The Iron
Crown

How wrong one can be, I mused as the head of the man before me disappeared in the mud. We had elected to cross a morass of great viscosity and a most horrid smell and, but for the foresight of Wollis, many would have perished.

But as the first men began to disappear, inexorably sucked into the bowels of the earth, as they say, he hit on the notion which was to save our lives. Each man took his chess board and cleft it in two, lashing the pieces one to each boot. Thus we were able to stride forward across the quag, pausing only to light a fire in congratulation of Wollis.

But once again the gods of the region seemed to be against us, or rather, against the King and his quest, which, despite all our difficulties, we had never forgotten for long. The fire took to the trees and raged from trunk to trunk like wildfire. In the growing glow it appeared certain that we should be consumed, and in my panic I ordered the men to climb for safety.

Up the remaining trees did we shin, followed by such of the beasts as were familiar with tree-dwelling and equipped for the climb. Up we rose above the thick black smoke into a glorious realm of clearer air, and far below us in the distance saw all the map had prophesied: sloping hills of gentle gradient, many streams and small rivers all leading down to a great expanse of water, dotted with innumerable islands and islets.

This, we all knew at once, was the Lake of the Fourteen Sages, mythical subject of so much of our literature, alternately a haven of peace and a place of fearful terrors, a lake which in old tales was prone to the most violent storms and yet the water of which could sustain a man for months without other food.

It was a glorious sight to us: after months of rain we now saw the hot autumn sun glistening on the vast waters. There was not one of us who was not moved to tears as he watched.

I decided it would be best to take advantage of this and march without further delay down to the shores of the lake, for I had perceived the pinnacles of a great building hidden among the trees which seemed a possible repository for that which we sought.

For it seemed that, for the first time since our outset, we were to happen across other humans in our wanderings. We were all glad.