Watching as Jamie squinted, ...

Paul was in a near frenzy. "Can he not see? Can he not see it?" he muttered. Then Calgacus was there, setting up some device. Paul wondered what it was. He did not have long to wait, for a few moments later Jamie straightened and waved, indicating that indeed he had seen the message. Suddenly the camp exploded into activity. Men grabbed arms and ran for the walls, forming into groups as they went. Shields came out and were brought together in the defensive maneuver made famous by the Romans. Holding the shields up and over their heads, they assembled in columns stepping closely together, and resembled the animal of which Sir Jamie had spoken. In their midst ran archers, able to fire arrows out through small openings between the shields.

Behind them the horsemen furiously went at tacking their animals. As soon as they were mounted some of them hurried to Cook. That worthy and his men had a score of buckets of tar from the wagon that had hauled all the chandler's stores the long way from the coast. Fitted with these to carry, those riders hurled away across the plain, going through the outer gates in the city wall like a hurricane. Behind them came the next group, these fifteen men carrying lit torches whose flames nearly went out as they fanned in the wind, so fast did the men ride.

They passed the foot soldiers on the way in the gate, but did not draw rein. Now began the strangest melee that any trained soldier ever had seen. Men were going everywhere, hurling tar at Citadel doors, throwing torches after to set the sticky black goo alight, riding at racing speed around the walls of the huge fortress, whooping and hollering, attacking the sheer walls on foot and randomly firing arrows at anyone who showed himself. They raised a racket that would have wakened the dead.

Around them, Paul and Ainea could hear the English sentries sounding the alarm. Even before the first of the Irish riders swooped through the North gate of the town and up the ramp toward the Citadel, men were pouring up and out across the courtyard, only to disappear into the entries in the walls and reappear up on the walkways. But now they were focused outward. Paul grinned. Turning to Ainea, he held out his arm for her hand to take.

"Come, my Dear One. I believe we have our diversion." His grin slipped a little as he had an afterthought. "God grant them protection and agility. Let them slip between the English arrows!"