“We need to builda secondary wall right here,” Knavish said, gesturing with his webbed hands tothe surrounding clearing. “It will have to be large enough to defend the fiftyklops and the hundred-and-eighty alves occupying the tail fortress.”
Hoblkalf openedhis wide, codfish mouth to speak.
“What did you havein mind?” Cyrus asked, interrupting the old man.
“If the wall is overrun,”Fibian said, “we open the hatchways.”
“But that will onlylet the enemy in faster,” Hoblkalf blurted.
“It will create pinch points, narrowing our soldiers’focus of attack, and allow others to retreat,” Fibian explained. “We will alsohave to sabotage any abandoned artillery. The cannons cannot fall into enemy hands.”
“We will needlines of retreat defined, drilled and boobytrapped,” Knavish added.
“Agreed,” Cyrus said,soberly, “Instruct the batalha on your plans, then have them train the klops andalvelings alike.”
“Perhaps the villagerswould appreciate instructions from one such as yourself?” Hoblkalf interjected.“It may go far in soothing any possible misgivings.”
“I don’t careabout their misgivings,” Cyrus snarled. “If they want to live, they’ll do what they’retold. Now stop your petty scheming and build me that wall.”
Lars stumbled backward,nearly dropping his father.
“There’s no needfor that tone,” the mayor protested.
“Enough politics, enoughtalk,” Cyrus demanded. “We need to start operating like a steam-powered warmachine if we’re going to survive what’s coming.”
Knavish snortedhis approval.
“The mayor mayhave a point,” Fibian countered. “There have been whispers of foul play and rebellionamongst the newcomers.”
“Let them gossip andplot,” Cyrus said, nodding in the direction of the five farmers. “In the end,they’ll do what they’re told. They’re as cowardly as the klops they despise.”
“These are your ownpeople you speak of,” Hoblkalf argued.
“These people arenothing like me,” Cyrus said, turning his back on the group. “Not any more.”
***
SARAH WATCHED MOURNFULLY as the young man she had once rescuedwithdrew menacingly into the dark and dreary forest.
“Don’t ever trustthat boy,” Llysa whispered. “He was no good the moment he passed into this worldand any kindness I ever showed him only made him worse.”
Sarah looked to themuddy ax Cyrus had tossed. Could he again be saved?
Chapter24
BLIND LOYALTY
THE FOLLOWING EVENING the clouds cleared, the moon shone bright,and sheets of silvery stars speckled the heavens above. Cyrus, Fibian, and Knavishtoiled alongside clammy klops felling trees and milling lumber and gusting alvesdigging holes and erecting foundation beams. The racket of hammer and ax work echoedthroughout the forest, as creeping black spiders huddled in the dark shadows,guarding the wall’s progress.
“We should givethe workers a rest,” Edward said, crouched on Cyrus’ shoulder.
The snow-whiteblodbad was flanked by his three guards.
“Once the last postis secured,” Cyrus replied, testing the base of a thick beam.
“The Warrior Witchcould attack at any moment,” Knavish added.
“But the villagerswill be unfit for battle if they are fatigued,” Fibian argued, pumping the leveron his mechanical hand.
“Another hour,”Cyrus said. “They can rest after that.”
“Help! Help!”
Lars Hoblkalf camerunning from the woods, brandishing a torch.
“Come quick, Cyrus,”the mayor’s son shouted, sweat streaming down his red face. “It’s Sarah.”
Cyrus’ stomach rolled.
“What is wrong?”Fibian asked.
“It was those creatures,”Lars said, pointing at Knavish. “She’s hurt.”
Cyrus snatched uphis rifle from a freshly-cut tree stump and began to run.
“You won’t need that,”Lars said.
“Just go!” Cyrus demanded.
The aging alve turnedand led Cyrus southeast along a narrow footpath. Fibian and Knavish followed.
They twisted andturned down the overgrown trail, doing their best to avoid the barbed creepers snatchingat their boots. Overhead, the forest’s canopy became tangled and thick. The airgrew still and cool. Only Lars’ fire and Fibian’s eyes lit their way.
“What’s Sarah doingall the way down here?” Cyrus asked, breathlessly.
Lars did notreply.
They arrived at asmall clearing. In the dim blue and orange glow of fire and eyes, Cyrus saw abody in a grey dress lying still on the earth.
“Cyrus!” Edward hissed,from his shoulder.
“Sarah!” Cyrusshouted.
He ran to her side.She lay face down on the earth, her head a mass of white hair. He grasped her arm.
“No!” Edward cried.
Bang! Bang! Crack!
Three rifle shots flashedin the night. Cyrus looked up. Knavish fell. Fibian stumbled back, grasping hisbloody neck.
“Ambush!” Edwardyelled.
The body on theground rolled over.
“What in Kingdom?”
It was farmer Landmanwearing a woman’s wig. The bitter old man smiled a weed-stained grin. Then hepressed a pistol to Cyrus’ belly.
Bang!
Cyrus felt thewind knocked from his lungs. He fell backward, shocked and terrified. Edward andhis guard leaped at the old man. Edward clawed at Landman’s eyes. The other blodbadscurried away like frightened roaches. Cyrus grasped his guts as they spasmedin agony. Was he going to die? He felt his body grow cold with shock. Landmanswept the snow-white spider from his face and reached to reload his weapon. Desperately,Cyrus grasped for his fallen rifle.
“NO!”
Bang!
The farmer fellback dead. Cyrus tried to rise, fumbling to reload.
“They are gone, donot move,” Fibian said, rushing to his side. “How bad is it?”
“They shot me,”Cyrus wheezed.
Edward leaped off thedead farmer and climbed onto Cyrus.
“Please,” the spiderbegged, “you can’t die. I tried to warn you.”
Edward’s words soundedgarbled as if he had a swollen tongue.
“He has drunkklops blood,” Fibian said, his eyes ablaze. “If we can stop the bleeding, hemay live.”
“Your neck!” Edwardgasped.
Fibian pulled his webbedhand from his throat and pressed it to Cyrus’ stomach.
“Merely a graze,” hesaid.
The ragged holewas far worse than a graze, but the froskman’s system had already halted the bleeding.
Cringing, Cyrus rolledto his side. He saw Knavish sprawled out on the ground. Warm, thick blood pooledaround the admiral’s ruined head. Cyrus’ fear turned to fury. He had wanted thehunchback dead, but not like this.
“Assasins,” he grunted,again attempting to rise. “They think they can do this to me? Where did they go?”
“Ran off withLars,” Edward replied, “but what came over the halfbreeds?”
Fibian pulled a string of nuts from Landman’s wrist.
“Whichever breedMoro crossed with the blodbad must have an aversion to roasted dunklewood nuts,”he said, hefting the charm in his mechanical hand. “It seems that at least someof our villagers
