Shadow on the Sand (8 page)
Within seconds, the image of the lock appears in your mind. You use your power to make the lock open and a loud
click
confirms your success.
You recognize the symptoms of Limbdeath. The wound has become infected by thousands of Limbdeath microbes, one of many strains of deadly bacteria to be found in the
Baga-darooz
. None of your Kai skills can prevent the eventual loss of your arm. There is only one cure for the disease — the infected wound must be treated with the herb Oede within twenty-four hours. Unless you find some Oede by mid-afternoon tomorrow, your arm will become gangrenous. You will then have to choose between losing your arm or losing your life.
This dreadful realization renews your determination to escape from this terrible place, for you can be sure of one thing: you will find no Oede in the
Baga-darooz
.
You fight with great skill and courage, but you are heavily outnumbered. The black-clad warriors close in and overpower you, dragging you back to a jubilant Maouk.
‘You are brave, Kai Lord. But you'll need more than bravery to save you now!’
It is an armoury log. The pages contain handwritten lists of all the work carried out here. Spears and swords made for the garrison of Kara Kala, ore shipments from the Vakar Mountains, weapons due for repair and all manner of daily routines are carefully recorded.
You are about to discard the log when you notice a folded piece of parchment tucked into the spine. It is a list of dates and numbers with a heading in bold print: ‘
The Bronze Door
’. You scan the page and locate today's date. The number listed next to it is ‘67’. Make a note of this number in the margin of your
Action Chart
— it could be of use at a later stage of your adventure.
You throw the book back onto the cluttered bench and begin to search for your missing equipment.
You dive into the putrid water, stealing yourself for the ghastly swim you have decided to make. The oily scum fills your nose and mouth and chokes in your throat. You claw your way across the vault to the opposite tunnel and struggle onto a narrow walkway. You are trembling, but it is not the shock of the swim that has made you shiver. Your arm will not function. Your shoulder, wounded when the trapdoor grille fell, stings painfully, and the whole arm below it is numb and useless. Horror engulfs you as you realize what is wrong.
The guards pull open the door and rush into the cell, their weapons held in readiness to attack. They are brutish men with cruel, war-scarred faces. Their surprise at your sudden appearance soon turns to anger and they shove you back against the far wall.
‘Seems we have a trickster, Sefrou,’ hisses the taller guard. ‘A northland illusionist who's lost his way,’ croons the other. They snigger at their joke, their eyes full of malevolence and spite.
‘Let's teach our guest a lesson,’ says the first guard, raising his blade to your throat. ‘Go fetch the thumbscrews.’
If you wish to attack the guard who holds the sword,
turn to 59
.
If you do not wish to attack,
turn to 163
.
You sprint through the archway, keeping a watchful eye on the two drinking guards. The dust is settling, and should they turn around, you will certainly be seen. In your hurry, you fail to see a stone statue close to the wall and catch it with your knee. Stifling a yelp of pain, you hobble into the palace gardens and take cover beneath a leafy kasl bush. You lose 1
ENDURANCE
point due to your injury, but at least you have entered the Grand Palace unseen.
On the far side of the small tower, the ledge passes directly beneath a line of windows set high in the north wall. The sandstone blocks have been severely eroded by the strong ocean winds, creating many cracks and hollows which make climbing easy. To your delight, you also discover that the iron window grilles have yet to be locked on this side of the palace.
You drop to the floor of a corridor that heads off to the west. A wide staircase leads to a network of passages set with alcoves. Each alcove contains a bust or tapestry depicting past Zakhans and Vassagonian victories in long-forgotten wars.
If you have the Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense,
turn to 105
.
If you do not possess this skill,
turn to 158
.
The poster is written from right to left in Vassagonian script. The time you spent learning the language aboard the galley was well spent, for you have little difficulty in translating the proclamation:
His most illustrious majesty, Zakhan Moudalla the Exalted, has passed into the realm of the Majhan. May his spirit never die! By the grace of the Council of Kadi, the Funtal of Kara Kala, and the Judicar of Barrakeesh, it is decreed that Kimah, Emir of Ferufezan, Protector of the Dry Main, shall by right claim the throne of Vassagonia. Through the unity of the Seven Cities, he will lead his people to greatness.
Long may he reign!
A scuffle breaks out at the end of the passage as a handful of Sharnazim try to push their way through the crowd. In the confusion a fruit stall is overturned, and its owner curses the clumsy soldiers at the top of his voice. Then there is a sudden silence — the luckless man has been beheaded for his insolence.
You turn and run, splashing through the shallow drainage channel running the length of the foul passage.
