stood on one of the
tables. He filled a goblet to the brim, drained it with a flourish, blew
out all but one of the candles and went into the bedroom.

Dylara swallowed her heart back to its usual place and straightened
slowly to ease cramped muscles. Give the Ammadian an hour to fall into a
deep sleep and to allow the palace inhabitants to return to their beds,
and she could make a second attempt to get away.

The minutes passed with almost painful deliberateness. So complete was
the silence here that she could hear the sounds of even breathing from
the bedroom. It was the breathing of a man who was sleeping soundly; a
few minutes more and she would make her bid for freedom.

Knuckles pounded sharply on the apartment door.

* * * * *

As Tharn and Trakor were on the point of swinging into one of the half
circle of trees, a crepitant rustle among the nearby bushes brought
their heads sharply around in instant alarm.

Six stern-faced guards in spotless tunics stood less than a dozen feet
away, spears leveled at the broad chests of the two Cro-Magnards. At
sight of those weapons Tharn's hand dropped from the hilt of his knife
and utter chagrin filled his heart.

He felt Trakor stiffen beside him and he put out a restraining hand. "It
is useless," he muttered. "The slightest move and they will cut us
down."

One of the six stepped forward a few paces and peered at the two
intruders. "Who are you," he demanded, "and what are you doing on the
grounds of Jaltor, king of Ammad?"

"We are men of Sephar," Tharn said, following the first line of thought
that popped into his head. "We came to Ammad with Jotan's party and were
looking over the palace grounds. There is nothing so fine in all Sephar,
let me tell you!"

It was a wild, almost incredible shot into complete supposition. It was
possible that Jotan and his men _had_ reached Ammad by this time; and,
while less possible, it was conceivable that the young nobleman had come
straight to the palace to pay his respects to Jaltor, instead of
postponing the visit until the following day.

What Tharn did not know, of course, was that Jotan's entire party had
been met outside Ammad's gates by a force of Jaltor's own guard and
brought directly to the palace and were being held there until the king
got around to ordering their release.

The officer in charge of this patrol knew all that--as did most of the
palace guard. He looked searching