149

You clamber out of the cellar and set off after the Drakkarim with weapon in hand, determined to free your companion from their clutches, but as you hurry into the western avenue you see that they have already joined with the troops who are escorting the covered wagon. The wagon has halted and you count more than fifty Drakkarim jostling the helpless Prarg, bullying and cursing him vilely. More than one voice calls out in the Giak tongue—‘Let’s kill the Lencian spy!’

Fearful that they are going to beat him to death, you decide to charge headlong into the crowd in a desperate attempt to save him, despite the overwhelming odds against your success. But before you can act, a Drakkarim officer on horseback appears and commands the troops to order. An uneasy silence descends on the group; then dutifully they step away from Prarg and form up in a column facing the officer and his mount. Prarg, who has been left lying on the ground, barely conscious, is bundled into the wagon. The officer raises his hand and the wagon trundles off along the avenue towards a distant square, with the troop of soldiers marching smartly in its wake.

You follow and observe, taking in every aspect, every detail that might help you to free your companion. When you reach the square at the end of the avenue, you discover that it is dominated by a tall tower. It is Magnaarn’s tower. His flag, emblazoned with the emblem of a black eagle clutching two fiery swords, flutters lazily from its slender wooden spire. The wagon draws up in front of a building adjacent to the tower and Prarg is dragged unceremoniously inside. Judging by the bars which adorn its windows, and the armed guards at its entrance, you hazard a guess that this is the Shugkona Gaol.

Patiently you watch the square for several minutes while you try to formulate a plan. Then the assembled troops are galvanized into action when an order from their officer sends them off in pairs to search the town for other spies. Several Drakkarim come towards your location and you are forced to seek somewhere to hide. Looking around you can see only two dwellings that may offer some hope of a safe haven. The first is a warehouse; the second a stables.

If you wish to hide in the warehouse, turn to 324.

If you choose to hide in the stables, turn to 96.