the field, but we are -considering...."</p> - -<p>I wasn't having any. After coming through that scrap, I wasn't ever -figuring on taking a back seat again. I interrupted him, growling, "I'm -willing to stand behind anything I did in the arena on the grounds that -it was compatible with Terran custom and therefore allowable on the -part of a Terran gladiator."</p> - -<p>The Venusian judge sneered, without bothering to say anything; the -Plutonian tittered his disbelief; the Terran judge blinked at me, -shocked by my words.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>I was getting mad. "In the press box, you'll find two reporters from -Terra. Bring them here. They are both students of Terran history and -ancient custom and will support what I say."</p> - -<p>Suzi and Alger Wilde were located and brought before us after a brief -debate between the judges. By their appearance, it was obvious that the -press box boys had similar ideas to those of the judges. Suzi showed -signs of concern about my wounds but she also half indicated that I -was a leper. There was no <i>half</i> about it as far as Alger Wilde was -concerned.</p> - -<p>"You might have died like a man, Demsi," he said sharply, "instead of -bringing disgrace to Terra."</p> - -<p>The Martian judge said coldly, "This gladiator claims that his -astounding actions in the arena were excusable on the grounds that -everything he did is in accord with Terran customs and, consequently, -permissible by the rules of the Interplanetary Meet."</p> - -<p>Suzi's eyes widened. Alger Wilde began to protest.</p> - -<p>I didn't give them a chance to deny anything. "Just what are the -complaints?" I asked the judge.</p> - -<p>"As though they weren't obvious," he snorted, beginning to wave his -arms again. "First, your trick of throwing the emerald, the Princess -was so kind to honor you with, into the midst of the others and thus -diverting the strife from yourself. This was an act of—"</p> - -<p>"Strategy," I interrupted him. "The custom is to be found in Terran -history. An old maxim of the Sioux Indians was 'Divide and Conquer.' -That's what I did. I got my opponents to fighting among themselves so -that I could defeat them easier."</p> - -<p>"The Romans, not the Sioux Indians," Alger muttered.</p> - -<p>"Then you mean that this was actually a maxim of Terra?" the judge said -in surprise. I could see the other judges and diplomats, including -those from earth, were as shocked as the Martian.</p> - -<p>"Well, yes," Suzi told him. "Of course, they usually didn't use quite -the method that Jak did...."</p> - -<p>The judge snorted again. "Be that as it may, I don't see how Demsi can -justify his fleeing before the Calypso gladiators like a common coward. -Meet rules are that each gladiator must fight any who oppose him."</p> - -<p>Suzi shot a worried look at me.</p> - -<p>"Right in accord with Terran history and custom," I said decisively. -"For one thing, it was always a basic rule with a Terran general -to choose the battlefield where the fight was to be joined. It was -considered a major advantage. Another maxim was, 'Git there fustest, -with the mostest.' I merely ran to the ground that best suited me, and -then, when the Calypso <i>Dwoorfs</i> were no longer the mostest, I fought -them one at a time."</p> - -<p>The judge raised his eyes questioningly at Alger and was rewarded with -a gruding nod.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The Martian shook his head as though in disbelief but went on. "Those -two matters you have explained, surprisingly, but acceptably. But to -this last charge there can be no possible honorable background in -Terran custom. I refer to the fact that in the final conflict <i>you fell -as though dead and remained on the ground until the other contestants -had all but eliminated each other</i>. When only the badly wounded -<i>Slaber</i> and the half dead Venusian gladiator remained, you got up -again and, reentering the fight, finished off these opponents."</p> - -<p>The judge threw up his four hand in horror. "Certainly, you can't claim -justification for that! Not on any grounds, not by and...."</p> - -<p>I stood up as straight and defiantly as my heavy bandages would allow. -"Listen," I growled. "It's one of the oldest traditions of Terra. It's -called PLAYING POSSUM."</p> - -<p>For a full minute silence fell on the whole group. Then I could hear -one diplomat whisper questioningly to another. "<i>Playing possum?</i> What -does that mean?"</p> - -<p>And then with one of the most outstanding bits of pure statesmanship -the system has even seen, Suzi took up the cue and spoke in -collaboration.</p> - -<p>"He's quite right. Playing possum is in full accord with Terran -custom. Why," she added innocently, "earth always acts in that manner. -She pretends she's weak, helpless, someone to be ignored; and, then, -suddenly, and without warning, she shows her full strength."</p> - -<p>The various judges and diplomats shot glances at each other from the -sides of their eyes, especially those from Venus, Saturn, and Pluto.</p> - -<p>The Terran judge was no <i>makron</i>. When somebody yelled <i>glorm</i> he knew -enough to grab the <i>gaboot</i> and run with it. He looked at Suzi and -I severely. "Say no more, either of you. You are not here to reveal -Terran secrets."</p> - -<p>The other diplomats eyed each other again, nervously.</p> - -<p>The Martian judge, more genial now, said, "Undoubtedly, a mistake has -been made due to our lack of knowledge of Terran customs and practices. -The emerald shall be awarded the Terran gladiator, Jak Demsi, as soon -as it is found. It is undoubtedly still in the arena in the possession -of some slain contestant."</p> - -<p>I took it from my belt. "As a matter of fact, I have it here. I picked -it up while playing possum under that heap of corpses. It's an old -custom handed down from a Terran city named Brooklyn. 'When you see -something that ain't nailed down, latch onto it.'"</p> - -<p>Alger Wilde left the room hurriedly, followed hand in hand by Suzi -and I. It was time for the diplomats to begin their wrangling, the -wrangling that would settle the fate of worlds. As we passed through -the door, I could see the anticipation on the faces of the diplomats -from Terra.</p> - -<p>From what I heard later, they must have given the other diplomats -<i>kert</i>. If you'll pardon my language.</p> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NOT IN THE RULES ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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