"So now we know where their leader is," I said, staring hard at the waving Argzoon banner. It seemed to depict some sort of writhing, snake-like creature with eyes not unlike those of the Argzoon themselves.
"The N'aal Beast," Shizala explained with a shudder when I asked her what it symbolized.
"Yes, it is the N'aal Beast."
"What-?" I broke off as Darnad pointed.
"Look," he cried, "they are already preparing to attack!"
He rushed back into the room and came out bearing a long, curling trumpet. He blew on this with all his might and a high, melancholy note echoed through the city. Other trumpet-calls sounded in reply.
The warriors of Varnal-many of whom had slept at their posts-began to make ready for another day's fighting. It could well be their last.
Shizala said: "Although it will take Telem Fas Ogdai another day before he reaches Mishim Tep, he will have stopped off at nearer cities on the way and relief might come by tonight or tomorrow morning. If we can hold out until then…"
"We may not need to if I can borrow one of your aircraft," I said. "It only needs one man to drop from the air on to the Argzoon commanderand despatch him."
She smiled. "You are very brave. But the aircraft motors take the best part of a day to warm up.
Even if we switched them on now they would not be ready before evening."
"Then I suggest that you order them to be switched on at once," I said disappointedly, "for the opportunity might still arise and be welcomed by you when it does."
"I will do as you say. But you would perish in a venture such as you contemplate."
"It would be worth it," I said simply.
She turned away from me then, and I wondered why. Perhaps she thought me stupid-an unintelligent boor who only knew how to die. After all, I had offended her earlier by behaving tactlessly and unsubtly. Again I controlled my thoughts. It did not matter what she thought, I told myself.
I sighed. Knowing nothing of the science that had developed the aircraft, I could not suggest any way of getting their motors ready faster. Obviously, I thought, it was some sort of slow reaction system-probably very safe and foolproof, but at a time like that I would have preferred something faster even if more dangerous.
I felt as if Shizala were deliberately hampering me for some reason, as if she did not want me to put my plan into operation. I wondered why.
Darnad now put down the trumpet and clapped me on the shoulder. "Do you want to come with me?"
"Willingly," I said. "You must tell me how I can be most useful."
"I was unsure of you yesterday," he said with a smile. "But that is not true today."
"I'm glad. Farewell, Shizala."
"Farewell, sister," said Darnad.
She replied to neither of us as we left. I wondered if I had offended her in some way. After all, I was unfamiliar with the customs of Vashu and might have done so unknowingly.
But there was no time for such speculation.
Soon the walls of the city were shaking again to another Argzoon attack. I helped with the siege weapons, tipping cylinders of flaring fat down on the attackers, hurling stones on them, flinging their own javelins back into their ranks.
They seemed to care little for their own lives and even less for the lives of their comrades. As Shizala had pointed out, they were individualistic warriors and, though they were taking part in an organized mass attack, you could still see that they were having to control their own instincts. Once or twice I saw a couple of them fighting between themselves while their fellows milled around them and our missiles rained down.
By midday little had been gained or lost, save that whilst the defenders were weary almost to the point of dropping, the attackers could bring in fresh reserves. I learned that the system of reserves was alien to the Argzoon normally, and this was another puzzling factor of their attack.
Though fierce and feared, the Argzoon had never been a really important threat since they could not be organized into one mass for long enough. Also, this monstrous attack so far from their homelandan attack without warning-spoke of fantastic planning and ingenuity. It might also speak of treachery, I thought privately-an ally letting the horde through his land by pretending to ignore it But I still did not know enough of Vashu politics to make any fair guesses.
In the afternoon I helped the members of an engineering squad force up special barriers in places where the wall had been badly weakened by Argzoon rams and catapults.
Turning and wiping sweat from my brow after a particularly difficult piece of manipulating, I discovered Shizala at my side.
"You seem able to turn your hand to anything."
She smiled.
"The test of a good scientist-the test of a good soldier," I replied, returning her smile.
"I suppose it is."
"How is the aircraft coming along?"
"It will be ready just before dusk."
"Good."
"You are sure you want to make the attempt?"
"Certain." - "You will need a specially trained pilot."
"Then I hope you'll supply one."
She dropped her gaze. "That will be arranged."
"Meanwhile," I said, "have you stopped to thinkthat the Argzoon may have been able to arrive undetected here through the connivance of one of your 'allies'?"
"Impossible. None of our allies would stoop to such treachery."
"Forgive me," I said, "but though I am impressed by the code of honor possessed by the Karnala, I am not sure that all the races of Vashu possess it-particularly since I have seen another Vashuvian race almost as unlike the Karnala as it could possibly be."
She pursed her lips. "You must be wrong."
"Perhaps. But my explanation seems the likeliest.
What if Mishim Tep were…?"
Her eyes blazed. "So that is the foundation of your suspicion-jealousy of Telem Fas Ogdai! Well, let me point out that the Bradhi of Mishim Tep is my father's oldest friend and ally. They have fought many a battle together. The bonds of mutual help that exist between the two nations are centuries old. What you suggest is not only impertinent-it is base!"
"I was only going to say…"
"Say no more, Michael Kane!" She turned on her heel and left.
I may tell you, I had little stomach for further fighting just then.
Yet, scarcely three shatis later, I was part of a small body of warriors defending a breach that the Argzoon had made in the wall.
Steel clashed, blood spilled, the stench of death was everywhere. We stood on the broken masonry and fought off ten times our number of Blue Giants. Brave and ferocious as they were, the Blue Giants lacked our intelligence and speed-as well as our burning ideal to hold the city at all costs.
These three advantages just seemed to balance the savage attacks which we somehow managed to withstand.
At one time I was engaging an Argzoon even larger than most of his kind. Around his huge throat he wore a necklace of human bones and his helmet seemed constructed of several large, wildbeast skulls. He was evidently some sort of local commander.
He carried two large swords, one in each hand, and he whirled them before him so that facing him was rather like facing a propeller-driven plane!
I stumbled before the force of his attack and my foot slipped on a blood-wet stone. I fell backwards and lay there while, grinning jubilantly, he prepared to finish me.
He raised both swords to hack at my prone figure, and then somehow I swivelled my body and cut at his calves, deliberately slashing at the muscles just behind his knees.
One leg bent and he opened his mouth wide in a great roar of pain. Then the other leg bent and suddenly he was falling towards me.
Hastily I scrambled up and flung myself out of his path. With a tremendous crash he fell to the broken stones and I turned and finished him with a single sword-thrust.