‘What’s the target?’ an operator wanted to know.
‘That one.’ Caldason pointed to a leviathan freshly unloaded and making its cumbersome way up the beach. ‘And be ready to reload fast.’
The operators set to adjusting the Claw’s alignment by spinning wheels and depressing levers.
‘Fire!’ Caldason yelled.
The arm went up and over so fast it was a blur. Its rock spun through the air in a great arc, plunging towards its target. People on the beach scattered as the projectile descended.
It missed.
The rock landed mere feet from the leviathan, felling a handful of warriors but doing no harm to the siege engine.
Caldason bellowed, ‘Reload!’
The operators worked frantically to modify their settings. Arrows were winging up from the beach below, along with bolts of magical energy. The islanders replied in kind, though with less intensity.
‘Fire!’
The trebuchet whipped off a fresh shot. This time, it reached its goal. It wasn’t a direct hit, but in a way, something better. The rock struck the back end of the leviathan as it was negotiating a slope. The fortuitous angle, and the force of impact, flipped the tank as though it were a toy. As it lay on its side, men scrambled free, several leading wounded horses.
The islanders were quick to capitalise on their luck. They let loose a shower of flaming, tar-tipped arrows. Dozens streaked to the leviathan’s exposed and vulnerable underside, and almost immediately the machine was belching acrid black smoke and dancing sparks.
Flocks of arrows and sizzling energy beams again scoured the ridges. Once more, the islanders returned fire as best they could, and were cheered to see several invaders engulfed by flames.
‘New target!’ Caldason ordered, pointing.
They got off a couple more throws in fairly quick succession. The first was a dream hit, landing squarely on the roof of a vehicle with a deafening crash. For all its armour, the leviathan had little resistance to such a blow and was crushed to two thirds of its bulk.
Perhaps over-confidence accounted for what happened next. The second rock missed its objective by a considerable margin, though it did bounce into a wagon, wrecking it.
Looking for a fresh target, Caldason glanced out to sea. A barge was coming in, carrying two leviathans and a number of soldiers. He decided on a change of tactics.
‘Could you hit that?’ he asked the gang master.
‘It’s on the edge of our range. But we might make it if we use smaller rocks, and maybe we’d need to hit it more than once.’
Caldason told them to try.
In the event, the first shot scored well. By good fortune it came down on one of the few clear spaces on the barge’s deck. A shattering of timber was followed by an erupting spume of water. By the time the trebuchet had been reloaded, the barge was going down.
The second volley was another hit. It didn’t pierce the craft, as its predecessor had, but it did enough damage to hasten the sinking. The leviathans were sliding across the creaking deck, and men were jumping overboard. A cheer went up from the islanders.
Caldason organised teams to search out suitable rocks and transport them to the firing point in quantity. At the gang master’s suggestion, they tried shots consisting of mixtures of smaller stones and debris. Falling like deadly hail, they were remarkably effective, not so much for harming the leviathans, but as a good way of keeping the enemy troops pinned down.
A couple of hours after arriving at the cove, and with his crew firing off a constant bombardment, Caldason decided he could leave. He handed over command of the trebuchet to the highest ranking rebel he could find, then took a fast horse. Looking back as he left, he knew there was no hope of doing more than slowing down the landings.
His route took him inland, so he saw nothing of fighting, but he passed plenty of islanders on their way to beef up the defences; and plenty more, the old, the sick and youngsters, heading for various refuges. All along the coastline, the sky was red.
Caldason arrived at the redoubt in the dead of night. No one hindered his approach, and he was let in as soon as he was recognised. Although he wasn’t the only islander seeking shelter there, he was told most had made for the seafront fortress. He was given directions to the rooms Kinsel and Tanalvah occupied, and in the corridor leading to them, he found Serrah.
When they finished embracing, he briefed her on what had been happening, then asked, ‘What’s going on here?’
‘There’s a lot of activity but little actually occurring, if you know what I mean. Tan and Kinsel didn’t want to go to the fortress, which might be just as well, because we’ve had reports of successful landings there. It’s all pretty confused, but the place could already be under siege.’
He thought of the people he’d seen heading for the supposed sanctuary, and of Disgleirio, who was trying to protect it. In all probability their fate was already sealed. ‘We always knew they’d get ashore. All our defences are predicated on guerrilla tactics, not the impossibility of keeping them off the island.’
‘If there’s enough of us left to fight. Have you seen those fires or whatever they are along the coast?’
‘A lot of that’s designed to fill us with fear and awe, remember.’
‘I think I’ve got quite enough of both already, thanks.’
‘Well, just bear in mind that if we’re going to get out of this, it’s by using our heads.’
‘Are we going to get out of it, Reeth? Any of us?’
‘Maybe with a miracle.’
‘Oh, great.’
‘Don’t knock it; they happen. I met you, didn’t I?’
She smiled and squeezed his hand. ‘You’re a base flatterer. You know that, don’t you?’
‘I only speak the truth.’ He returned the smile. ‘Tell me, how’s Tanalvah?’
Serrah’s expression saddened. ‘She might be in the first stages of labour, or will be soon enough. I’m worried about her. She doesn’t seem like the Tan we knew back in Bhealfa.’
‘She’s been through a lot.’
‘That’s what everybody says. It’s more than that, Reeth, though I don’t know what. It’s getting Kinsel down, too, although he’s too kind to admit it.’
‘What about the kids?’
‘Confused. Scared, of course. But holding up pretty well, all things considered. By the way, they’ve got Praltor here.’
‘Here?’
‘The Covenant people thought it was the safest place. After all, he’s precious, isn’t he? Might come up with that miracle we need.’
‘Don’t mock.’
‘I wasn’t. Not really. Kutch is here too, along with the girl.’
‘That’s a relief.’
‘And Phoenix, of course. Oh, and Goyter’s around. Directing things efficiently, as always.’
‘Karr?’
‘Overseeing defences at the main port, I heard. I don’t know where Quinn is.’
‘He was there too, last time I saw him.’
Neither of them wanted to say what they were thinking about the port area.
‘I’d like to see Kutch,’ he decided, ‘and find out how things are going with Mahaganis. Where are they?’
‘Not far. But wouldn’t you like to look in on Tan first?’ He hesitated, and she said, ‘I know you’ve had your differences in the past-’
‘Not on my side. She always seemed disapproving of me.’
‘Wasn’t there just a bit of ruffled feathers about your shared heritage?’
‘We’ve got different ideas about what it is to be of the Qaloch, it’s true.’
‘Don’t you think now might be a good time to bury the hatchet over all that?’
He nodded. ‘I’ve nothing against the woman. Even if she does worship Rintarah’s gods.’
‘Yes, well, you can keep that opinion to yourself. Come on.’
She led him to the door of the apartment and knocked quietly. They heard a muffled invitation to enter. Inside, Kinsel greeted them, and was particularly pleased to see Caldason safely back.