A MATTER OF TRUST
                    A Sonic the Hedgehog story
                       by Daniel J. Drazen
                        drazen@andrews.edu


Pause for bourgeois legalities: This story is copyright (c)1996
by the author, who grants permission to reproduce and distribute
it, so long as A) you don't screw around with it and leave the
text as it is, and B) you don't try and make a buck off of it.
If you're serious about the latter, drop me a line at
drazen@andrews.edu and we'll discuss my cut.  All the normal
provisions of Title 17 (the U.S. Copyright Law) still apply.

Based on characters and situations created by Sega Corporation,
Archie Comics and/or DiC Productions.  Bookshire Draftwood
appears in this story courtesy of David Pistone Talent
Associates.  There are terms used in this story which may be
unfamiliar to some readers; they are advised to do some lurking
in alt.rec.sport.pro-wrestling.



     This was the part Sonic always hated.
     He didn't mind checking in with his Uncle Chuck, who worked
for the Freedom Fighters as a spy in Robotnik's midst.  He
enjoyed seeing him, despite the fact that Uncle Chuck's body had
been roboticized.  What he hated was leaving.
     "One of these days, Uncle Chuck, I'm checkin' you out of
this dump and gettin' you back to Knothole so we can deroboticize
you."
     "Nobody's looking forward to it more than I am, Sonie, but
until they've got the bugs worked out of the system, I'm needed
here."
     "I know.  But it still stinks!"
     "That's what I get for building a hideout in a garbage
dump," he smiled.  "Now scoot."
     Sonic gave his Uncle a hug, said "Be cool!" and jammed off
into the twilight streets of Robotropolis.
     As he ran the well-known streets to the edge of the city,
Sonic wondered how soon it would be before he could make good on
his promise to Uncle Chuck.  Some days, it seemed as if the
Freedom Fighters of Mobius weren't making any headway against
Robotnik.  They were able to slow down Robotnik and his spoiling
of the planet, but there still didn't seem to be a way of rolling
it back and returning things to the way they were.
     These thoughts so preoccupied Sonic that he almost didn't
hear the approaching whine of SWATbot patrols.  He ducked down an
alley just in time.  He could hear the SWATbot intercom:
      "ALL UNITS IN SECTORS D4, D6, AND D7.  ASSISTANCE NEEDED IN
SECTOR D5.  RESPOND IMMEDIATELY!"
     Strange.  Usually there were enough SWATbots patrolling a
given area to take care of anything.  If they needed that much
backup, they must be up against something big!  Sonic couldn't
resist--he had to check this out!
     Following the SWATbot hover unit from a discreet distance,
Sonic trailed it to an area adjacent to the trash heap that was
one of the Freedom Fighter rendezvous points.  Afraid that one of
his comrades was in danger, he cautiously approached to get a
better look.
     He saw a number of SWATbots...at least a dozen...converging
on someone, someone Sonic didn't recognize.  It was a badger.  He
was tall and built like a barrel.  Two leatherlike straps crossed
his muscular chest and held up a belt from which hung two small
hatchets.  The badger was using a third ax--a double-headed ax on
a long, stout pole--to ward off the SWATbots.  He'd already
destroyed several SWATbots with it, judging from the pieces on
the ground.
     Sonic had heard that there were few things on Mobius as
impressive as a badger in combat, but he hadn't really believed
it until now.  The badger didn't just lash out blindly as the
SWATbots tried to approach.  He made the most of every move,
making sure that every backswing was at least as effective and as
lethal as every thrust.  But it was clear that the badger was
beginning to tire and that the SWATbots would soon have him.  The
fact that the badger hadn't been blasted meant that he was
supposed to be taken alive.
     Not if Sonic the Hedgehog had anything to say about it!
     "It's time to play 'Bowling for Bots!'" Sonic announced.
The SWATbots turned.
     "HEDGEHOG--PRIORITY ONE!  APPREHEND...."
     But the SWATbot never finished his sentence, for Sonic had
gone into Sonic Spin mode and simply plowed into the SWATbots.  A
second later, only two were standing.
     "Stand back, big guy," Sonic said to the badger, "I've got
to pick up the spare."
     Using the spin again, Sonic plowed into one bot, ricocheted
off him and took out the other one.  He turned back to the
badger.
     "Are you OK?"
     But the badger didn't answer.  Instead, his eyes narrowed
and he pulled one of the smaller hatchets from his belt.  Before
Sonic could say or do anything, the badger hurled it in Sonic's
direction.   It missed the hedgehog, sailing over his head.  The
next thing Sonic knew, he heard a dull, metallic CLANG.  He
turned to see one of the SWATbots he thought he had taken out
still standing, but it now had a badger hatchet buried in its
head.  It shuddered for an instant and then fell to the ground. 
