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3
While Cam-Thoth-A watched this poison reaping, he noticed an unusual sight. Eight hunters
were bringing up heavy crossbows with baskets of metal crossbow bolts to the top of the city
walls.
“Where did you get those?” Cam-Thoth-A demanded knowing that this type of weapon was not
proper to this dome culture.
“We are hippo hunters. After adangerous huntwhere twoof our teamdied, a newcomer invented
these for use on the hunt. No hippo hunter has died while using these,” explained the hunter
as he cranked up the weapon and loaded it with a metal bolt. “We can start hitting the bugs
from 400 yards out. I think we can pierce their armor from 100 yards. Some of us will crank the
cranequins of the crossbows while the better shots use the weapons on the enemy.”
The time of interrogation must come later. Right now the city people were in a fight for their
lives. Cam-Thoth-A shouted, “Hemlock! Bring more jars to the outer walls!”
Every ten yards along the walls, rested a foot tall Hemlock jar with a wax seal for the top. With
Cam-Thoth-A’s shout, the wax seals were removed and the wax with a Hemlock paste was tossed
to the ground beyond the wall. All the javelin tips, spear tips, arrow tips, and crossbow bolt tips
were dipped into the paste of the jars. More jars were brought from other parts of the city wall.
The fresh paste clung to the tips and would enter wounds if the missile weapons successfully
struck the Waspians. This presented another new defense made since the last invasion.
Cam-Thoth-A led the warriors at this section of the wall. He made sure the javelin throwers
and the archers were positioned properly. He looked down behind the gate and saw the red flag
ready for raising on the pole of life. He waved a red banner at the group on the ground, noting
all appeared ready at the flagpole.
They all watched the monsters approach the city. When the gigantic bugs hit the poison fields
in front of Thebes, five miles away, a cheer erupted from those on the walls. The cheer stiffened
the morale of the wall defenders. The vision of thousands of massive bugs coming in a hundred
yard column presented a terrifying aspect.
The buzzing of the enemy grew in volume as they reached the four mile mark. The stench of
the creatures made it hard to breathe on the walls of Thebes. The sight of the giant mandibles
cutting a hundred yard path through the plants tested the courage of the wall defenders. Several
miles worth of the creatures moved toward the city. The smell of human fear appeared as strong
as the stench of the Waspians. The humans were probably going to run in terror. Cam-Thoth-A
doubted there were enough androids to stem the tide of invaders.
Suddenly, the horns of the Pharaoh blasted from the street behind the gates. First, came the
chariots of Pharaoh’s elite force of warriors. Behind them raced the Pharaoh Jemin-A in all his
glory. He rode a golden chariot pulled by four magnificent horses. He stood in armor of gold
and held a Force lance of Ra in his hand. He pulled his steeds to the gate of the city. The horror
of the monsters became forgotten in his glory.