#tashbaan

Inside the walls the island rose in a hill and every bit of that hill, up to the Tisroc's palace and the great temple of Tash at the top, was completely covered with buildings – terrace above terrace, street above street, zigzag roads or huge flights of steps bordered with orange trees and lemon trees, roof-gardens, balconies, deep archways, pillared colonnades, spires, battlements, minarets, pinnacles.

When once Shasta had reached the far end of the bridge he found the crowd melting away.

It must be nice inside, he thought.

Half a dozen soldiers, leaning on their spears, stood on each side.