Sonic turned to the badger, extending a hand.
     "Whoa, I owe you one, fella!"
     But the badger didn't say anything right away.  He only
looked at Sonic with a curious expression, as if he were coming
out of a trance.
     "Sonic?  Sonic Hedgehog?" he finally asked in a deep, smooth voice.
     "That's my name--don't wear it out."
     A broad smile slowly crossed the badger's face. "Sonic...
Sonic, it's me!  Spartacus!"
     The hedgehog's eyes widened.  "No way!" he squealed.
     "Yes way!"
     The two embraced, which was easier for the badger who was half again 
as tall as Sonic.  It was rather like a child hugging a doll, and Sonic
came off the worse for it.  When the badger
loosened his grip, Sonic was still gasping for air.  "Man," Sonic
finally said, "you've gotten...HUGE!"
     "You think I'm big, you should see Adonis!"
     "Hey, we'd better get out of here before we tangle with any
more bots."
     Sonic led Spartacus through the dump, down the twisting path
known to the Knothole Freedom Fighters.  Several minutes later,
Sonic and Spartacus paused in the evening shade at the edge of
the Great Forest.  Waiting in the shadows were two figures: Tails
and Antoine.
     "Sonique, what is the meandering of this?  Who is this
stranger?"
     "This 'stranger' was once my best bud when I was a kid. 
Spartacus, this is my pal, Tails.  And that's Antoine."
     "Hi!" Tails said as he shook the badger's massive hand.
Antoine, however, seemed even stiffer and more aloof than usual. 
     "And wherefore were you doing in the dumps?" he asked the
badger.
     "Making a mistake I'll never make again!  For the last four
months now, we badgers haven't been able to work our traditional
mines in the hills north of the Great Forest because of increased
SWATbot activity.  As a result, we haven't been able to fashion
new weapons.  I thought I could find some high-quality metal to
bring back to our smiths to forge into ax heads.  Instead all I
found was scrap.  And then the SWATbots found me.  I was fighting
them off when Sonic showed up and saved my life."
     "How is it you are knowing Sonique?"
     "We go way back, Ant," Sonic began.  "We were both like five
years old when he came to Mobotropolis."
     "My family lived deep in the Great Forest with the other
badgers of our clan.  But about that time my father got very
sick, and it was more than our healers could handle.  So my
mother, my brother Adonis and I brought our father to
Mobotropolis, to the hospital."
     "And did they help him get better?" Tails asked.
     "My father was in the hospital for three months, but he
never seemed to get better.  Finally he died.  That's when I got
this," he said as he indicated a long diagonal scar across his
chest.  "I was cut to mourn his passing.
     "I'd never been in the city before and I guess it showed.  I
got teased pretty badly by some of the other kids.  Until Sonic
stood up for me."
     "Hey, it just seemed to me like you needed a friend."
     "And you were a good friend, Sonic.  I...I only wish I could
have told you when my father died.  But we left Mobotropolis with his
body at the first opportunity, to bury him with his fathers. 
This is our way.  And as it turned out, we left the city two days
before Robotnik took over."
     "Talk about your great timing!" Sonic said.  "I wondered
what happened to you; it was like you just disappeared."
     "When a badger dies, his family turns its back on the world for a
time of mourning.  But what about yourself, Sonic?  How have you fared?"
     "Better than fair.  We're freedom fighters, living in
Knothole."
     The badger's brow furrowed.  "Knothole?  I've never heard of
it."
     "It is just as well, for we are needing to keep it a
secretion," Antoine said with more than a hint of nervousness in
his voice.  "In factuality, we must be returning there *tout
suite*!"
     "But..." Sonic began.
     "I understand," Spartacus said.  "I have to get back to the
clan myself.  But can you meet me here tomorrow at noon?  So we
can catch up on old times?"
     "No prob!" Sonic said, getting in a quick elbow shot to
Antoine's ribs to prevent further interruption.
     "Fine.  It really is good to see you again, Sonic.  Until
tomorrow, then."  And with that, the badger turned and walked
into the Great Forest.  He moved with a speed and a quietness
that belied his size, and he was soon lost from sight.
     "Hey, Ant!  Who put the starch in YOUR shorts?"
     "About what are you talking?"
     "You know about what I'm talking!  Spartacus was my bud, and
you treated him like pond scum!"
     "We will see what the Princess has to be saying about this!"
 And with that, Antoine turned and headed back for Knothole.
     "Wow!" Tails whispered.  "I've never seen Antoine so uptight
before!"
     "Aw, he's just being his usual obnoxious self.  Let's give
him a head start; I'll bet you BOTH of us can still beat him back
to Knothole."

