"Chinod Sai is defeated—the tyrant dies!"

The mob replied exultantly: "Salute Morda Kohn, Bradhi of Narlet!"

Morda Kohn swung round and grinned at me. "Enemies of Chinod Sai are friends of mine. Indirectly you helped me gain the throne. But where is Chinod Sai?"

I pointed at the floor. "I slew him," I said simply.

Morda Kohn laughed. "Good, good! You are even more of a friend for that little service."

"It was no service to you," I said, "but something I had promised myself the pleasure of accomplishing"

"Quite so. I was truly sorry about the death of your friend."

"My friend?" I said as Darnad joined us. He had a flesh wound on his right shoulder but otherwise seemed all right.

"Belet Vor—did you not know?"

"What has happened to Belet Vor?" Darnad asked urgently.

I must admit I was not only thinking of Belet Vor—but of the girl I had sent to him, Shizala.

"Why, that is what enabled me to arouse the people against Chinod Sai," Morda Kohn said. "Chinod Sai and his blue friend learned that you had been seen in the house of Belet Vor. They went there and they ordered him to be beheaded on the spot!"

"Belet Vor, dead? Beheaded-oh, no!" Darnad's face turned pale with horror.

"I am afraid so."

"But the girl we rescued—the one we sent to him?" I spoke in some trepidation, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"Girl? I do not know—I heard nothing of a girl Perhaps she is still at his house, hiding somewhere."

I relaxed. That was probably true. "There is still another missing," Darnad said. "The Vladnyar woman—Horguhl. Where is she?"

Together we searched the palace but there was ho sign of her.

Night was falling as we borrowed mounts from the new 'Bradhi' and rushed to Belet Vor's house.

Inside,   it  had   been   torn   apart.   We   called Shizala's name but she did not answer. Shizala had gone—but where? And how? We stumbled out of the house. Had we fought and risked so much only to fail now?

Back to the palace to see if Morda Kohn could help us.

The new Bradhi was supervising the replacement of the flagstones. "They will be securely cemented down," he said. "They will never be put to the same dreadful use again."

"Morda Kohn," I said desperately, "the girl was not at Belet Vor's house. And we know she would hot have gone anywhere of her own accord. Did any of Chinod Sai's guards survive? If they did, one of them may be able to tell us what happened."

"I think there are several prisoners in the anteroom." Morda Kohn nodded. "Question them if you like."

We went to the ante-room. There were three sulking, badly wounded prisoners. "Do any of you know where Shizala is?" I asked.

"Shizala?" One of them looked up with a frown.

"The blonde girl—the prisoner who was here."