"More? I have not even found youngwarriors that are worthwhile. Only incompetent amateurs and feeble oldsters."

      "I know. I saw few good fighters inthe east, and had you found any in the west you would not have traveled alone.I never lost an engagement, before." He was silent a moment, rememberingthat he was no longer a warrior. To cover up the hurt that grew in him, hespoke again. "Haven't you noticed how old the masters are, and howcareful? They will not fight at all unless they believe they can win, and theyare shrewd at such judgments. All the best warriors are tied to them."

      "Yes," Sol agreed, perturbed."The good ones will not contend for mastership, only for sport. It makesme angry."

      "Why should they? Why should anestablished master risk the work of a lifetime, while you risk only yourservice? You must have stature. You must have a tribe to match his; only thenwill any master meet you in the circle."

      "How can I form a decent tribe whenno decent men will fight?" Sol demanded, growing heated again. "Doyour books answer that?"

      "I never sought mastery. But if Iwere building a tribe, or an empire especially, I would search out promisingyouths and bind them to myself, even though they were not proficient in thecircle yet. Then I would take them to some private place and teach them all Iknew about combat, and make them practice against each other and me until theywere fully competent. Then I would have a respectable tribe, and I would takeit out to meet and conquer established tribes."

      "What if the other masters stillrefused to enter the circle?" Sol was quite interested in this turn of thediscussion.

      "I would find some way to persuadethem. Strategy would be required-the terms would have to appear even, orslightly in favor of the other party. I would show them men that they wanted,and bargain with them until they were ashamed not to meet me."