Mackenzie saw the stiffness break in Gaines’ countenance. There was no time for more than a second’s bewilderment. His body acted for him. The gun clanked from his holster simultaneously with Speyer’s.
“Get that messenger, Jimbo,” the major rapped. “I’ll keep these birds covered.”
As he plunged forward, Mackenzie found himself worrying about the regimental honor. Was it right to open hostilities when you had come on a parley? But Gaines had cut the talks off himself—
“Stop him!” Gaines yelled.
The four remaining acolytes sprang into motion. Two of them barred the doorway, the other two moved in on either side. “Hold it or I’ll shoot!” Speyer cried, and was ignored.
Mackenzie couldn’t bring himself to fire on unarmed men. He gave the youngster before him the pistol barrel in hit teeth. Bloody-faced, the Esper lurched back. Mackenzie stiff-armed the one coming in from the left. The third tried to fill the doorway. Mackenzie put a foot behind his ankles and pushed. As he went down, Mackenzie kicked him in the temple, hard enough to stun, and jumped over him.
The fourth was on his back. Mackenzie writhed about to] face the man. Those arms that hugged him, pinioning his gun, were bear strong. Mackenzie put the butt of his feed left hand under the fellow’s nose, and pushed. The acolyte must let go. Mackenzie gave him a knee in the stomach, whirled, and ran.
There was not much further commotion behind him, Phil must have them under control. Mackenzie pelted along hall, into the entry chamber. Where had that goddamn runner gone? He looked out the open entrance, onto the square. Sunlight hurt his eyes. His breath came in painful gulps, there was a switch in his side, yeah, he was getting old.
Blue robes fluttered from a street. Mackenzie recognized the messenger. The youth pointed at this building. A gabble of his words drifted faintly, through Mackenzie’s pulse. There were seven or eight men with him—older men, nothing to their clothes ... but Mackenzie, knew a high-ranking when he saw one. The acolyte was dismissed. Those he had summoned crossed the square with long strides.
(Terror knotted Mackenzie’s bowels. He put it down. A Catamount didn’t, stampede, even from somebody who could turn him inside out with a look. He could do nothing about the wretchedness that followed, though. If they clobber me, so much the better. I won’t lie awake nights wondering how Laura is.
The adepts were almost to the steps. Mackenzie trod forth. He swept his revolver in an arc. “Halt!” His voice sounded tiny in the stillness that brooded over the town. They jarred to a stop and stood there in a group. He saw them enforce a catlike relaxation, and their faces became visors. None spoke. Finally Mackenzie was unable to keep silent.
“This place is hereby occupied under the laws of war,” he said. “Go back to your quarters.”
“What have you done with our leader?” asked a tall man. His voice was even but deeply resonant.
“Read my mind and find out,” Mackenzie gibed. No, you’re being childish. “He’s okay, long’s he keeps his nose clean, too. Beat it.”
“We do not wish to pervert psionics to violence,” said the tall man. “Please do not force us.”
“Your chief sent for you before we’d done anything,” Mackenzie retorted. “Looks like violence was what he had in mind. On your way.”
The Espers exchanged glances. The tall man nodded. His companions walked slowly off. “I would like to see Philosopher Gaines,” the tall man said
“You will pretty soon.”
“Am I to understand that he is being held a prisoner?”
“Understand what you like.” The other Espers were rounding the corner of the building. “I don’t want to shoot. Go on before I have to.”
“An impasse of sorts,” the tall man said. “Neither of us wishes to injure one whem he considers defenseless. Allow me to conduct you off these grounds.”
Mackenzie wet his lips. Weather had chapped them rough. “If you can put a hex on me, go ahead,” he challenged. “Otherwise scram.”
“Well, I shall not hinder you from rejoining your men. It seems the easiest way of getting you to leave. But I most solemnly warn that any armed force which tries to enter will be annihilated.”
Guess I had better go get the boys, at that. Phil can’t mount guard on those guys forever.
The tall man went over to the hitching post. “Which of these horses is yours?” he asked blandly.
Almighty eager to get rid of me, isn’t he—Ho1y hellfire! There must be a rear door!
Mackenzie spun on his heel. The Esper shouted. Mackenzie dashed back through the entry chamber. His boots threw echoes at him. No, not to the left, there’s only the office that way. Right ... around this corner—
A long hall stretched before him. A stairway curved from > the middle. The other Espers were already on it.
“Halt!” Mackenzie called. “Stop or I’ll shoot!”
The two men in the lead sped onward.The rest turned and headed down again, toward him.
He fired with care, to disable rather than kill. The reverberated with the explosions. One after another they dropped, a bullet in leg or hip or shoulder. With such small targets, Mackenzie missed some shots. As the tall man, the last of them, closed in from behind, the hammer clicked on an empty chamber.
Mackenzie drew his saber and gave him the flat it of alongside the head. The Esper lurched. Mackenzie got past and bounded up the stair. It wound like something nightmare. He thought his heart was going to go to pieces.
At the end, an iron door opened on a landing. One man was fumbling with the lock. The other blue-robe attacked.
Mackenzie stuck his sword between the Esper’s legs. As his opponent stumbled, the colonel threw a left hook to the jaw. The man sagged against the wall. Mackenzie grabbed the robe of the other and hurled him to the floor. “Get out,” he rattled.
They pulled themselves together and glared at him. He thrust air with his blade. “From now on I aim to kill,” he said.
“Get help, Dave,” said the one who had been opening door. “I’ll watch him.” The other went unevenly down stairs. The first man stood out of saber reach. “Do you to be destroyed?” he asked.
Mackenzie turned the knob at his back, but the door was still locked. “I don’t think you can do it,” he said. “Not without what’s here.”
The Esper struggled for self-control. They waited through minutes that stretched. Then a noise began below. The Esper inflated. “We have nothing but agricultural implements,” he said, “but you have only that blade. Will you surrender?”
Mackenzie spat on the floor. The Esper went on down.
Presently the attackers came into view. There might be a hundred, judging from the hubbub behind them them, but because of the curve Mackenzie could see no more than ten or fifteen burly fieldhands, their robes tucked high and sharp tools aloft. The landing was too wide for defense. He advanced to the stairway, where they could only come at him two at a time.
A couple of sawtoothed hay knives led the assault. Mackenzie parried one blow and chopped. His edge went into meat and struck bone. Blood ran out, impossibly red, even in the poor light here. The man fell to all fours with a shriek. Mackenzie dodged a cut from the companion. Metal clashed on metal. The weapons locked. Mackenzie’s arm was forced back. He looked into a broad suntanned face. The side of his hand smote the young man’s larynx. The Esper fell against the one behind and they went down together. It took a while to clear the tangle and resume action.
A pitchfork thrust for the colonel’s belly. He managed to grab it with his left hand, divert the tines, and chop at the hand on the shaft. A scythe gashed his right side. He saw blood but wasn’t aware of pain. A flesh wound, no more. He swept his saber back and forth. The forefront retreated from its whistling menace. But God, my knees are made of rubber. I can’t hold out another five minutes.