     
     If Sonic had hoped that Sally would be more understanding
than Antoine, he was in for a surprise when he returned to
Knothole (after having left Antoine in his dust) and told Sally
about his reunion with Spartacus.
     "And you believed his story?" was what Sally said.  Sonic
was shocked.
     "Of course I believed it!"
     Sally's brow furrowed.  She consulted her hand-held
computer.  "Nicole, verify."
     "LATEST INTELLIGENCE REPORTS INDICATE INCREASED ACTIVITY BY
ROBOTNIK IN THE MOUNTAINS NORTH OF THE GREAT FOREST.  HIGH
PROBABILITY THAT SUCH ACTIVITY WOULD DISRUPT TRADITIONAL BADGER
MINING...."
     "That's enough, Nicole," Sally said as she closed up the
computer.
     "So where's my apology, Sal?"
     "Don't hold your breath waiting for it, Sonic."
     "What's with you, Sal?  This isn't like the time when we ran
into Ari -- I KNOW Spartacus!"
     "Sonic, I don't want to believe you've forgotten EVERYTHING
you ever learned.  Don't you remember anything about the Clan
Wars?"
     "The who?"
     "This is hopeless!  Between the 24th and 28th centuries, the
badger clans were split into two factions.  One faction
challenged the legitimacy of the House of Acorn to rule Mobius
and waged war against it.  The other faction defended the House
of Acorn."
     "OK, so some of the badger clans and the House of Acorn
didn't get along; so what?"
     "So during that time, there were six attempts made against
the lives of members of the House of Acorn; four of them
succeeded."
     "Sal, this is ancient history!  What's all this got to do
with Spartacus?"
     Sally paused for a moment.  "Look, just promise me one
thing: don't tell him or show him where Knothole is located."
     "C'mon, Sal, you know I'd never do anything stupid like that!"
     "Just promise, OK?"
     "OK, OK!  All of a sudden I need some fresh air," he added
as he dashed out of Sally's hut and headed for the pond.
     Antoine, who had heard most of the conversation, sat down on a
nearby chair.  "You were handling that very well, my Princess."
     "No I didn't." Sally sat down on the edge of her bed, her chin
resting in her hands.  "I totally blew it!"
     "What was it to be blowing?"
     "Antoine...I was afraid."
     "But you were having every reason...."
     "But what if Sonic's right?  What if it IS all ancient
history?"
     "Then I am supposing you are not having anything to be
worried about to meet this friend of Sonique's."
     "Antoine, you're absolutely right!"  Sally rose and, after
giving Antoine a kiss on the cheek, left her hut to find Sonic. 
Antoine was confused by Sally's meaning, but having been on the
receiving end of a kiss from her he didn't care that much.


     "Tell me again why you're doing this. Sal."  
     Sonic and Sally arrived at the appointed spot just before
noon.  Sonic had been just as confused as Antoine about Sally's
about-face on Sonic's meeting with Spartacus, but Sally still hadn't
explained why she now insisted on accompanying Sonic to the rendezvous.
     "If I thought you could understand...."
     "Hey, try me!"
     "Not yet.  When is your friend, uh..."
     "Spartacus."
     "Spartacus.  When's he supposed to be here?"
     "I'm here now."
     Both Sonic and Sally jumped at the voice behind them.  It
was indeed Spartacus, this time with only one hatchet hanging
from his belt.
     "Man, where'd you learn to be so quiet?  And where'd you
come from, anyway?"
     "Part of it is training in stalking; the rest comes
naturally.  As for where I came from, I came down that trail."
     Sonic looked for several seconds.  "WHAT trail?" he finally
asked.
     "There's always a trail, if you know how to look for one.
It's all part of my training as a tracer -- one who follows
tracks through the forest.  The elders tell me I'm pretty good at
it.  But enough about me; who's your friend?"
     "Spartacus, this is Sally."
     "Pleased to meet you."  For several seconds, Sally could
only stare at him while three words ran through her mind: "Drop
dead gorgeous!"
     "Likewise," she said finally.
     "I didn't know that you'd be bringing her, Sonic.  Are you
two...?"
     "No way!"
     "Spartacus," Sally broke in, "I came with Sonic because I
need to know something.  I need to know how your clan feels about
the House of Acorn."
     Spartacus paused for several seconds.  Sonic was sure he
could see his old friend's face flush crimson.
     "It's to our...shame...that some badgers still want to
fight the old battles.  They're mostly old badgers who entertain
old notions.  The younger warriors, those of my generation, know
that Robotnik is the true enemy.  Why do you ask?"
     "Because I loved, and have lost, someone very close to the
throne of the last Acorn King.  And if this should get in the way
of your friendship with Sonic...."
