You strike out without Brisby

You inform Brisby that you can handle a little rowboat on your own and push off from the dock. The light from the Goblin torches bounces off the crystals on the walls and ceiling and shimmers on the lake. The water is clear of sediment and you can see right down to the bottom which looks like mirrored glass. Eyeless fish dart about or lazily rest in the shadows of the glassy pillars.

At the end of the great chamber the water of the lake slips out into a narrow passage and flows rapidly. You pull in your oars and sit back for the ride. The water is still clear but the crystals are fewer and farther between and soon the only light is from your torch. Up ahead the water swirls into a slow moving eddy and you find yourself circling in place. You take up your oars to push yourself out of the whirl pool but notice something sliding towards you over the water.

You lean over the edge of the boat for a better look and are snatched by a great, muscular trunk or tentacle. Whatever it is it is strong and has a good grip on your neck.

As it pulls you down into the darkness you wonder if the guide might've been able to steer you clear of . . . whatever this thing is but before you can think too long on this, you lose consciousness.

The End