Even as he raced forward to save the girl he loved from being thrown
into the void below, Tharn knew he was too late. Voicing a scream of
fear, Dylara reeled back and toppled into space!

As her feet left the roof, Tharn threw himself headlong in a direction
parallel with the edge, one arm out-thrust, the other bent to check his
fall. For one agonizing second the reaching hand encountered only air;
then his fingers brushed against cloth, closed like a snapped trap, and
as his muscular frame crashed against the roof's edge, a sudden jerk
against his outstretched arm told him he had checked Dylara's fall.

A heavy sandal thudded home against his ribs, nearly rolling him into
the void and to death on the packed earth below. Before the swinging
foot could strike home a second time, Tharn was on his feet and Dylara
was swung back to safety of the roof.

As Tharn released the girl, the screaming, clawing figure of his enemy
closed upon him. In the faint light, Tharn saw the other's hair was a
silvery white and beneath it was a face once gentle but now transformed
into the mask of a madman.

* * * * *

A grim smile touched Tharn's lips as one of his brawny arms snaked out
and caught the raving beast that had once been Vokal, third most
powerful and influential figure in all Ammad. With almost casual ease
Tharn swung the human form high above his head, then tossed him, a
screaming missile of terror, to the ground below.

A long eerie wailing cry ended suddenly and the thud of flesh against
earth seemed to jar into silence the tumult filling the grounds of the
late Vokal's palace. In the light of the still burning torches Vokal's
lifeless body was clearly visible to the palace defenders.

In that hushed moment, Jotan took advantage of the miracle that had
saved the remnants of his fighting force.

"Vokal is dead!" he shouted. "Vokal the traitor is no more! Lay down
your arms, warriors of the dead Vokal! Lay down your arms that you may
win forgiveness from Jaltor, king of Ammad!"

A wavering moment of indecision followed as the warriors at the palace
windows stood with raised weapons hesitating to decide one way or the
other. And in that moment a brawny figure appeared at one of the open
windows.

"Death to the invader!" shouted Ekbar, captain of the late Vokal's
guards. "Avenge the noble Vokal! Kill them all!"

As the last words left his lips a second man appeared beside the
captain.