The men went ballistic, swinging their wooden staffs. Each heave met equal resistance halfway when the staffs struck; the men grappled and then separated; they reset their footing and swung again.

Intense, Malia thought. She sensed a long association in the aura of their shared rage. It linked the men, if not in friendship, in some other primal way she could not grasp but felt.

The clashing ceased, and the men dropped their wooden rods. They caught their breath and ...