La mordedura de la serpiente

"La Mordedura de la Serpiente" by Lem Ryan This martial arts adventure opens with a demonstrative combat between Donald Halloway, a Yondan (fourth-degree) karate master, and Robert Delany, a Nidan kendoka (sword fighter), in an English garden. Two women observe: Dorothy, Delany's Western wife, and Keisho Ozawa, a Japanese martial artist and Halloway's companion. The men are old friends from Shin-ji, a legendary Asian temple dedicated to spiritual truth where they trained years earlier. Halloway now teaches at a gymnasium called Kami in England. During conversation, Dorothy expresses interest in studying karate and commits to joining the dojo. The narrative establishes Halloway's haunted past—a friend named Ted Rogers died helping him, and years prior, an innocent woman perished due to his actions. The reunion is cordial despite underlying tensions. When the guests prepare to leave for evening classes, their interaction grows intimate, hinting at romantic complexity between Halloway and Keisho.