“When he came to, the eels were still being removed from him and Anvar was congratulating one of the rivermen. The man had smashed open a barrel of eels and covered both dwarf and zombie with them.”

“Ye are a scoundrel, a black-hearted robber and a rogue,' Stubble said cheerily to the grumbling captain. It was his usual way of haggling, and he'd beaten down the riverman to a decent price for conveying himself and Anvar to Lankarn.”

“Excuse me for a moment, will ye. I think I have to talk to the river,' he said unsteadily and flopped over the side-rail.”

“Well, anyway, this'll be easier than knocking an elf out of a tree. Trust me.''How many elves have you knocked out of trees, Stubble?''Duraden's bones! Have ye never heard of a figure of speech?”

“Solan is descending in the sky...”

“As grumblers go, Stubble was in a league of his own.”

“I am come,' the Demon said simply, in a droning monotone. 'I am with the dead of the lake. Come to me.' Then the appearance of the skull-face vanished and the blood burst into a shroud of flame, spreading through the throne room in a storm of brilliant red and yellow. The screams could be heard half a league away.”