“Oh, it’s looking pretty wet, Gonff.”

“And still rising?”

“Aye, still rising, all right.”

The squirrel Queen signaled her crew to take the warrior mouse back down to earth.

“What now, Martin?” she asked.

“Now the real plan goes into action. I’ve never told you about my friend Timballisto, or even how he comes to have a strange name like that. Well, you just wait and see what he has in store for Kotir, he’ll help it to sink, all right.

“I’m going to get my sword and armor. Tell the Corim leaders to have every available fighting creature gathered at the edges of the land rise. There’s bound to be a final charge.”

* * *

Whegg the rat and a weasel named Slinkback threw their armored mail tunics and shields over the rooftop battlements. There was a faint splash as they hit the water below.

Brogg faced them, his curved sword at the ready. “Here, what d’you think you’re up to? You can’t do that.”

Slinkback laughed openly in the Captain’s face. “Haha. Listen, Brogg, you’d do better to chuck your stuff over too, or do you want to be drowned in full armor?”

The Captain looked at his Thousand Eye tunic and red velvet cloak. “But what will Milady say?”

Emboldened by his companions’ actions, the weasel called Foulwhisker skimmed his round shield over the battlements. “Don’t listen to Brogg, mates. We’ve heard enough lies. That mad cat will get the lot of us killed to save this old ruin.” The weasel whirled at a sound behind him, but too late.

Tsarmina was standing there. She dealt him a furious blow, killing him where he stood. Lifting the body effortlessly, she threw it contemptuously over the battlements, then turned upon the rest.

“Who’s next?” she challenged them. “Does anyone want to join him? Come on, step up. Let’s see who wants to disobey the Queen of Kotir.”

They backed off fearfully; the slightest scowl or mutter now would mean instant death.

Tsarmina snatched up a fallen spear and jabbed it toward one group, then at another. The troops cringed, cowering close to the walls. She laughed insanely as she snapped the stout weapon with a single fierce movement.

“Look at you! Call yourselves warriors! I could break you as easily as I snapped that spear. But I won’t. I’m going to use you to break those woodlanders out there. The time has come for you to act like proper soldiers. You’ll fight or die, either victory or death. I’ll show you how to make wa—”

Whump!

The whole roof shook.

Terrified, the troops fell flat.

Tsarmina dashed to the edge, in time to see a second boulder come whizzing through the air like some giant shapeless bird.

Whoom!

It struck halfway up the wall. Masonry fell, splashing into the water from the gap left by the striking missile.

As the roof shook under the impact of another boulder, the wildcat Queen grasped the battlement, staring wildly across the deep flooded area.