### 307

You land on your back with a jolt that leaves you gasping for breath, yet you sustain no injury from your fall. You have landed on a bale of silk, one of dozens stacked in this cargo hold. Above, framed in the open hatchway, you can see the creature getting ready to leap. Quickly you roll off the bale as it drops into the hold, and your speedy action saves you from its deadly talons as maniacally the creature slashes the silk bale to ribbons.

Hissing like an angry snake, it leaps after you and lashes out again. This time it rakes its talons along the wooden wall of the hull, barely inches above your head. The tips of these razor-sharp claws become embedded deeply in the timbers and for a few moments the creature is held fast.

If you wish to attack the creature while its talons are stuck firmly in the hull, turn to 82.

If you choose to use this opportunity to try to evade the creature, turn to 143.