‘They are too bulky for the men to wear,’ Viruk said.
T was not intending them for use in defence,’ Rael told him. The Questor General climbed to a table and turned back towards the gathered men. ‘The Almecs’ superiority rests in their thunder clubs and the tubes which unleash the fireballs. We know that they are powered by black dust. Great amounts of it. If we can destroy that power source then the Vagars will merely be facing eight thousand warriors with swords.’
‘Merely?’ put in Viruk. ‘And you say the Vagars will be facing. What is it you are suggesting, cousin?’
‘I intend to repeat the strategy used by Banel in the last battle of the Crystal Wars.’ A murmur started up among the soldiers. ‘Do not speak of it aloud,’ he warned them. ‘We cannot know whether the Crystal Queen is observing us.’
Goray stepped forward. ‘You say you intend to repeat the strategy, Rael. But what if our people vote to join the Almecs?’
‘Do you think they will?’ countered Rael. Goray was silent.
‘Of course they will,’ said Viruk. ‘You think the fatted calf would vote for slaughter?’
‘I am hoping that my people will act with honour,’ said the Questor General.
Viruk laughed. ‘I love you, cousin,’ he said, ‘but you have become a romantic. Fear not, I will follow you on Banel’s path.’
‘And I,’ said Goray.
No-one else spoke. Rael looked at his soldiers’ faces in the lantern light and realized that Viruk had accurately gauged the feeling of the Avatars. None of them was willing to continue the battle. Fat Caprishan stood silently at the back. ‘I will not need the armour,’ he said.
‘None of the suits would fit you, you fat bastard,’ said Viruk.
At that moment the sound of thunder echoed high above them, followed by a series of explosions that caused huge cracks to appear in the ceiling of the armoury.
‘Sweet Heaven, we are under attack!’ shouted Goray.
‘Stand fast!’ bellowed Rael. ‘We are under the building here. Nothing can reach us!’
Scores of explosions sounded, one after the other, as if the world were ending above them in fire and death.
After what seemed an age the noise subsided.
Rael led his men up the stairs. They were blocked by fallen masonry. Working steadily the Avatars dragged clear the stones. Above them they could see moonlight. Rael was the first to push himself out into the ruins of what had once been the Great Library. The statue of the Avatar Prime had fallen, the head smashed into a dozen pieces. Fires were burning all around and bodies were scattered among the broken rocks.
Vagar troops appeared, led by Mejana and Pendar. Rael walked out to meet them.
‘It was so sudden,’ said Mejana. ‘The Almecs began to move their fire tubes about two hours ago. They concentrated them then began loosing their fireballs. We thought they were attacking the walls, but every missile was aimed at the Library. There was nothing we could do.’
‘Did anyone get out?’ he asked her.
‘Three children were carried clear. One died, the others are only shocked.’ Rael said no more, but ran into the ruins with the other Avatars, and began tearing at the fallen rocks.
As the night wore on more and more bodies were pulled from the wreckage. By dawn the scale of the massacre became known. Two hundred and seventeen Avatars had died, or were still missing. Only four of the women and two of the children had escaped.
Rael found Mirani just before dawn. She had tried to shield two children from falling masonry. Their bodies were beneath hers, her arms around them. Avatars and
Vagars worked together to clear away the stones. Rael lifted her body clear and sat back on the rubble, cradling her to him. He did not speak, and his soul was too heavy for weeping. He just held her close and rocked to and fro.
Some distance away, exhausted, Mejana sat and watched his silent grief.
Two stretcher bearers stood by nervously, afraid to approach Rael. Mejana walked across to the Questor General. ‘It is time to let her go,’ she said. Rael looked up at her. He did not speak. Then he kissed Mirani one last time and carried her to the stretcher.
Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172