Concerning The Duel:

[DoS Archive]

From: blindfoldproxy@aol.com (Blindfold proxy)
Date: 22 Sep 2002 21:00:47 EDT

The following excerpt is from The Unwritten History of Manotia by Edgar Fons:


The following essay describes a sculpture whose existence is now questioned, and whose whereabouts are unknown. The time reference to the discovery of serendipitine reveals it to have been written at the beginning of the 20th century C.E.

The Duel: A Historical Interpretation

The thickening tension between the Manotians and the Raeth nation has spawned The Duel. At the time of the discovery of the serendipitine mine over seventy years ago, both nations were at friendly relations and largely involved in free trade with one another; this continued until a decade ago when the Raeths already had begun showing a great amount of aggression toward the states of North Loranglon. Manotia, concerned that the rise of
power in the Raeth nation would produce a future threat, placed severe restrictions on the export of serendipitine. The Raeths' response was a drop in all trade, and communication between the two nations soon deteriorated. During The Duel's conception, many Manotians felt that the trade restriction was only effective at quickening a war with the Raeths, who would seek to gain control of the mine in order to feed their hunger for power
further.
The sculpture itself shows two life-size soldiers, a Manotian and a Raeth, facing off. The Manotian soldier adorns the typical armor of his infantry, including a bullet-shaped helmet with a strip extending from the forehead set to cover the bridge of the nose, a smooth body shield that fits snugly over the shoulders with a hole for the neck, a thick belt of leather fixed with flaps to protect the hips and outer thighs, elliptical shin guards,
and low-cut boots. The Raeth soldier wears a rounded helmet with forward extensions from the ears which meet continuously at the chin and cover the jaw line, and his characteristic cloak, which in this depiction only allows the viewer to observe the chest plate, a narrow belt, and shin guards that mirror those of the Manotian. A small peak protrudes beneath the cloak from behind the left knee, revealing the position of the scabbard. The cloak,
brown in real life, is oversized and worn loosely; this is to allow it to rise and fall with the Raeth body's outlandish animation in order to distract and deceive the opponent of the soldier's intentions.
The swords of both soldiers are lifted to touch at mid-blade above their heads, making comparing them an easy task. The Manotian's is a broadsword, which both hands grip; the Raeth's is much narrower and henceforth lighter, which is to his liking as the Raeth soldier prefers a one-handed grip. That the soldiers have met their weapons in this manner is purely a Manotian custom to signal the start of a sparring duel. It is obvious that the
Manotian sculptor wishes to convey the feeling of an impending war with the Raeth nation.
Although much of the Manotian and Raeth armories is plated in serendipitine--most notably the helmets and breastplates--the sculptor reserves the use of serendipitine strictly to the weapon blades and the great slab on which the two soldiers stand. Certainly the sculptor hopes to bring attention to the center of this conflict, the control of the serendipitine mine, in that, since many wars involve the capture of land by one side, the earth on
which these two soldiers are about to do battle is purely serendipitine. A more frightening comment here is that the material which the soldiers are fighting over is that which creates their tools of war, and that the nascence of new wars can be the only result of the one we are about to observe.
Another remarkable detail of The Duel is the countenance of both soldiers, for neither expresses any sort of emotion. It is possible, since Manotian solders preparing to spar guise their feelings, that this is a friendly duel, and that the sculptor suggests that the two nations may exist harmoniously if both have unlimited access to the mine, for there is no short supply of serendipitine. But if we assume that one of these soldiers is
about to lose his life, the apparent indifference in the soldiers' faces may be commenting on a terrifying fact of war as a whole: That those giving their lives are doing so for something in which they have no interest or care, and over which only the ruling parties, who are safe from harm in the secure core of their own kingdoms, are concerned.