Several men and women stared at us. Hilmi Bey peered from behind a pillar next the courtyard door. He had plainly taken shelter at the crack of Hélène's pistol. Montey Hilyer and Serge Vassilievich stood some distance to the right of us, paralyzed with surprise. Maude Hilyer and Sandra Vassilievna had risen from seats in the apse-like recess at the other end. Apparently they had supposed Toutou was engaged only with Hélène.
He screamed at them, insensate in his fury. His knife still dripped blood. He flung his empty pistol at us.
"Fools!" he shrieked. "We are betrayed!"
The door to the courtyard was jerked open, and he spun on his heel and dodged behind a pillar. Tokalji reeled in.
"Strange Tzigane folk have burst the street-door," he bellowed. "We—"
He gaped at sight of us.
"Quick!" Hugh shouted. "Scatter—before they shoot!"
Watkins and I jumped right and left. Hugh sought the shelter of a pillar.
"Shoot!" yelled Toutou. "Shoot! Fools! Swine! Dogs!"
And he babbled on obscenely, darting catlike from pillar to pillar toward Watty. Hilyer and Serge simultaneously came to life and made for us, guns spurting, throwing pieces of furniture to confuse us. Things happened so fast that it was impossible to keep track of everything, but I found myself involved in a pistol duel with Serge. Hugh and Watkins were blazing away at Hilmi, Hilyer and Tokalji, and Toutou was weaving through the smoke, seeking an opportunity to close with one of us. I paid no attention to the women until a bullet spatted on a pillar by my ear. I knew it could not have come from the front, and startled, I turned to the left in time to see Sandra aiming deliberately at me. I dodged, and thereby opened myself to her brother's attack.