"Yes." Darnad's voice was a thin mutter. It seemed that he, too, had no liking for what had happened to us.

"At least we have saved Shizala," I reminded him. "Belet Vor will see that she returns safely to Varnal."

"Yes." The voice sounded slightly less strained. Silence for a while. Later I made up my mind.

"If you will stay where you are, Darnad," I said, "so that I may keep some sort of bearing, I will explore our prison."

"Very well," he agreed.

I had to crawl, of course—there was no other way.

I counted the number of 'paces' as I moved across that horribly wet and foul-smelling floor.

By the time I had counted to sixty-one I had reached a wall. I then began to crawl round this, still counting.

Something obstructed me. I could not tell at first what it was. Thin objects like sticks. I felt them carefully and then withdrew my hand suddenly as I realized what they were. Bones. One of Chinod Sai's earlier victims.

I encountered several more skeletons on my circuit of the walls.

From where I had started, the first wall measured ninety-seven 'paces'; the second only fifty-four. The third was, in all, a hundred and twenty-six. I began to wonder why I was doing this, save to keep my mind occupied.

The fourth wall. One 'pace', two, three ...

On the seventeenth 'pace' along the fourth wall my hand touched—nothing!

Surely this could not be a means of escape? By touch I discovered that some sort of circular hole led off from the fourth wall—perhaps a pipe that had once brought water into the chamber. It was just wide enough to take a man.

I put my head inside and reached my arms along it. It was wet and slimy but nothing stopped me.

Before I raised Darnad's hopes, I decided to see whether the pipe really offered a chance of escape.

I squeezed my whole body into it and began to lever myself forward, wriggling like a snake.

I began to feel elated when nothing obstructed me. Soon my whole body was in the pipe. I wriggled on. I hate being so confined normally, but if the pipe meant escape it was worth suffering my claustrophobia.

But then came disappointment.

My questing hands found something—and I knew at once what they touched.

It was another human skeleton.

Evidently some other poor soul—perhaps manyhad sought this means of escape and been disappointed—and not had the energy or inclination to return.

I sighed deeply and began to wriggle back down.

But as I did so I suddenly heard something from behind me. I paused. It was the sound of grating stone. A little light filtered up the pipe and I heard someone chuckle.

I did not move. I waited.

Then came Chinod Sai's jeering voice. "Greetings, Bradhinak—how are you enjoying your stay?"

Darnad did not reply.