d hung. At odd intervals
automatic flame-throwers thrust their nozzles over the wall above and
swept the base of the wall clear of any life that might have come close.

"Those flame things can cause us trouble," Rhes said. "That one covers
the area where you want to break in."

"It'll be no problem," Jason assured him. "It may look like it is firing
a random pattern, but it's really not. It varies a simple sweep just
enough to fool an animal, but was never meant to keep men out. Look for
yourself. It fires at regularly repeated two, four, three and one minute
intervals."

They crawled back to the hollow where Naxa and the others waited for
them. There were only thirty men in the party. What they had to do could
only be done with a fast, light force. Their strongest weapon was
surprise. Once that was gone their other weapons wouldn't hold out for
seconds against the city guns. Everyone looked uncomfortable in the fur
and leather wrappings, and some of the men had loosened them to cool
off.

"Wrap up," Jason ordered. "None of you have been this close to the
perimeter before and you don't understand how deadly it is here. Naxa is
keeping the larger animals away and you all can handle the smaller
ones. That isn't the danger. Every thorn is poisoned, and even the
blades of grass carry a deadly sting. Watch out for insects of any kind
and once we start moving breathe only through the wet cloths."

"He's right," Naxa snorted. "N'ver been closer'n this m'self. Death,
death up by that wall. Do like 'e says."

* * * * *

They could only wait then, honing down already needle-sharp crossbow
bolts, and glancing up at the slowly moving sun. Only Naxa didn't share
the unrest. He sat, eyes unfocused, feeling the movement of animal life
in the jungle around them.

"On the way," he said. "Biggest thing I 'ver heard. Not a beast 'tween
here and the mountains, ain't howlin' 'is lungs out, runnin' towards the
city."

Jason was aware of part of it. A tension in the air and a wave of
intensified anger and hatred. It would work, he knew, if they could only
keep the attack confined to a small area. The talkers had seemed sure of
it. They had stalked out quietly that morning, a thin line of ragged
men, moving out in a mental sweep that would round up the Pyrran life
and send it charging against the city.

"They hit!" Naxa said suddenly.

The men were on their feet now, staring in the direction of the