Shouting and commotion could be heard later from the yard. Luna looked through the opening and saw many men with tattered clothes staggering joyfully out of the underground dungeon. They praised the soldiers and called them liberators. Then they saw seminude men and women coming in over the drawbridge followed by soldiers. These new prisoners had been put in iron and many of them were crying. Some of them had gory sores on their backs, caused by whiplashes, and the soldiers compelled them to go down into the dungeon.

Luna understood exactly what had happened. The imperial soldiers had taken so many prisoners that they were compelled to release some of the thieves. It was cunning of the emperor to liberate the thieves, as he would then get support from the criminals. The new prisoners were honest people.

It was evening again with half-starvation and stench. So far nobody had told the family why they had been imprisoned nor what was going to happen to them. In Luna's history book it said that people who are free and can chose their own King are stronger than those who are enslaved. But now she saw that the books was wrong and she wondered why she had been taught things which were not in accordance with reality.

"I earnestly wish the book had been right", she whispered.

LUNA MEETS SMIRGUL