“

Two corners, three, it's still on them, four, six, nine. Then Vik stumbles, trips, scuffs across the floor. When he picks himself up, his fibrous face mask is torn and shredded.

”

“

The heavy mauls swung inward, the only thunder in the soft morning rain. The priests watched, trembling. The small man from Arabia stared hungrily at the widening hole.

The bricks sealing the cell shivered, and Amren watched his father's jaw tremble under the blow. Tremble as it never had in two desperate battles. Not even when the men of his auxilia fell about him in desperate retreat had Amren seen Sir Bedwyr's face show fear. Until now. And the Roman Legate looked on, sneering.

”

“"Call me Ronald," he interrupted, brash and loud--uncomfortably so in these cramped quarters. His blonde combover floated ludicrously in the microgravity. Abigail greeted him and started to talk through the history of the space station, the international co-operation, but he cut her off. "I don't want to know any of that. I want to get a good look at America. Great nation!"”