76  "As you command, my master!" The City Warlock agreed.
    77  Neither of them saw the figure of The City Speaker's mate standing behind the door.  Nor, were they aware that she gathered her children, slipped out the back door, and disappeared into the night.
    78  At Great Bear's House they were just preparing to sit down for supper, when a servant rushed in.  "Master!" he cried, "There is a woman at the gate with her children!  She says we are in danger."
    79  All rushed to the gate to find out what was going on. The woman stood inside, her children hugging her legs. "I am The City Speaker's mate," she explained. "Long I have suspected what you say of him was true, but I had no proof. But this evening I heard him order The City Warlock to come here with his men, and kill everyone, even the babes!  No one was he to spare.  I gathered my children and came as quickly as I could to warn you. You must flee, quickly, before they get here!"
    80  As she spoke, The Voice had been watching through the crack in the gate. "It's too late," he warned, "they're already here!  There's fifteen or twenty men already making their way down the street from doorway to doorway.  How many do you think are coming?"
    81  "There could be forty or sixty," the woman wept. "I have NO idea!"
    82  The Voice looked at his meager little force. He and his guards made four.  Great Bear was five, Silent Dog was six, Walking Crow was seven, Bright Sword was eight; eight men.  Little Blossom, Yellow Thorn Blossom, and Shining Blossom could fight, but not The Lady, and what weapons were in the house?  All the men had their sword. He knew there were at least two hunting bows, with perhaps six arrows each.
    83  The old servants that Great Bear employed would not be much use.  "We cannot let them into the house," warned The Voice, "we must build a barricade under the balcony before the door.  There, they will only be able to get at us a few at a time. If we can hold out for a while, I'm sure help will come.  Get those four tables out of the yard.  Stand them on edge before the door!"
     84  "Why not make our stand here?" asked Great Bear.  "The gate is strong.  They cannot break it.  They will have to climb over the top. We can meet them as they come over."
    85  "No," insisted The Voice, "it's too dangerous.  If they find a way of opening the gate they could overwhelm our small numbers in this open yard before we could even put up a fight. No.  We must be set and waiting...make them come to us.  Gather our weapons.  Let us see what we have with which to defend ourselves."
    86  As the people sat to work, The Voice looked about the yard.  He saw the stairs leading up to the balcony and they worried him. There was a heavy door at the top, and the balcony itself, was enclosed by lacework, made of wood. But determined attackers could climb up on the stairs, cut through the lacework, and gain access.
    87  As The Voice looked at the stairs he noticed something odd about them. They were very light, almost a ladder with handrails.  He grabbed a servant coming by. "Those stairs," he asked, "do they come down?"
    88  "Oh, yes, Lord," the servant answered.  "They are held together with pins.  Remove the pins and the stairs will be taken down.  It makes much more room in the yard when we're having a party or something."
    89  "What would happen," asked The Voice, "if you took out the pins and somebody tried to use the stairs?"
    90  "The stairs would collapse, Lord," the servant warned, "they can't hold much weight at all, with the pins out. "
    91  "Good!" smiled The Voice.  "Remove the pins, but leave the stairs up."
    92  Walking Crow came to The Voice. "Lord," he announced, "besides our swords and shields, we have three long spears, four throwing spears, three bows with a total of fifteen arrows."
    93  The Voice called the three young women over.  "You have your swords," he ordered, "I want you to take all your children upstairs, and, The Lady. Take the bows and arrows.  As the attackers enter the yard you can shoot through the lacework. It will be hard for them to see you, but they should be easy targets.  After your shafts are gone, guard the door, and the inner stairway.
    94  You might be tempted to desert your position, but do not.  By keeping the others safe, you will do us more good than if you were down here.  If any get by us, you will have plenty of opportunity to fight."
    95  The women nodded, and hurried off to prepare their positions.  The barricade beneath the balcony was nearly ready, and the hallway leading to the back door was blocked solid with bedding.  Not even a battering ram would open THAT door!

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