Voyage of the Moonstone (26 page)

From the reverent way the passengers spoke about Temujun during the journey, you are expecting him to be either a very wise old cleric or a gifted charlatan. You take your place in line with the others who are queueing to enter his tent and idly you listen to their excited chatter. While you wait, a young boy clad in a
mhaktis
of striped silk walks along the line collecting Temujun's fee. For five minutes' consultation with the learned sage, the charge is 2 Gold Crowns.

If you wish to pay the fee,
turn to 140
.

If you cannot afford the charge, or if you choose not to pay it,
turn instead to 234
.

Desperately you draw on your Kai skill to cause the balloon to veer away from the jagged outcrop.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If your present
ENDURANCE
points score is 25 or higher, add 2 to the number you have picked. If your
ENDURANCE
is 10 or lower, deduct 1.

If your total score is now 4 or less,
turn to 218
.

If it is 5 or higher,
turn to 307
.

You throw yourself flat against your horse's neck and you hear the archer's arrow as it whistles across your shoulder-blades. Its tip grazes the back of your tunic and narrowly misses penetrating your spine by less than an inch. For a few uncertain moments the marines believe that you have been mortally wounded, but they are quick to cheer when they see you sit up unharmed. You acknowledge their shout with a wave of your hand and lead them at a gallop out of this unfriendly mountain town.

Turn to 52
.

The militia have orders to impose the curfew and arrest anyone caught on the streets after dark. As you march alongside the young lieutenant on your way to the city's guardhouse, you ask him why such stern measures have been imposed, especially in Hikas which is considered to be one of the most peaceful and civilized cities of Magnamund.

‘The people of Hikas are living in fear of their lives,’ says the lieutenant. ‘For the past month there's been a creature stalking our streets at night. It's killed more than fifty poor souls, and in terrible fashion. Ripped 'em to pieces. There isn't anyone who's lived to tell what it looks like but everyone's got their own ideas. Some say it's a shape-changer that goes about at day in the guise of a man and changes into a beast at night. Others say it's come from Gorgoron, seeking revenge on the Old Kingdom for the death of its master — Agarash the Damned. I don't know what to think. All I know is that it walks these streets, and every night someone dies a ghastly death by its hand.’

Suddenly a terrible shriek echoes through the empty streets. A woman standing on the balcony of a tall building nearby leans over the parapet and calls out to the lieutenant. ‘Down by the river,’ she shouts, and she points over the rooftops to where the shriek was heard. ‘The fiend … it's struck again!’

‘Quick, men!’ yells the lieutenant. ‘Follow me! If we're swift we may catch the beast this night.’

Turn to 337
.

You take hold of the thief roughly by the throat and, using your Kai Mastery to mimic his nasal accent, you say: ‘Accuse your own brother of theft, would you? I'll teach you to go filching m'things when m'back is turned.’ And with this, you slap him across the top of the head with the back of your hand and snatch back the item he has stolen from you.

The crowd immediately loses interest in what they now believe is just an everyday squabble between two brothers, and they continue about their own business.

The thief is struck dumb by the sheer audacity of your ploy. When you release your grip of his throat, he scurries away into the crowd like a frightened rat.

Turn to 96
.

Upon emerging from the Bukimi Channel,
The Pride of Sommerlund
is caught by a strong northeasterly wind which propels her swiftly towards the Vassagonian coast. For two days and nights she rides the scudding waves, her speedy passage more than making up for any time lost in the Lakuri Isles. Then, late on the third day, the lookout catches his first glimpse of Barrakeesh. Excitedly the crew gather on deck to stare at the golden domes and towers of the city which glimmer like orbs of burnished gold in the glow of the setting sun. In fading light, Paoll brings the ship silently into the great curve of Barrakeesh harbour and moors her at the end of a vacant quay. Few eyes notice another trade ship, but one pair takes a special interest. They belong to Lord-lieutenant Fernant, the Sommlending envoy to this rich, desert realm. When finally the ship is docked and the gangplank is lowered to the quayside, he is waiting there to greet your arrival.

Fernant is a tall man in his mid-forties, clean-shaven, and of slim and athletic build. His face has characteristics which are unmistakably Sommlending, yet his skin is richly tanned from the many years he has spent in this sun-drenched land. After a brief talk with Captain Raker to confirm that the ship will be ready to sail tomorrow at noon, he offers you the hospitality of his house in the city. After nearly a month at sea, you gladly welcome the chance to bathe in a proper bath and sleep in a proper bed.

Fernant's house is only a short distance from the harbour. It is a large, two-storey dwelling with a flat roof and a walled garden that smells sweetly of picanda and larnuma fruit. After a luxurious bath and a feast fit for a king, Fernant tells you something about the changes which have occurred in Vassagonia since the demise of its hated ruler — Zakhan Kimah — who, during the Darklands War, allied himself and his reluctant nation to the Darklords of Helgedad.

‘Shoualli is the new Zakhan now,’ says Fernant, as he peels the skin from a ripe larnuma and slices it neatly in two with a pearl-handled dagger. ‘He is an honourable and intelligent man. He has brought peace back to this land through trade. Its enemies, who once swore to destroy Vassagonia, now come and barter their wares in the rich markets of Barrakeesh and Bisutan.’ Later during the evening, talk turns to the details of your mission. Fernant is unaware of its true purpose; all he knows is that he is to offer you every assistance to ensure your swift and safe passage to Elzian. When you tell him that you are not at liberty to discuss your mission fully, he nods sympathetically and vows he will refrain from ever mentioning the subject again.

