### 88

To the east of Javai, the trade road passes through many small settlements where Chai farmers toil contentedly in the heat of the midsummer sun. By noon, these tiny hamlets have all but given way to a vast sea of grassland which extends all the way to the banks of the River Tkukoma, over a hundred miles distant.

It is late in the afternoon when you catch sight of a flock of plains ravens circling above a small copse of trees, south of the highway. Captain Chan becomes suspicious of these ugly black scavengers, and he orders the column to slow to a halt. He has decided to investigate the copse, and he invites you to join him.

If you wish to accept his invitation to scout the distant copse of trees, turn to 270.

If you choose to decline his invitation and remain with the caravan, turn to 145.