"I'm joining you people. You had two Assassins when the parley began,
you'll have two when the shooting starts."

Verkan Vall looked at Dirzed in some surprise. Hadron Dalla's Assassin
nodded.

"He's entitled to do that, Lord Virzal; the Assassins' code provides
for such changes of allegiance."

"Welcome, Sarnax," Verkan Vall said, hooking fingers with him. "I hope
we'll all be together when this is over."

"We will be," Sarnax assured him cheerfully. "Discarnate. We won't get
out of this in the body, Lord Virzal."

A submachine-gun hammered from above, the bullets lashing the fountain
pool; the water actually steamed, so great was their velocity.

"All right!" a voice called down. "Assassins' Truce is over!"

Another burst of automatic fire smashed out the lights at the bottom
of the ascent tube. Dirzed and Dalla struggled across the room,
pushing a heavy steel cabinet between them; Verkan Vall, who was
holding Olirzon's submachine-gun, moved aside to allow them to drop it
on edge in the open doorway, then wedged the door half-shut against
it. Sarnax came over, bringing rifles, hunting pistols, and
ammunition.

"What's the situation, up there?" Verkan Vall asked him. "What force
have they, and why did they turn against us?"