of investigating Shibalban soldiers, "the Varanel, the Night Guards of Shibalba". Raglan confers with Gallagher and Tazzoc again, who promises to leave some native clothes at the kiva entrance so Raglan can better blend in; Raglan promises to do what he could to save Tazzoc's archives and get them into wider circulation. A confrontation with a local agent of the Hand, Eden Foster, only ends up as a brawl which Raglan wins. He enters the Third World, enlisting the aid of Johnny (an old cowboy who had been trapped in the Third World for decades) as backup. Raglan rendezvouses with Tazzoc in his archives, located within the mazy trap-filled citadel the Hand lives in and where Hokart is presumably being held, the Forbidden. The archives hold an ancient map from when the Forbidden was first built, and with its aid he finds Hokart's cell – although he is hunted through the Forbidden by the ambitious and arrogant agent Zipacna and his Varanel goons. Raglan's pistols win through the Varanel and rescue the starving Hokart. They break out and Johnny discourages pursuit with his big rifle laying down covering fire on the pursuing Varanel. A day later, as the portal back to the Fourth World quavers and begins to collapse, they meet Volkmeer, an old friend Raglan had left to guard the kiva who has entered the employ of the Hand, and attempt to escape the Third World. Raglan, Hokart, and the others escape, but Volkmeer is caught in the portal as it becomes quiescent, and is killed. See also Weird West References 1987 American novels Novels by Louis L'Amour 1987 science fiction novels Western (genre) novels Southwestern United States in fiction Works based on folklore Bantam Books books