A sudden scream from the king pierced the air, only to be abruptly silenced as a block of wood struck the back of Artos’ head, knocking him unconscious. Vernich dropped the timber and drank again before noting Wilder and Torj’s stares. ‘What?’ he said, nonplussed. ‘They didn’t say we couldn’t shut him up by other means.’ Wilder did laugh at that. ‘True enough.’
