"Of course," she said. "Who but a maniac could be happy in this horrid place? There are, perhaps, six hundred people in the city and there is not one who knows happiness. A hundred of us form the court of the jed; the others are slaves. As a matter of fact, we are all slaves, subject to every mad whim or caprice of the maniac who is our master."
"And there is no escape?" I asked.
"None."
"I shall escape," I said.
"How?"
"The fire," I replied.
She shuddered. "I do not know why I should care so much," she said, "unless it is that I liked you from the first. Even while I was helping to lure you into the city for the human spider of Ghasta, I wished that I might warn you not to enter, but I was afraid, just as I am afraid to die. I wish that I had your courage to escape through the fire."
I turned to Nur An, who had been listening to our conversation. "You have reached your decision?" I asked.
"Certainly," he said. "There could be but one decision for a man of honor."
"Good!" I exclaimed, and then I turned to the girl. "You will notify Ghron of our decision?" I asked.