And then, all of a sudden, it became darker! I could not at first understand the cause of my good luck. Then I saw that they were damping down the big fires! Why?

Then I realized what must be happening. Fuel itself must be scarce so, for a period corresponding to night-time on the surface, the fires were damped while the Argzoon slept. In the almost pitch-black darkness I decided that this was my chance to explore the city and try to find out where Shizala was imprisoned.

Perhaps, if luck continued to stay on my side, I would even have a chance to rescue her, and together we could leave the gloomy cavern-world of the Argzoon and ride back to Varnal.

I hardly dared consider this as I began slowly to climb the rough sides of the city wall.

It was a stiff climb, but not too difficult. Both my hands and my feet had been hardened over the long weeks of our quest and so I found I could grip the rock like a Gibraltar monkey.

The darkness brought its own dangers, of course, and I was forced to climb largely by touch, but soon I was on top of the wall.

Crouching, sword in hand just in case I should be surprised, I sidled along the wall, peering down into the city, trying to make out the likeliest place where Shizala might be held.

Then I saw it!

One building was fairly well illuminated by torches from within and brands on the ramparts. But this is not what I noticed so much as the great, brooding banner that flew from a mast on the central keep of the building.

It was the N'aal Banner that adorned Horguhl's tent oh the battlefield outside—a larger version, but the same design.

It was little to go on—but it was something. I would make for the building with the banner.

I resheathed my sword and clambered over the other side of the wall, beginning to climb slowly down towards the ground.

I was nearly at the bottom with perhaps only a dozen feet to go when a detachment of Argzoon warriors suddenly rounded a building near the wall and marched towards me. I wondered if I had been seen—whether they had been sent to deal with me. But then they began to pass beneath me. I was only a couple of feet above the head of the tallest as he passed. I clung like a fly to the wall, praying that I would not slip and betray myself.

As soon as they were out of sight, I climbed the remaining distance to the ground and dashed across to the cover of a building, fashioned from the same roughly-heaped stone as the wall.

Knowing that the Argzoon warriors had not had many mounts, I guessed that only a few had returned as yet, which explained why the city seemed virtually deserted.