     "Don't worry about it," Spartacus said gently, resting a
massive paw reassuringly on her shoulder.  "When I deal with
Sonic, I see only him.  And when I deal with Sonic's friends, I
see only that friendship and I respect it."
     "Thank you, Spartacus."
     "So, what is this 'Knothole' place you mentioned?"
     For the next several hours, Sonic and Spartacus reviewed for
each other the lives they had lived since their parting as
children.  Sonic mentioned as much as he could about Knothole
without giving away its position.  He also failed to mention that
Sally was, herself, of the House of Acorn, and that she had been
speaking of her father earlier on when she spoke of her loss.
     Spartacus, for his part, described life among a badger clan.
It was a rugged life with few physical comforts -- fewer, even,
than Knothole -- and one given over to preserving the old ways of
the clan.  Yet Sally detected a note of disenchantment in
Spartacus's voice.
     "I sometimes ask myself," Spartacus told her, "what the
point is of learning to fight if there's no opponent to fight.
Sonic told you of my encounter with the SWATbots; in some ways I
was unprepared to fight them."
     "You didn't look that unprepared to ME!" Sonic chimed in.
     "Thanks, but we've never really trained to fight Robotnik or
his forces.  I feel there's much we can learn from your
experiences."
     "Then why not fight by our side, and learn from us?" Sally
asked.
     "Such a matter would have to come before our clan elders,
many of whom still think the House of Acorn is the true enemy of
badgers.  They consider Robotnik to be something best left
alone."
     "Well, why don't you kick some of those old guys out of
their jobs?"
     "You don't know our ways, Sonic.  The power they hold over
the clan is due to their length of days and experience in combat.
It will be a while before enough of them rest with their fathers
for the old prejudice to become the minority view."
     "Man, I'd sure like to tell those old guys what's really
happening to Mobius!"
     "Why don't you?"
     "Huh?"
     "Come visit the clan tomorrow evening, as my guests and as
my friends.  Put your case before them.  The worst that can
happen is that they'll reject your proposal."
     "Will they let us in?" Sally asked.  "We ARE outsiders, and
not of the clan."
     "You have also fought against Robotnik most of your lives.
They will respect you for that, if for no other reason."
     Sally considered it for a few seconds.  "Very well, then:
tomorrow evening."  She extended a hand and Spartacus took hold
of it.
     "Agreed.  Meet me back here an hour before sunset; I'll
guide you to the clan myself."
     Soon, Spartacus had once more melted back into the Great
Forest.
     "Come on, Sonic, let's get back to Knothole."
     "Nothin' doin', Sal."  Sonic stayed rooted to the spot, his
arms crossed in front of him.
     "Now what?"
     "Seems to me that someone here owes someone else here an
apology."
     "You're right," Sally admitted, "I'm sorry I distrusted your
friend.  I shouldn't have been so suspicious."
     "That's better!  Now, why can't you say that more often?"
     "Why can't you be right more often?"
     And the banter continued all the way back to Knothole.

     The following evening, there were four Knothole freedom
fighters waiting for Spartacus.  Sonic and Sally were joined by
Bunnie and Antoine.  Sally thought that the badger clan might not
appreciate what would happen if they were to let Robotnik
continue unchecked.  So Bunnie was along as sort of a visual aid.
Antoine, who had shared Sally's apprehension that the badgers
would continue to keep the old grudge alive and might attempt to
harm Sally if they learned she was of the House of Acorn,
insisted on going along to protect Sally.  Sally finally relented
(over Sonic's strenuous objections).  This was actually a second
reason why Bunnie was coming along: to keep an eye on Antoine as
he kept an eye on Sally.
     At the appointed time, Spartacus stepped noiselessly into
the clearing.
     "Ooo-wee!" Bunnie whispered.  "Sally-girl, you weren't half-
kiddin' about them badgers!  Ah hope they got a few more like
this one!"
     "He DID say he has a brother."
     "You've brought quite a few friends, Sonic," Spartacus
observed.
     "Yeah, well, we're kind of a team.  You've met Sal and
Antoine; this is Bunnie."
     Spartacus shook her hand and stared at her for a few
seconds.  "I don't understand; where's the rest of your armor?"
     "This ain't armor, sugar.  This is little ol' me after
Robotnik got his hands on me."
     "We were able to save Bunnie, but not before Robotnik did
his share of damage.  I'm hoping to convince the elders of the
clan that they can avert this danger."
     Spartacus considered Bunnie for a few more seconds.  "It may
be difficult; some badgers would consider this an improvement."
     "It's not what you think.  How can I put this so you'll
understand?  When a creature is roboticized, they're given a
warrior's body but they're robbed of a warrior's heart."
