The city was seething. But out of the chaos was coming a comparatively orderly menace. We could sense it at first; and then in a few brief minutes so swift that we had no time to prepare--the menace became obvious and was at hand.
The _slaans_ had withdrawn from the festival for a greater, more organized effort. Their revolt against Tarrano in which Maida had joined, was bigger, more deep-rooted than a mere revolt. It was against Maida herself. Trickery of the downtrodden _slaans_ against the ruling class. Against the old order of government. Even against the _Rhaals_, who in their distant city were all-powerful, but who obeyed the laws and took no part in anything.
Revolution! From down the waterways of streets which converged into the broad lagoon before the palace, boats began arriving. Boats crowded with _slaans_. Disheveled, unkempt men and women with primitive weapons of steel and wire brandished aloft. They surged into the lagoon. A murderous, frenzied mob--thoughtless of itself, suicidal to attack us, yet daring everything in its frenzy.
Soon the lagoon was crowded--a chaos of pushing, shoving boats. Then the boats began landing, disgorging their occupants, wild-eyed _slaans_ each a potential murderer. The gardens of the palace were presently jammed with them. They did not at first come within our threshholds; they stood milling about under the palms, trampling the tropic flowers, screaming threats and epithets at us. But waiting--as a mob always does--for some leader to advance, that they might follow him upon us.
We stood on the palace roof-top. I must confess that we were in a flurry for the moment. There were undoubtedly weapons at hand, but I at least did not have them, nor did I know where they were. Excusable flurry possibly for the thing had come so quickly, and most of us were strangers here of but a few hours.
The roof had a low railing waist-high, but broad. We stood clustered behind it. In the garden beneath, the mob was shouting up at us. And, before I could stop her, Maida had leaped to the top of the rail. Georg and I clutched at her, then steadied her.
But they would not hear her. Shouts went up; a roar of threats. The press of additions to the mob landing from other boats, forced the front ranks forward. They were now on the palace steps, jammed there waving their weapons yet still hesitating to advance.