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The first thing our captor did was slap the staff out of my hands and snap it in half over his knee. It broke like an ordinary stick, and the last of my hope swirled away.
He slapped Hazel when she screamed and tried to fight.
“The money I’m paid isn’t enough to deal with this. Next troublemaker, I’ll throw out of the tower,” he grumbled as he approached us with rags and rope. Using his great strength and girth, he made short work of binding our hands and feet, and gagged us. He covered our heads with sacks and carried us down from the tower to hand us over to the Grey Men. I sagged and lost consciousness when the evil creatures laid their hands on me. Their magic or their evil stench rolled over me, dragging me under.
When I woke, Hazel and I lay together on rough boards that bounc
