with some refreshment.'
At this, the young man looked up. He was scarcely more than a boy, perhaps eighteen years of age. He had a thick shock of disheveled blond hair and his clothes looked like hand-me-downs.
'I beg your pardon, sir,' he said, 'were you speaking of me?'
'Do you see anyone else in here besides ourselves?' said Finn, smiling.
'I fear you have taken me for someone else, sir,' the young man said. 'My name is not Lochinvar.'
Finn chuckled. 'It was just a figure of speech, lad. Lochinvar was the hero in a tale I heard once.'
The young man frowned. 'You seek to mock me, sir?'
'Don't get your feathers ruffled, son,' said Finn. 'I'm only offering you a drink. You look like you could do with some refreshment.'
'And what, may I ask, is there in my appearance that leads you to believe I am in need of charity?' the young man said.
'Look, let's try this again,' said Finn. 'We've been traveling a long way ourselves, my friend and I. You came in, looking all dusty and bedraggled and I thought-'
The young man stiffened. 'My clothing may not be quite so fine as your own, Monsieur, but nevertheless, it is not good manners for a gentleman to remark upon the difference.'
'Leave him alone, Finn,' Lucas said.
'Forget it, kid,' said Finn. 'Buy your own damn wine.' He went back to eating his chicken, shaking his head in resignation. 'Try to be a nice guy,' he told Lucas.
'Monsieur,' said the young man.
'Yes, what is it now?'
'I am not in the habit of being dismissed so cavalierly.'
Finn raised his eyebrows. 'Excuse me,' he said. 'I was not aware that I was dismissing a cavalier.'
'Finn-' Lucas said.
The innkeeper backed away from the table.
'Then I will make you aware of whom you are dealing with, Monsieur. D'Artagnan suffers slights from no one.' He drew his rapier. ' 'Guarde, Monsieur!'
'Oh, Christ,' said Finn. The innkeeper dove under a table.
'Monsieur D'Artagnan,' Lucas began, 'allow me to-'
'I will deal with you presently, sir,' D'Artagnan said, 'after I have done with your unruly friend. That is, unless you wish to increase the odds against me. I will not shrink from crossing swords with both of you at once.' He swished his rapier back and forth a couple of times.
'Put that thing away,' said Finn. 'It's almost as big as you are.'
'Nevertheless, its size will not impede my use of it,' D'Artagnan said. 'Now, 'guarde!'
'Oh, sit down,' said Finn.
'You will stand, Monsieur, and draw your sword!'
'I will sit, my friend, and finish my dinner. And you would be wise to do the same.'
D'Artagnan's sword stabbed out and lanced Finn's chicken off his plate. With a flick of the wrist, he sent the bird flying into a corner of the room.
'You appear to have finished your dinner, Monsieur.'
'That does it,' Finn said. 'I'm going to take that pigsticker away from you and spank you with it.' He started to stand.
Lucas took hold of his arm. 'Finn, sit down. Don't be an idiot.'
Delaney stood. 'Look,' he said to D'Artagnan, 'can't we just forget the whole thing? I'm willing to overlook the chicken, but-'
'But I am not willing to overlook your insults, sir,' D'Artagnan said.
'What insults?'
'Your sword, Monsieur!'
'No.'
'You refuse to draw your sword?'
'That's right, I refuse.'
'Then you are a base coward and no gentleman!'
'Listen here, you-'
'Finn…'said Lucas.
Delaney took a deep breath. 'AH right. I am a base coward and I'm not a gentleman. Does that satisfy you?'
D'Artagnan looked disappointed. 'Well, then, in that case, I must demand an apology.'
'For what?'
'Finn, will you for Christ's sake apologize and have done with it?' said Lucas.
'Well now what the hell should I apologize for?'
'It doesn't matter, just apologize, if it will make him happy.'
'Sir, I will not be condescended to,' D'Artagnan said.
'Just stay out of this,' said Lucas. 'Finn, say you're sorry, all right?'
'All right, I'm sorry. I apologize.'
'I do not think you are sincere in your apology,' D'Artagnan said.
'Please accept his apology, Monsieur,' said Lucas. 'It will bring this entire affair to a close and do wonders for my digestion.'
'This is most perplexing,' said D'Artagnan. 'Your friend clearly does not wish to apologize, yet he apologizes. And although he is not sincere in his apology, he will do as you wish to spare himself from dueling with me. It appears that there is no way I can gain satisfaction in this affair. You place me in a most disadvantageous situation, Monsieur.'
'I only wish to avoid unnecessary bloodshed,' Lucas said. 'It was all a misunderstanding, nothing more. No offense was meant.'
'And yet offense was given. And I cannot attack a man who will not draw his rapier. It would be unseemly and dishonorable. Yet honor must be satisfied.'
The innkeeper peeked out from beneath the table.
'Would honor be satisfied if we were to fight with our fists?' said Finn.
'It would be most irregular,' said D'Artagnan, 'but I can think of no other way out of this predicament.'
'Then it's settled,' Finn said. 'We duel with fists.'
'Done,' said D'Artagnan. He started to remove his bald-rick and Finn walloped him right between the eyes.
The blow knocked him back several feet and he sat down hard upon the floor. The innkeeper ducked back beneath the table. D'Artagnan shook his head, stunned.
'For such a little squirt, he takes a punch pretty good,' said Finn. 'I've laid out guys twice his size with that shot.'
'That was most unsporting of you, sir,' D'Artagnan said, getting to his feet.
'Fighting's not a sport, son,' Finn said. 'At least not where I come from. You either win or you lose and I prefer to win.'
'Yes, clearly you are not a gentleman,' D'Artagnan said. 'In Gascony, we do not hit a man when he isn't looking.'
'Well, I'm looking now,' said Finn. 'Take your best shot.'
'Prepare yourself, my friend. Though you be twice my size, I'm going to teach you manners.'
'Are you going to talk or fight?' said Finn.
Lucas rolled his eyes. 'You know, Forrester was right,' he said. 'You are a ten-year-old.'
D'Artagnan swung at Finn wildly. Finn easily ducked beneath his swing and gave him a hard uppercut to the jaw. D'Artagnan went down again.
'And that's that,' said Finn.
D'Artagnan started to get up. His mouth was bloody.
'I thought you said that was that,' said Lucas.
