"I am squeamish in the extreme," Spider told him, hefting the weapon in one hand. "Guns give me the vapours. I have, had, a bodyguard for a reason. It was Channon's job to keep people off me and unless someone was specifically trying to kill us, she didn't carry a gun either. I don't approve of projectile weapons, energy weapons or anything that anyone can use to hurt me."

He turned and blew another dummy in half. "On the other hand, I've been beaten, tortured, hung off of buildings, barely missed being part of a mass execution that had been set up purely to catch me in it, stabbed and shot. I'd be a complete fool not to take a stand on self-defense of some kind."