     "Is this true?"
     "Yes.  Once you're roboticized, you no longer have a will of
your own; you can only carry out the bidding of Robotnik."
     "That IS a consideration.  As long as you put it in those
terms, there may be a chance the elders will listen to you."
     "Way to go, Sal!" Sonic whispered.
     "Thanks, but we haven't made our case yet."
     They walked on through the Great Forest, with Spartacus
leading the way.  Though the light was beginning to fail, the
Knothole Freedom Fighters instantly recognized a small clearing
they passed through several minutes later.  Spartacus said
nothing about it, but the others knew that they had just crossed
a seldom-used trail that was a shortcut back to Knothole.  They
kept it in mind for future reference.
     It was just as the sun was setting that they heard sounds up
ahead: deep and gruff voices speaking a strange tongue, the high-
pitched cries and shouts of small children, and someone telling a
cadenced story to the accompaniment of a simple skin drum.  They
knew from the way Spartacus lengthened his stride that they were
nearing his home.
     The badger settlement was a seemingly haphazard array of
stick-and-mud lodges built so that their doorways faced a central
clearing.  Small cooking fires burned in front of many of them,
boiling the contents of iron pots.
     As Spartacus entered the clearing, conversation dimmed and
all eyes turned on his guests.  The Knothole Freedom Fighters
didn't exactly feel welcome as the badgers silently scrutinized
them.  Sally saw one small boy, a mere toddler, holding tightly
to one of his mother's leg with one hand while in the other hand
he brandished a wooden spoon as if it were a sword.
     "Not exactly the red carpet treatment, is it?" Sally
whispered to Bunnie.
     The mood changed appreciably as they were directed to
Spartacus' hut.  Outside, bent over a fire, was an elderly female
badger who gave the travellers the first kind look they'd
received so far.  Forgetting about the contents of the pot, she
walked up to them and took Sonic's hands in one of her own.
     "So your old friend has grown up, my son."
     "Yes, Mother.  This is my mother, Diana."
     "Yeah, I remember you from when you were in Mobotropolis."
     "That was too many sunsets ago, I'm afraid," she chuckled. 
"But let's get your friends something to eat.  Adonis!"
     Out of the hut stepped the impossible: a badger even larger
and more powerful-looking than Spartacus.  "Adonis, your
brother's friends are here.  Fetch bowls for them."
     "But Mother, I was on my way to target practice."
     "You can hurl axes with your friends after you've showed our
guests some common courtesy."
     "They're not MY guests," he muttered as he retreated back
into the lodge.  He emerged a few seconds later with a stack of
carved wooden bowls.  Diana began ladling a thick stew into them
and passing them to the Freedom Fighters.  Sally noticed that
there weren't any spoons or forks being passed around; a quick
glance at some other families taking their evening meal confirmed
her suspicion, and she began to scoop the contents out of the
bowl with her hand, bringing it to her mouth.  The others
followed suit, the fastidious Antoine with the greatest
reluctance.
     "This is very good, Diana," Sally said.
     "Thank you, child.  And you may call me 'Mother' if it
pleases you."
     "It's a common way of showing respect," Spartacus added.
     "Thank you, but it's because of what has happened to our own
mothers and fathers that we're here.  Spartacus, when can we
speak to the clan elders?"
     "It's customary to wait until after the evening's
festivities."
     "And even then you may not be heard!" someone croaked.
Everyone turned around.
     An extremely old badger shuffled toward them, so old that
two young males held up his arms on either side to enable him
to walk.  He stared at the Knothole residents with dark, beady
eyes.
     "Sophocles!" Diana scolded, "you just about scared the life
out of my son's guests."
     "As if that gives them the right to address the clan elders!
I know why you're here.  You can't fight your own battles, so you
want us to do your work for you.  Well, you'll get no help from
us, I assure you!"  He motioned with one hand to move off in
another direction, and the two younger badgers changed course.
     "It's because we fight better than any animal on Mobius.  We
fight better.  We hunt better.  I can still smell a member of the
cursed House of Acorn a mile away!"  He rambled on in a similar
vein until he was out of earshot.  The Knothole Freedom Fighters
exchanged a glance that communicated the same message: "It's a
good thing he can't smell one any closer!"
     "Pay no mind to Sophocles," Diana assured the others.  "When
it comes to remembering the old glory of the clan, he's the worst
of the lot."
     "I take it he's a clan elder," Sally observed, handing her
bowl to Diana for a second helping.
     "The head elder.  Who's the elder of your clan?"
     "We have none.  We live together and fight against Robotnik
together."
     "What is a 'Robotnik'?"
     "Robotnik isn't a what, he's a...."
     "Save it for the elders, Sal," Sonic said.


