### 240

The man's voice, gruff and gravelly, demands that Paido state good reason for the intrusion or suffer the consequences of trespassing on private land. Paido answers with a sound far louder than you ever imagined could be made by a human voice. The force of the shout hits the man in the chest like a clenched fist, slamming him backwards through the timber parapet rail of the platform. He lands with a dull splash, spreadeagled atop a mound of manure and rotting vegetation.

'Vakeros power-word,' explains Paido, in answer to your unspoken question. 'Someday I'll teach you the technique, Kai lord.'

If you wish to search the mill, turn to 306.

If you wish to leave the mill and continue your ride north to Tharro, turn to 318.

Text copyright © 1987 Joe Dever.
Illustrations copyright © 1987 Gary Chalk.