After MacIan and Turnbull leave the police station (chapter III of 'The ball and the cross'), they immediately seek out a place to buy swords for a duel. They did not realize, though, that the press has had a field day with this story, and that the whole of London knows about it. Hence, their duel is interrupted.
Together, they flee in a hansom cab, purchase some victuals, and try to find a secluded spot to finish their duel. The two start to respect each other in this process, to the point of not really wanting to fight.
The renewed duel is immediately interrupted by a philosopher: a Tolstoyan who preaches Love. He tries to convince MacIan that violence is a sin; MacIan retorts that Christianity is much more than these watered-down philosophies. The peacemaker then walks away, breaks his own rule and calls the police. The two duelists flee again.
Running away from the police, they find a secluded place for shelter. Here, they encounter another philospher: a pagan proponent of violence and sacrifice. He is delighted with their duel. When MacIan, though, challenges him to take the sword himself, he flees.
No comments:
Post a Comment