‘Then we’ve no time to waste.’ He turned to do a quick head count and confirmed to himself that three more Night Guard soldiers had fallen, though he didn’t know who at this stage. And this was only half the mission. They still needed to get out.
‘Now I am satisfied,’ she said. Frater Mercury was no longer to be seen, lost in the purple glow of the honeycomb towers.
The Mourning Wasps started up again and this time they would take a different formation, riding in threes, as wide as the narrowest street, and in a straight line. They drifted up off the ground, turned in an arc and sped quickly into the alien cityscape.
THIRTY
‘Another dull night,’ Randur muttered.
‘Sorry, sir?’ the guard replied.
‘I said it’s another dull night,’ Randur repeated, leaning in the doorway.
The guard remained impassive. He was a broad young lad, possibly little older than Randur was, and he had stood outside of their chamber now for three nights without saying anything.
‘Wouldn’t you rather be on the battlefield?’ Randur enquired. ‘You know, strutting your stuff, cracking open a few Okun skulls, that sort of thing?’
‘The commander’s orders were for me to remain here,’ the guard replied, looking forward, stood to attention. ‘And that’s where I’ll stay. Sir.’
‘It’s all right,’ Randur said, ‘you can slouch. You can sit on the floor if you must. Want a chair? Don’t stand to attention for my sake.’
‘Orders were to protect yourself and Lady Eir, sir.’
Folding his arms, Randur sighed and peered down the gloomy corridor. ‘See that, down there? Bugger all, that’s what’s down there. Nothing but shadows. Shadows aren’t going to be much of a threat. Why not grab some vodka and join me for a few card games? We’ll keep the stakes low — I know wages aren’t what they used to be. Fuck it, why not head downstairs and open up the Imperial coffers for kicks?’
‘Wouldn’t be prudent, sir,’ the guard replied.
‘Relax, I was joking,’ Randur muttered. ‘Well, suit yourself, anyway. Let me know if there’s any excitement and I’ll give you a hand dealing with it.’
Randur closed the door and strolled back into his chamber. Eir had just finished washing herself after another day at the hospital, and looked thoroughly dishevelled and all the more charming for it.
‘You’ve not been hassling that poor soldier again, have you?’ Eir asked, drying her hands on a towel.
‘He loves it,’ Randur declared, and reclined with a grunt into a cushioned chair. ‘Besides, he’s not lying dead on a battlefield, so putting up with me is a much more preferable situation to that, I’d say.’
‘Randur, don’t speak of the war like that. We could be doing well — it’s just that nearly every garuda was needed — so we simply don’t know.’
‘Yeah, that’s true. Have to give the commander his dues, he knows what he’s doing.’
‘That he does,’ Eir replied.
‘Does Brynd still want you doing this hospital stuff now you’re supposed to be overseeing things?’
‘The commander has no choice in the matter,’ Eir replied defiantly.
‘Well, I guess if you’re the boss, then he doesn’t,’ Randur replied. ‘So, what’s my new position in all of this — did you talk about that before he left?’
‘How do you mean?’
‘As in, I’m your partner, right? So if you were a bloke in charge, and I was your wife, I’d get some kind of duties. . titles perhaps?’
‘Are you angling for a title?’
‘I’d not say no to one,’ Randur declared with a grin, standing up. He sauntered over to Eir’s side and put his arms around her. ‘I have the airs and graces of someone who deserves a title, don’t you think?’
Eir burst into laughter. ‘Even if you do say so yourself. Randur Estevu, I’ve got a name for you-’
A knock on the door.
‘What is it?’ Eir asked, stepping away from Randur, as if to appear more professional.
The guard poked his head around the door. ‘Um, Lady Eir, one of the other Citadel guards has just come to me with a report of a little trouble outside.’
‘What kind of trouble?’
‘A mob, my lady.’
‘Well, what does this mob want?’ Eir enquired.
‘Not entirely sure right now, I’m afraid. Just an initial report of a massed gathering approaching the Citadel.’
‘Nothing inherently wrong with that,’ Randur observed. ‘It’s a strange city. People have their little meetings. Reckon it’s something to do with the gangs?’
‘There are well over a thousand of them, sir,’ the guard grunted.
Randur whistled. ‘Reckon we should take a look?’ he said to Eir, with enthusiasm. ‘Could be a little excitement. Hey, could be a big brawl!’
‘Randur!’ Eir protested. ‘You shouldn’t be excited at such things.’
He waved a hand. ‘I could do with some entertainment. I’ll head up onto the roof to get a better view.’ He turned to the soldier. ‘You up for a little excitement?’
‘It might be advisable. .’ the guard agreed. Randur swore he could see a glint of excitement in the lad’s eyes. No one deserved to be this bored in life.
Randur reached for his sword, strapped it firmly to his waist, slung on a long overcoat and buttoned it up to his collar. ‘Sure you don’t want to join us?’
‘I’ve had a long day,’ Eir replied. ‘I’ll let you boys play combat.’
‘Very decent of you,’ Randur smiled.
‘What’s your name?’ Randur asked as they jogged along the corridor.
It felt good to get a little blood pumping through his veins again, to have something to do. He half hoped there would be a serious situation, if merely to relieve himself of his boredom.
‘Private Drendan, sir.’
‘Drendan,’ Randur repeated. ‘So what exactly did you see?’
‘Well, it could have been the gangs, sir, but it could have been something more serious.’
They trotted along and up the many flights of stairs until they managed to reach the rooftop. The soldier, much fitter than Randur due to his military training — and Randur’s own laziness — reached the door well before Randur. He opened it and allowed Randur to step through first.
A strong wind hit him as he ventured out onto the roof of the Citadel. He immediately faced the sea, and Drendan guided him to the side of the building that faced the danger.
‘Over there, sir.’ Drendan pointed to a few buildings immediately to the south, where a cluster of people were loitering. Randur followed his outstretched arm, struggling to see in the poor light of dusk. At the base of a tall building, by an alleyway, he could see a group of young men, each of them carrying some kind of weapon. On the other side of that building, another few men could be seen brandishing swords. Then over to the next building, and the next, and so on, until Randur concluded that nearly all the streets behind must be filled with people.
‘What do you suppose they’re playing at?’ Randur asked.
‘This is serious trouble, sir.’
‘Yeah, you might be right. They’ve not come at the Citadel yet, have they?’
‘Not yet. But they might be doing so as we speak.’ Those individual clusters began to drift slowly forward, coalescing into a massive crowd, one that promised to be larger than the Night Guard homecoming not that long ago.
‘They’re heading this way,’ the soldier observed.
‘What should we do?’ Randur asked.
‘We fortify the Citadel.’
‘How many is we exactly?’
‘There are several soldiers who have remained here.’
‘Several. Several soldiers against fuck knows how many of them.’
‘The Citadel is well built, sir.’
‘It had better be,’ Randur muttered. ‘Come on then.’
When they were safely within the heart of the Citadel, Drendan saw to it that all potential routes of entry were locked, the main doors barricaded, the portcullis, which rarely saw use, was lowered, and all windows on the lower floors — not that there were many — were sealed and boarded. It took less than ten minutes, and all the while the noise of the crowd outside began to intensify.