...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. She heard the thud of Victoria hitting the ground and the buzz of the alarm signalling the end of the round. She’d won!

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

“I sure am!” Alice responded, grabbing for the wheel and latching onto it.

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.