farther, he brought his sword up in preparation for a slashing counterattack. Austin beat him to the punch with a sudden forward lunge. The big man backed into the table and the helmets clattered to the floor.
Doughboy tripped over a helmet before regaining his footing. He roared like a wounded lion and came at Austin, slashing from every direction with wild swings that were practically impossible to anticipate. Sweat dripped into Austin's eyes, blurring his vision, and he retreated under the fierceness of the attack until he had his back to the wall.
Seeing that Austin could go no farther, Doughboy snarled in triumph and raised his sword, preparing to bring it down in a swing that used every muscle at his command. Austin saw the blow coming and knew he'd never be able to stop it with the ax or get in a swing of his own.
He went on the offensive. Holding the ax high, he surged forward and with astraight-armed thrust that drove the leveled shaft into Doughboy's Adam's apple, hit him broadside across the throat. The man's eyes bulged and he let out astrangled grunt.
Austin had checked the attack, but the move had put him in a vulnerable position. Doughboy was gasping for breath, but the fat around his thick neck had kept his windpipe from being crushed completely. He removed his left hand from the sword hilt and grabbed onto the ax shaft. Austin tried to jam the shaft into the man's throat again. When that didn't work, he jerked the weapon back, but the man had a lock grip on the shaft and wouldn't let go.
Austin lifted his knee and drove it into the man's crotch, but his opponent only grunted. He must have testicles of iron, Austin thought, and he used his two-handed leverage and attempted to twist the ax handle out of the man's hand. That ploy ended when Doughboy dropped the sword completely and grabbed onto the shaft with his right hand. They were like two boys fighting over a baseball bat, but the loser in this deadly game would go home in a casket.
Doughboy's superior strength and weight began to tell. His hands were on the outside of the shaft where he had the advantage of leverage as well. His manic grin changed to a feral croak of triumph and he twisted the ax out of Austin's hand.
Austin glanced around. There were weapons all over the workshop, but none within ready reach. Doughboy smiled and began to advance. Austin backed up until he was up against a wall and could go no farther. Doughboy smiled and raised the ax for a swing that would cleave Austin in two.
Seeing that the man's midsection was temporarily exposed, Austin used his powerful legs to drive his head into the man's gut with battering ram force. The man let out a sound like a squeezed bellows and the ax dropped from his hands.
Austin came out of his bounce with legs spread apart, ready to drive his fists into the doughy face. Austin's head butt had clearly hurt Doughboy. His pale face was even pastier than normal and he was gasping for breath.
He must have decided that whatever the pleasures of slicing and dicing Austin, dead was dead. He reached under his jacket and his hand came out filled with a pistol with a silencer mounted on the barrel. Austin braced himself for the impact of a bullet at close range. But the man's smile faded, to be replaced by a look of perplexity. A feathered stick had appeared like magic and was protruding from his right shoulder. The gun fell from his fingers.
Austin turned and saw Skye holding a crossbow. She had fitted another shaft to the weapon and was frantically winding back the bow string. Doughboy's eyes went to Austin, who was scrambling for the fallen gun, then back to Skye. He opened his mouth and bellowed. Stopping only to snatch a helmet from the pile of those littering the floor, he lurched toward the shop door and tore the curtain aside in his haste to escape.
With the pistol in his hand, Austin cautiously followed. He heard the tingle of the front door bell, but by the time he stepped out onto the sidewalk the street was deserted. He went back inside, making sure to lock the front door. Skye had cut Darnay's bonds.
Austin helped Darnay to his feet. The antiques dealer was bruised from being slapped around and stiff from kneeling, but otherwise he seemed all right. Austin turned to Skye and said, 'You never told me you were a dead shot with a crossbow.'
Skye had a stunned look on her face. 'I can't believe I hit him. I closed my eyes and just pointed in the general direction.' She saw his bloodstained shirt. 'You've been hurt.'
Austin expected the wound. 'It's only a scratch, but someone owes me a new shirt.'
'You wielded afauchard very well,' Darnay said, as he dusted his knees and elbows.
'What did you say?' Austin replied.
'That weapon you handled so deftly. It's afauchard, a fifteenth-century pole arm similar to the glaive. There was a move to abolish
it in the Middle Ages because of the terrible wounds it produced. Your weapon was a combination between afauchard and a battle-ax. You look puzzled?'
'It's just that I've been hearing that name a lot lately.' 'I find this weapons discussion fascinating,' Skye, said, 'but could anyone suggest what do we do now?'
'We can still call in the police,' Austin said. Darnay looked alarmed. 'I'd rather not have the gendarmes here. Some of my dealings '
'Skye has already filled me in. But you're right; the police might have a hard time buying a story about a big bad man who attacked us with a sword.'
The antiques dealer heaved a sigh of relief and glanced around at the wreckage. 'I never thought my office would be used for a reenactment of the Battle of Agincourt.'
Skye was inspecting the pile of helmets. 'It's not here,' she said, a bleak expression on her face.
Darnay replied with a smile, went over to a wall and pressed a wooden panel. A rectangular section swung open to reveal a large safe, which he opened with a few clicks of the combination lock. He reached inside and pulled out Skye's helmet. 'This little item seems to produce a lot of excitement.'
'I'm sorry I brought you into this,' Skye said. 'That awful man was waiting for me at my apartment and he heard your call. I never dreamed '
'It's not your fault. As I said on the phone, I need to examine this beauty further. I'm thinking that it might be prudent to close shop for a while and do business from my villa in Provence. I'd love to have you as my guest. I'd worry about you as long as that gros co chon is on the loose.'
She thought about it. 'Thank you, but I have too much work to
do. The department is going to be in chaos with Renaud gone. Keep the helmet as long as you wish.'
'Very well, but consider spending the night at my apartment.' 'You might want to accept Monsieur Darnay's invitation,' Austin said. 'We can sort things out in the morning.'
Skye thought about it again and said she would have to go back to her apartment first to pick up some clothes. Austin made her wait in the hall while he made sure her apartment was safe. He didn't think Doughboy would be feeling too frisky with the crossbow bolt in his shoulder, although the big man seemed to have a high pain threshold and a talent for the unexpected.
Skye was almost through packing her overnight bag when Austin's cell phone twittered.
Austin talked to someone on the other end for a few moments, and when he hung up he had a grin on his face. 'Speak of the devil. That was Racine Fauchard's appointments secretary. I've been summoned to an audience tomorrow with the grand dame herself.'
'Fauchard? I couldn't help noting your reaction when Darnay identified the poleax. What's going on?'
Austin gave Skye a quick reprise of his visit to the air museum and the connection between the Ice Man and the Fauchard family. Skye snapped her bag shut. 'I want to go with you.' 'I don't think that's a good idea. It might be dangerous.' Skye replied with a derisive laugh. 'An old lady? Dangerous?' 'It does sound silly,' Austin admitted, 'but this whole business with the body in the ice, the helmet and that goon who killed Renaud seems to go back to the Fauchards. I don't want to involve you.'
'I'm already involved, Kurt. I was the one trapped under the glacier. It was my office and this apartment that man searched, obviously looking for the helmet I brought out from under the glacier. It was my friend Darnay who would have been killed if not for you.' She
crossed her arms and made her strongest point. 'Besides, I'm an arms expert and my knowledge might come in handy.'
'Persuasive arguments.' Austin pondered the pros and cons. 'All right. Here's the deal. I introduce you as my
