"I'm first," Retief said. He pushed past Magnan, stopped suddenly, drove a straight punch at Illy's mouth.
The long blade flicked harmlessly over Retief's shoulder as Illy fell. Retief whirled, leaped past Magnan, took the unarmed servant by the throat and belt, lifted him and slammed him against the third man. Both scrambled, yelped and fell from the sea-wall into the water.
Retief turned back to Illy. He pulled off the man's belt and strapped his hands together.
Magnan found his voice.
"You.... we.... they...."
"I know," Retief said.
"We've got to get back," Magnan said, "Warn them!"
"We'd never get through the rebel cordon around the palace. And if we did, trying to give an alarm would only set the assassinations off early."
"We can't just...."
"We've got to go to the source; this fellow Zorn. Get him to call it off."