'It may be that maybe is my answer.'
'God, talk about playing hard to get.'
'Who's playing hard to get? All I said was-'
'You said maybe maybe.'
'Maybe maybe?'
'Not just one maybe. Double maybe.'
'No, what I said was-'
'I don't believe this,' Linda said. 'The woman is supposed to play hard to get.'
'Well, these are the nineties. The gay nineties.'
'Don't be silly. Maybe you're right, though.'
'Right about what?' Gene asked.
'About us not being compatible.'
'I didn't say that.'
'You didn't? But you said we'd be no good together. Maybe that's true. For one thing, you're six times brighter than I am.'
'Oh, please.'
'No, really. Sometimes you're so bright you blind me. You're witty and charming. You're absolute greased lightning with a comeback, and you always know the right thing to say-'
'Give me a freaking break.'
'Listen to me. Sometimes I can't keep up with you.'
'You listen to me,' Gene told her. 'One of the reasons I like having you around is that you let me be bright and charming and oh-so witty. People are different depending on who they're with, you know. If I'm charming when you're around, it's only because you bring that out in me.'
Linda looked at him for a moment before she said, 'That's a nice thing to say.'
'It's true.'
'Thank you for saying it. But you do intimidate me sometimes.'
'Sorry, don't mean to.'
'I know it's not intentional.'
'Last thing I want to do is intimidate you. Some other people, yes. So, you think this is major problem between us?'
Linda shook her head. 'No, I'm not saying it's a major problem.'
'A minor problem?'
'Uh, well, maybe.'
Gene said, 'Lots of maybes in this conversation.'
'Yeah. Seriously, I don't want to give the impression that I think there are these major barriers between us. Just… well, what I'm saying is… uh…'
'What are you saying?'
'What are you saying?'
'What I said.'
'Which was?'
Gene thought about it. 'I need to think about this a little bit more.'
'There's hope?'
'Are you hoping there's hope?'
'Are you?'
Gene laughed. 'This is like a poker game.'
'How so?'
'Playing close to the vest. We don't want to tip our hands.'
'Maybe we're both afraid of being hurt,' Linda said.
'Maybe we're both bluffing?'
'Could be. Maybe we should leave it at that.'
'More maybes.'
'Yeah.' Linda suddenly yawned. 'Oh, excuse me.'
'You want me to take a nap?'
'I'd love to.'
The noise level jumped and startled them both.
Gene glanced at both entrances. The magically created doors were gone.
'You're doing your disappearing act well these days,' he commented.
'I don't make anything disappear,' she said. 'I just make the spell weak, and when it fizzles, the thing I conjured just vanishes.'
'Oh, is that how you do it? Neat. You want to rest more?'
'No, let's get to the bottom of this. We have to.'
'Okay. But I hate to-'
A large, well-muscled man came bursting through the archway. He wore the visored steel helmet and greaves of a gladiator and carried a shield, but his chest was vulnerably bare. Seeing Gene, he raised his short- sword and charged. Gene leaped up and drew in time to parry the man's lunging thrust. Stepping deftly aside, he tripped his assailant and laid the flat of his sword sharply across the man's bare back.
The man yelled and went tumbling. But he was quick to recover, get to his feet, and charge again.
Gene and the gladiator fought. The shield was an advantage, but Gene was by far the abler swordsman. In short order Gene had the man backed into a corner, and slashing two-handed with his larger and superior weapon, reduced the shield to a battered and dented plate.
Linda, watching from behind the couch, let out a tiny scream when Gene found an opening and thrust his sword home.
Grimacing, the man dropped both shield and sword to grasp the blade that had buried itself deep in his abdomen. 'Thou hast conquered, comrade,' he gasped.
Gene withdrew the bloodied blade as the man fell. The gladiator drew one last breath.
Then he disappeared.
'That's a relief,' Gene said, looking at his sword, which was no longer bloody. 'Didn't think he was real, but he sure put on a good show.'
'Gene, if he'd killed you…'
'Morituri te salutamus. I sure as hell wouldn't disappear. I'd stay right there, deader 'n a doorstop.'
Two more gladiators spilled into the sitting room, swords clashing, shields banging. Gene ran and leaped over the couch.
'We'd better get out of here,' he told Linda.
Another pair of fighters, engaged in mortal combat, came in through the opposite entrance. Both pairs ignored Gene and Linda, who began backing out of the room.
'As long as there's an even number of combatants,' Gene observed, 'we won't be attacked. But the loose guys are going to be a problem.'
'Do you want to head back up?'
Gene shook his head. 'No, my sword magic gives me the advantage. We have to see what's behind all this. You want to hide out somewhere while I go below?'
'Of course not. I want to be with you.'
'Right. We do make a great team.'
She took his hand. 'Let's go, teammate,' she said, leading him cautiously out into the confusion of the hallway.
STAIRWELL
