Hakiem grimaced, but the other boys jumped and clapped their hands withenthusiasm. Unlike Hakiem, they never tired of hearing this tale.

'Very well,' Hakiem sighed. 'Make room here!' '

He shoved roughly at the forest of small legs before him, clearing a small spacein the ground which he swept smooth with his hand. With quick, practisedstrokes, he outlined the southern part of the continent and formed the north-south mountain range.

'The story begins here, in what once was the kingdom of Ilsig, east of theQueen's Mountains.'

'... which the Rankans call the World's End Mountains ...' supplied an urchin.

'... and the Mountain Men call Gunderpah ...' contributed another.

Hakiem leaned back on his haunches and scratched absently.

'Perhaps,' he said, 'the young gentlemen would like to tell the story whileHakiem listens.' .'• •

'No they wouldn't,' insisted Ran-tu. 'Shut up, everyone. It's my story! LetHakiem tell it.'

Hakiem waited until silence was restored, then nodded loftily to Ran-tu andcontinued.

'Afraid of invasion from the then young Rankan Empire across the mountains, theyformed an alliance with the Mountain Tribes to guard the only known pass throughthe mountains.'

He paused to draw a line on his map indicating the pass.

'Lo, it came to pass that their fears were realized. The Rankans turned theirarmies towards Ilsig, and they were forced to send their own troops into thepass to aid the Mountain Men in the kingdom's defence.'

He looked up hopefully and extended a palm as a merchant paused to listen, butthe man shook his head and moved on.

'While the armies were gone,' he continued, scowling, 'there was an uprising ofslaves in Ilsig. Body-servants, galley slaves, gladiators, all- united in aneffort to throw off the shackles of bondage. Alas ...'