The other guy was already there, dancing in the resin corner. He looked very big and menacing. He was already wearing his gloves. My gloves were put on. There was a bell and some fighters in street clothes were trotted out to show off their padded muscles. There was another bell. I was sitting on a stool. A spotlight found me and my manager shoved me to my feet. I lumbered to the center of the ring and heard a booming voice declaim:
"In this corner, that ever-popular slugger from the Bronx, New York, weighing two hundred and five pounds and undefeated in his last six thrilling contests with a record of fifteen knockouts in the last two years, Angel Martell!"
There was polite applause. I drifted back to my corner. I wondered where Sally was sitting. If I could just ask her about Xlptl before this thing got started.... But I couldn't see her out there any place. The announcer continued.
"... this corner, the undefeated heavyweight from our own Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who has knocked out all but two of his opponents in twenty-one stellar clashes here in this arena and elsewhere, Mickey Magoon!"
Magoon came out looking flashy and dancing and raising one hand in the victory sign. I looked around desperately for Sally. Maybe I'd seen her, I thought, shuddering. Maybe I'd forgotten what she looked like.
The referee gave us our instructions. We went back to our corners. A whistle sounded. My manager rubbed my back. A bell clanged and something propelled me toward the charging Magoon.
I put up my hands. Magoon danced around me cautiously. He jabbed and it didn't look like much but my head went shooting back and something made a noise in my neck. He jabbed again. He jabbed a third time. Then the jabs got blurry. I thought they would take my head clean off.
I clinched. The referee got us apart. Magoon came after me with that jab. I swung my left and right, but Magoon picked them off in air. I couldn't win and I knew it. I didn't have a chance. I wondered how long it would take before Magoon knew that too. Magoon was a pro. Once he learned it he wouldn't waste any time with caution. He would come in and cut me to ribbons. I'd be all right if I could keep him cautious, respectful, until I could find out what I had to about Sally and then look at the next address and give Angel Martell back his body....
The next address!