They approached the Darkstone Tower in silence. Elizabeth`s heart was thundering like a racehorse as her feet clomped across the chunky planks of the bridge, and it was a constant struggle to keep Aelgren`s sword from dragging along the ground. His belt and scabbard, which were drooped around her shoulders, weighed a tonne.

　　On top of this, she stank of rotten vegetables.

　　A few feet ahead of her Aelgren and Izzario walked with their hands bound tightly behind them. Barnaby, who was carrying Izzario`s staff like a walking stick, looked pale and grim-faced as they approached the solid iron gate that Elizabeth supposed must have been at least the size of a house.

　　"I hope you know what you`re doing", said Barnaby, worriedly.

　　"So do I", muttered Luella. And without any hesitation she walked up to the gate and banged on it loudly, twice.

　　There was no reply.

　　So she banged some more.

　　Nothing happened again.

　　"Try giving it a wee kick", Aelgren suggested.

　　Luella sparked: "I`ll give you a kick if you don`t keep quiet!"

　　A slot in the gate slid open, unveiling old and puffy red eyes. "Who`s there?" rasped an unfriendly voice.

　　Luella threw back her shoulders, fixed her top hat in place, and in an impressively commanding tone said this: "My name is Luella Thimblewick, and I bring before you the infamous outlaws Aelgren Throll and Brother Izzario Rokash. I demand the pleasure of claiming my bounty - twenty thousand Imperial claws I believe it is".

　　"Go away", snorted the voice behind the gate.

　　The slot rattled shut.

　　Elizabeth`s pulse climbed several notches. She had never tried to trick her way into an impregnable fortress before, but all the same she was pretty sure that this was not how it was supposed to go.

　　And Luella was furious! She kicked and pummelled and hammered on the gate, stopping only when the puffy eyes reappeared. "Do that again and I`ll be adding an extra two thousand claws to my bill", she yelled. "Which is what I`ll be charging the Dominion for the inconvenience of having to let myself in".

　　She swung the crossbow back towards Aelgren. "And I`m pretty sure that whoever`s in charge of this place would much rather have their prisoners delivered alive!"

　　The eyes blinked.

　　Time dragged by like a dead Sunday evening.

　　"I really think you should do as she says", commented Aelgren, hopping nervously from one foot to the other.

　　From somewhere behind the gate Elizabeth heard an assortment of various muffled grunts . . . and with a low rumbling grind and the steady clank of immensely heavy chains the iron wall began to rise, opening up like the jaws of a prehistoric creature.

　　"Well that was easy enough", Luella said. "Right then. After you".

　　"You`re far too kind", replied Izzario, coolly, as he disappeared into the dark maw of the beast.

　　Elizabeth`s mouth was as dry as a sun-bleached bone. Every atom, every particle of her being, quivered with apprehension.

　　And with the greatest, deepest, longest breath of her life, she followed the others inside.

　　The gate opened into a long and unlit tunnel. The owner of the puffy eyes was nowhere to be seen and Elizabeth`s own had yet to adjust when the gate slammed shut behind her with an ear-busting CRRRRRRUMMMMMFFF!!!!

　　She felt as if her bones would never stop shaking. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

　　"Move it prisoners", Luella barked, delivering a boot to Aelgren`s rear.

　　A gloomy sentry waved them through. "Bounty hunters should report to the seventeenth floor. And leave their whatsits here".

　　He gave a mopey nod towards the cracked wooden sign that read: STRICTLY NO WEAPONS ALLOWED`.

　　"Try not to lose them", Luella quipped, handing over the crossbow and staff.

　　Elizabeth`s arm broke into a rapture of pins and needles as she gave up Aelgren`s blade.

　　Another pair of guards appeared. Aelgren and Izzario were clamped in handcuffs, and the man with the lazy eye said: "You lot, follow me".

　　The entrance to the tower led into a grand and cavernous chamber. It was so huge that Elizabeth was sure it would have been possible to fit the whole of the Woodside Academy inside and still have room for a proper school to spare. The ceiling was held up by giant stone pillars, lit by a galaxy of iron chandeliers. Servants and sentries milled about beneath them. A line of stony Blackcoats watched with menace from the sides.

　　The guards escorted them across the hall, through a grand arched opening and began to climb the stairs. The journey seemed to be endless. It took an age just to reach the next level and Elizabeth`s legs were already about to collapse. Her heart sank at the dismal thought of the thousands upon thousands of steps that lay ahead of her.

