He collapsed, aware that if he witnessed such horror much longer he would become totally insane. Thankfully, he felt his mind go blank and then, at last, he was unconscious, unable to know which would win.

Five

His body itched. His arms and bade ached. His wrists pounded with agony. Elric opened his eyes.

Immediately opposite him, spreadeagled in chains against the wall he saw Moonglum. Dull flame nickered in the centre of the place and he felt pain cm his naked knee, looked down and saw Jagreen Lern.

The Theocrat spat at him.

«So, » Elric said horrowly. «I failed. You triumph after all.»

Jagreen Lern did not look triumphant Rage still burned in his eyes.

«Oh, how shall I punish you, » he said.

«Punish me? Then-?» Elric's heartbeat increased.

«Your final spell succeeded, » the Theocrat said dully, turning away to contemplate the brazier. «Both your allies and mine vanished and all my attempts to contact the dukes have proved fruitless. You achieved your threat-or your minions did-you sent them back to Chaos forever! »

«My sword-what of that?»

The Theocrat smiled bitterly. «That's my only pleasure. Your sword vanished with its brothers. You are weak and helpless now, Elric. You are mine to maim and torture until the end of my life.»

Elric was dumbfounded by the news. Part of him rejoiced that the dukes had been beaten. Part of him lamented the loss of his sword. As Jagreen Lern had emphasised, without the blade he was less than half a man, for his albinoism weakened him. Already his eye-sight was dimmer and he felt no response in his limbs.

Jagreen Lern looked up at him.

«Enjoy the comparatively painless days left you, Elric, but I leave you to anticipate what I have in store for you. I must away and instruct my men in the final preparations for the war-fleet soon to sail against the South. I won't waste time with crude torture now, for all the while I shall be scheming the most exquisite tortures conceivable. You shall take long years to die. I swear! »

He left the cell and as the door slammed he heard Jagreen Lern instructing the guard.

«Keep the brazier at full blast. Let them sweat like damned souls in hell. Feed them enough to keep them alive once every three days. They will soon be crying for water. Give them only sufficient to sustain their lives. They deserve far worse than this and they'll get their desserts when my mind has had time to work on the problem.»

A day later, the real agony began. Their bodies gave out the last of their sweat Their tongues were swollen in their heads and all the time as they groaned in their torment, they were aware that this terrible torture would be nothing compared to what they might expect Elric's weakened body would not respond to his desperate struggling and at length his mind dulled, the agony became constant and familiar, and time was non-existent

Finally, through a pain-thick daze, he recognised a voice. The hate-filled voice of Jagreen Lern.

Others were in the chamber. He felt their hands seize him and his body was suddenly light as he was borne, moaning from the cell.

Though he heard disjointed phrases he could make no sense of Jagreen Lern's words.

He was taken to a dark place that rolled about, hurting his scorched chest

Later, he heard Moonglum's voice and strained to hear the words.

«Elric! What's happening? We're aboard a ship at sea, I'd swear»

But Elric mumbled disinterestedly. Gradually his deficient body was weakening, faster than would a normal man's. He thought of Zarozinia, whom he would never see again. He knew he would not live to know whether Law or Chaos finally won, or even if the Southlands would stand against the theocrat.

And these problems were fading in his mind again.

Then the food started to come and the water and it revived turn somewhat At some stage, he opened his eyes and stared upwards into the thinly smiling face of Jagreen Lern.

«Thank the gods, » said the Theocrat «I feared we'd lost you. You're a delicate case to be sure, my friend. You must stay alive longer than this. To begin my entertainment, I have arranged for you to sail on my own flagship. We are now crossing the Dragon Sea, our fleet well-protected by charms against the monsters roaming these parts.» He frowned. «Thanks to you, we haven't the same call for the charms which would have borne us safely through the Chaos-torn waters. They are almost normal for the moment. But that will soon be changed.»

Elric's old spirit returned for a moment and he glared at his enemy, too weak to voice the loathing he felt.

Jagreen Lern laughed softly and stirred Eric's gaunt white head with the the of his boot «I think I can brew a drug which will give you a little more vitality.»

The food was foul-tasting and had to be forced between Eric's mumbling lips, but after a while he was able to sit up and observe the huddled body of Moonglum. Evidently the little man had totally succumbed to his torture. To his surprise, Elric discovered he was unfettered and he crawled the agonising distance between himself and the Eastlander, shaking Moonglum's shoulder. He groaned but did not respond.

A Shaft of dim light appeared and Elric looked up to see not the hatch-cover had been prised aside and Jagreen Lern stared down at him.

«I see the brew had its effect. Come, Elric, smell the invigorating sea and fed the warm sun on your body. We are not many miles from the coasts of Argimiliar and our scout-ships report quite a sizeable fleet sailing hence.»

Elric cursed. «By Arioch, I hope they send you all to the bottom! »

Jagreen Lern pursed his lips mockingly. «By whom? Arioch? Do you not remember what ensued in my own palace? Arioch cannot be invoked. Not by you-not by me. Your stinking spells saw to that.»

He turned to an invisible lieutenant «Bind him and bring him on deck. You know what to do with him.»

Two warriors dropped into the hold and grasped the still weak Elric, tying his arms and legs and manhandling him on to the deck. He gasped as the sun's glare struck his eyes.

«Prop him up so he may see all, » Jagreen Lern ordered.

The warriors obeyed and Elric was lifted to a sending position, seeing Jagreen Lern's huge, black flagship with its silken deck canopies flapping in a steady westerly breeze, its three banks of straining oarsmen and its tall ebony mast bearing a sail of dark red.

Beyond the ship's rails, Elric saw a massive fleet surging in the flagship's wake. As well as the vessels of Pan Tang and Dharijor there were many from Jharkor, Shazar and Tarkesh but on every scarlet sail the Merman blazon of Pan Tang was painted.

Depression filled Elric, for he knew that the Southlands, however strong, could not notch a fleet like this. «We have been at sea for only three days, » said Jagreen Lern, »but thanks to a witch-wind, we're almost at our destination. A scout ship has recently reported that the Lormyrian navy, hearing rumours of our superior sea-power, is sailing to join with us. A wise move of King Montan - for the moment, at any rate. I’ll make use of him for the time being and, when his usefulness is over, I’ll have him killed for the treacherous turncoat he is.»

«Why do you tell me all this?» Elric whispered, his teeth gritted against the pain that came with any slight movement of his face or body.

«Because I want you to witness for yourself the defeat of the South. I want you to know that what you sought to avert will come to pass. After we have subdued the South and sucked her of her treasures, we'll vanquish the Isle of tee Purple Towns and press forward to sack Vilmir and Ilmion. That will be an easy matter don't you agree?»

When Elric did not reply, Jagreen Lern gestured impatiently to his men.

«Tie him to the mast so that he may get a good view of the battle. I’ll put a protective charm around his body, for I do not want him to be killed by a stray arrow and cheat me of my full vengeance.»