Akrur smiled as he rode off. Bravery comes in the most unexpected shapes.

Shishupal heard a soldier shout: ‘Inform the archers and catapult engineers on the wall that we are beginning our assault now. It’s the pincer manoeuvre. They are to provide cover with their arrows and rocks on the centre and the east, where the Greeks are the thickest. Assemble the gate companies. Silver Wolves, take the west. Regiment soldiers, with a few Wolves and cavalry soldiers, to the centre. Everyone else, to the east. All three shock troop units will slice through the Mlecchás, and converge on the Market Square. Mathura will be flooded soon. We have to find our way out before that, and force the Greeks to chase us. Sapper Captains, prepare your munitions.’

‘We march behind the Silver Wolves to the West,’ Shishupal whispered to Eklavvya. ‘They will face the least resistance. The moment opportunity presents…’ Eklavvya nodded and took off before Shishupal could finish. Shishupal loped after him. ‘Are you alright?’

‘Yes. It just saddens Eklavvya’s heart to see these brave soldiers…’

Shishupal clicked his tongue against his teeth sympathetically. ‘You heard that big woman…a good death is its own reward.’

‘And what of a good kill?’ Eklavvya turned, his eyes blazing with lust for blood. ‘Just look at them! Such warriors! Eklavvya could have got a chance to kill them all had not that wretched fool taken away his chance! Do you call that a fair reward?’

RAIN clasped Storm’s hand before she unsheathed her sword. It was the signal. No drums. No war cries. They slipped out of a postern gate of the Curfew, quiet as whispers. Errant thoughts smuggled themselves into her mind when she really needed it to be silent: Should they have volunteered for this charge? Why did she feel like taking a shit now? Why did the Greeks wear red cloaks which made them easy targets? Oh just clear your mind!

And then she saw the Greeks fifty strides away. The thought that one of them might be Kalyavan cleared the mists in her mind. The image of Satyabhama on the pyre burned into her eyes as if someone had branded it with a hot iron. Rain felt the thrill of battle burn in her breast. Her hand hurt with the force with which she gripped her sword. Break! she gave the sign, her fist flashing up, fingers outspread.

Rain’s squad went west; Akrur, Satwadhan and the City Guard proceeded on horseback straight ahead, along with Misery, Calm and a regiment of the Army; and the remainder of the Army went east. Pincer.