Catland - a humorous fantasy

Chapter Thirty: Siege

Greg was standing under the eaves of a souvenir-shop, just at the edge of the open space surrounding the palace's moat, when a boulder the size of a Volkswagen Beetle came whistling out of the sky from the direction of the ramparts and landed with a shattering crash on the cobbled surface between him and the drawbridge. For a sick moment he felt certain Leopold had been obliterated, but an instant later he realized that the rock had soared over Leopold's head and landed well beyond him. It was a warning shot. The next one, it not-so-subtly implied, would hit home.

Leopold had not moved from his spot at the edge of the drawbridge. Now he gave a low bow and looked up at the ramparts. "My dear Glimmerind," he called up, in resonant tones, "I had no idea you felt this way. Naturally, if my presence here is unwelcome, I shall withdraw with all due haste. In any case, my errand is accomplished. I wish you all a very pleasant evening."

With that, Leopold spun gracefully about and began an unhurried, almost languorous, retreat. Even at this distance, Greg could see the tension in his friend's face, but from behind he must have presented an ideal picture of majestic insouciance. No further rocks were catapulted from the ramparts; no arrow flew at Leopold's back. Glimmerind was playing his hand cautiously. He must have decided that assassinating the rightful king in full view of an already riled-up crowd was not in his long-term best interests.

Leopold was visibly sweating when he rejoined them at their spot under the eaves, but his face wore a weary smile. "Didn't expect that," he admitted ruefully. "Still, it may be a good sign, on the whole. Means I got to him."

"You took a great risk," said Jasper solemnly.

"Yes, well, what's a king for if he doesn't take risks for the kingdom? Besides, they all saw me take it." He gestured at the crowd behind them, who stood back at a respectful distance, affording them some measure of privacy. "Today I risked my life for them. Tomorrow they may risk theirs for me."

A great groaning and grinding noise made them turn and look. Beyond the open space before the palace, the wide wooden drawbridge that spanned the moat was moving slowly upward on its iron chains. As they watched, its movement accelerated, and soon it clanged into place in its upright position, with a sound like the stifled toll of a great bell. With that one gesture, the palace became a fortress. Its gray stone walls seemed to loom darker, and higher, and its battlements assumed the aspect of a line of jagged teeth.

"Looks like a siege," remarked Graydon drily.

Jasper looked worried. "Not an easy place to besiege. There's a whole network of tunnels underneath the palace, not to mention a rear gate that gives onto a waterway. If they want to smuggle food in or soldiers out, there's a dozen ways they can do it. And I can't be sure I know them all."

"We should have charged the gates while we had the chance!" cried Septimus, who had been advancing this argument more or less continuously for the last hour. "We could have breached the palace while the bridge was down! Now what do we have? A rabble that's rapidly growing bored. And it's only an hour or so to nightfall, when most of them are sure to get hungry or sleepy and wander off. We've lost the initiative, dammit!" And he smote on paw onto the other, with useless vehemence.

In spite of the big cat's near-mutinous tone, Leopold's answer was mild. "I don't much care to lead my people into a slaughter, Septimus," he remarked quietly. "Not when I can see another way. This matter may still be settled without bloodshed. Or at least"—his face darkened—"without very much."

"What are your orders, sire?" asked Jasper. "Shall I have our men block off all the exits we know of?"

"Yes, do," replied Leopold, a little wearily. "Septimus is right about the rabble. Most of them will disperse in an hour—and most of them should. Put cats you can trust on all the exits you're aware of. We needn't maintain a large force here; I don't imagine they'll try for a frontal assault."