I trust you to help ensure a peacefulsuccession.Jarethstarted to object again. But the look in Rohyrs eyes stayed him.He resignedly replied, As you wish.Rohyrsaid no more but returned to Lassens room with Eiren. Jarethstared after them in dismay.Vereshelp them, he muttered.ElseImcael will wear the crown, Yandro murmured.Thethought nearly turned Jareths stomach. Veres help us all.** * *Mithreretreated to the couch where he was joined by Jareth and Yandro.There was nothing they could do now save to watch and pray that Rohyrwould succeed where a renowned healer had not. Rohyr sat by Lassenand stared at him.Ishould have brought a scrying stone, he commented.Itwould do little good, Eiren said as he pulled up a chair and satopposite Rohyr. You have no need to amplify your power when whatis required is to subsume yourself in his consciousness.Butour link? Might it not strengthen it and keep it from being severed?Itmight. Then again, Lassen could mistake it for an invasive force andretreat even further behind his shields. And he will sense it. Thereis no way to mask the presence of a scrying stone once itsactivated. Do you wish to risk it?Rohyrshook his head. Placing a hand on the side of Lassens forehead, hedrew a deep breath then slowly exhaled. The world dissolved intoshadow and silence.Hewas in.RememberingEirens instructions, he forced himself to give up control andaccept Lassens perceptions of his surroundings as his own. Betweenone moment and the next, he found himself in a dimly lit hallway withpale stone walls and a cold grey floor. The ceiling receded intocomplete darkness. He could not tell how high it was or what itlooked like.Eiren?Im here.Mislikingthe stifling gloom, Rohyr looked about. There seemed to be no wayinto or out of the corridor.Itstoo dark to see anything clearly.Youcan introduce some light but not so bright as to alarm him.Rohyrconjured a small torch. By the light of its soft glow, he saw anarrow opening in the wall. He passed through it and found himself inanother passageway with a gap about midway along its length. Taking adeep breath, he proceeded down the corridor.Severaltwists and turns later, he cursed in frustration.Isthere no end to this maze?Eirensanswer was hardly encouraging. Itwasnt as labyrinthine earlier. Hes doinghisbest to keep from being reached.Rohyrgrew apprehensive. Whatif he succeeds? What then?Idont believe he will,came the reply.Not against you. Dont lose hope, Roh.Theking forged on. About to utter a scathing expletive after turninginto yet another seemingly endless tunnel, he saw what appeared to bea room at the end of it.Theresa chamber. A barred one. Ah, thats it! Youve found him.Rohyrcautiously approached the chamber and peered into what seemed to be asmall cell. He heard a soft moan and glanced in the direction whencethe sound came. He almost dropped the torch when he saw Lassenhuddled in the far corner of the cell.Heimmediately searched for a way in but a close examination revealedthe lack of a discernable door. Rohyr tested the bars. They were madeof a hard substance he did not recognize. But that was to be expectedgiven that everything he saw was wholly the creation of Lassensmind.Rohyrscowled in frustration. There was no