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Sandry leaped to his feet. “Fullerman! Turn out the guard! Maydreo, stop ! Report!”
    Maydreo reined in. “Can’t stop, My Lord! The border station has been attacked. Have to warn Lordstown and Lordshills.”
    Now Sandry could see that the frothy sweat on the righthand horse in Maydreo’s team had a pink tinge, with some bright red spots. And there was blood trickling down Maydreo’s forehead.
    â€œHow many?” Sandry demanded.
    â€œAnd how armed, Younglord?” Chalker asked from behind him. “Your pardon, Lord Sandry.”
    Pardon, hell—I should have thought of it. “And how armed?”
    Maydreo was babbling. “Monsters, a dozen of them, monsters. Two-legged, not men, bigger than men. Teeth and spears. Three men down, maybe more. Bordermaster Waterman and his collectors are barricaded inside the tollhouse. I have to go, My Lord. We have to turn out the guard and close the gates to Lordshills.”
    â€œGet hold of yourself, Younglord,” Chalker said. He kept his voice low and calm. “Doesn’t do to let the Lordkin see you’re scared.”
    â€œRight,” Sandry said. “All right, go warn the town. Take it easy on those horses! They won’t last if you run them as fast as you came here. No more than a trot, Younglord, or you will never get there. Do you understand that?”
    â€œYes—yes, sir.”
    â€œGood. Hold them to a trot all the way to the Black Pit relay station, and get a fresh team there. We’ll see what we can do here. If there’s only a dozen—”
    â€œOnly twelve,” Maydreo said. “But they aren’t men.” He managed to keep his voice down. “Bigger than men. Swords grow out of their hands! And watch out—the horses can’t stand them. All our horses panicked.”
    â€œHow many chasing you?” Sandry asked.
    â€œSeven, I think. The rest are still up there. After Waterman. And the caravan.”
    â€œCaravan? What caravan?” Sandry demanded.
    â€œFeathersnake caravan. Didn’t I tell you? My Lord, I have to go warn the town.” He flicked the reins, and his chariot clattered off toward Sanvin Street, the horses at a run. After a moment, he halted them, then resumed at a trot.
    The Feathersnake caravan! They were here, and would Burning Tower be with them? She said she was coming back. Sandry felt a warm glow over his whole body. Burning Tower. Maybe she was here, right now! “We have to go help Waterman and the caravan,” Sandry said.
    â€œFirst things first,” Chalker said, “My Lord.”
    Chalker was right, of course. This was his territory, his responsibility. To protect it from fire, he thought. Monsters aren’t a fire. But it’s still my territory.
    There was commotion in the stables behind, and Sandry knew Peacevoice Fullerman was getting the chariot ready and his men in armor. Only seven enemies coming here, Sandry thought. And he had a chariot and a dozen Lordsmen. How bad can that be? “Chalker, what do you make of that? Swords growing out of their hands?”
    â€œNew kind of armor, sir? Big men, good armor? I remember when that Arshur came to the city, a dozen like him in full armor would have panicked me. Maybe that’s it…. What the devil is that?”
    Someone was ringing a bell. The Peacegiven Square fire bell, one ring, then three. Dibantot. The Lordkin who lived here to protect the Firesale Inn. He had climbed up onto the platform under the bell and was ringing it. Bong! Pause. Bong! Bong! Bong! Three alarm fire at Station One, which was Peacegiven Square. But there wasn’t any fire here!
    But what harm would it do? Sandry thought. Maybe do some good. Couldn’t hurt to have some armed Lordkin, at least ones who’d listen. Better the Fire Brigade than anyone else. When they get here, I can go see about Bordermaster Waterman—he’ll need help. And the