A sharp pain stabs through your jaw as the needle finds its mark. In an instant, the room becomes a spinning vortex of darkness, beyond the reach of pain.
You awake to find yourself back in the cockroach-infested prison cell from which you originally escaped. You have been disarmed and stripped of all your equipment and can do little now except await the arrival of the Zakhan.
You enter a large vestibule constructed from blocks of pink and white marble. A man in a white robe sits near a door in the far wall; he is reading a scroll held close to his face. He has not seen you enter the baths, but he is quick to sense your presence.
Illustration V—A man in a white robe sits near a door in the far wall, reading a scroll.
‘By the Majhan!’ he cries. ‘You smell worse than a Baknar!’ He hurls a towel at you and points to the door. ‘Take my advice,’ he whines, his fingers pinching shut his nostrils. ‘Don't get undressed — your clothes need the bath as much as you.’
You grit your teeth in anticipation of the moment when he sees that you are not Vassagonian, but he simply returns to his scroll, holding the parchment close to his short-sighted eyes. You smile as you realize that the man cannot see you clearly enough to know you are a foreigner.
Beyond the door there is a long hall, leading at regular intervals into smaller open chambers, each with a sunken bath. Perfumed water constantly splashes into the baths and drains away directly into the
Baga-darooz
. You decide to take the bath attendant's advice and jump straight into the cool water, keeping all your clothes on. You notice a large earthenware jar stands beside the bath, full to the brim with translucent purple oil.
If you have the Kai Discipline of Healing,
turn to 6
.
If you wish to swallow some of the purple oil,
turn to 41
.
If you wish to rub some into your skin,
turn to 103
.
If you decide to ignore the oil,
turn to 71
.
The guard lashes out at your head with his warhammer. Instinctively, you duck, rolling to one side as the weapon strikes sparks from the wall.
Palace Gaoler:
COMBAT SKILL
14
ENDURANCE
21
You must deduct 4 points from your
COMBAT SKILL
for the duration of this combat, as you are without a weapon.
If you win and the fight lasts 4 rounds of combat or less,
turn to 65
.
If you win and the fight lasts longer than 4 rounds of combat,
turn to 180
.
You sprint along the cobblestones but are soon forced to stop. Cavalry appear at the end of the street; they shout and charge at you, three abreast. Maouk hisses a curse. You are shocked by how close his voice sounds, as if he were but a step behind you. You wheel round to confront him, only to see he still stands where he first appeared. A dart is held high in his hand; he hisses another curse and flings the missile into the air.
You descend the stairs and follow the corridor eastwards, taking care to tread lightly. The bars on windows high in the wall to your right cast latticed shadows across the smooth marble floor ahead. Beneath one of these windows stands a table on which rests a pitcher of water. Your throat is parched, and you stop to take a long drink. Restore 1
ENDURANCE
point.
If you wish to climb onto the table and look through the window,
turn to 155
.
If you wish to press on along the corridor,
turn to 182
.
You fall face first into putrid water. The oily slime fills your ears and nose and chokes in your throat. You surface and struggle onto a narrow walkway, only to find that your arm no longer functions. Your wounded shoulder, injured by the falling trapdoor grille, still stings painfully, but now the whole arm below it is numb and useless. Horror overcomes you as you realize what is wrong.
You surface beside a covered skiff. Anxious to avoid the scavengers in the waters of Barrakeesh harbour, you haul yourself aboard and hide beneath the boat's canopy of woven rushes. You are breathless from your swim, but you dare not make a sound; Maouk's men are everywhere, racing along the harbour walls, their eyes searching the water for any sign of you. If you are to escape, you must think of something to divert their attention.
If you have the Kai Discipline of Mind Over Matter,
turn to 184
.
If you do not possess this skill,
turn to 56
.
The water is clotted with a revolting variety of green and black muck and scum. It reaches up to your waist, and, as you force your way through the glutinous mire, the surface film breaks, releasing a vile gas. You have to cover your nose and mouth with your Kai cloak, for the stench is appalling. A sudden splash warns that Maouk's men are not far behind.
Your foot catches in something buried in the silt of the tunnel floor, and for one brief second, you are seized by total panic. You struggle to kick free but are held fast. Blindly, you stab your weapon beneath the filthy water until your foot is finally freed. As you withdraw your weapon, you half-expect to find some hideous sewer creature impaled upon it. Instead, you discover a human rib cage. You shudder and flick the bones back into the stinking mire.
The channel soon divides: the new tunnel heads west and the other continues southwards. The splashing has grown steadily louder — Maouk's men are gaining on you.
If you wish to head west,
turn to 135
.
If you wish to continue south,
turn to 164
.