### 344

The creature strikes and you dive aside, inches from a gruesome death in its powerful jaws. Snapping repeatedly it twists its supple neck to follow your escape across the shattered, body-strewn planks, and lunges again when you reach the stairs that lead to the stern deck. This time you save your skin by pulling yourself into the rigging, and, as you are climbing aloft, you see the Xargath crash through the stairs and into the hull. It tries to withdraw its head but it cannot: it is held firm, trapped among the splintered timbers. This may be your only opportunity to defeat this terror before it breaks free and drags the ship to the bottom of the sea.

If you wish to attack the Xargath while its head is trapped in the wreckage, turn to 35.

If you wish to avoid combat by hiding in the crow’s nest, turn to 277.