Duel – the literary version

“Contender, ready!” the referee shouted, over the loud cheers of the audience. Children waved homemade banners. The contender, a slim but strong-looking young man with several tattoos, gave the thumbs-up. He wore a red vest, shorts and protective helmet. Jogging a little on the podium, he set his mouth in a determined frown and met the gaze of his opponent.

“Gladiator, ready!” the referee addressed the muscle-bound giant of a man. The gladiator’s limbs were like tree trunks and his head seemed too small for his body. His outfit was skimpy with a metallic sheen. He looked steadily at the contender, ready to do battle.

“Three, two, one!” the referee blew the whistle and the duel began.

The two men opened the novels they were holding, the referee keeping a close watch on them to make sure they began on the first page and did not skip any.

Seven hours later, the audience were still cheering, although the children were getting a little tired. With a flourish, the gladiator turned the last page of his book and closed it. He did a victory dance in the podium. The contender, who had been feverishly turning the pages of his own book, sighed in defeat. However, he was psyching himself up for the final round, the Eliminator, in which himself and the other contestant would race to return their books to the library.