| 173 With the floor at this end of the King's Hall relatively clear it does not take long to reach your objective. Standing before the first door set into the western wall you see that it is broken and rusted, having been forced at some time in the past and then left slightly ajar. Smooth polished stone and an absence of dust on the floor indicates that the passage beyond is well used. Indeed as you stand motionless and quiet before the doorway you can hear faintly in the distance the sounds of harsh music and cruel laughter, it is the deep disturbing laughter of Hordim at leisure. As you stand at the entrance to this dark passage and consider whether it will be prudent to go any further, your lantern dims for a moment and then flickers out. Until your eyes adapt to the lack of light everything is black and a sudden, irrational terror grips you. In the complete darkness of this great hall it feels as if the mountain has suddenly closed in about you and that it will surely smother you. Shaking off the feeling with a nervous shrug you begin to see at the end of the western passage before you a dim glow. The glow brightens as your eyes begin to adjust better to the dark. Looking around the deserted hall you realise that this is the only illumination you can find. Whether it is a good idea or not you have no choice but to go forward and investigate the source. Stepping through the doorway you throw aside the now useless lantern, draw your sword and move slowly westwards along the passage.
| Turn to section 138.
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