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astrayed, or have lost the trace of Schaeffer or be following a false one? Coul it be, perhaps,
other Magicians, enemies, interfering their route?

–Absolutelly no! –I said him, but now was he who was not listening.

–We have been marching since one week ago, supposedly towards the Lake Kuku Noor,
it means, the N.E. Do you know in what region we should be?

–Yes –I accepted reluctant–. In Tsinghai. This valley…

–No, von Sübermann: you know perfectly that a valley like this does not exist in
Tsinghai! You are an Ostenführer, if I remember well; I read it in your file. It means that you
know the geography of Asia very well. We should be in Tsinghai, and sometimes it seemed
that we were there, but definitely this is not Tsinghai! We don’t even know if it is the Tibet!

Karl von Grossen laughed hysterically and continued. I decided to wait him to get calm.

–I looked at the compass. Thither is the East, whence we came. Do you remember the
great lake that we saw yesterday with the binoculars, and that we agreed in that it could not be
any other than the Kuku Noor? Well, the Eastren shore of that lake guides to the valley of
Tsinghai, between the mounts Nan Chan at the North and the mountain range Kuen Lun at the
South. Do you know the distance between the lake and the mounts Kuen Lun? You can consult
the map if you want.

–Considering that the mountain range Kuen Lun is extended parallel from East to West,
I think that there are some 30 km. between the lake and its extreme oriental, the chain Amne
Ma-Chin; –I said by rote– and between the East shore and the occidental extreme of the Kuen
Lun, the chain Altyn Tagh for example, there are instead some 1.000 km.

–That is! –He confirmed triumphaly–. No look at the South with the binocoulars. Do you
recognize these mounts, at no more than fifteen kilometres?

–These are the Altyn Tagh! –I exclaimed dumbfounded– In the Western extreme of the
mountain range Kuen Lun!

–And what do you think, von Sübermann, that since yesterday till today we could travel
1.000 kms.?

–Nein!

–Now you are being reasonable –he approved–. I’ll tell you how much we travelled,
because I have effectuated a precise calculation: just twenty five kilometres. Do you
understand? We have joined in just 25 kms. two places that are normally separated by

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