“Nallo!”

She spotted his topknot, and she brought her baton into play, slapping and whacking. “I’m a reeve! Let me through!”

They fought their way to the gate, where a dozen frightened militiamen held the entrance, wicker shields overlapping to make a tight wall over the gap.

“What’s going on?” demanded one lad, his voice breaking.

“We need to get to our eagles! Let us through!”

A slim crack opened. She and Pil squeezed past, and the crowd surged forward as the poor guardsmen tried to close up. They kept moving up. With night coming down it was hard to see, but with the rail under one hand they could guide themselves. A thousand steps were carved into the rock, wide enough that some might descend as others ascended, although today everyone struggled upward. Those who were slow hugged the rock face, and those who were stronger climbed along the outer rail, shouting at anyone who didn’t get out of their way. Winded and sucking air, she and Pil reached Justice Square at the crest of the promontory only to stumble over folk collapsed on the ground right in their way.

Guardsmen carrying lit brands came running. “Move out of the way! Let those behind keep climbing!”

Pil staggered to the wide balcony that overlooked the city. The din rising off the city was indescribable, flood-waters drowning everything in its path. Lamps and torches flickered in the streets below like will-o’-the-wisps, darting at random.

“The hells,” Nallo muttered. “Best we get to Clan Hall.”

Four complexes fenced Justice Square, all swarming with lamplight. The night fire burned at the tip of the promontory beside Law Rock. They cut left to the gate into Clan Hall, and were immediately stopped by the reeve standing watch.

“Any more with you?” he demanded. “Ah, the hells, thank the gods it’s you, Nallo. Heya, Pil! What is going on down there?”

“Peddo?” she said. “I thought you’d know something.”

“The gates have been breached,” said Pil. “The army has attacked. There’s panic.”

“How can the gates be breached? They’re reinforced, doubled ranks of walls, a second ditch and entrenchment . . .”

“Sometimes,” said Pil in a calm voice that cut through Peddo’s mounting hysteria, “the Qin commanders bribe a local man who is discontented to open the gates. Maybe here, also? It is the easy way.”

“No, that’s not possible. Why would anyone betray—”

“Heya! Is that you, Peddo?”

“It is. Volias?”

“The same. We need a count of reeves. How many were caught down in the city—Nallo! By the Witherer’s mercy!” He caught her arm, hugged her, and let go to slap Pil on the shoulder. “The hells!” His voice broke, he sucked in air. “The hells! It’s what I think, isn’t it? They’ve breached the gates.”

“We think so,” said Nallo.

“Good time to attack,” said Pil. “No moon.”

“No moon means the eagles won’t fly until dawn,” agreed Volias. “Peddo, why are you on gate duty?”

“Likard sent me. Commander was called away, over to Assizes Tower. Some kind of council meeting, I don’t know. Her, and Ofri, and the legates, and—”