He smiled and for a moment looked boyishly mischievous. The presses have been running for days, and Ive sent my messages. But just in case here. He dug inside his jacket and handed her a cloth-wrapped square. Venera unwrapped it, puzzled, then laughed out loud. It was a brand-new copy of the book Rights Currencies . She raised it to her nose and smelled the fresh ink, then stuffed it in her own jacket.
She laughed again as Bryce stepped back and the rest of her force mounted up behind her. Venera turned and waved to them, and as Bryce ran back toward the roundhouse and safety, she yelled, Come on! Theyre not going to be expecting this!
Garth had turned away when his daughter stepped onto the roof behind her.
Turning, he saw what was developing under the shadow of the building, and despite all the tragedy it made him smile.
A dozen horses, each one at least ten feet tall at the shoulder, were stepping daintily but rapidly through no-mans land. The closely packed thorn bushes and tumbled masonry were no barrier to them at all. Each mount held two riders except the one in the lead. Venera Fanning rode that one, a rifle held high over her head. Garth could see that her mouth was wide openMother of Virga, was she howling some outlandish battle cry? Garth had to laugh.
Whats so funny, you? A soldier cuffed him on the side of his head. Garth looked him in the eye and nodded in Veneras direction.
That, he said.
After he finished swearing, the man ran toward Margit, shouting, Sir! Sir! Garth turned back to the view.
Sacrus had taken Liris with a comparatively small force, and was now depleted on the Spyre side of the building. The bulk of the council army was wheeling in that direction, pushing back the few defenders on the barricades. Theyd take the siege ladders on that side in no time. It shouldnt have been a problem for Sacrus; they now held the roof and could lower ladders, ropes, and platforms to relieve their own forces from the other side of the building. Now that they knew where the council army was going, their ground forces had started running back in that direction from the worlds edge. This seemed safe because they had a large force below no-mans land to block any access from the direction of the roundhouse.
But Veneras cavalry had just crossed over no-mans land and were now stepping into the strip of cleared land next to the building. Without hesitation they turned right and galloped at the rear of the Sacrus line. Simultaneously, those council troops fronting the roundhouse assaulted them head-on.
A hysterical laugh pierced the air. Garth turned to see Margit perched atop the wall. She was staring down at the horses with a wild look in her eye. Im seeing things in broad daylight now, she said, and laughed again. This is a strange dream, this one. Things with four legs taller than a man
Selene reached up to take Margits arm, but the former botanist batted her hand aside. Stepping back, her face full of doubt, Selene looked aroundand her eyes met Garths. He frowned and shook his head slowly.
Angrily, she turned away.
The twelve horses stepped over a barricade while their riders shot the men behind it. The horses were armored, Garth saw, although he was sure it wouldnt prove too effective under direct fire. Sacruss men werent firing, though. They were too amazed at what they were seeing. The beasts towered over them, huge masses of muscle on impossibly long legs, festooned with sheet metal barding that half
hid their giant eyes and broad teeth. The monsters were overtop and past and wheeling before the defenders could organize. And by then bullets and flicking hooves were finding them, and they all fell.
Margit stood there and watched while the commanders on the ground shouted and waved. The other men on the rooftop stared at the fiasco unfolding below them, then looked to Margit. The seconds dragged.
In that time the horses reached a point midway between the bottled-up council leadership and the Sacrus force below no-mans land. Now they split into two squads of six. Venera led hers in a thunderous charge directly at the men who had pinned down Guinevera and the Liris army.
Selene jumped onto the wall beside Margit. She stared for a second, then cursed and whirling, shouted, Shoot! Shoot, you idiots! Theyre going to
Margit seemed to wake out of her trance. She stepped grandly down from the wall and frowned at the line of prisoners that had been led onto the roof. She strolled over, loosening a pistol at her belt.
Where is Venera Fanning? she shouted.
A sick feeling came over Garth. He watched Margit walk up and down the line, saw her pause before Moss, sneer at Samson Odess, and finally stop in front of Eilen.
You were her friend, she said. Youll know where she is. She raised the pistol and aimed it between Eilens eyes.
Garth tried to run over to her, but a soldier kicked his legs out from under him and only the light gravity saved him from breaking his nose as he fell. Shes right there! Garth hollered at Margit. Riding a horse! You were just looking at her.