The Carpet People

got?’
    Snibril held out a hand, all fingers extended. Bane strode along the top of the wall to the nearest guard and picked up the bugle. Dust billowed out when he blew it.
    It’s a funny thing. When there’s a warning signal, when people have known for ever that there’s awarning signal, and that warning signal is sounded for the very first time . . . people don’t react properly. They wander out blearily saying things like ‘Someone’s mucking about with the warning signal, aren’t they?’ and ‘Who’s blowing the warning signal? That’s for warnings, that is.’
    Which is what happened now. Bane looked down at the streets filled with bewildered people, and groaned.
    ‘It’s starting!’ he shouted. ‘Now!’
    A Dumii raised a hand uncertainly.
    ‘Is this another practice?’ he said. There had been a lot of practices in the last few days.
    ‘No!’
    ‘Oh. Right.’
    A moment later the air was filled with shouted orders.
    Snibril sank to his knees as Ware emptied itself around him.
    ‘. . . squad three! Main square! Keep away from buildings! . . .’
    ‘. . . bandages, bandages, who’s got the bandages? . . .’
    ‘. . . remember, they can come up from underneath! . . .’
    All Snibril wanted to do was crawl into a hole and pull it in after him. His head felt flat.
    ‘. . . OK, line up the pones! . . .’
    He could get away, anyway. Staggering, ignored by everyone else, he almost fell down the ladder from the battlements and groped his way towards the rail where he had tethered Roland. He pulled himself on to the horse’s back and joined the flow of people leaving Ware.
    Then the animals started to feel the effects of Fray. The pones, which were already outside the gate, started to trumpet. Horses neighed, and several bolted towards the hairs outside the city walls. Dogs and cats ran between the feet of the people.
    They want to get away, Snibril thought dully.
    The houses began to tremble, very gently.
    Then, with no sound yet, the hairs that arched over the city began to bend.
    Then came the creaking – long and drawn out, as thousands of hairs were forced downwards by the tremendous weight.
    It’s right overhead, Snibril thought.
    The people leaving Ware didn’t need any more encouragement. The hairs over the city were getting closer, groaning and creaking as the weight pushed them down.
    We’ll never do it all in time . . .
    Roland cantered through the arch of the gateway.
    The walls collapsed. The ground moved like theskin of an animal, smashing the houses. Ware began to fall in on itself.
    Snibril’s ears popped. The relief almost made him want to cry.
    He looked back at the city. Walls were still toppling as the Carpet itself bent under Fray, but nearly everyone had got out.
    A couple of soldiers barrelled through the archway just before it broke.
    Right over us, Snibril thought. As if something wants to kill us. But Pismire thinks Fray is just some kind of natural force we can’t understand. Would that be any better? Thousands of us, killed by something that doesn’t even know we are here?
    There were a few people still visible outside the city, and nothing could hide the pones.
    He looked at the hairs around Ware.
    Which erupted mouls. He had time to turn Roland around and race back towards the city.
    Bane’s head poked up as Roland leapt over the ditch in the dust.
    ‘There’s thousands of them!’
    ‘Wait until they get closer,’ said Bane.
    Mouls and snargs were still pouring into the clearing.
    Snibril looked along the ditch. At this point most of the defenders were Dumii bowmen, lying downcalmly and watching the black wall moving towards them.
    ‘Aren’t they close enough yet?’
    ‘Not yet,’ said Bane. ‘Sergeant Careus . . . give the signal to be ready.’
    ‘Yessir!’
    Snibril could make out individual creatures now. Bane scratched his chin. ‘Not yet,’ he said, ‘not yet. The first shot is the most . . . important.’
    There was a flicker on the mound of dust behind them. Snibril and Bane turned to see a white figure, staring intently at the onrushing horde. Then it vanished.
    ‘Sergeant Careus?’ said Bane quietly.
    ‘Sir?’
    ‘The moment is now .’
    Sergeant Careus threw back his shoulders and grinned.
    ‘Yessir! Squad one . . . wait for it, wait for it . . . squaaaaad one . . . fire! Squad one back! Squad two forward! Squaaaaad two . . . fire! Squad one reload! Squad one forward! Squaaaaad one . . . fire . . .’
    Not many people had ever