You see here the '_palle_,' the Medici emblem. The one
next to it is a sword of the same period, only used by a meaner person.
I should prefer it, if there were any killing to be done."
He described one or two other weapons. Then, glancing over his shoulder
at Austin and Viviette, who were talking in low, confidential tones a
little way off, he stood stock still, and the beads of sweat gathered on
his forehead. Katherine's voice recalled his wandering wits.
"This is a cross-bow, isn't it? The thing the Ancient Mariner shot the
Albatross with."
"A cross-bow," said Dick. "The iron loop at the end was to put one's
foot into when one wanted to load it."
"And this," said Katherine, pointing to a long steel thing with a great
knob adorned with cruel spikes, "is the family mace, I suppose. I've
seen it before, I remember."
"Yes, that's the mace."
"What a blood-thirsty set of people you must have been!"
Austin came up with a laugh. "There's a legend among us that once mother
was left alone in the house and insisted on having this mace near her
bed so as to defend herself against burglars.
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