[center][h3]Týfurkh[/h3][/center]

[color=ff9900]"Liar!"[/color] Týfurkh's voice bellowed through what remained of the tower's base hall and probably well past the large hole in the roof that the falling bell had caused.

[color=ff9900]"One question, guard's captain..."[/color] he started to explain. [color=ff9900]"Why should anybody climb to the top of the belltower at late afternoon ? So he can ring the bells ? The ropes that need to be pulled to move them are down here, not way up there. Attack some poor, innocent cultists in the base hall and subsequently on the platform ? Possible, but this isn't exactly the most intuitive place for searching them. There would have been easier ways to find some cultists as, as Nieffar actually pointed out correctly, there have been confrontations on the open street."[/color]

Týfurkh paused, catching his breath before continuing.

[color=ff9900]"What if I said [i]we[/i], the people I belong to, had a reason to get to the top of the belltower that was not ringing the bells and that we found it to be vacant at first. Then Nieffar's men stormed the place and attacked [i]us[/i]! All things considered this scenario doesn't pose fewer difficult questions than the other, but it also isn't less plausible!"[/color]

Nieffar would find himself confronted with pretty much the angriest stare Týfurkh could muster. The latter frantically searched his memory... Was there anything more he could say ? Maybe even anything to prove what he had already said ?

[color=ff9900]"So I left you, poor Nieffar, with this stump of a hand ? Well I think I have the right to defend myself with all means when being attacked while trying to escape! Guards... look around. I know this ground has been trampled upon very much, but there are chances you might find traces of steel scratching on stone or sand around the exit door giving indication that someone was dragged around. These traces end just where I am lying, so -- also considering how many people around here wear armor suitable to cause this kind of scratches -- how likely is it that this someone wasn't myself! And if it was myself why should I burden my own people with dragging me while I can still walk ? The only scenario that comes to my mind that makes sense and isn't extremely unlikely is that I have been dragged against my will... by him and back into the tower!"[/color]

Týfurkh pointed straight at the sightless.

[color=ff9900]"Why would anybody who is in a purely defensive position pull any fleeing attacker back to himself for the purpose of continuing the fight ? Tell me how this would make sense, where my theory about who was being dragged into which direction was wrong or simply don't believe stump-of-a-hand's words!"[/color]