the reins and turned the team onto a side street. Behind, the
fighting continued, men grappling with one another and striking
out with their weapons. The Federation column was decimated.
No more than a handful still stood, and those few had backed
themselves against a building wall and were battering at the
doors.
Damson Rhee raced up, finished now with her deception as
the grieving widow. She reached for the seat rail and pulled
herself aboard as the wagon rolled past. The free-bom were
charging after them as well, swiftly closing the gap between
themselves and the wagon. For a second it seemed that Mor-
gan’s plan was goings to work. Then something moved in the
shadows to one side, and Morgan, distracted momentarily,
turned to look. As he did, the wagon struck a water-filled hole,
an axle broke, a wheel flew off, and the traces snapped. The
wagon lurched wildly to one side, and a split second later it
upended, sending everyone sprawling into the street.
Morgan lay in a tangle with Damson and Matty Roh. Slowly
they picked themselves up, muddied and bruised. The wagon
256 The Talismans of Shannara
was mined, the canvas shredded and the wooden box splin-
tered and cracked. In the distance, the terrified team disap-
peared into the gloom. Chandos crawled from beneath the
wreckage with his burly arms wrapped about Padishar. The
outlaw leader had freed his hands and removed the gag. There
was fire in his eyes as he tried to stand on his own.
“Don’t stop!” he rasped. “Keep moving!”
The others of the free-bom reached them, their clothing
bloodstained and torn. There were fewer than before, and some
were wounded. Shouts and cries trailed after them, and a fresh
body of soldiers surged into the square.
“Hurry! This way!” Damson called urgently, and began to
run.
They slogged after her down the muddied street through a
maze of rain-soaked buildings. Mist rose off the damp, heated
stone as the air cooled and everything farther than twenty feet
away disappeared in a haze. More Federation soldiers ap-
peared, surging out of side streets with their weapons drawn.
The free-bom met them head-on and thrust them back, strug-
gling to get clear. Matty Roh battled at the forefront of the
charge, cat-quick and deadly as she opened a path for the rest.
Chandos and Morgan fought on either side of Padishar, who,
though game enough to try, lacked sufficient strength to protect
himself. He fell continually, and finally Chandos was forced to
pick him up and carry him.
They reached a bridge that spanned a dry riverbed and stum-
bled across wearily. Without the wagon to carry them, they
were tiring quickly. Almost half of those who had come into
the city to rescue Padishar were dead. Several of those who re-
mained were wounded so badly they could no longer fight.
Federation soldiers were coming at them from everywhere,
summoned from the gates where news of the escape had car-
ried. The little party fought valiantly to go on, but time was
running out. Soon there would be too many soldiers to avoid.
Even the mist and the rain would not hide them then.
A body of horsemen charged out of the mist, appearing so
swiftly that there was no chance to get clear. Morgan saw
Matty fling herself aside and tried to do the same. Bodies went
flying as the free-bom were overrun. The horses stumbled and
went down in the melee and their riders went flying as well.
The Talismans of Shannara 257
Screams and shouts rose from the struggling mass. Chandos
was gone, buried in a pile of bodies. Padishar lurched to one
side and fell to his knees. Morgan rose and stood centermost
on the bridge, virtually alone, and swung the Sword of Leah at
everything that came within reach. He gave his family’s battle
cry, “Leak, Leah,” seeking strength in the sound of it, and
fought to rally those who were left to stand with him.
For a second he thought they were lost.
Then Chandos surged back into view, bloodied and terrible,
thrusting Federation soldiers aside like deadwood as he stum-
bled to where Padishar leaned against the bridge wall and