Inversions

Lattens looked uncertain for a moment, then appeared to take to the idea. 'Ah-ha! A siege engine!' He wagged the telescope at DeWar, who scowled at the ladder as the servants brought it forward, closer to the edge of the terrace. 'I have the measure of you now, bad baron!' Lattens cried. DeWar growled and retreated with comedic fearfulness from the steps as they approached.

Lattens climbed up the steps to the top, so that his feet were about level with the head of his nurse, who had remained on the balcony but followed him round as he'd ascended, watching anxiously. DeWar sidled up to the steps as well, glowering up at the boy.

'That will do nicely, bombardier,' Lattens yelled. 'Fire when ready!'

The rock hurtled up and out and for a moment seemed to hang above the coast-line of the part of the inland sea which held most of DeWar's remaining cities. 'Oh no!' Lattens cried.

The rules were that each player could drop only one stone into the inland sea. Lattens and DeWar each had, accordingly, one very large stone apiece to be used for this very purpose in the hope of swamping a handful of his enemy's cities with one strike. The stone Lattens had caused to be lobbed on this occasion was a medium-sized projectile. If it landed in the sea, especially in one of the shallower areas near the coast, it might do very little damage on its own while at the same time preventing the boy from landing his one big rock where it might cause the most destruction.

The rock whacked into a coastal city, causing a small splash from the harbour but sending up a greater cloud of dust and scattering splintered wood and bits of delicate clay buildings across the landscape and splashing out across the water.

'Yes, boy!' UrLeyn said, jumping to his feet.

RuLeuin rose too. 'Well done!'

'Fine shot!' called BreDelle. BiLeth clapped decorously.

ZeSpiole thumped his seat-arm. 'Magnificent!'

DeWar clenched his fists and let out a roar of anguish.

'Hurrah!' Lattens yelled and whirled his arms about. He overbalanced and began to fall off the steps. Perrund watched DeWar dart forward, then check himself as the nurse caught the boy. Lattens frowned down at his nurse then struggled in her arms until she put him back where he had been standing.

'Mind yourself, boy!' UrLeyn called, laughing.

'I'm sorry, sir,' Perrund said. Her hand was at her throat, just beneath the red veil, where her heart seemed to have lodged. 'I thought he'd be safer-'

'Oh, he's fine!' UrLeyn told her with a sort of jovial exasperation. 'Never you fear.' He turned back. `Damn fine shot, lad!' he shouted. 'More of those, if you please, then the great-grand-dad rock in the centre of his sea!'

'Ladenscion is finished!' Lattens cried, shaking his fist at DeWar and holding on to the projecting spire of the steps with his other hand. 'Providence protects us!'

'Oh, it's Ladenscion now, not the Empire?' UrLeyn laughed.

'Brother,' RuLeuin said, 'I cannot think which would be the greater honour, to be at your side or to help rule in your place. Be assured I shall do whatever you ask of me to the best of my abilities.'

'I'm sure you will,' UrLeyn said.

'As your brother says, sir,' Commander ZeSpiole said, leaning forward to catch the Protector's eye.

'Well, it may not come to that,' UrLeyn said. 'We may have news by the next rider that the barons are desperate to sue for peace. But I am glad you both accept my proposal.'

'Gladly, brother!'

'Humbly, sir.'

'Good, so we are all agreed.'

DeWar's next shot thudded into farmland, causing him to caper arid make cursing sounds. Lattens laughed and followed that with a shot which destroyed a town. DeWar's next demolished a bridge. Lattens replied with a couple of offtarget rocks but then hit a city while DeWar's matching shots hit nothing but earth.

Lattens decided to use his biggest rock and attempt to obliterate most of DeWar's remaining cities in one go.

'That's the boy!' his father called. 'Strike now!'

With much groaning and creaking from the coiled twists of stretched hide — and a few groans and whimpers from DeWar, standing watching — the arm of Lattens' catapult was tightened to its maximum extension and sat arched with stored power.

'Are you sure that's not too much?' UrLeyn shouted. 'You'll hit your own sea!'

'No, sir! I'll put other rocks on as well as the big one!'

'Very well then,' the Protector told his son. 'Mind you don't break the weapon, though.'

'Father!' the boy called. 'May I load it myself? Oh, please?'

The servant dressed like a bombardier was about to pick up the heaviest rock from Lattens' pile of ammunition. He hesitated. DeWar lost his comical expression. Perrund took a deep breath.

'Sir,' she said, but was interrupted.

'I cannot allow the boy to lift such a large rock, sir,' Doctor BreDelle said, leaning close to the Protector. 'It will put too great a strain on his system. His frame is weakened by the long time spent in bed.'

UrLeyn looked at ZeSpiole. `I'm more worried about the catapult loosing while he's loading it, sir,' the Guard Commander said.

'Generals do not load their own weapons, sir,' UrLeyn told the boy sternly.

'I know that, Father, but please? This is not a real war, it is only pretend.'

'Well, shall I give you a hand then?' UrLeyn called.

'No!' Lattens yelled, stamping his foot and tossing his redblond curls. 'No thank you, sir!'

UrLeyn sat back with a gesture of resignation and a small smile. 'The lad knows his own mind. He is mine, all right.' He waved to his son. 'Very well, General Lattens! Load as you will and may Providence guide the projectiles.'

Lattens chose a couple of smaller rocks and loaded them one at a time into the waiting cup of the catapult, panting as he lifted them up. Then he squatted, took a firm grip of the biggest stone and with a grunt lifted it to his chest. He turned and staggered towards his catapult.

DeWar took a half-step closer to the machine. Lattens did not seem to notice. He grunted again as he hoisted the rock up to his neck level and shuffled closer to the tensed arm of the waiting machine.

DeWar seemed to slide rather than step another stride closer to the catapult, almost to within grabbing distance of the boy, while his gaze concentrated both on the firing latch and on Lattens' feet and legs as they edged nearer to it.

The boy teetered as he leant over the catapult's cup. He was breathing hard, the sweat running down his brow.

'Steady, lad,' Perrund heard the Protector whisper. His hands clutched at the arms of his chair, the knuckles pale with their own loaded tension.

DeWar was closer now, within reach of the boy.

— Lattens grunted and rolled the rock into the cup. It crunched on top of the two already occupying the scoop. The whole catapult seemed to quiver, and DeWar tensed, as though about to pounce on the child and tear him away, but then the boy took a step back, wiped his sweating face and turned to smile at his father, who nodded and sat back in his seat, sighing with relief. He looked at RuLeuin and the others. 'There now,' he said, and swallowed.

'Mr Bombardier,' Lattens said, with a flourish towards the catapult. The servant nodded and took up his position by the machine.

DeWar had drifted back towards his own catapult.

'Wait!' Lattens called, and ran up the library step-ladder again. His nurse resumed her place beneath. Lattens took out his sword, raised it and then dropped it. 'Now!'

The catapult made a terrific snapping noise, the one large rock and the two smaller ones sailed into the air in significantly different directions and everybody sat or leant forward to see where they would land.

The big rock missed its target, splashing into the shallows near one of DeWar's coastal cities and showering it with mud but otherwise doing little damage. One of the smaller stones hit some of DeWar's farmland and the