Scene 22

Swaying lightly, as if he were in a trance, Maille came out of the hedge of beans. As only a thin wall of leaves separated him from the assassin, he directed a sudden but accurately placed blow towards the bush: a so-called «coconut hit», as Kyuri, his teacher in the art of fighting, called it. Such a hit normally put the mightiest of opponents instantly out of the battle – «as though a coconut had fallen on his head.» Foolishly, however, Maille got entangled in the straw of his costume, stumbled and crashed, together with his sheepfold, into the bean hedge. The assassin's reaction was immediate. With his kitchen sickle, the little coward slashed into the bean hedge. Maille felt the cold gust of air as the blade flashed a few millimetres away from his head – and smelled the pungent, sulphurous and unmistakable ‹perfume› of all Dr Hing's agents. He had not changed himself. The stink alone was sufficient reason to demolish this evil band. Maille seized the elbow-joint of the fellow and twisted his arm backwards as forcefully as his costume would allow. Within a moment he had lifted the hand with the weapon backwards and upwards. With a howl of pain, the man allowed the knife to fall.

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