‘I wouldn’t be too sure, Sparhawk. But let’s assume that killing you was Martel’s idea and not Otha’s – or some involuted scheme Azash came up with. That would cover the hole in your logic. The shadow could still be related to Azash and have absolutely no connection whatsoever with the attempts on your life.’

‘What’s it doing then?’

‘Watching, most likely. Azash wants to know where you are, and He definitely wants to know where Bhelliom is. That might explain why you almost always see that shadow when you remove the jewel from the pouch.’

‘This is starting to make my head ache, little mother. But if everything goes the way Dolmant’s planned it, we’ll have both Martel and Annias in custody before long. We ought to be able to get a few answers out of them – enough to clear up my headache anyway.’

Colonel Delada, commander of the Archprelate’s personal guard, was a stocky, solidly-built man with short-cut reddish hair and a lined face. Despite his largely ceremonial position, he carried himself like a warrior. He wore the burnished breastplate, round embossed shield and the traditional short sword of his unit. His knee-length cape was crimson, and his visorless helmet had a horse-hair crest. ‘Are they really that big, Sir Sparhawk?’ he asked as the two of them looked out at the smoking ruins from the flat roof of a house abutting the inner city wall.

‘I really don’t know, Colonel Delada,’ Sparhawk replied. ‘I’ve never seen one either. Bevier has, though, and he tells me that they’re at least as big as a fair-sized house.’

‘And they can really throw rocks the size of oxen?’

‘That’s what they tell me.’

‘What’s the world coming to?’

‘They call it progress, my friend,’ Sparhawk said wryly.

‘The world would be a better place if we hanged all the scientists and engineers, Sir Sparhawk.’

And the lawyers too.’

‘Oh yes, definitely the lawyers. Everybody wants to hang all the lawyers.’ Delada’s eyes narrowed. ‘Why are all of you being so secretive around me, Sparhawk?’ he demanded irritably. In Delada’s case all the cliches about red-haired people seemed to apply.

‘We have to protect your strict neutrality, Delada. You’re going to see something – and we hope hear something – that’s very important. Later on, you’re going to be called on to give testimony about it. There are going to be people who’ll try very hard to throw doubts on your testimony.’

‘They’d better not,’ the colonel said hotly.

Sparhawk smiled. ‘Anyway, if you don’t know anything at all in advance about what you’re going to see and hear, nobody will be able to raise any question at all about your impartiality.’

‘I’m not stupid, Sparhawk, and I have got eyes. This has to do with the election hasn’t it?’

‘Just about everything in Chyrellos has to do with the election now, Delada – except maybe that siege out there.’

‘And I wouldn’t wager any significant amounts of money that the siege isn’t involved too.’

‘That’s one of those areas we aren’t supposed to talk about, Colonel.’

‘Ah-ha!’ Delada said triumphantly. ‘Just as I thought!’

Sparhawk looked out over the wall. The important thing was to be able to prove beyond doubt the collusion between Martel and Annias. Sparhawk was a bit apprehensive about that. If the conversation between the Primate of Cimmura and the renegade Pandion did not reveal Martel’s identity, all Delada would be able to report to the Hierocracy would be a highly suspicious conversation between Annias and an unnamed stranger. Emban, Dolmant and Ortzel, however, had been adamant. Delada was absolutely not to be supplied with any information which could contaminate his testimony. Sparhawk was particularly disappointed in Patriarch Emban on that score. The fat Churchman was devious and deceitful on every other count. Why should he suddenly become ethical on this one crucial point?

‘It’s starting, Sparhawk,’ Kalten called from the torchlit wall. ‘The Rendors are coming out to clear away our obstructions.’

The rooftop was slightly higher than the wall, and Sparhawk could clearly see over the fortification. The Rendors came rushing out, howling as before. Heedless of the poison smeared on the stakes of the hedgehogs, they rolled the obstructions out of the way. Many, caught up in a frenzied religious ecstasy, even went so far as to throw themselves needlessly on the poisoned stakes. Broad avenues were soon cleared away, and the assault towers began to trundle out of the still-smoking city, moving slowly towards the walls. The assault towers, Sparhawk saw, were constructed of thick planks covered by green cowhides which had been dipped in water so many times that rivulets actually ran from them. No crossbow bolt or javelin would be able to penetrate the planks, and burning pitch and naphtha would not be able to set fire to the dripping hides. One by one, Martel was countering all their defences.

‘Do you actually anticipate fighting in the Basilica, Sir Sparhawk?’ Delada asked.

‘We can hope not, Colonel,’ Sparhawk replied. ‘It’s best to be ready though. I really appreciate your deploying those guardsmen of yours down in that cellar – particularly since I can’t tell you why we need them there. We’d have had to pull men off the walls otherwise.’

‘I have to assume you know what you’re doing, Sparhawk,’ the colonel said ruefully. ‘Putting the whole detachment under the command of your squire sort of upset my second in command, though.’

‘It was a tactical decision, colonel. That cellar’s full of echoes. Your men won’t be able to understand shouted commands. Kurik and I have been together for a long time, and we’ve worked out ways to deal with situations like that one.’

Delada looked out at the assault towers lumbering across the open space in front of the walls. ‘Big, aren’t they?’ he said. ‘How many men can you crowd into one of those things?’

“That depends on how fond of the men you are,’ Sparhawk told him, moving his shield in front of his body to ward off the arrows which had already begun to drop onto the roof, ‘several hundred at least.’

‘I’m not familiar with siege tactics,’ Delada admitted. ‘What happens now?’

‘They roll up to the walls and try to charge the defenders. The defenders try to push the towers over. It’s very confusing and very noisy and a lot of people get hurt.’