Daedalus Krane and the Hand of God

Chapter 2

'Even a one handed man can play a pair of aces.'  

Daedalus Krane  

The moment Titan looked up to watch the decent of the sword the outstretched fingers of Daedalus's free hand came into contact with something hard and solid. In a second he had it in his palm and was swinging it upward in a long arc toward Titan's head.  

The box hit Titan squarely on the side of the forehead with sickening crunch and exploded showering Daedalus with masses of springs, cogs and twisted shards of metal.  

Titan staggered back, hand pressed up against the long bloody gash that had opened up across his forehead, his face twisted with pain.  

Daedalus flipped himself backward over the table just as the sword hit the surface with a clang of metal striking metal then ran down its edge leaving a trail of white hot sparks in its wake.  

A dazed Titan studied his red blood soaked hand allowing a large smear of red to leach out of the cut on his forehead run down his sweating face, to form a congealed mass of sweat and blood across his bare chest. Slowly he sank to his knees.  

Out of range of Qusay's sword Daedalus picked out a cotton cloth from the rail above him and threw it at Titan.  

'Hold that on it. It will stem the flow.' he instructed.  

Titan blinked uncomprehendingly at him. Then, after a long pause picked up the cloth and pressed it to his forehead.  

Qusay momentarily stood in bemusement looking at the metal strewn floor before scrutinising his sword. Then he carefully ran the edge of his finger over the blade to check for damage. He looked up.  

'It's hard to get the right equipment in my line of work. Especially as I'm,' he shrugged his shoulders in resignation,' such a perfectionist. It appears you have destroyed your work Doctor. Such a shame given that it's going to be so difficult to put it back together, especially with one only hand. Do not be fooled I'm not a heathen despite my profession. The destruction of such a truly wonderful device I truly regret - but you have only delayed the inevitable. You have only gained a temporary respite. I have my sword, you have your hand. But not for long. The odds as I said earlier are stacked against you.'  

'Not now they're not.'  

Qusay closed his eyes for a moment, as if drawing on an inner reserve of patience then he turned to face this new entrant to the Helios's workshop.  

The speaker, an athletic woman in her late twenties with a long thickly knit pigtail hanging down the back of her battered leather pilots jacket, stood self-assuredly in the doorway. By her hip hung an empty holster, in her hand she waved a large colt revolver at Qusay. 'Drop the sword and move over there with him.'  

She motioned Qusay over toward Titan.  

'My dear, what an unexpected surprise.' Qusay flashed his ivory teeth and let the sword tumble from his hand. 'I believe you are Florence the Doctors pilot. How pleasant to meet you. He stepped forward and extended his hand.'  

'The pleasures all yours,' Flo snapped, ignoring his hand. 'The Helios is my ship and you did not ask permission to board, so I'm inclined to ask you to step out. Now!'  

'I hope we're not going to be disagreeable about this,' observed Qusay reluctantly dropping his hand before stepping over toward Titan. 'We are two hundred feet up. You're not suggesting we walk the plank are you? An interesting proposition, with a certain buccaneering attraction, I can see that but I for one am unfortunately going to have to decline. And Titan here I think no longer represents much of a threat does he?'