“That is Coach Robillard, one of our finest.” Coach Arquette raised her voice. “The Kings Row team is here.”
“So I see,” said Coach Robillard, his sharp eyes focused on only one of their group. “I trained Seiji Katayama last year. Ice-cold mind for strategy, that boy. Can’t wait to see how you’ve improved, Seiji. Hope the rest of you are half as good.”
He didn’t actually sound hopeful about that, but he’d change his mind.
The fencers moved like an ocean and like an army. Like an army of people who were better than Nicholas. For now.
Nicholas was lost in delighted amazement. It wasn’t that long ago that Kings Row seemed out of reach for him, like a whole other world he couldn’t hope to attain. Now here he was, part of a great team, learning that the world of fencing was vaster and more impressive than he’d ever imagined. He got to be part of this world, too.
Nicholas had thought Seiji forced him to drill constantly, but his drills clearly didn’t compare to those of the Camp Menton fencers. He couldn’t imagine how long it took to move with this balletic precision.
“Naturally, before we permit drills, we do all the usual exercises for speed, strength, and flexibility,” Coach Arquette continued. “After drills, the students are encouraged to keep sharp by fencing each other in practice matches in their spare time. Here at Camp Menton, you have the chance to fence against opponents at the highest level.”
Nicholas had read a lot of Seiji’s books about the history of fencing. He cheered up. “Like a match at a competition?”
“Yes, like a competition,” confirmed Melodie. “There’s a judge, and the matches are scored.”
Nicholas stared at the sea of fencers again, the light on their foils shining like stars. He imagined all the new people he could fence and the new skills he could pick up while he was here. “When can I fence my first match?!”
“Not until after you have completed several hours of training exercises. You will come to learn the Camp Menton ways soon enough,” Coach Arquette assured Nicholas. “I’m sure your team is very disciplined,” she added, addressing Coach Williams.
“Indescribably,” said Coach Williams.
“That’s good,” Coach Arquette told them. “Because we have strict rules. Classes must be attended and not skipped, and lateness will not be tolerated. We also have a curfew. No camp attendees out after nine PM. This is what Menton expects from a serious fencer.”
Aiden laughed, a shockingly loud sound in the intense, cavernous space. Several heads turned.
“Oh, sorry,” drawled Aiden when Coach Arquette focused an outraged gaze on him. “I thought you were making a joke. You couldn’t call me a serious fencer. I’m more the flippant type.”
“He’s kidding,” said Harvard. “Ignore him.”
Usually their captain sent Aiden a fond smile when Aiden acted out, showing Harvard wasn’t really mad, and Aiden settled right down.
France must have had everybody off balance. Harvard didn’t give Aiden the smoothing-down smile, and Aiden stayed all bristly.
“Ignore me?” he asked. “With this face? Be serious. Apparently, we all have to be in this dreary place.”
With that, Aiden turned and strolled out of the salle d’armes.
Coach Arquette cleared her throat. “Yes, perhaps it is time to show you to your rooms. You must all be exhausted.”
The rest of the Kings Row team, Melodie, and Jesse Coste retraced their steps out into the light and away from the shining spectacle of all those flawless fencers. Coach Williams already looked embarrassed. Harvard and Aiden were both being weird. Bobby seemed intimidated, and Dante was hovering over Bobby. Seiji wasn’t responding to anything Nicholas said or did.
He fell back to join Eugene, who was at the rear of the group, dragging his feet. That wasn’t like Eugene at all.
“Bro…,” Eugene said slowly. “I don’t… I don’t feel super good.”
Nicholas looked to Eugene, his true bro, and noticed the alarmingly gray cast to his face. Nicholas cupped Eugene’s elbow and was even more concerned when a good amount of Eugene’s weight hit his palm. Nicholas wasn’t going to be able to hold up Eugene on his own. Eugene was all muscle. Luckily, Melodie hadn’t gotten too far ahead. She noticed that Eugene and Nicholas had stopped in their tracks and trotted back to them.
“Oh no, is one of the Americans broken?”
She appeared to notice Eugene for the first time. Her eyes went wide. Nicholas was glad to see she shared his concern.
Eugene was looking more and more unwell by the moment. His face was dazed, and his eyes had gone unfocused. Nicholas, badly worried about him, patted Eugene’s hand where it rested on his shoulder.
“A little help? Jesse?” called out Melodie. Seiji and Jesse were the only two people still in view. Jesse reluctantly turned away from Seiji. “This boy should go to the infirmary.”
“The infirmary?” Eugene, who was drooping, raised his head and met Melodie’s concerned gaze. “I’m really okay.”
A look came over Jesse’s face that, oddly, reminded Nicholas of Harvard. It was an I’m the captain and I will handle this expression. Jesse was, Nicholas recalled, captain of his team at Exton. Still not glancing at Nicholas, he took Eugene’s arm from Nicholas’s grasp and efficiently draped it around his own shoulders.
“You’re going to the infirmary with us,” Jesse informed Eugene.
“I’m not leaving Eugene!” protested Nicholas.
“Actually, bro, it’s cool,” said Eugene slowly. “Maybe I should get checked out. I’ll just go to the infirmary with these nice blond people. Did I hear you mention something about workout ethics?” he continued, addressing Melodie. “I’m sure we all have lots to say to each other about training exercises.”
Melodie lit up. “I have many thoughts.”
“Obviously, me too, but infirmary first,” said Jesse sternly.
“I will take care of him,” Melodie promised Nicholas, while Eugene nodded. “Please go tell Coach Arquette.”
Nicholas wasn’t sure what was going on, but it seemed as though Melodie and Eugene would be friends. That was nice. As for Jesse, Nicholas figured Jesse thought he knew best about everything.
The three lurched away, Jesse and Melodie mostly supporting Eugene between them. Nicholas ran up the pathway to tell everyone what had happened. Coach Williams peeled off instantly to check on Eugene, and Nicholas fell into step with Seiji with a sense of relief. Yet, he still couldn’t catch Seiji’s eye. Seiji wandered through Camp Menton without seeming to see any of it, to all appearances lost in a private vision.
Assistant Coach Lewis stayed with them as they were shown to their sleeping quarters. Coach Arquette dropped Nicholas and Seiji at the room they would be sharing first.
Seiji remained just as quiet as he had been when Jesse was around. Nicholas couldn’t help wondering if Seiji would be this absorbed with Jesse the whole time they were there. Was it not enough that he had to compete against a memory of Jesse back at Kings Row?
Nicholas couldn’t worry about that. Not when he and Seiji were here in France to fence together. This was going to be awesome. He couldn’t let Jesse Coste spoil it.