He spent probably 20 minutes initially chewing me out about not respecting his authority. He took another 30 minutes detailing his rank and position in various societies and civic offices. He spat words pontificating on the damage I had personally inflicted on him by not standing to the side when we passed on the street. He concluded his dressing down by mocking my beloved blades that I wore openly that day.
“Now you may speak. Justify your abuse and inconsiderate behavior towards your betters!”
I looked around to make sure everyone was watching. They were. I glanced at Jill for clearance. She nodded, giving it.
I cold punched the arrogant sunnavabitch, knocking him over a table. I saw a tooth fly away with a delicate spin along a textbook parabolic path. The tooth was snatched before landing by an observer who quickly pocketed the prize.
I extended my hands to show I bore no weapons. I turned slowly so all could see. “Does anyone have a rebuttal to my rebuttal?” I was answered with a bubbling multitude of chuckles from the spectators. The senator struggled to his feet, holding his jaw. Blood seeped between fingers. “Do you own me?”, I addressed him. “Do you measure where my feet stride? Are you the master of the City, or just another puppet of a puppet? Does it look like I give a flaming shit who your masters are or what they think of you? How do you know if they had not hired me to put you in your place? Again, since you obviously didn’t learn it the first time.”
I called for napkins, cold water, and brine to be brought to the senator. Before Jill could attempt to move through the crowd, the crowd supplied the materials in silence. “If you had moved with consideration that day, we would have flowed past each other like currents around a rock. But you insisted I yield to you for no other reason than you exist. I don’t yield to gods or powers, but I’m supposed to beg a sock for the privilege of being stepped on? You wanted a spectacle. You got it. You wanted renown. You now have it. Your masters are watching and they did not call for restraint. Think on what you have just gained.” I bowed.
I apologized to Jill for the violence and offered to pay for damages to the table. She just smiled and asked when I had bumped into the senator. “To be honest, Jill, that man is so unmemorable, seeing him today is like seeing him for the first time ever. Probably the day I was telling all those stories. Had much more on my mind that day, you know.” She just smiled and nodded.