The knight opened the door, stepped into the gloom and waited for his eyes to adjust.

The room was fairly full. About twenty to twenty-five men nursed drinks in solitude, or drank noisily with friends. A couple of ladies chatted by themselves, a few were clinging to men, as were the two whores sitting on the laps of the two brigands he'd come to find.

The knight slowly walked to the far side of the room towards them. Customers moved aside allowing him to pass and ...