Daniel pointed at an empty seat at the front table. “Please sit there,” he said, and Noah moved to take the seat indicated, on the right side of the center aisle. The seats were benches, wide enough for two people, and Noah’s seatmate was a young black man. The fellow nodded at him, but didn’t say a word as he took his seat.
Daniel tapped the screen with a finger to draw everyone’s attention back up to it. Noah looked up to see a diagram of what appeared to be a Bowie knife.
“We’re starting today with our section on knives,” Daniel said. “With all of the high-powered, high-tech weaponry that is now available in this world, it may seem strange to you that we put such emphasis on something as simple as the knife, but you should not find it so. When everything else you might use can fail you, the knife is a tool that is easily concealed, easily maintained and easily used.” He pointed at the diagram. “It was an American who created what is still considered to be one of the finest designs for the knife, and we all know it as the Bowie knife. By giving the full length of the blade a single edge, rather than the double edge of most knives throughout history, the majority of the blade was much stronger due to its thicker back edge. The dipped and curved point of the blade, the edge of which was also sharp, allowed the knife to pierce more easily, and could be used as a skinning edge for those who carried this knife when hunting. In addition, this narrowing groove that runs the length of the blade allows blood to flow past the knife when it is used for stabbing, hastening death as the victim can bleed out more quickly.”
Daniel turned back to face his students, and clicked a remote to turn off the projector. At the same time, the lights came up so that everyone could see him clearly. “There are two very important things you must remember about your knife. The first is to never leave your knife in your victim, and there are two reasons for this. Reason number one is quite obvious, in that the knife would leave a clue that someone could use to identify you as the killer. Reason number two should be even more obvious, but for some of you idiots I have to make sure you understand it. You do not leave a knife behind in your victim, because a good knife is very difficult to find. Once you have found one, don’t let it go.”
There was a ripple of laughter through the room, and Daniel’s grin said that he was expecting it. “The second thing you must remember about your knife is to keep it well sharpened and maintained. While it may seem to you that a knife is so simple that it does not require much in the way of maintenance, you should be aware that many things can affect how well a knife serves you. If an edge becomes nicked, for instance, it may drag when used for cutting, and slow you down. A deep nick of the blade can catch on bone, preventing you from removing the knife from the target.” He clicked the remote again, and the lights went down as the projector came back on, showing a new image of a knife with a rough and chipped blade edge. “Flaws like these can cause the knife to hang up even in softer tissues, so it is always important to maintain a smooth, very sharp edge.” He clicked again, and a new knife appeared on the screen. At first glance, it seemed slightly misshapen, but Daniel pointed at its grip. “If the hilt of your knife becomes loose, then the tip of the blade is no longer where you expect it to be. With every motion of the hilt inside the grip, the tip is moved away from the centerline of the knife, which is where you have always expected it to be. While it may seem to be only a slight difference, that slight difference can cause you to miss a critical organ or artery, meaning your target does not die. In addition, a loose grip can throw off the balance of the knife, affecting how you handle it in many ways. This is unacceptable.”
He clicked again, and a third knife appeared on the screen. This one was rusty and dull. “This knife is one you would only want to use if it were the only possible option. The two damaged knives we have already looked at would be preferable to this one, and can anyone tell me why?”
Daniel waited for a couple of seconds, but no one raised a hand or spoke up. He looked around the room, and his eyes settled on Noah. “Perhaps, Mr. Noah, you would like to make a guess as to why this knife would be the last resort?”