Mabry held her staff in a defensive position and resisted the temptation to close with Medrau. It had been too long since she had sparred with her sister and she had little idea of how their skills compared. While her body was healed, she herself was out of condition. Physical combat was not her friend. Her allies would be words and magic . . . and perhaps trickery if it came to that.

"Do you remember when we found Pixel?" Mabry asked in a softer tone of voice than was usual for her. "And after we took him back to your house and fed him, I told you a story from Robert Heinlein? From The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress?"

Words, she thought again. And if this fails, there was always plan b.