Amrik received a summons to visit Kossuth in the dark one’s black fortress. The lord king of Salasal was sitting at a table in his chambers, writing dispatches to his border-outpost commanders, when abruptly, a dwarfed gnome with a hunchback and crooked arms appeared in the center of the room and pranced about, out of range of the lighted torches set in the walls.
“Go to see Kossuth!” it twittered, staring at Amrik with the one eye in its forehead. “Go to see Kossuth! My master wishes to see you! Amrik should go to see Kossuth, my master!”
As Amrik stared, all amazed, the misshapen gnome scampered to an open window and flung itself out. Rushing to the window ledge, Amrik leaned over and saw the little beast hopping over the moonlit field toward Lake Tekaros. It scuttled upon the nighted
