He was nearing one corner of the building when his eyes caught sight of a narrow slit-like break in the stone just above the level of his head. There was no indication of bars, and as it appeared large enough to admit him, he caught the lip and drew himself up and within.
The awful stench that smote his nostrils nearly drove him back to the ground. He had no way of knowing, of course, that he had stumbled across a refuse chute; it was from this vent that waste was thrown into containers below.
Holding his breath, he clambered a short distance along the sloping stone, thrust away a wooden screen and stood upright.
He was in complete darkness. Moving slowly forward, his outthrust hands struck a wooden panel which proved to be a door. A second later he had solved the latch and stepped through.
Here, light came through several windows. He was in the palace kitchens, although his limited experience did not enable him to identify them as such. Across the room was a closed door; he directed his steps toward it.
Silently the door swung open, and the cave-man paused on the threshold of a large room, occupied by a massive table and numerous backless stools.
Tharn took in all that with a single swift glance. Something was moving beyond the hangings screening off the room ahead.
The curtains parted and five guards-men filed into the room. After glancing hastily about, they passed silently through to the kitchens.
As the last one disappeared from view, a disembodied shape merged from beneath the long table and vanished into the room beyond.
Aside from its furnishings it, too, was empty.