He whistled. "That would be hard to explain," he said. "I found it so," I admitted. "They would not believe a word of my story, nor of that of my companion." "You had a companion, then?" he asked. "Where is he?" "It was a woman. She was born in Tjanath, but for long years had been a slave in Jahar. Perhaps later they will believe her story, but for the present we are in prison. I heard them order her to the East Tower, while they sent me here to the prison." "And here you will stay until you rot, unless you are lucky enough to be called for the games, or unlucky enough to be sentenced to The Death." "What is The Death?" I asked, my curiosity piqued by his emphasis of the words. "I do not know," he replied. "The warriors who come here often speak of it as though it was something quite horrible. Perhaps they do it to frighten me, but if that is true, then they have had very little satisfaction, for, whether or not I have been frightened, I have not let them see it." "Let us hope for the games, then," I said. "They are dull and stupid people here in Tjanath," said my companion. "The warriors have told me that sometimes many years elapse between games in the arena, but we may hope at least, for surely it would be better to die there with a good long sword in one's hand rather than to rot here in the darkness, or die The Death, whatever it may be." "You are right," I said. "Let us beseech our ancestors that the Jed of Tjanath decrees games in the near future." "So you are from Hastor," he said, musingly, after a moment's silence. "That is a long way from Tjanath. Pressing must have been the service that brought you so far afield!" "I was searching for Jahar," I replied. "Perhaps you are as well off that you found Tjanath first," he said, "for, though I am a Jaharian, I cannot boast the hospitality of Jahar." "You think I would not have been accorded a cordial welcome there, then?" I asked. "By my first ancestor, no," he exclaimed most emphatically. "Tul Axtar would have had you in the pits before he asked your name, and the pits of Jahar are not as light nor as pleasant as these." "I did not intend that Tul Axtar should know that I was visiting him," I said. "You are a spy?" he asked. "No," I replied. "The daughter of the commander of the umak to which I was attached was abducted by Jaharians, and, I have reason to believe, by the orders of Tul Axtar himself. To effect her rescue was the object of my journey." "You tell this to a Jaharian?" he asked lightly. "With perfect impunity," I replied. "In the first place, I have read in your words and your tone that you are no friend to Tul Axtar, Jeddak of Jahar, and, secondly, there is evidently little chance that you ever will return to Jahar."