### 189

‘Attend with care to what I say, mortal,’ says the face of Shamath. ‘When I have finished, I shall ask you this question: “While I am here to do Naar’s bidding, how many loyal servants guard my throne of power?” ’

Shamath notes the look of concentration on your face and she allows herself a sneering laugh at your expense before she continues. She is confident that you will not defeat her in this intellectual contest. She begins:

> ‘I possess two Dwellers of the Abyss. My loyal servants are equal in number to the months in a Magnamund year, less the number of my Dwellers of the Abyss.’

> ‘When the loyal servants and the Dwellers of the Abyss were counted together, their total number was doubled when my Lieutenants of Night arrived.’

> ‘But when my Lieutenants of Night arrived, the Dwellers of the Abyss had to leave.’

> ‘Exactly half of the remaining number also departed, for they were beholden to the Dwellers.’

> ‘From the remainder I picked the loyal servants to guard my throne of power. I chose them all, except for one who was known to me as a traitor. I executed the traitor before I set my loyal servants to guard my throne.’

> ‘So, mortal, answer my question: while I am here to do Naar’s bidding, how many loyal servants guard my throne of power?’

Study the words of Shamath’s riddle carefully. When you think you have the answer, turn to the entry which bears the same number as your answer.14

If you cannot answer Shamath’s riddle, turn to 216.

#### Footnotes

[14] It is safe to assume that a ‘Magnamund year’ has the same number of months in it as an Earth year. The section corresponding to the correct answer will have a footnote confirming that it is indeed correct. You have only one chance to guess at the correct answer.