Masrur

Arriving in the mystical Far East, the children contact Rothgo for advice; the magician has rested, and is now able to grant Helen the power to free anyone imprisoned by “Masrur”. Exploring the caverns the trio soon find a man imprisoned inside a large water jar; after Helen releases him, the self-proclaimed Ali the Defender explains that he had been imprisoned by Masrur, an evil sorceress who has taken over the land after capturing the Caliph and forcing the Grand Vizier to flee. Terry, Helen and Phil immediately suspect that Masrur is Belor and the Grand Vizier to be Rothgo, but before they can act, they are confronted by guards sent by Masrur; Ali escapes, but the three children are trapped in the Chamber of Fire, where they are choked by deadly sulphurous fumes. Luckily the room also contains the imprisoned Vizier, and once Helen speaks his name, Rothgo awakens and disperses the toxic gas – much to Masrur’s fury. Elsewhere, Ali learns that his army of men have all deserted him, except for one loyal follower, Ahmed; Ali vows to stop Masrur, but it seems that his motives centre around himself rather than his people. Meanwhile, Rothgo tells the children that Masrur holds the Nidas in her treasure trove – but the only way to gain access to the store is by using a genie trapped in a bottle worn around Masrur’s neck…