116  The Voice saw many of the attackers go to the far wall where the stairs had been, and begin to climb.  He could not see what was happening but he could hear the clang of weapons, and saw man after man fall back to the ground.  The ladies upstairs were holding their ground.
    117  Quick Hands, who had been out on errands and late returning home, reached the shattered gate and saw the carnage going on inside, but the small man stood helpless.  He had not even a knife. "Lords," he prayed, "even if I must give my life, let me make a showing.  Give me a weapon...ANY weapon!"
    118  Looking about, a flicker of light caught his eye. By the shattered gate, one of the lamps that had lit it, still burned.  Above it stood the long pole that had held it over the gate.  Quick Hands rushed over, seized the pole, and tried to pull it free, but it would not budge.
    119  Suddenly, a cry came from the house. "The Voice is down!  He's wounded!  Protect him!" 
    120  At that moment The Beast entered Quick Hands.  With a terrible roar he ripped the pole from the gate, tearing the metal mountings away with it. He now had a great club with three jagged metal blades on its end.  He charged into the yard, screaming.
    121  Three of the attackers seeing him, charged out to meet him.  That was a mistake!  With three vicious swings one went right, one went left, and the other fell where he stood, none to rise again.
    122  Quick Hands charged into the midst of the enemy without care for his safety, his vicious weapon flew in all directions, its jagged hooks ripping off arms, tearing out chests, and ripping off faces.  It seemed like five of the enemy fell with every horrible swing.
    123  Off to the side, The City Warlock stood, surrounded by his men.  But when Quick Hands saw him, ten times their number would not have saved him.  Quick Hands came through them like they weren't even there, and then his vicious weapon fell again and again, until The City Warlock's body stopped moving.
    124  The attackers had had enough. They went to flee, but The Voice called out to his people, "After them!  The battle is now ours!  Finish it!"
    125  The defenders poured out and fell on their fleeing foe, who ran headlong, into ten of their fellows, who had been trying to get in the back door, and having failed, came around front, just in time to die with their companions.
    126  Finally, the yard was still, except for the moaning of the few attackers that still lived.  The Voice gathered his people around him, and it was a strange sight, as he prayed for forgiveness while one of the women held a bandage to his bleeding backside!
    127  The words were barely done, when a stunned Sweet Blossom with many of her men, entered the yard.  After a moment she dressed her sword and came over to The Voice. "We heard you  were under attack," she said to The Voice, "and came as quickly as we could, but it looks like we weren't needed!  Merciful Lords, what a mess!"  She turned to her men.  "Get this garbage out of here!" she ordered.  Her men went to work quickly.
    128  "We now have charges," announced The Voice, "that we can bring against The City Speaker.  We have a witness that he ordered this attack.  Can you go and seize him?"
    129  "I am on my way!" cried Sweet Blossom.  "Long have I awaited this day!  That bag of filth will not escape us this time!"  She rushed to The City Speaker's house.  The servant at the door demanded by what right she arrested The City Speaker.  "By this right!" she cried, drawing her sword, "and by The Name of The Lords!  Open the door, or we'll cut it down!"
    130  But The City Speaker had been hiding, and heard the charges. He slipped out through a secret door and somehow eluded Sweet Blossom's men in the service street.  Fleeing in the darkness, he ran through the back streets, trying to find a hiding place. In his panic he did not see the broken ox cart with the jagged board sticking out from its side.
    131  He ran headlong into it, and the wood ripped deep into his flesh.  As he twisted around, it ripped out his bowels.  He fell to the ground, weeping, and crying for help, but no one heard him.  It was early the next morning before anyone found his body.  Laying in his own filth and blood, he had died a horrid death.
     132  Even the strong men who wrapped his body to be taken to the cemetery for burning were sickened by the horrible sight.  The battle in the city of Western was over.  The city was now The Lords.
    133  Great Bear was made City Speaker, and Strong Dog became City Warlock.  Walking Crow became The Temple Speaker.  Now, all the cities of Spirit were in the hands of followers of The Voice.
    134  He sent letters to everyone. "The time has come," he wrote, "to end the evil in our land. Start undoing the injustices that have been permitted by The First Speaker.  Forbid The One from sacrificing in your cities.  Rise up against any other illegal practices you may find. Now is the time to begin."

Page 256

Go To The Next Page