Villains 2 by Margaret Weis

Author:Margaret Weis [Weis, Margaret]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-03-06T00:21:08+00:00

The hole in the roof was acting like a chimney; the sudden rush of heat and flame through the opening drew a blasting draft into the house. The building had become a furnace.

“That’s not the worst of it,” the older knight added. “We can’t possibly put it out, but we must keep it from spreading. There’s new construction to the left of it and the granary to the right.”

Once again Master Raymond was at Tate’s elbow. “Sir, that new construction must be protected. If the supports burn away, anything could happen.”

“But if we lose the grain,” Tate responded, “we can’t sus-tain the castle and village in the coming winter.” Though he already knew and now feared the answer, Tate asked Sir Wolter, “How full is the granary?”

“Dol tells me if s about half full,” Wolter replied. “Damnation!” Tate slammed his fist into his hand. “Thaf s not just our food for the winter, it’s next year’s seed. Take whomever can be spared from the bucket lines and start emptying the granary. I don’t care where you put the grain—

dump it on the ground if you have to, but get it out of there.” Turning to Raymond, Tate barked, “Find the head groom and have him get all the horses out of the stables. We can’t chance losing them, too.”

“Of course,” Raymond replied. “If the granary goes up, the stables will be next.”

Tate cut him off. “I don’t intend to lose either of them. Get some people on top of the granary and tear off its roof. Don’t leave any kindling up there for a stray spark to ignite. Then use chains or ropes or whatever else you can find and hitch some plow horses to the granary. If it catches fire, pull it down and scatter the pieces so there’s nothing for the flames to climb.”

“What about the new wall?” the architect asked. Tate peered through the smoke at the scaffolding behind the kitchen. “We’ll just have to hold the fire off as best we can.” After Raymond ran off into the smoke, Tate rubbed his face in his hands. Great Huma’s ghost, he didn’t have all the answers, even if they expected him to.

Tense minutes later, Wolter and Raymond were again back at Tate’s side.

“We’re ready to topple the granary, but I hope we don’t have to,” the knight reported. “What with the heat and the smoke, getting the grain out is next to impossi-ble. If s going awfully slow because the men have to work in short shifts to keep from searing their lungs.” “And the wall supports?”

Raymond’s soot-streaked face looked worried. “The beams are scorching, and the ropes are smoking like a dwarf’s pipe. If the bakery collapses soon, and I expect it will, we’ll be a lot safer.”

Strangely relieved by the news that the bakery was about to fall, Tate relaxed slightly. But cries of “Water! Water!” from the fire fighters cut short his brief respite.

Tate’s heart nearly choked him when he saw bucket passers and fire fighters standing idle, shuffling their feet and looking quizzically back toward the well.

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