68

You part the curtain of beads hanging in the doorway and enter the cool interior. The lifeless arm that hangs limply by your side has taken on a bluish hue. Fear returns; you must find the Oede herb to cure the disease, or you will lose the whole limb and possibly your life.

A woman appears from the shadows of the counter. She has piercing green eyes and her red hair is raised, bound round with rings of jadin. ‘Welcome, Northlander,’ she says, in a voice both soft and clear. ‘How may I serve you?’

You hesitate before replying, ‘Oede.’

She narrows her eyes and casts a glance at your injured arm. ‘I cannot help you,’ she says sorrowfully. ‘Oede is now a very rare and precious herb. I would have to sell my shop and all my possessions in order to buy just one small pouch of Oede. There is only one man in Barrakeesh rich enough to possess this herb—the Zakhan.’

Sweat breaks out upon your brow as your fear grows. ‘What little Oede there is,’ she continues, ‘is kept in the Grand Palace under lock and key.’

You ask if there is any other herb that can cure your arm. She shakes her head from side to side. ‘Only Oede will cure Limbdeath—and you can only find that in the strongroom of the Imperial Apothecary.’ She reaches behind the counter and brings forward three glass bottles, each containing a coloured liquid. ‘They will not cure you, but they will dull the pain in the last few hours.’

If you wish to examine the potions, turn to 27.

If you decide to ignore them, leave the shop and continue along the alley, turn to 160.