The lion roared, unable to find the child. The roars of other lions joined in.
Dan was aware that he was lying atop the hard base of the statue, but he didn't know how he had come to be there. He tried to stand up.
He heard voices screaming orders, then falling still, and a scene swung into his line of sight like something watched through the rear-view mirror of a turning groundcar.
Half a dozen men, guns in their hands, their bodies and blue capes spattered and smeared till they could hardly be recognized, lay motionless on the pavement
Then the scene swung up and away, and Dan felt weightless. Something hit him hard. His head bounced and he rolled over. Soft grass was in his face. It smelled fresh.
There was a dull boom that moved the ground under him.
He twisted his head to look up.
A massive arm was stretched out over him, its hand firmly gripping the cut edges of a big metal ring.