     The meal continued with polite conversation; the Freedom
Fighters made sure the subject of Robotnik didn't come up again. 
It was going to be a hard enough sell to the elders if the rest
of them were anything like Sophocles.  Sonic helped Spartacus
clean up after the meal -- the badgers considered this "sons'
work" -- while the others left to take part in the evening's
festivities before the meeting.
     The "festivities" of the evening, like every other evening,
weren't organized.  Some badgers took ax in hand and used a
designated tree for target practice.  Others engaged in a tug-of-
war with a stout rope.  Bunnie and Sally wandered over to a
crowd of badgers and saw that they were arm-wrestling on an old
tree stump.  Adonis was among them.
     "You!" he barked, pointing to Bunnie.  "Let's see what that
arm can do."
     Amid the cheers of the badgers, Sally tried walking away.
     "C'mon, Sally-girl!  They asked for it!"
     Bunnie demurely seated herself on one side of the stump
while Adonis knelt on the other side.  She offered her left hand
to Adonis, who wrapped his own around it.  At a signal, the
contest began.
     At first it seemed as if neither contestant had heard the
signal.  But after a few seconds the crowd realized that both
contestants were exerting equal strength and that neither had an
advantage.  Then the action began in earnest.  For the next three
minutes the momentum shifted from one to the other; just when
Bunnie seemed about to pin Adonis, the badger would let out a
roar and raise his hand from the stump, or Bunnie, her hand an
inch away from the surface, would raise it up as slowly as a
sunrise.  One of the badgers tried declaring the contest a draw;
most of the watching crowd disapproved of his attempt.  They
wanted a fight to the finish.  Finally, after five minutes that
seemed like an eternity, Adonis slowly worked Bunnie's hand to
the stump.  It barely grazed the wood but it was enough; Adonis
was declared the winner to the cheers of the crowd.  Adonis
extended a hand to Bunnie, who shook it, then got up and began
walking back to Diana's hut with Sally walking beside her.     
     "That was very gracious of you, Bunnie," Sally whispered.
     "'Gracious,' mah bunny behind!  Ah just about blew a
gasket!"
     "You mean he actually beat you?"
     "Sally-girl, you do NOT want to get on the bad side of these
here badgers!  Sorry Ah let our team down," she added.
     "Look on the bright side; maybe they won't think your
'armor' is such a good thing after all."
     Antoine, meanwhile, had been content to watch several
badgers engage in target practice using hatchets.  Unfortunately,
he was not content to simply watch.
     "Hey, Blue Coat!" one of the badgers yelled.  "Let's see
what you got!"
     "*Certainment*!" Antoine replied.  He walked up to the line
where the badgers had been standing; the target tree suddenly
looked a mile away.  Someone handed him a hatchet.
     It was then that Antoine discovered that a badger hatchet
was a large ax to most Mobians.  The thing must have weighed at
least as much as he himself.  But to his credit, he tried. 
Grabbing the handle with both hands, he hurled it with all his
might.  Unfortunately, all his might didn't amount to much and he
managed to sink the axhead into the ground in front of him.  He
struggled to maintain his composure while the badgers around him
roared with laughter.
     "You may have better luck with that one!" one badger said,
pointing to a nearby ax resting on the ground, handle pointing
straight upward.  Determined to better his last performance,
Antoine walked over to it,  reached over behind his head, seized
the handle and gave a tremendous heave.
     But Antoine's string of bad luck remained unbroken.  The ax
was a trick; the handle was only loosely fitted into the axhead
and it came out cleanly.  The momentum of Antoine's heave carried
him forward and he landed flat on his face as the badgers once
more burst into gales of laughter.
     Antoine still tried to salvage a measure of dignity from
the debacle.  "You are having some activities that are a bit more
...philosophical?"
     At this, a badger named Brutus laughed heartily.  "Oh, so
it's something 'philosophical' you want.  Perhaps you'd like to
engage in a little something we badgers call 'squaring the
circle.'"
     "Ah, the geometricals!  *Oui*, I would be enjoying that very
much more."
     The badgers cleared a spot between four stout trees.  Tying
a rope to the trunk of one tree, they ran it around the other
trees until it had formed a rough square.  Brutus then stepped
through the ropes into the center, motioning for Antoine to
follow.  As he did so, a crowd of badgers gathered around.
     Only then did Antoine discover that what the badgers called
"squaring the circle" was a euphemism for no-holds-barred
wrestling.  Antoine scrambled to get out of the ring, but he was
either pulled back in by Brutus, or if he did managed to get even
halfway out another badger would pick him up by the scruff of the
neck and throw him back in.
