Demontech: Onslaught by David Sherman Read Free Book Online Page A

wall?”
    Haft looked up at Spinner, perplexed. “The other side, of course. What do you think?”
    “And what’s on the other side?” Spinner asked patiently.
    Haft just looked at him.
    “Is there a moat? Is there a palisade of stakes? Is there a passing company of Jokapcul soldiers? Is there a nearby troop of cavalry or line of archers to cut us down before we reach the cover of the forest? For that matter, how far away is the forest?”
    “Oh,” Haft said, looking away thoughtfully. “I hadn’t thought of that.” He straightened up. “Well, it’s easy enough to find out what’s out there. Let’s ask this fruit vendor.” He started to step out of the alleyway, but Spinner grabbed his shoulder and slammed him back against the wall.
    Spinner shoved his face into Haft’s and spoke low but sharply. “If a Jokapcul sees you, he’ll know you’re not one of them and will sound the alarm. Even if a Jokapcul doesn’t see you, the vendor will think you’re a traitor. Do you think he’ll give a traitor true information about the other side of the wall?”
    Haft’s brow furrowed in thought. “I guess not,” he finally murmured.
    “Right.” Spinner scanned the alleyway, looking for something else they could do. One of the two buildings flanking them was made of stone, the other of wood. Neither had a door or other opening into the alley into which they could step. Higher, though, perhaps twelve feet above the ground, wrought-iron fencing formed a faux balcony outside a small unshuttered window on the side of the stone building. No light came from within the window. Spinner craned his head back to look higher. The stone building was perhaps fifty feet high. If it had a flat roof that they could reach from inside the building, from the top of it they’d be able to see almost everything they’d have to face on the other side of the city wall.
    “Stand here.” He positioned Haft under a corner of the wrought-iron fencing and, remembering what Haft had done to him when they were under the dock, vaulted without warning to his shoulders. One hand instantly found a fingerhold on the stone face of the building, the other wrapped around a picket of the wrought-iron fence. Under him, Haft collapsed from the unexpected maneuver and the sudden weight on his shoulders, but Spinner was already pulling himself up and finding toeholds on the wall. He yanked on the wrought iron to test that it was held securely enough to the wall to hold his weight. It gave slightly, but he saw that if he stepped softly it would probably hold his weight. He swung over the top of the faux balcony. The fencing was low, little more than a foot high, and the iron lathing was scarcely half a foot wide. The footing was cramped, but Spinner easily enough managed to hold his balance in the tight space.
    “Hey!” Haft snapped.
    “Shhh,” Spinner hushed at him. “You want someone to hear?”
    Haft hushed. He looked up and saw what Spinner had in mind. He wondered how he was supposed to get up to the fencing. Then he put his hands on the wall, looked up, and concluded that he could find enough purchase for his fingertips and toes.
    Spinner put his face close to the glazing and peered through. Inside, it was too dim to make anything out, but he saw no movement. His questing fingers found hinges along one side of the window and he swore about the outward-opening windows. He shuffled to the side of the balcony, away from the hinges. There, he stepped one foot over the side, found precarious purchase on the wall, and slid his other foot as close to the end as it would fit. Holding the wall with one hand, he pried at the edge of the window with his free hand. The hinges squealed but the window opened. Its bottom scraped across the top of the wrought-iron fencing. When the window was open far enough, he leaned into the opening and rolled through. As his foot came off the bottom of the balcony, he thought he felt the iron lathing shift, and he heard