Karos Invictad grunted. ‘Seems direct enough. What is the record for the solution?’
‘There is none. You are the first and only player, apparently.’
‘Indeed. Curious. Tanal, three prisoners died in their cells last night-some contagion is loose down there. Have the corpses burned in the Receiving Ground west of the city. Thoroughly. And have the rest washed down with disinfectant.’
‘At once, Invigilator.’
The ruins were far more extensive than is commonly imagined. In fact, most historians of the early period of the colony have paid little or no attention to the reports of the Royal Engineer, specifically those of Keden Qan, who served from the founding until the sixth decade. During the formulation of the settlement building plan, a most thorough survey was conducted. The three extant Jhag towers behind the Old Palace were in fact part of a far larger complex, which of course runs contrary to what is known of]hag civilization. For this reason, it may be safe to assume that the Jhag complex on the bank of the Lether River represents a pre-dispersion site. That is, before the culture disintegrated in its sudden, violent diaspora. An alternative interpretation would be that the three main towers, four sub’ terranean vaults, and what Qan called the Lined Moat all belonged to a single, unusually loyal family.
In either case, the point I am making here is this: beyond the Jhag-or more correctly, Jaghut-complex, there were other ruins. Of course, one need not point out the most obvious and still existing Azath structure-that lecture will have to wait another day. Rather, in an area covering almost the entire expanse of present-day Lether as could be found foundation walls, plazas or concourses, shaped wells, drainage ditches and, indeed, some form of cemetery or mortuary, and-listen carefully now-all of it not of human design. Nor Jaghut, nor even Tarthenal.
Now, what were the details of this unknown complex? Well, for one, it was self-contained, walled, entirely covered by multilevel roofing-even the plazas, alleys and streets. As a fortress, it was virtually impregnable. Beneath the intricately paved floors and streets, there was a second even more defensible city, the corridors and tunnels of which can now be found as an integral part of our sewer outflow.
In short, Letheras, the colony of the First Empire, was founded upon the ruins of an earlier city, one whose layout seemed to disregard the presence of the]aghut towers and the Azath, suggesting that it pre-dates both.
Even the first engineer, Keden Qan, was unable or unwilling to attempt an identification of these early builders. Virtually no artifacts were found-no potsherds, no sculptures, no remnants of metal’Working. One last interesting detail. It appeared that in the final stages of occupation, the dwellers set about frantic alterations to their city. Qan’s analysis of these efforts led him to conclude that a catastrophic climate change had occurred, for the efforts indicated a desperate attempt to add insulation.
Presumably, that effort failed-
Her interior monologue ceased abruptly as she heard the faint scuff of someone approaching. Lifting her head was a struggle, but Janath Anar managed, just as the chamber’s heavy door creaked open and light flooded in from a lantern-dull and low yet blinding her nonetheless.