57.
But North merely pressed his vicious attack. By that time he had the officer trapped in a corner and fighting desperately, this expert swordsman having a hard time handling the pupil.
The cadets and other instructors began to stop fencing and watch. One of the instructors near Morn suddenly realized the seriousness of the situation.
"Hey, this is for real!" he said. We've got to stop it!"
But Morn cut him off.
"Don't be a fool!" he said, "he'd cut half a dozen of you to pieces before you'd get to him. Leave it to me."
Cautiously Morn moved in with a sudden lunge. North took the instructor's shield from his hand and with almost the same motion knocked away his sword. He was just about to finish him, when another sword deflected his away.
"Come on, North!" cried Morn, "You've shown the instructors are no match for you. Let's show them what we can do."
While he was talking Morn had slipped between North and his instructor. North's staring eyes met his.
"Move, Morn!" cried North back, "Move aside!"
Suddenly Morn sprang forward. Dropping his sword, he struck with his fist. He had a Hashon's strength and a Haven's agility. The blow was like a sledge-hammer. North hit the floor. A few minutes later he woke up on the floor with several people standing over him. One, was a doctor.
"He's all right," the doctor was saying, "but no more for him today. And he'd better see a dentist about those teeth!"
North found himself being helped to his feet. Most of the cadets were gone, and only one instructor remained.
"You're excused for the rest of the day, North. Better go home and nurse that jaw."
"Yes, sir," North agreed. "What happened?"
"You don't know?" asked the instructor.
"I was fencing with one of the instructors and the next thing, I'm on the floor!"
The man looked at him questioningly.
"You tried to kill one of the instructors, North," Morn told him. "I had to hit you to stop you. It's already been reported. You'll be called before the Commandant tomorrow."
That night Morn gave North a full account of what had happened, and asked North if he could use the Hashon Deep Sleep on him again. North agreed and when he woke up, Morn told him he had done all he could and that even he did not know if North would be dismissed or not. It would be close, very close. The next morning North was ordered