It's not enough to be able to pick up a sword. You have to know which end to poke into the enemy.

More from Lords and Ladies

• In the Beginning there was nothing, which exploded.
• And it came to pass that in time the Great God Om spake unto Brutha, the Chosen One: “Psst!”
• Bishops move diagonally. That’s why they often turn up where the kings don’t expect them to be.
• Brother Preptil, the master of the music, had described Brutha’s voice as putting him in mind of a disappointed vulture arriving too late at the dead donkey.
• Dhblah sidled closer. This was not hard. Dhblah sidled everywhere. Crabs thought he walked sideways.
• Genius is always allowed some leeway, once the hammer has been pried from its hands and the blood has been cleaned up.