As he started to move on to the next, Horng silently dipped his massive head to one side. Rynason felt a chill go down his back.
In a few more minutes he had disarmed them all. He set the last three disintegrators on the stone floor of the colonnade—and a movement in the distance caught his eye. It was on the south wall of the city; two men stood for a moment silhouetted against the Flat, then disappeared into the shadows. In a moment, another man appeared, and he too dropped inside the wall.
So Manning had already sent the men in. The mob was unleashed.
Rynason hesitated for a moment, then turned and went quickly back into the altar room. Mara’s radio was there; he lifted it by its strap and took it with him out to the colonnade.
He could see the Earthmen moving through the streets now, darting from wall to wall in the gathering darkness of evening. In a short time it would be full night—and Rynason knew that these men would like nothing better than to attack in the dark.
He warmed the radio and opened the transmitter.
“Manning, call off your dogs. I’ve disarmed the Hirlaji.”
The radio spat static at him, and for several seconds he thought his signal hadn’t even been picked up. But at last there was a reply:
“Then get out of the Temple. It’s too late to stop this.”
“Manning!”