Martel looked at the obscenely cavorting figures on the floor below. ‘How long will that continue?’ he asked. ‘We need some guidance from Azash at this point, and we can’t get His attention while that’s going on.’

‘The rite is nearly complete,’ Otha told him. ‘The celebrants are beyond exhaustion. They will die soon.’

‘Good. Then we’ll be able to speak with our Master. He’s also in danger.’

‘Martel!’ Otha said sharply, his voice filled with alarm. ‘Sparhawk hath broken out of the maze! He hath reached the pathway to the temple!’

‘Summon men to stop him!’ Martel barked.

‘I have, but they are far behind him. He will reach us before they can hinder him.’

‘We must rouse Azash!’ Annias cried in a shrill voice.

‘To interrupt this rite is death,’ Otha declared.

Martel straightened and took his ornate helmet out from under his arm. ‘Then it’s up to me, I guess,’ he said bleakly.

Sparhawk raised his head. From far off in the direction of the palace he could hear the sound of battering rams pounding on a stone wall. ‘That’s enough,’ he said to Sephrenia. ‘We have to move. Otha’s called soldiers to break down that wall that leads to the stairs near the palace.’

‘I hope Bevier and Talen are out of sight,’ Kalten said.

‘They are,’ Sparhawk told him. ‘Bevier knows what he’s doing. We’re going to have to go down into the temple. This attic – or whatever you want to call it – is too open. If we try to fight here, we’ll have soldiers coming at us from all sides.’ He looked at Sephrenia. ‘Is there some way we can block those stairs behind us?’ he asked her.

Her eyes narrowed. ‘I think so,’ she replied.

‘You sound a bit dubious.’

‘No, not really. I can block the stairway easily enough, but I can’t be sure whether Otha knows the counterspell.’

‘He won’t know that you’ve blocked it until his soldiers arrive and can’t come down the stairs, will he?’ Tynian asked her.

‘No. Actually he won’t. Very good, Tynian.’

‘Do we just run around that top terrace and confront the idol?’ Kalten asked.

‘We can’t,’ Sephrenia told him. ‘Otha’s a magician, you remember. He’d be hurling spells at our backs every step of the way. We’ll have to confront him directly.’

‘And Martel as well,’ Sparhawk added. ‘Now then, Otha doesn’t dare to interrupt Azash while that rite’s going on. We can take advantage of that. All we’ll have to worry about is Otha himself. Can we deal with him, Sephrenia?’

She nodded. ‘Otha’s not brave,’ she replied. ‘If we threaten him, he’ll use his power to shield himself from us. He’ll count on the soldiers coming from the palace to deal with us.’

‘We’ll try it,’ Sparhawk said. ‘Are we all ready then?’

They nodded.