Through the night, the wind increased, the tent above Tirseng rearing and snapping like a crazed animal. At some point in the night, he heard the tent mooring rip loose like a rifle shot, felt the floor of the tent lift, spilling the other sherpas on top of one another. "Quickly!" shouted Tirseng, "we must weight it down!" And he scrambled up the slanting canvas like a sailor crawling up the deck of a sinking ship. The other three sherpas joined him and Tirseng put his hand on the shoulder of Lemsah, the eldest, sopeaking into his ear "if we don't secure the tent it will carry us over the edge! Grab some rope!" They exited the tent, creeping on all fours into the fury of the storm. Tirseng broke hard ice and snow away from an up-slope boulder with his axe, then managed to anchor two pitons in it. Lemsah secured rope to the tent edge, and then lashed them to the pitons. The entire operation was a matter of 5 minutes, but when they crawled into the tent again they were covered with ice, their eyes wedged open with it. The other sherpas already had a coleman stove lit, melting snow in a pot for tea. Tirseng had a quick thought, and stuck his head out the tent flap to see Curioso and Annette's tent through the blizzard : It appeared secure, the snow drifting up against the side to form a ramp to carry the wind over the top.

The tea was hot, life-giving, and the sherpas, for the first time, smiled at Tirseng. "Good, brother?" said the youngest one, Opar. "Good," replied Tirseng."Now tell me of your Prince, brothers." Both sherpas looked at Lemsah , who spoke at last.

"He is the Third Prince Monotek. He came to the Valley seven years ago, an acolyte seeking enlightenment in the high peaks. Balor, the Second Prince, took a liking to him and brought him into the Palace. Monotek soon became Balor's right hand man, carrying forth his every command."

"Including the imprisonment of all in Shangri La?" said Tirseng.

"Ah," said Lemsah," the Great Law has always existed. We have everything we need in Shangri La. The fear was that it could be taken from us by the Sena Gralti, the outsiders. Those who die." Lemsah sipped his tea."Two years ago, Balor was drowned when a freak storm overtook his craft on the lake. The Council named Monotek Prince the following day."

"And he has ruled well?" said Tirseng. The three sherpas were quiet until Lemsah said at last "he is Prince. There is no other path we may follow." He looked into Tirseng's eyes. "We have wives and Children, Tirseng."