It was early. None but the slaves would be awake. None, that is, save Taragorm and Kalan, waiting for the sounds of strife so that they could move their men into position. The intention was to slay as many as possible, then drive the rest towards the palace, bottling them in, containing them so that they should have not several objectives but, by the afternoon, one.
Meliadus knew that even if they succeeded in this plan the real fighting would begin with the attack on the palace "and they would be hard put to take it before reinforcements arrived.
Meliadus's breathing quickened. His eyes gleamed, from the bronze snouts of the cannon flame spewed, shrieking towards the unsuspecting barracks. Within the first few seconds the morning air was split by a tremendous explosion as the first of the buildings blew up.
"What luck!" Meliadus exclaimed. "This is a splendid omen. I had not thought to have such success so soon!"
A second explosiona barracks on the other side of the waterand from the remaining buildings ran terrified men, some so alarmed that they had even left their masks behind! As they scurried out the flame cannon caught them, burning them to cinders. Their yells and screams echoed among the sleeping towers of Londra the first warning most of the citizens had had.
Wolf mask turned to Vulture helm in expressions of silent satisfaction as they witnessed the carnage on the banks. Pigs and Rats scuttled for coverFlies flung themselves behind the nearest buildings and the few who had managed to bring flame lances with them opened fire.
The beasts had begun to squabble.
It was part of that pattern of destiny fixed by Meliadus when, on leaving Castle Brass in disgrace, he had called upon the Runestaff.
Yet none could say how finally that pattern would resolve itself and who would be the ultimate victor Huon, Meliadus or Hawkmoon.
Chapter Eight
Taragorm's Invention
BY MID MORNING the barracks had been completely wiped out and the survivors were fighting in the streets near the centre of the city. They had been reinforced with several thousand Mantis warriors. It was probable that Huon still had no idea of what was really happening. Perhaps he thought the attack was by Asiacommunistans disguised as Granbretanians. Meliadus smiled as he disembarked with Flana Mikosevaar and made his way to the Palace of Time on foot, flanked by a dozen Vultures and Wolves. The surprise had been complete. His men had remained in the few open streets and had not ventured into the maze of corridors linking most of the towers. As the warriors had emerged, Meliadus's men had picked them off. Now they were bottling them in, for there were few windows from which Huon's soldiers could fight. Windows were not a feature of Londra's architecture, for the Granbretanians had little liking for fresh air or daylight. What windows there were tended to be placed so high as to be useless to snipers. Even the ornithopters, unequipped for fighting in a city such as Londra, were proving to be a smaller threat than Meliadus had anticipated. He was well pleased as he entered the Palace of Time and discovered Taragorm in a small chamber.
"Brother! Our plans go wellbetter than I had expected."
"Aye," answered Taragorm with a nod to Flana to whom, like Meliadus, he had been married for a short time. "My Ferrets have hardly needed to do anything as yet. But doubtless they'll be useful in flushing out those who stay in the tunnels: I plan to use them to come up on the enemy from behind as soon as we have properly located the main pockets."
Meliadus nodded his approval. "But you sent a message for me to meet you here. Why is that?"
"I believe I have discovered the means of bringing your friends of Castle Brass back to their natural environment," Taragorm murmured, his voice full of quiet satisfaction.
Meliadus gave a deep groan and it was a moment before Flana realised he was voicing his extreme pleasure. "Oh, Taragorm! At last the rabbits are mine!"
Taragorm laughed. "I am not entirely certain that my machine will work, but I feel it might since it is based on an old formula I discovered in the same book as the one which mentioned the crystal machine of Soryandum. Would you care to see it?"
"Aye! Lead me to it, brother, I beg you!"
"This way."
Taragorm led Meliadus and Flana through two short corridors full of the noise of clocks and arrived at last outside a low door which he opened with a small key.
"In here." He took a torch from the bracket outside and used it to light the dungeon he had opened. "There. It is on roughly the same level as the crystal machine at Castle Brass. Its voice can carry through the dimensions."
"I hear nothing," Meliadus said with some disappointment.
"You hear nothing because there is nothing to hearin this dimension. But it makes a goodly sound, I guarantee, in some other space and time."
Meliadus moved towards the object. It was like a great brass skeleton clock the size of a man. Its pendu lum swung beneath it, working the escapement lever moving the hands. It had springs and cogs and looked in every respect like an ordinary clock made huge. On its back was mounted a gong-like affair with a striking arm. Even as they watched the hands touched the half-hour and the arm moved slowly up to fall suddenly upon the gong. They could see the gong vibrating but did not hear a whisper of sound.
"Incredible!" whispered Meliadus. "But how does it work?"
"I have still to adjust it a little to ensure that it is operating in exactly the correct dimension of space and time which, with the help of Tozer, I have managed to locate. When midnight comes, our friends at Castle Brass should experience something of an unwelcome surprise."
Meliadus sighed with pleasure. "Oh, noble brother! You shall be the richest and most honoured man in the Empire!"
Taragorm's weird clock mask bowed slightly in recognition of Meliadus's promise. "It is only fitting," he murmured, "but I thank you brother."
"You are sure it will work?"
"If it does not, then I shall not be the richest and most honoured man in the Empire," Taragorm said with some humour. "Doubtless, in fact, you shall see to it that I am rewarded in a less pleasant fashion."
Meliadus flung his arms around his brother-in-law's shoulders. "Do not speak of such a thing, brother! Oh, do not speak of it!"
Chapter Nine
Huon Confers With His Captains
"WELL, WELL, GENTLEMEN. Some sort of civil disturbance, we gather." The golden voice came from the wizened throat and the sharp black eyes darted this way and that at the gathered masks before them.
"It is treason, Noble Monarch," a Mantis mask said. His uniform was untidy and his mask singed by a flame lance.
"Civil war, Great Emperor," another emphasised.
"And very nearly a fait accompli," murmured the man next to him, almost to himself. "We were totally unprepared, Excellent Ruler."
"Indeed you were, gentlemen. We blame you alland ourselves. We were deceived."
The eyes moved more slowly over the assembled captains. "And is Kalan amongst you?"
"He is not, Grand Sire."
"And Taragorm?" purred the sweet voice.
"Taragorm is not present, King of All."
"So… And some thought you saw Meliadus on the flagship…"
"With Countess Flana, Magnificent Emperor."
"That is logical Yes, we have been very much de ceived. But no matterthe palace is well defended, we assume?"
"Only a very large force could possibly hope to take it, Lord of the World."
"But perhaps they have a very large force? And if they have Kalan and Taragorm with them, they have other powers. Were we prepared for siege, captain?" Huon addressed the Captain of the Mantis Guard who bowed his head.