Birin was about to protest the folly of their decision, but changed his mind with a shrug that said eloquently, On your own head be it. ‘As you wish.’
The four of them dismounted, their horses were led away, and they entered the comparative darkness of the building, stopping in the huge foyer a moment to allow their eyes time to adjust. Then, moving into the building proper, they ascended a short flight of stairs and passed through a pair of doors which were held open by armed guards. Immediately inside was a ‘T’ intersection, leading right, left, and center, and they took the one in the middle. Midway into the building were landings on both sides of the hall. An open stairwell rose four storeys with double staircases on either side. They followed their escort up several flights to the right until they reached the uppermost landing. They then turned left on the landing, followed it to the end, then turned right at a narrow doorway, passed through a hallway and cloakroom panelled with dark wood, passed through a small anteroom which had tall vertical windows at one end, finally passing through another doorway which brought them to the rear of a long hall.
Inside was a long narrow floor surrounded on all four sides by ascending tiers of seats. At the far end of this, seated at a table at floor level, was the Thane flanked on either side by several of his aides. To his right in the lower gallery sat a number of merchants. The rest of the hall was empty.