...make a quick pivot.

Alice pretended to prepare for a large push and waited for Victoria’s inevitable retaliation. When it came, she was ready. She took a step to her left and turned her crouching body. Victoria missed her entirely and tripped. She saw Victoria hit the ground and the buzz of the alarm signalled the end of the round. She’d won!

“Congratulations, Alice!” Laura said while they walked back to the wheel. “That was a great show of strength and wits. Are you ready for the eighth round?”

“I sure am!” Alice responded

She gave the wheel a firm pull. The wheel went round and round noisily for several seconds before coming to a stop.

“For seventy-five thousand, you will have one minute to answer this riddle. I promise. I do. I offend. I point. I fight. What am I?”

“Hmm,” Alice thought out loud.

Several ideas bounced around in her head, but none of them made sense. The pressure of the ticking clock wasn’t helping either. With a couple of seconds left, she had to make a choice.