"And he kept you only to draw blood from you?"
"Yes. He is not like other men; he is not human."
"How long have you been here?"
"A long time; but I am still alive because Skor has been away most of the time in Kormor."
"Well, we must get away, too, before he returns. I want to search for Duare."
I went to one of the windows, none of which was barred, and looked down on the castle roof below, a distance of about twenty feet. Then I got the rope and examined it carefully. There were several pieces, in all about forty feet—more than enough; also it was stout rope. I tied the pieces together and then returned to the window. The girl was at my elbow.
"Can anyone see us from here?" I asked.
"The creatures are not very alert," she replied. "Those that Skor left here are the servants. They remain in a room on the first floor on the other side of the castle. When he is away they just sit. After a while two of them will bring food for us; and we should get away before they come, for sometimes they forget to go back to their quarters; then they sit around outside my door for hours. You will notice that there is a grille in the door; they would see us if we attempted to escape while they were there."
"We'll start now," I said. Then I made a loop in one end of the rope and passed it around the girl's body so that she could sit in it while I lowered her to the roof.