Lake of Skulls — Paul Stewart; Chris Riddell

Behind me, a loud, beastlike roar went up. I turned to see a great hulk of a man -- all hairy jowls and heaving gut -- lumbering from leg to leg in a slow battle-jig. I recognized him at once.

His fists were clenched. His bloodshot eyes were wild.

"Come on, if you think you're hard enough!" he was bellowing.

Here we go again! I thought. Why do I always seem to end up in this type of a place? You'd think I'd have learned by now. All I'd wanted was a quiet drink. Was that too much to ask? Was it?

Given the day I'd had so far, maybe it was...