Part 20 (1/2)

'Many limes!' he laughed, running to lead his people on to the Causeway. 'We will clear the Greenways and garden the roads as we travel!' he shouted. 'We will repay these people for our freedom. Come, Tunnellers!'

'Forward, warriors!' shouted Tombel.

'Forward!' hooted Eagle Owl, hovering impatiently, far above World's End, watching the ruin and chaos spreading as a black shadow across Elundium.

Firldirlg the Secret Road

Fine stone chips crunched beneath King Holbian's iron-shod boots as he paced along the top of the innermost wall of the Granite City.

'We are near defeat, Breakmaster,' he muttered, without turning his head towards the horseman or checking the measure of his stride. Breakmaster hunched his shoulders and looked out despairingly across the ruins of the city.

'Where are all those foul Nightbeasts hatched?' he asked, watching the shadows begin to move, with the weakening of the sunlight. 'They have us siege-trapped, caught tighter than rats in a barrel of wax.'

Holbian turned, grim faced, to Breakmaster. 'Would you still, if you had the choice, ride with me now that defeat washes in a black tide against our last defence? We have nowhere left to run, brave warrior.'

Breakmaster quickly knelt. 'Lord, greatest of Granite Kings,' he said, and drawing the hilt of his sword he offered it up to the King.

'Rise, true friend,' whispered Holbian, stretching a hand to Breakmaster, 'for we shall face death together as the new sun

rises whether we wish it or not.'

'Take the Marchers and the Gallopers, Lord. Marshal them into a hollow column and force a pa.s.sage through the lower circles of the city. Lead us out on to the Greenway.'

King Holbian slowly shook his head and pointed down into the innermost circle, 'I could not abandon them, Break

93.

amaster, they are my people. I could not save myself and leave them here. The Nightbeasts would be amongst them before we had ridden two leagues.'

Breakmaster looked down, blinking his eyes against the haze of blue smoke that rose up from the cl.u.s.ter of cooking fires in the shadow of the inner wall. The crowds of city folk moved slowly, almost aimlessly, around and around the sheer walls of Candlebane Hall. Clearly there was nowhere to escape these Nightbeasts.

King Holbian sighed and turned to the narrow steps that led down into the inner circle. 'We have come to it, friend, the last night of the Granite Kings. I will fall with my city. Set my standard before the doors of Candlebane Hall that I may die defending my people with the rays of a new sun s.h.i.+ning on my face.'

'Lord, Lord!' implored Breakmaster. 'Arm the people. Let them make the Nightbeasts pay dearly for the doors of Candlebane Hall.'

Holbian smiled softly at Breakmaster. 'These people are not warriors, my friend, but simple craftsmen, cryers, servers and candlemen, they are the life blood of tile city. You and I and chose few Marchers and Gallopers with us must carry the burden of defending what is left of the city, but arm them if you wish. Break open tile armoury, let every man, woman and child be armed if they wish it.'

'Who has the key?' Breakmaster asked, his foot upon the first step.

'Chancellor Proudpurse,' called the King, turning for a last look at She setting sun.

Breakmaster searched through the crowds in the Inner Circle but Proudpurse was nowhere to be found. Grey Goose fell into step with the hurrying horseman, asking whom he sought, and laughed at the reply, pointing with the tip of a steel arrowhead towards the towers of Granite.

'I saw him and his son, Silverpurse, making for the armoury just as the masons were sealing the inner circle of the city.'