The rooftop was slightly higher than the 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 water 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.’

‘When do those mangonels come into play?’

‘Probably when several of the towers are firmly in place against the walls.’

‘Won’t they be dropping boulders on their own men?’

‘The men in the towers aren’t very important. A lot of them are Rendors – like the ones out there who got killed clearing away the obstructions. The man who’s in charge of that army isn’t exactly what you’d call a humanitarian.’

‘Do you know him?’

‘Oh, yes. Very well.’