akor, as a tribute to their
superior experience in tracking down the most wary of prey, were the
ones to remove the guards outside at least two of the gates in Vokal's
wall of stone.

And so it was that the two Cro-Magnards stole away into the darkness,
armed with arrows and bow and two good flint knives.

Half an hour later both were back, reporting success to the other
leaders. "It was almost too easy," Tharn said thoughtfully. "Where there
were four guards at one of the gates earlier tonight, I found but
one--and he was sitting with his back to the gate and fast asleep. After
I slew him I went on to help Trakor, only to learn he had had an almost
similar experience."

"It is not uncommon for guards to sleep at their posts," Jotan said
impatiently. "Let us get started before other of Vokal's guards discover
the gates are unguarded and rouse the palace defenders."

"I think we should make sure we are not going blindly into some trap,"
Tharn demurred. "This entire thing is suspicious ... too easy."

But Jotan waved the cave lord into silence. "Can't you understand," he
said crisply, "that we don't have time for that? I say let's get on with
our plan and not spend time worrying about things that will never
happen."

In this both Garlud and Tamar agreed, and so Tharn shrugged and said no
more. He was in league with these Ammadians for only one reason: to make
it that much easier for him to snatch Dylara from this strange city and
return with her to the caves of his own people. What had happened to
her, once he and Trakor had fled Vokal's palace earlier that night,
leaving her hidden within the building, was something he could not know.
But there was no other place in all of Ammad he knew where to look for
her, and so he must act in the belief that she still was behind the
palace walls, either hidden there or once more a captive of the rascally
nobleman.

* * * * *

Less than half an hour later all of Jotan's band of warriors squatted
behind the belt of foliage just within the walls of Vokal's sprawling
palace. In the dim light of stars they could look out between the
interstices of growing things, seeing the many windowed bulk of stone
rising four full floors above the neighboring terrain. No where in all
that vast expanse was there a sign of life. No candle showed its brief
flame at any window. Silent and dark and somehow a place of brooding
danger.

After another whispered conf