Don’t close with him, and don’t let him tear it out of you hands. Most of all keep him busy and off me until I can deal with his buddy. Can you do that?"

Janus not sure of his voice, nodded, licking his lips. It was all the answer Arete was going to get, time was up.

"You don’t think the man has forgotten us, do you Fred?"

Fred grunted.

"We came to collect the collar, scholar," he added, chuckling at his own mocking word play while he and Fred closed to about five feet.

Janus and Arete remained silent, the cop measuring the big guy for a weakness he could not spot. Janus nervous, pictured in his mind what he had to do with his hands.

 Antonio seemed to note Arete for the first time. "Who’s your playmate? Some garbage bum you bought as a baby-sitter?"

"You talk too much for a little man. And that jackanapes beside you is too dumb to correct your bad manners." 

Weak, but it worked. The cop wanted Fred on the offensive. The big thug grinned, then ambled forward. His first swing hit the brick wall, as Arete leaned out of the way, bringing the yawara stick down as hard as he could on the man’s arm. There was the satisfying sound of crunching bone mixed in with the grunts and thrashings of the two titans.

Antonio shook his head, marveling at how the dull-witted played. At the same time, Janus clutching his shield, backed away. Fear was etched on his face. Laughing at, then ignoring the scholar, Antonio moved in, trying to get at

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