     Sonic, having finished helping Diana clear away the dishes,
worked his way to the edge of the ring, where Sally joined him a
second later.  They had both heard Antoine's all-too-familiar
scream, a signal that he had once more gotten in over his head.
     "Oh my gosh!  Sonic, we've got to do something; he'll get
killed in there!"
     At that moment, however, Antoine became aware that Sally was
at ringside.  In accordance with the logic of chivalry, this was
Antoine's cue to attempt the impossible for the sake of his
princess.  He ran straight for Brutus, as if to tackle him.
     Antoine's attempt came to nothing; the badger simply put
Antoine into a bear hug and practically squeezed the life out of
him, then followed that up with a belly-to-belly suplex.  The
three-count to signal the end of the match was a formality.
     While Brutus acknowledged the cheers of the crowd, Antoine
was picked up by the scruff of the neck and placed outside the
ring.  Sonic and Sally ran up to him, picked him up into an
uncertain yet upright pose, and guided him back to Diana's
hut.  His eyes were wide open but unfocused.
     "Yo, Ant!  You OK?"
     "*Sachez que je suis a votre disposition.*"
     "Say what!?"
     "*Je pars dans quelques moments.*"  Having said that, he
passed out.
     "Antoine!"
     "Forget it, Sal, nobody's home."
     They left Antoine to sleep it off and resumed watching the
next wrestling match, this one between two badgers of similar
size and strength.  After a few seconds, though, someone stepped
in front of them to block their view.  It was Sophocles.
     "You thought I'd forgotten about you two," he croaked.  "I
may be old, but my memory is still good."
     "I'm sure it is," Sally said in a bid to be diplomatic.
     "I remember.  I especially remember every injustice we
badgers have suffered at the hand of the Acorn kings."
     "I'm sure other badgers have other memories," she replied
coolly as she turned her attention to the match.
     "Yes, they remember the time before the Acorn kings, when
the throne of Mobius was held in honor."  Sophocles, too, kept
his eyes on the ring.
     "Mobius hasn't been cursed with evil rulers; not until
Robotnik, at any rate."
     "Even his rule is preferable to the cowards of the House of
Acorn."
     "Then you'd rather see Robotnik on the throne than a member
of the House of Acorn?"
     "I'd rather see the throne smashed!  The Acorn Kings have
thoroughly corrupted it!"
     It was a curious conversation that they engaged in.  Both
Sally and Sophocles kept their eyes on the wrestlers, never
making eye contact with each other.  This style -- known as "side
talk" -- had evolved into a ritual language of mutual insults in
the royal court of Mobius.  If cool heads prevailed, such a
conversation would NOT be a prelude to a duel.
     Clearly, however, this wasn't happening.  Eventually, only a
handful of badgers and the two wrestlers hadn't stopped to listen
to the conversation.  Antoine, who had sufficiently recovered his
wits, had joined Sonic and Bunnie to listen as well.  Both of
them noticed that Antoine was pale with fright.
     "The House of Acorn has never been, and never will be, an
honorable one!  Only little cowards like yourselves would think
otherwise!"
     That did it.  Sally broke off the side talk, walked in front
of Sophocles and looked him in the eye.  "Then if only to shut
your old mouth, I'm willing to take up the honor of the House of
Acorn!"
     "A typical Acorn stratagem: to issue a challenge to an old
badger!"
     "Then you can name your champion if I can name the place and
time!"
     "Done!  Adonis will be our champion.  Name the place and
time!"
     "In the ring!  Right now!"
     Barely managing to control her temper, Sally pulled off her
vest, unclipped Nicole from the top of her boot, wrapped the
handheld computer in the vest and handed it to Bunnie.
     "Sally-girl, have y'all lost your mind!?"
     "Yeah, Sal, you saw what that one goon did to Ant!  And
Adonis is even bigger!!  I say we juice!"
     "Relax," she whispered, "I know what I'm doing."
     "Girl, Ah hope so."
     Sally stepped into the ring where Adonis was waiting. 
Without any signal that the match had begun, Adonis charged
straight for her.  Antoine covered his eyes.  A second later,
however, the crowd of badgers let out a roar.  Fearfully, Antoine
looked up.
     Sally was still upright, knees slightly bent, her body tense
and ready.  Adonis was in one corner, flat on his back under one
of the trees.
     "Sacre bleu cheese!  What has been happened?"
     He got a chance to see what had happened, for Adonis charged
at Sally once again.  And just as the time before, Sally deftly
stepped aside and, grabbing Adonis as he passed her, used his own
momentum to propel him toward the far corner.  Sonic and Bunnie
resisted the urge to high-five each other.
