Time for Bed

"No apology is necessary, khanom," Darkub assured her.

"Thank you. It's good of you to escort us back like this, but is it really necessary? Though this is a remote region, it doesn't strike me as being a dangerous one."

"Well, we wouldn't want you falling into any more tar pools, would we?" Darkub joked. "Seriously though, no this is not normally a dangerous area. But, poor though we are, we like to try to maintain the courtesies of civilised society, and one of those is that women travelling after dark should be escorted by a man to ensure their safety. But here we are at Shirini's, so I will bid both of you 'good night'."

Astra and Shirini said "good night" to Darkub, and then went inside. "I hope you'll excuse me if I go straight to my room, Shirini," Astra said, "but I really do feel very sleepy."

"Of course, khanom. Your room is all ready for you. Let me just light a candle for you to take with you."

Within ten minutes, Astra had undressed, carefully draping her borrowed dress and tunic over the back of a chair, had put out the candle, and was in bed fast asleep.

In the morning, when Astra awoke her first thought was: By the Goddess, what did I think I was doing last night? I told them everything! That brandy must have been much stronger than it seemed. But oddly enough I don't have a hangover.

1. She got up and, even before dressing, examined herself. Her fingers and toes were no longer wrinkled, but as yet the redness of her skin showed no sign of fading, and of course her hair was still pure white. [43511]
2. She went to get up, and discovered that whilst she slept someone had shackled an ankle to one of the bedposts.
3. We return to the previous evening. As Astra was falling asleep, Granny, Mary and some of the others who had been at the picnic assembled to discuss her story and to consider the significance of the rings.

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