Shortly before midnight there is a knock at the front door of Fernant's house. He signals to one of his servants to go and answer it and you comment that it is an uncommonly late hour for someone to be paying him a visit. ‘Quite so,’ he says, ‘but this is a visitor I've been expecting. It's someone I'd especially like you to meet.’

Turn to 150
.

You stare across the ocean at the banks of angry clouds which are growing larger and darker with every passing minute. You sense that within them are tremendous natural forces that are building up at a dangerous rate. You feel certain that the presence of the Moonstone is partially responsible for this, although these waters are notorious for sudden and violent sea-storms.

You warn Kol of the distant storm and the disastrous effect that it could have if it were to break upon his cargo-heavy ship. You urge him to turn back to Bir Rabalou but he dismisses your request out of hand. He says that the storm is many miles away, and even if it were to move nearer he is confident that the
Desert Jewel
is still swift enough to outrun it. You believe that he is wrong and you are angered by his complacency, but there is nothing you can say that will make him, or his crew, turn this ship about. He is the master of this vessel and his loyal crew will only obey his command.

If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use the Brotherhood Spell
Mind Charm
to make Kol turn back to Bir Rabalou,
turn to 46
.

If you do not possess this skill, or if you choose not to use it, you must accept Kol's decision to continue with the voyage to Bisutan.
Turn to 269
.

The crowd scream with excitement the moment you overcome the last of the evil slaver's henchmen. At first you think they are expressing their appreciation of your superb Kai fighting skills, but then you notice a large shadow is moving across the market square and when you look up you discover the real cause of the crowd's excitation.

Swooping down out of the cloudless sky come two gigantic birds with razor-sharp beaks and talons that glint like mirrored steel. They are Itikars and seated astride their feathered backs are warriors armed with spears and shields. Frantically the slaver signals to the riders and one of them responds by hurling his weapon at your head. You dive to avoid being skewered to the ground by this deadly missile and it thuds harmlessly into the beaten earth, but as you are pulling yourself to your feet, you see the second Itikar come swooping down towards Oriah. You scream a warning yet she is frozen with fear and does not respond. The great bird sweeps past her and its rider casts a lasso which falls over her head. As the bird soars into the sky the rope tightens about her waist and she is hoisted screaming into the air. You spring to your feet and race after her as she is carried away over the rooftops of Kilij, and as you sprint across the square you see a dozen armed men emerge from the crowd to block your path. The Itikar and its precious cargo are rapidly disappearing towards the northern hills and you know in your heart that it is now too late to save Oriah. Then you hear the sound of cruel laughter echoing across the square and it brings you skidding to a halt. It is the laugh of the slaver: he can barely contain his delight at having captured such a beautiful young woman, and he is relishing the thought of watching as the remainder of his henchmen make you pay for the deaths of their comrades.

Illustration XVI
—As the bird soars into the sky, the rope tightens about her waist and she is hoisted screaming into the air.

Swiftly you assess your perilous situation and determine two ways in which you may save yourself from the slaver's gang of bloodthirsty thugs.

If you wish to run back across the square and attack the slaver,
turn to 78
.

If you wish to attempt to reach the town's bazaar and find the marines,
turn to 126
.

You are woken early the following morning by the motion of the carriage. As you rub your eyes and stretch your aching limbs, your fellow passengers tell you that the caravan has been on the move for more than an hour. They are eating a breakfast of bread and fruit which they generously offer to share with you.

It is almost noon when the stone town of Bavari looms into view. Most of its sun-bleached shops and houses are contained within a wall of uncemented stone blocks which rise to twice the height of a horse. The road approaches a heavy wooden gate, banded and studded with iron, which is flanked by circular guard towers. Perforating the walls are slits for archers and openings for larger machines of war.

The procession of wagons passes through the gate and comes to a halt in the middle of Bavari. As you disembark you sense an air of excitement pervading this town. You overhear the other passengers talking and you learn that today is the third day of the Bavarian gladiatorial circus — an annual event which attracts the finest warriors of Vassagonia to come here and compete with each other in armed combat. Great wealth and status are the rewards for those who triumph; disgrace and sometimes death await those who fail.

You are curious to see this great event and so you follow a group of passengers to Bavari's arena where the gladiatorial circus is being staged. Entrance to the arena is free and you take a seat on one of the many stone tiers that encircle its oval-shaped fighting area. Throughout the afternoon several combats are staged between warriors on foot and on horseback. The heat of the desert sun is unrelenting, and by late afternoon you are feeling parched. During a lull in the contests, you hear the tinkling sound of running water and you decide to seek out its source. You descend to the edge of the fighting area and enter a tunnel which passes beneath the tiers of seats. Halfway along this cool tunnel is an open door set into the whitewashed wall. Through the doorway you see a bronze fountain standing in the middle of an empty room. It is richly embellished with engravings which depict ancient gladiatorial contests, and a stream of sparkling water issues upwards from a nozzle at its centre, inviting you to drink.

You are desperate to slake your thirst and so you enter the room and stoop over the fountain. You are swallowing the deliciously cool water when suddenly you sense someone rushing at you from behind.

If you wish to turn around quickly and face the person who is rushing towards you,
turn to 223
.

If you choose to draw your weapon before you turn around, in case you should have to defend yourself from a surprise attack,
turn to 45
.