John Carr - Siege of Tarr-Hostigos

She could be sure of trouble back at the University if she did. But here-and-now, she could be sure of help from Aranth Sain and Captain Kirv, at least. And, when he recovered his health, Chief Verkan.

Sirna jumped again as a soft footfall sounded behind her. It was Aranth Sain, who greeted her outraged look with a soft laugh.

"If you can find anything to laugh at in this-!" Words failed her. She took a deep breath and added more gently, "At least try not to sneak up behind me."

"I wasn't sneaking. I've just been trying not to be noticed by our dear Director, and I guess the habit stuck."

Having a potential ally on hand made Sirna breathe easier. "Will you help me keep my promises to Urig? If he begins to doubt me, we'll have a mutiny on our hands right when we're trying to get everything to safety."

"I will. But I'm going to spend the next four hours on the roof of the main forge. One extra pair of eyes on sentry can't hurt. If I know Kirv, he will have his men on sentry duty, but they'll have to stay hidden. I'm not one of Skordran's people, so Talgan can't fume at him over me."

Sirna's mouth went dry. "Are the Styphoni that close?"

"The main body, no. They'll be coming on in a day or two. Phidestros is a damned good general, but he's working with a divided command, Arch-priests up to his bellybutton and an army that's taken a pounding.

"What I'm worried about is his sending cavalry on ahead. We've heard rumors that armed bands of Roxthar's torturers are taking hostages and killing peasants-in fact, Kirv showed me a few pictures of the Investigators in action."

"Can I see?"

He shook his head. "You don't want to see these pictures! They're not for civilians."

Sirna felt a shiver make its way up her back.

"The cavalry we don't need to worry about," Sain continued. "But a few regiments from Phidestros' reserve could raise havoc in Hostigos Town. At least among those stupid enough to dally this long."

It was a physical impossibility for Sirna's mouth to go drier. Her knees couldn't decide between knocking together or folding under her.

"Come on. I'll walk you over to the forge. Tandar Volth is inside, making sure what we can't move is melted down. Varnath Lala tried to stop him, but Tandar had two of the smiths throw the old crow out and bar the door against her."

"Pity I didn't see that."

"You'll see even more entertaining things before you get to Home Time Line, I'd wager."

"Dinner at the Constellation House?"

"Done."

It had still been a stalemate and she'd gone to her bed, long before Captain Kirv and Talgan Dreth's arguments had wound down. From the sounds outside it appeared they all might have to pay for the ritual antagonism between University and Paratime Police.

There was a loud WHUMMPH! which shook the old farmhouse like an earthquake. She peered out the window and saw the foundry turned into smoldering fiery ruin! How are we going to escape now, she asked herself? Had Kirv set off the demolition charges without warning anyone to beat Talgan at his own game? No, that didn't sound like the Paratime Policeman. Maybe his sentries had spotted a major force of Styphoni coming toward the Foundry!

There was another loud explosion, as though someone had set off a casket of fireseed; only this one was right below her and she felt the floor underneath shiver and then collapse, sending her downward in a tangle of bed, furniture and stones. She landed in a sprawl and was hurting all over, but everything was still working-even her fingers.

She heard someone shout, "Capture the foreign dogs. Roxthar wants to investigate them himself. Beware of all demonic arts!"

"Dear Father Dralm!" Sirna whispered, as she tried to compress herself into a tiny little ball amongst the rubble and ruin of the second floor. There was something wet running down her arm and she was certain it was her own blood. She felt around and winced as her fingers found a deep scratch in her upper arm.

She heard Lala screech, "We can talk about this! I demand to see your superior. I am an important personage. I know things the Inner Circle wants to know. I order-"

Lala's words were cut off by a gunshot and a shrill scream.

She saw a big figure, which she recognized as Aranth Sain, moving through the rubble toward the back door. She tried to call out, but all that came forth was a croaking sound. Then Aranth was gone into the shadowy night.

There were more screams and the sounds of fists hitting flesh. "Take this fool in chains. He will answer to the Investigator for killing the woman." Suddenly there was a fusillade of shots and more screams.

A voice that sounded like Captain Kirv's said, "Move back, away from the Styphoni, so I can get a good shot!"

There was another barrage of gunfire and she heard Kirv's voice turn into a womanish scream. Her heart dropped into her stomach. She was alone!

There were more screams and cuffs, she recognized the voice of Talgan and said a quiet prayer.

"Please don't hurt me!" Talgan shouted, his pleas cut short by a wet thud. She had never liked the administrator, but no one deserved to provide sport for the Investigation!

Sirna felt around in the dark and found her musketoon. She'd heard too many stories about Roxthar and his Dralm-damned Investigation. Holy torture was what it was. It was no wonder that on Home Time Line religion was considered a plague on mankind, a verbally transmittable mental illness.

Sirna had never felt so alone in her life.

Suddenly some men entered the room with bright torches and burning sticks covered with tar. They were searching through the rubble for survivors. Several of the men were mercenaries, but one wore the white robe of the Investigation and she saw several Temple Guardsmen in their shiny armor and red capes. The Red Hand, isn't that what the Hostigi call them?

Kirv hadn't been prepared for a Temple band of Styphon's Guardsmen. She held her breath and squeezed against the wall as though she could will herself to disappear.

She watched as a soldier found a leg under some fallen masonry. It took three men to drag the body of a woman out of the rubble; it was Mrytta the housekeeper. "By Galzar's Teeth, she's an ugly one! Almost as old and withered as the hag the Captain shot."

"And just as dead," someone else finished.

"Shut up," another soldier commanded. "There's somebody else in here, I can feel it."

Suddenly a light flashed in her eyes, temporarily blinding her. Sirna heard a shout. She closed one eye and aimed the musketoon at the priest in the white robes, hoping that all the shooting lessons Aranth had given her had taught her something.

Her shot was deafening in the quiet tomb of what had once been a prosperous farmhouse. The priest screamed and clutched his stomach. Good, she thought, he's gut-shot! There was a salvo of returning fire and something struck her head like a hammer-

Chief! I think you'd better see this now," Paratime Police Inspector Andron Veral said as he bulled his way into the Chief's office.

Verkan looked up from his screen, saw the message ball in Andron's hand, and thought, what now? His chest was still a mass of bruises from where the gunshot had struck, but the lung graft was fine and his ribs had already knitted back together. An occasional sharp pain would remind him that he'd come awfully close to termination at an anonymous mass gravesite a few days ago. Dalla had been hovering over him like a mother cat tending a wounded kitten ever since they'd arrived on First Level. He'd forced himself to come to work today just to escape her well intentioned but smothering concern.

Andron first handed Verkan the data wafer that was held in his other hand. "Chief, this just arrived from Aryan-Transpacific, Kalvan's Time-Line. It was red-flagged. I just got through running it in my viewer."