50

"I wonder how he came to be mummified like this?"

Zhu shrugs. "Just another mystery in this cave of wonders. But come, Yeshe has nothing for us now. Let's keep going."

You turn away from the body of the ancient sage and pass on through the archway, heading into the cavernous chamber beyond.

The chamber is the size of a cathedral and roughly circular in shape; the only exit is the tunnel behind you. Vivid blue veins continue through the walls, casting a steady light all around; they branch and separate and recombine in an intricate dance of form across the rock of the walls and the floor. Iridescent blue stalactites descend from the ceiling, casting further vivid light, and the humming sound continues, low and insectile in the background.

The center of the chamber rises in a series of irregular stepped platforms. They jut out unpredictably, forming a tiny mountain within the mountain. At the summit—a flat platform about ten feet above ground level—there stands a short, squat pedestal of plain gray granite engraved all around with humanoid forms.

In a slight depression on the circular top of the pedestal, there lies a perfectly round stone about the size of a baseball. The stone is semitransparent green and is radiating a weak pool of light.

"That's it!" gasps Zhu. "It must be! The stone of Shambala! Come on, let's go."

You put a restraining hand on his shoulder. "Slow down, Zhu. This is my world now."