>TM 4 >LS 2 >PS ON >PL66 >SM6 >CP ON >FO OFF >------L-----------------------!---------------------------R δ49δ You leave the Tower of Truth and pass along a wide Š stone ramp that gently descends to the great canal Š that encircles the city of Elzian. Few of the city's Š Vakeros natives are abroad at this early hour and the Š streets and avenues are empty and quiet. A warm mist Š wreathes the barges and ships that are moored along Š the canal bank and, in the pre-dawn twilight, these Š vessels take on a ghostly appearance. By the time you find ιThe Azanι, the sun has broken Š through the mist and the city is beginning to stir. Š Captain Jenkshi and the crew of the Suhnese trader Š are busily preparing their ship to sail, yet they Š immediately stop their work to welcome you and Lord Š Rimoah aboard. Jenkshi is a lean, yellow-skinned man Š with wide almond eyes and a small blunt nose. His Š slick black hair is tied in a knot atop his head in Š the Suhnese style, a fashion that is also favoured by Š all his crewmen. He orders one of his men to show you Š to your cabin at the prow, but before you go you bid Š Lord Rimoah farewell and thank him for all that he Š and the Elder Magi have done to aid your quest. By the time ιThe Azanι is ready to sail, the mist has Š vanished. Having inspected your cabin you return to Š the foredeck where you settle yourself in the sun and Š enjoy the ever-changing views of the lush farmlands Š and Vakeros settlements which border upon the canal. Š For ninety miles this waterway cuts a wide furrow Š through the southern jungle of Dessi. To the east the Š horizon is dominated by a solitary mountain, and you Š marvel at its snowy peak which is steepest you have Š ever seen. "That's Kas-kalahmout," says one of the friendly Š Suhnese crewmen. "In your language, I think it has Š the meaning: ιChair of the Heavensι" By midday you come to the estuary of the canal and Š ιThe Azanι heads out into the open waters of the Gulf Š of Tentarium. Captain Jenkshi joins you on deck and Š offers to share some of his food. While you eat you Š learn from him that the voyage will take little more Š than three weeks to complete, including visits to Š ports of call along the way. You ask him about the Š notorious Shadakine pirates who plague these waters Š and he answers you with a shrug of his muscular Š shoulders. "Relax and enjoy the journey as best you can, my Š friend," he says, jovially, as finishes his food and Š wipes his mouth on his silken shirt sleeve. "You're Š in safe hands. I and my crew have sailed these waters Š all our lives and we've yet to meet a buccaneer we Š can't outwit or outrun. Breathe easy. You've nothing Š to fear from those mangy curs" Turn to β277β