62

With everyone gathered around a table in the shade of the Specular pavilion, Control says, "We are only partway toward rebuilding the Specular and returning home, and every day we spend here, the False Icon grows more powerful."

"The False Icon and Stralchus," Alexius says. "Who knows what he's been up to?"

"Chief Kothis is sending some of his warriors to look for the Ziggurat," Vecla says.

"Really?" Alexius says.

"We're not the only people with jobs to do, Alexius," Vecla says. "He has finished grieving. Now he plans to act."

Control clears one of her throats; the others fall silent as she speaks.

"Now two tasks remain to us—we must replace the Specular's central refractive prism with a crystal of equal quality, and we must procure an astronomical tabulation chart that determines our exact position in space and time, to effect our safe return.

"Local traders claim to have seen huge crystalline structures out on the northern plains. People say they have healing properties, and a sufficiently pure crystal may serve as our prism."

"Byzantium would like those crystals, too," Alexius says.

"But the northern plains are said to be vast, nearly endless," Control says. "Without riding mounts, we could be out there forever."

"What about the tabulation chart?" Alexius asks.

"I have investigated the scientific development of other nearby civilizations, human and otherwise," Control says. "Unfortunately, our best chance to finding astronomical data remains with the ophidians."

"I was afraid you'd say that."

Vecla shivers at the mention of the snake people, but Therko says, "We need to deal with the ophidians before they strike at us again."