The fugitives' situation collapses into crisis the moment Soa escapes and alerts the priests. With their identities exposed and the priesthood mobilizing, Leonard, Juanna, Otter, and Olfan face certain death unless they can flee the temple prison. Their frantic attempts to break down the massive wooden doors fail, and the priests begin massing outside.

Otter proposes a desperate alternative: descend through the tunnel beneath the Water‑Dweller's lair and attempt the perilous ice‑bridge that leads out of the valley. With no other hope, the group gathers supplies, restrains Nam, and drops into the cavern—retrieving the sacred jewel bag in the process.

They reach the mountain tunnel just ahead of their pursuers and hastily block the entrance with ice and stones. As dawn approaches, the priests return with battering beams. Olfan and two captains choose to remain behind, holding the priests at bay so Leonard, Juanna, and Otter can attempt the climb. In a moment of quiet nobility, Olfan bids Juanna farewell, accepting death as the price of his oath to protect her.

With the ice wall cracking and the priests breaking through, the trio escapes up the mountain slope. Nam collapses, is freed from his bindings, and the group presses on until the glittering ice‑bridge appears ahead—an ominous gateway to freedom.

At the brink of the ravine, Otter reveals the only way across the treacherous ice‑bridge: riding flat stones like sleds over the frozen incline. As Leonard keeps watch, Juanna distracts herself by examining the treasure—an astonishing collection of sapphires, rubies, and carved gemstone idols.

But Nam, who had seemed unconscious, rises and crawls toward her. In a sudden lunge he snatches the jewel bag and sprints toward a rock promontory overlooking the abyss. Cornered, he threatens to drop the treasure unless Leonard swears to spare his life. When Leonard agrees, Nam mocks him, declaring that he will destroy the treasure rather than let "white thieves" steal the sacred wealth of his people.

With a final curse, Nam hurls himself—and the jewels—off the cliff into the chasm below.

The loss devastates Juanna, who blames herself, and Leonard, who sees his long‑sought fortune vanish forever. Otter confirms the jewels are unrecoverable: the ravine walls are sheer and a river roars far below.

With the priests still pursuing, the trio must now abandon grief and focus on survival. Otter finds two flat stones suitable for crossing the ice‑bridge—one large enough for Leonard and Juanna together, and a smaller one for himself. With no treasure left and no way back, they prepare for the most dangerous passage yet.

By H. Rider Haggard

The long‑awaited moment arrives as Juanna and Otter are led to the summit of the colossal Snake statue for their execution. The People of the Mist gather below in a frenzy of anticipation, convinced they are about to witness divine judgment.

Leonard watches helplessly from captivity as Juanna is forced to stand at the edge of the precipice, the monstrous serpent idol looming behind her. The mist still clings to the valley—meaning death is certain.

But just as the priests prepare to cast her down, a sudden break in the clouds sends a shaft of sunlight piercing through the fog. The beam strikes the idol's head, illuminating Juanna in a blaze of gold. The crowd erupts in awe.

Otter seizes the moment, declaring the gods have spoken. The priests hesitate. The people fall to their knees. And in the chaos, Leonard and Francisco realize that fate—perhaps divine, perhaps luck—has given them one last chance at survival.

This chapter delivers one of Haggard's most dramatic reversals: a miracle of timing that turns certain death into a moment of power.

With the crowd in turmoil, Leonard and his companions make a desperate escape toward the great stone bridge that spans the chasm. The priests rally their warriors, and a violent pursuit erupts across the heights.

As arrows fly and the People of the Mist surge forward, Otter reaches the bridge's ancient supports and begins hacking at them with a stolen axe. The bridge—centuries old and weakened by time—begins to crack.

Leonard and Juanna race across as the structure shudders beneath them. The pursuing warriors are nearly upon them when the bridge gives way with a thunderous roar, collapsing into the abyss and carrying the attackers with it.

The survivors stand trembling on the far side, shaken but alive. Behind them, the valley echoes with the destruction of the only path the People of the Mist could use to reach them.

It is a narrow escape, bought with courage, desperation, and the final destruction of the ancient bridge. The journey home is still uncertain—but for the first time, freedom feels possible.

Now playing

This week's episode dives into one of history's most shocking miscarriages of justice. Joan of Arc—France's teenage military savior—was betrayed, captured, and subjected to a rigged trial designed to destroy her. Her execution in 1431 was not simply a political act; it was a crime engineered by powerful men terrified of her influence.

But the story didn't end at the stake.

Decades later, Joan's family forced the Church to reopen the case. What followed was a dramatic retrial that exposed corruption, overturned the verdict, and restored Joan's honor. It was a legal battle so explosive that it shook the foundations of Church authority.

This is true crime at its most riveting: a wrongful conviction, a political conspiracy, a grieving family's fight for justice, and a verdict that changed history.

Listen now at 1001 True Crime From Another Time — new episodes every Sunday at 12pm ET