Emmaline sagged with relief as Markus entered the room. The strange snake had been giving a good account of itself but it would clearly be only a moment before Mavikim got the upperhand. Now the two swordsman circled each other, blades held in guards. As she watched Mavikim launched an assault, a series of overhand cuts which drove Markus back across the floor. For a moment she thought that Markus was outmatched, but as a woman darted across the floor she saw it had been a ploy to make space for his accomplish to get past the Pasha. Mavikim adjusted his footwork as though to strike at the girl, but Markus was waiting for it and he lunged forward, nearly ending the fight right then and there. Mavakim snapped up his blade in time, recoiling back and working hard to keep the point of Markus' sword from his body.

The girl reached Emmaline's side screaming and jumping backwards as the snake wriggled back this way, avoiding the stamping and slashing combatants. The woman's dark eyes cut to the lamp and Emmaline could see she was tempted to lunge for it. The snake obviously sensed it to, coiling around the brass lamp, lifting its hood and hissing warningly. The woman hesitated for a minute and then grabbed the cuff that held Emmaline's wrist undoing it with a grace that suggested she was familiar with it. Emmaline's hand shot out and unsnapped the second cuff. She sat up and yanked at her feet one at a time freeing them. The woman shouted something to her in Arabyian which she didn't understand.

Emmaline ignored her and jumped to her feet. Without missing a beat she snatched up a vase and hurled it at the back of Mavikim's head. The pasha shouted a curse and ducked under the missile, swatting away a thrust from Markus in a shower of sparks. Emmaline picked up another missile, a brass candle stick. Faster than she believed possible Mavikim flicked a dagger from his belt and tossed it at her back handed. Emmaline yelped in panic and swatted the blade out of the air more by luck than good judgement.