Cursor's Fury (Codex Alera #3)(220)

"I didn't do any of that, Max," Tavi said. "They're believing a lie."

"Balls," Max said, his voice serious. "You've done those things, Tavi. Sometimes you had help. Some of them took a whole lot of work. None of it involved furycraft-but you've done them." Max tilted his head toward the town. "They know what's over there. Any sane man would be running for the hills. But instead, they're angry. Their blood is up for a fight. You've been right there beside them in the battle. Struck blows against the Canim running on pure guts, and you've bloodied their slimy noses. The men think you can do it again. They'll follow you, Calderon."

"You've seen that force, Max. You know what's still over there. And we're tired, out of room, and out of tricks."

"Heh," Max said. "That's how belief works. The worse the situation is, the more a man's belief can do to sustain him. You've given them something to believe in."

Tavi felt a little nauseous at the statement. "We have to take down the bridge, Max. We've got to get our engineers out to the top of the arch so that they can collapse it."

"I thought we didn't have enough bodies who could earthcraft," Max said.

"If you will remember," Tavi said, "the Pavilion has a rather large number of employees who are quite practiced at earthcraft."

Max blinked. "But those are dancers, Calderon. Professional, ah, courtesans."

"Who have practiced earthcrafting every day of their professional lives," Tavi said. "I know, stonework isn't the same thing, but you've always told me that any application of one area of furycraft carries over toward different uses of the same gift."

"Well," Max said. "Yes, but..."

Tavi arched an eyebrow. "But?"

"Crafting a room full of legionares into a frenzy is one thing. Altering heavy stonework is another."

"I've had them practicing," Tavi said. "They aren't exactly engineers, but this isn't a complicated crafting. It's a demolition. All the engineers really need to get it done is earthcrafting muscle, and the dancers have got that. If we can get them and our engineers to the top of the bridge, they can take it apart."

"Big if," Max said quietly.

"Yes."

Max lowered his voice in realization. "Someone will have to hold the Canim back while they work. Whoever does that will either go into the river or be trapped on the southern half of the bridge, when it goes."

Tavi nodded. "I know. But there's no way around it. It's going to cost us to get it done, Max. We've got to hold through the night. If we can do that, we're still going to take heavy losses pushing the Canim back through our own defenses. Maybe enough to break us."

"Give the men some credit," Max said. "Like I told you. They believe. Especially the fish. They'll bloody well fight."

"Even if they do," Tavi said, "we might not be able to win through. It might not be possible."

"Only one way to know for sure. "

"And if it is possible," Tavi said, "whoever holds the Canim off is going to die." He was quiet for a moment, then said, "I'll lead it. I'll ask for volunteers."

"It's suicide," Max said quietly.

Tavi nodded. Then he shivered again. "Any chance you could do something about this rain?"

Max squinted up. "It isn't crafted. I think a strong enough crafter could change some things. But to do that, you have to be up inside it, and with those things floating around..."