Chapter Eleven
Again The Hawk marched south. Halfway to the city of Lif the Litoans
met them. The King came out under a flag of truce. He drew out his
sword and threw it to the ground. "Will you give me the same mercy," he
asked, "for my cities that you gave at El?"
2 "It is done," agreed The Hawk, "keep your forces to their cities. I
will send agents to discuss payment."
3 The Litoan King turned his army homeward. Now, only one enemy in Zo
still eluded The Hawk. He marched back north, then east. The Epons were
not finished yet. They still had fight. They came out with all they had
left, and for five terrible days fought on the plains below the city.
4 It was a fight The Hawk would like to have avoided, but the enemy had
no intention of yielding, until every drop of his blood was shed.
Finally even they could stand no more. What of them remained retreated
back into their city, leaving The Hawk's people to count their dead.
5 "They might be crazy," praised The Hawk, "but they can fight! We will
give them that much!"
6 Bright Star looked at the city before him. "Tile roofs," he
moaned,"no fire from the sky will do much good here."
7 "No," agreed The Hawk, "but a little bombardment every couple of days
may start some fires, and keep them nervous. It is my turn to be
brilliant. Have you ever worked on a farm? Have you ever seen how a
sudden flood can move great stones? Two corners of this city are by
deep, fast-moving rivers. I wonder what could happen if the greatest
flood they ever knew were to hit those walls?"
8 "The rivers flood every year," argued Bright Star, "and the walls
withstand them.Why do you