Hood finds himself in a tunnel, standing on the side of what appears to be an underground canal, the water of which flows slowly on, glowing a faint luminescent green which gently lights the environment. Madeleine is only a few moments behind him, dropping off the final rungs with the grace of a cat, landing softly and silently on the stone workings. Staring more closely, Hood notices that the luminescence is coming from some sort of weed that moves backwards and forwards in the languid current.

“Interesting, I never knew. Hey-Jinx was right. I wonder what other marvels are hidden beneath Kera’Bur’s streets,” says Madeleine.

As she says this, a brighter light illuminates the tunnel, coming from upstream, causing the two companions to turn and watch the slow regal motion of a lantern lit boat drifting towards them, an ornately carved wooden prow, which looks like a swan about to take flight, silently cutting the waterway. As the boat approaches, a figure, dressed in similar garb to Hy-Jinx, Dozer and Bembry, jumps from it and hooks a metal hook tied on the end of a rope onto a ring fixed to the side of the tunnel wall. The boat, drawing alongside Hood and Madeleine, stops - the rope tightening. The figure remains standing next to the ring.

“Well my dear, aren’t you going to introduce us?”

Sitting cross legged in the boat, surrounded by cushions and dressed in white silk is a woman, her faced masked with a mask similar to Madeleine’s, though there is no smile and the mask is painted with tears. Before her a table with a lantern and an assortment of accoutrements, one being what looks like a tall metal coffee pot.

“Madam Masque,” Madeleine says, bowing deferentially. “May I introduce you to my friend and companion Hood, wizard and scholar from the old towers of Arkanthor.”

“If it pleases you Masqued Madeleine, you may.”

Hood, taking his cue from Madeleine bows deeply.

“Well met Master Hood. If it please you both, may I welcome you aboard. And please, call me Countess.”