Entering the castle in a temper, King Lutsan cried out, “Dzemo, where is this human flesh I smell?”

“Then you find the sauce for dinner appealing?”  Dzemo asked.  Lutsan ate by the shovelful, but still seemed dissatisfied.  “Dzemo, I will do a mo.  Bring my box of dice and my mo-pe, my magical book.  But create no defilement.  Be careful not to drop or step on that book,” he instructed.  But Dzemo did exactly that, almost dancing on the book with perverse delight.  Still, the book spoke out in a strong voice, “Gesar is come.  He is dug into a pit with a roof of earth above.”  “So is he living or dead?” questioned Lutsan.  And although he threw his dice again and again, the confusing mo remained the same.  In a fit of temper, Lutsan tossed the book into the fire.  Pretending to rescue it, Dzemo pushed the book farther into the flames.

“Dzemo, I am tired.  Prepare my bed.”  Lutsan demanded.  But when the pillows and carpets were readied, he remained restless.  Dzemo spoke in a soft, comforting voice, “While you were gone, you must have slept fitfully like small birds do.  Now that you are home, can you not sleep deeply again?”  Finally the demon fell into a deep, exhausted sleep.

When he was snoring loudly, Dzemo went to release Gesar.  Entering the bedchamber, even Gesar trembled to see the massive body of the giant.  He had to bend forward even to stand against the wind of Lutsan’s breathing.  Quickly Gesar plunged his small dagger, “three-fingers-long,” into the small white mark on the demon’s forehead.  And, as Dzemo had promised, Lutsan died at once.

But Dzemo, who had fallen madly in love with the hero, was bent on keeping him to herself and used magical practices to influence him.  She offered him tea defiled with impurities and placed on his bed pillows that she had walked over.  All Gesar’s thoughts were uprooted.  So from day to day, Dzemo kept him content to play at dice and arrows.

Forgotten was Dukmo, his wife.  Forgotten was the Ling-castle with its nine turrets.  Six years passed.

III. The Hor land

During those years all had not gone well for Ling.  King Gurkar of Hor had led an army against Ling, and had broken asunder the nine towers of its castle.