110

The deck heaves and shudders, and the metallic whirr of the ironclad’s engine rises to a deafening roar as it fights to extricate itself from the stern of the sinking Intrepid. Then a war-horn blares, signalling to the enemy troops to break off their attack and return to their vessels. Everywhere you look Drakkarim marines and Sommlending crewmen are sheathing their weapons and scrambling towards the ship’s rail. Clouds of acrid yellow smoke waft across the decks, adding to the chaos and confusion as scores of men hurl themselves into the dark waves of the Kaltersee.

‘Jump!’ shouts Davan.

‘But what about the captain?’ you reply, anxiously.

‘Forget the captain,’ he says, pointing at the enemy craft. ‘No one can help him now. The ironclad that rammed our stern completely demolished his cabin. No one could have lived through that.’

You pull yourself over the rail and wait for the smoke to thin before you leap. But the Intrepid lurches violently, and, before you can stop yourself, you slip and fall head-first into the swirling yellow smog.

Pick a number from the Random Number Table.

If the number you have picked is 0–4, turn to 194.

If it is 5–9, turn to 16.