The Sports Captain's Tale полностью

“The question of precisely who will replace the last Captain-General has haunted us for the last two months,” the Grandmaster informed us, as if we didn’t already know. “Traditionally, the Captain-General would be called upon to nominate their replacement, but this is impossible. Juliet left her position in disgrace and, while no one else has been implicated in her scheme, we have been reluctant to make a hasty decision about her replacement. None of the possible candidates stand out, certainly not to the point their nomination is a foregone conclusion.”

I smiled. And Blair thought he was going to be nominated without a fight?

The Grandmaster liked the sound of his own voice, I decided. He certainly kept talking.

“The Captain-General must have demonstrated the skills to direct and manage teams,” the Grandmaster said. “He must also enjoy the confidence of the students, at least those who play sports, and demonstrated a willingness to put his personal feelings aside for the greater good. After much debate, it has been decided that, regardless of the outcome of the championship, that the winner of the coming match will have shown all the skills needed to be a successful Captain-General. One of the four of you” – his eyes moved from face to face, taking our measure – “will be Juliet’s successor.”

Blair gasped. “What …?”

“The winner of the coming match will be the next Captain-General,” the Grandmaster said. I thought I heard a hint of irritation in his tone. It would be a long time before he trusted any Captain-General as much as he’d trusted Juliet. I suspected that was probably why the Ken captains hadn’t been given a chance to take her place. “The winner will take up the role as soon as possible. The losers” – his eyes swept the room again – “will be expected to support the winner to the hilt. No one is impressed by sore losers.”

I grinned. I couldn’t help it.

There’ll be no alliances now, I thought, as the Grandmaster left the room. And Blair knows it too.

“Blair came to me last night,” Jerry whispered, as we changed into our tunics for the big match. “Offered me shitloads of money if I fucked you – and not in a fun way. Said he’d give me the world if I put a hex in your back.”

“The world isn’t his to give,” I said, refusing to reveal how nervous Jerry’s words made me. Blair could offer a lot and there was no way I could match it. “You said no?”

“Demanded the world in advance,” Jerry said. “Blair called me all sorts of names.”

He turned away. I allowed myself a moment of relief. The last week had been hectic. Everyone was training, everyone was placing bets, everyone was arguing over who would win and what it meant for the rest of the sporty students … I’d even heard of duels being fought over the likely outcome of the final match. Blair had to be doing everything in his power to undermine his rivals, including me. Jerry, thank all the gods, hadn’t wanted to take Blair’s money. I hoped the others felt the same way.

I took a long breath and made my way down to the bunker. Blair’s team marched past – seriously; they marched like an army regiment on its way to the war –uniforms perfect and their faces grim. They knew what was at stake, just like the rest of us. If they won, they got to go to the big leagues … perhaps. Blair would have his pick of the players, without any obligation to keep the ones he already had. I wondered, numbly, if I should have been making overtures to some of his players, particularly the weaker ones. But I had nothing I could use to bribe them …

Sergeant Wills stood at the front of the chamber and waited for David and Sarah – and their teams – to join us. There was not a single hint of cooperation in the air. The team captains looked as if they were keeping their faces under tight control, while their players weren’t even trying to hide their feelings. One of Sarah’s players had been replaced on short notice, after he’d eaten something that disagreed with him. It had officially been ruled an accident, but no one I knew agreed with the verdict. He’d been poisoned and the poisoner had gotten away with it. Probably.