     After two more tosses, Adonis found himself down on both
knees.  As he tried to get up, he put one arm behind him for
balance.  That was Sally's cue.  Grabbing his wrist with one
hand, she used her other hand to put pressure on his elbow,
forcing it to bend in a direction it wasn't meant to bend. 
Adonis howled in pain; the crowd of badgers let out another roar.
Sally knew that Adonis wouldn't submit to a simple armbar; she
did it mainly to buy a few seconds of time to figure out what to
do next.
     What she had to do next, however, was duck a rock that
someone in the crowd had thrown at her.  That was enough to cause
her to release Adonis from the armbar.
     "Hey!  That's not fair!" Sonic yelled out.  But before he
could say or do anything else, a number of badgers in the crowd
turned toward him with very unfriendly looks.  Sonic realized
that if he said or did anything now he'd be in the middle of a
full-scale badger melee.  He shot a quick glance at Spartacus,
who shook his head slightly.  It was his way of telling Sonic
that it would be a bad idea to say something like that again. 
Seething, Sonic backed off a step.  Satisfied that Sonic wasn't
going to protest further, the badgers turned their attention back
to the ring.
     The situation inside the squared circle hadn't changed. 
Adonis continued to attempt a direct assault on Sally.  And Sally
continued to either duck out of the way or else use Adonis's
momentum to hurl him to the ground.
     After about a minute more of this, Adonis let out a roar of
frustration.  The crowd of badgers grew silent.  Then Adonis
bellowed out one word which electrified the badger crowd: "Claw!"
     "What the hoo-ha's a claw?" Bunnie asked.
     "THAT," Spartacus said in a hushed tone, "is the Claw."
     A badger handed Adonis a cruel-looking metal glove, covered
on the back with shining metal spikes.  Adonis made a fist; to
Sonic, it appeared that the Claw had more spikes than he had
quills!  Another badger poured a clear liquid over the Claw, as
if to anoint it.
     "What's that stuff?" Sonic asked Spartacus.
     "Fire water."
     "What's it for?"
     "Just hope your friend doesn't find out."
     Another badger was now offering a second Claw to Sally.  She
took it from him and slipped it on; it practically came up to her
elbow.
     "Sonic," Spartacus whispered, "if your friend continues the
match now, she's either very brave or out of her mind."
     Just as another badger was about to pour fire water on
Sally's Claw, however, she motioned him away with her free hand. 
Then, the tossed the Claw through the ropes to the outside of the
ring, where its spikes drove into the ground.
     "That settles it, then.  Your friend's out of her mind."
     Once more Sally faced off against Adonis.  Adonis wasted no
time; he lunged at Sally, swinging the Claw from side to side. 
Once Sonic thought that Sally had been cut, but she stayed on her
feet.
     Finally, with a roar of frustration, Adonis raised the Claw
high in the air and brought it down toward Sally, who again
managed to dodge out of the way just in time.  But Adonis had
swung with such force that he buried the spikes of the Claw in
the ground.  He tugged at it once, but it wouldn't budge.
     Adonis was on his knees, his eyes level with Sally's.  Sally
knew she had to work fast.  She hit Adonis with three spin kicks
to the head in rapid succession, followed by a standing drop kick
to the head.  Adonis slumped to the ground unconscious, and his
hand loosed its grip on the inside of the Claw.  That signalled
the end of the fight.
     Sally stepped out of the ring, to the sullen silence of the
crowd.  She started putting on her vest.
     "Let's get out of here," she said softly to the others.  "I
think I just wore out our welcome."
     Sonic turned and looked at Spartacus.  The badger nodded his
head slightly.
     And then the taunts started.
     "Get back here, runts!"
     "Finish what you started!"
     "Just like an Acorn to run away from a fight!"
     "Coward!"
     This last was the unmistakable voice of Sophocles.  Sonic
had heard enough.  He was about to turn around and confront the
old badger when Sally grabbed him tightly by the upper arm.
     "Let it go," she whispered through clenched teeth.  "Just
keep walking!"
     On they walked, Sally maintaining a fast pace.  Finally she
asked: "You think we're beyond their hearing?"
     "I think so, Sal, but...."
     "One, two, three four," she said as she began counting her
steps out loud.
     "What's the deal, Sal?"
     "Just making sure, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen,
eighteen, nineteen, twenty."
     At the count of twenty, Sally let out a cry like a pup and
dropped to the ground, holding her abdomen.  Her face was pinched
in agony and tears flowed from her eyes.  Her breath came in
gasps and pants.
     "Sal!  What's wrong?"
     "What is happening to you, my Princess?"
     But Sally was clearly in too much pain to answer.  So Sonic
scooped her up in his arms and, with Antoine hanging onto his
neck and Bunnie hanging onto Antoine's, he juiced back to
Knothole.

     
To be continued...