tened to the dungeons with half a dozen of his personal
retainers and ordered the release of the six captives. He was now
escorting them onto the platform, assuring them that he had always
been a faithful servant of Yat-Zar and had been deeply grieved at his
sovereign's apostasy.

"_Hear my word, Kurchuk_," Stranor Sleth continued through the
loud-speaker in the idol. "_You have sinned most vilely against me,
and were I a cruel god, your fate would be such as no man has ever
before suffered. But I am a merciful god; behold, you may gain
forgiveness in my sight. For thirty days, you shall neither eat meat
nor drink wine, nor shall you wear gold nor fine raiment, and each day
shall you go to my temple and beseech me for my forgiveness. And on
the thirty-first day, you shall set out, barefoot and clad in the garb
of a slave, and journey to my temple that is in the mountains over
above Yoldav, and there will I forgive you, after you have made
sacrifice to me. I, Yat-Zar, have spoken!_"

The king started to rise, babbling thanks.

"_Rise not before me until I have forgiven you!_" Yat-Zar thundered.
"_Creep out of my sight upon your belly, wretch!_"

* * * * *

The procession back to the temple was made quietly and sedately along
an empty roadway. Yat-Zar seemed to be in a kindly humor; the people
of Zurb had no intention of giving him any reason to change his mood.
The priests of Muz-Azin and their torturers had been flung into the
dungeon. Yorzuk, appointed regent for the duration of Kurchuk's
penance, had taken control and was employing Hulgun spearmen and
hastily-converted Chuldun archers to restore order and, incidentally,
purge a few of his personal enemies and political rivals. The priests,
with the three prisoners who had been found carrying First Level
weapons among them and Yat-Zar floating triumphantly in front, entered
the temple. A few of the devout, who sought admission after them, were
told that elaborate and secret rites were being held to cleanse the
profaned altar, and sent away.

Verkan Vall and Brannad Klav and Stranor Sleth were in the conveyer
chamber, with the Paratime Policemen and the extra priests; along with
them were the three prisoners. Verkan Vall pulled off his false beard
and turned to face these. He could see that they all recognized him.

"Now," he began, "you people are in a bad jam. You've violated the
Paratime Transposition Code, the Commercial Regula