### 193

‘Impostor!’ bellows the captain, and lunges forward to grab you by the throat. But you sidestep his attack deftly and strike a blow to his temple with the heel of your palm that renders him unconscious in an instant.

‘Fire!’ shouts a bull-necked Pirsian, and you throw yourself to the ground. A deafening roar reverberates through the town as the men discharge their unwieldy pistols, but the lead shot passes harmlessly over your head and buries itself in the tavern door. The noise stirs a hornets’ nest of activity as the townsfolk arm themselves and rush into the street to investigate the commotion. The situation looks desperate, but you can see a chance to escape and you take it. The pistols created a huge cloud of white smoke and under cover of this acrid cloud you scurry down an alley beside the log tavern and leap headlong into the foliage and trees beyond.

With the angry shouts of the villagers rippling through the forest, you curse your ill luck as you escape into the darkness.

Turn to 250.