CHAPTER 7

  When the giant guards let us pass through the giant gates, the bus soon came to a stop not far from the gate and in the snap of a finger, men dressed like soldiers ran in an orderly manner to stand in front of the bus, barricading it from moving any further.

  My heart skipped a beat.

  The driver died the engines and slowly turned to face me. "As much I would like to see this one through, Lass, I beg your pardon but I don't think I have the effrontery to come face to face with the almighty sovereign."

  Why was he making it look like the man was some god? Wasn't it the same man I saw the other day? Or, was there another King apart from that one?

  I shook my head and tried to concentrate, panic in my voice. "Look, you can't leave me to...these people!" I craned my neck through the window to catch a glimpse of the men whose heads were almost reaching the louvres of the car. How could they be so huge?