　　"Do you know", said Aelgren, as a gaggle of servants carrying a pig roast ambled by, "this reminds me of that time we got lost in the City of Thorns".

　　"It does have a certain similarity", mused Izzario. "You almost got us killed then as well".

　　"That wasnae my fault. The Tree Folk are very highly strung".

　　"You devoured the King`s hat".

　　"I thought it was a salad. And I hadnae eaten in days!"

　　One of the guards gave Aelgren a shove. "Be quiet. Prisoners ain`t allowed to talk".

　　"Says who?"

　　"Says me. Now move it".

　　"Do you mind?" snapped Luella. "These are my prisoners and I`ll decide what they can and can`t do".

　　"They belong to the Dominion now", sniffed the guard.

　　"Not until I get paid they don`t!"

　　The guard bristled.

　　"I think you`ll find she has a point", mumbled Aelgren.

　　"You keep out of it", the other guard said.

　　Which only made Luella even more irate than she was already. "Don`t you speak to him like that!"

　　"I`ll speak to him however I like". The guard gave Aelgren another rude push. "An` I`ll not take orders from a smelly old Vol - if it was up to you lot we`d still be living in caves".

　　"Watch it sunbeam", Aelgren snarled.

　　"Or what?"

　　"Or you`ll find out".

　　"Oh really?" The twisted face of the guard was pressed so close to Aelgren`s that the two of them were almost nose to nose. "An` what are you gonna do about it?"

　　"This, actually", Luella said, and the guard turned about to find that she was now in possession of his sword. The tip of it pressed up against the quivering ball of his neck.

　　Fingers grasped in vain at an empty scabbard.

　　"You`re not very good at this, are you?" Luella remarked, as the other guard glanced down to where his own weapon had been.

　　Elizabeth discovered that she had completely forgotten to breathe as Luella released the cuffs and sprang the lock on a nearby door.

　　She hurried them into a room which was filled from floor to ceiling with jars. Big ones, little ones, fat ones, skinny ones, all manner of shapes and sizes were piled high amongst the shelves. The room reminded Elizabeth of a very old fashioned sweet shop, except instead of gobstoppers and liquorice the jars were stuffed with dried-out unusual things. The label on the jar next to the weighing scales read:

　　CRUSHED EYES, SKALLAGOR

　　(GOOD FOR CONSTIPATION)

　　Elizabeth could only suppose that they had stumbled upon some kind of medical store, although precisely what sort of ailment could possibly be cured with FISHBRAIN RESIN (EXTRA HOT) could only be guessed at.

　　And there was no time to be thinking very much about it because Luella was prodding the guards with a sword and commanding them to undress.

　　The guards looked suitably horrified.

　　"You as well", Luella added, with a clear nod to Aelgren and Izzario - and they looked horrified too.

　　"We can`t walk around looking like this", Luella explained. "But no-one`s going to pay any attention to a couple of girls, an old man and a pair of stupid sentries".

　　"Who are you calling old?" complained Barnaby, standing as straight as a pole.

　　Izzario sighed. "Unfortunately she`s right. This place is crawling with Blackcoats and we stand out like the green moons of Roth".

　　Aelgren shuffled his feet as though they had grown too big for his legs. "But . . . I cannae give up my furs", he grumbled. "I get a chill just taking my boots off".

　　"Stop complaining", flashed Luella, giving the guards another poke. "The sooner we get this pair tied up the better".

　　The group re-emerged just a few minutes later, with Aelgren and Izzario sporting their new disguise.

　　"I feel like a pillow", grunted Aelgren, tugging at his backside as though he had grown an invisible tail. "And I`ve got bits where they shouldnae be".

　　Izzario twisted his helmet into position and tightened one of his straps. "I think it suits you", he said, trying hard to bite down on a laugh.

　　Not that he looked much better. Being considerably taller than both of the guards made the hem of his tunic come right over his knees, which were sticking out like a pair of coconuts.

　　Elizabeth wondered how they were going to fool anyone.

　　"It`ll have to do", muttered Luella, handing over the swords. "Come on, we need to be - "

　　A megaphonic bellow came thundering off the walls.

　　Elizabeth held her breath again as all eyes turned to see a man dressed as a scarecrow, complete with straw-like hair, a carrot-shaped nose and a full-length multicoloured patchwork coat come galloping madly towards them.

　　"YOU THERE", he boomed. "GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY FESTOONIES!"