| Author: | R. Richard | ISBN: | 9780463162002 |
| Publisher: | R. Richard | Publication: | June 1, 2018 |
| Imprint: | Smashwords Edition | Language: | English |
| Author: | R. Richard |
| ISBN: | 9780463162002 |
| Publisher: | R. Richard |
| Publication: | June 1, 2018 |
| Imprint: | Smashwords Edition |
| Language: | English |
Jiraz has been out for three days now and he hasn't been able to refill his pouch. He needs to find water. Well, he also needs to find gems, or anything of reasonable value. However, the water comes first. In the desert, water is life.
After a time, Jiraz gets up and moves up the ridge. He passes over the top of the first ridge and then descends and begins to move along a little valley. The early morning wind has begun to blow and the sand begins to sting Jiraz' face. Jiraz readjusts the scarf of his garment to provide as much protection as practical. The little valley winds back and forth up the second ridge. This winding is unusual, as normally narrow wadis are cut by water flow. Water moving down the side of a ridge doesn't need to wind back and forth, so to create a broad, flat valley. As Jiraz moves up the valley, he watches closely for any sign of Krellen and, of course, for sign of gemstone bearing rock. He sees no evidence of either Krellen or gemstone bearing rock, but something nibbles at the fringes of his consciousness. Jiraz has learned, from hard experience, to pay close attention when he begins to get uneasy feelings about a situation. As he makes yet another switchback, Jiraz notices that there's a notch in the outer wall of the little valley. It's not the first notch Jiraz has seen and they are all in the same relative location. It's as if the notches have been placed along the way, as water drains.
The idea slowly dawns, “Jiraz, you're on a road. A road now covered with sand, soil and rocks, but definitely a road.”
The road is wide enough for several load beasts. No one would build such a road in the desert. Not the People, certainly not the Krellen. It must be an ancient structure. But built for what purpose?
Addressing himself, he says, “Jiraz, people build roads to get somewhere. The finer the road, the finer the somewhere. Thus it is. Thus it has always been. This was a fine road, thus it must go to somewhere fine. Perhaps a clever man can obtain something fine, by following along such a road.”
Completing his statement, Jiraz immediately puts his back to the ridge at the inside of the road. All well to reason, but it's also necessary to always watch for Krellen and other dangers of the desert.
His searching gaze finds nothing. His ears hear only the moaning of the early morning wind. Then, after satisfying himself that it's safe to do so, Jiraz begins to again move warily along the path of the road.
The road slopes gently and steadily upward. There are, from time to time, rocks or dirt fallen across the roadway, but road it definitely is. The steady upward slope levels near the top of the ridge. The road ends in a sort of large circular ring. The purpose of the circular ring puzzles Jiraz. Perhaps the circular ring is some sort of religious thing.
Since Jiraz has determined that what he's on is a road, it must go somewhere. The only evidence of somewhere are a large flat circle in the ground and two rocks, set into the surface of the ridge. The rocks are not of the same material as the ridge, but they the rocks are each of the same color and texture. There's a very large rock and a smaller rock. Both of the rocks are reasonably flat. Jiraz tries to visualize the rocks as doors. The smaller rock is about the right size for a door. The larger rock is, perhaps, three times the height of a man and nearly that wide. Why would anyone make such door? It makes no practical sense. Still, there are many things in the desert which seem strange, only to reveal themselves as quite reasonable, if only after time and careful thought.
The smaller rock shows some promise. There's faint evidence of a not-too-jagged crack where a door could possibly open. There are five numbers graven into the surface of the smaller rock. The numbers are hidden in a fold of the rock, out of obvious view. Jiraz pushes all five numbers, but nothing happens.
Jiraz has been out for three days now and he hasn't been able to refill his pouch. He needs to find water. Well, he also needs to find gems, or anything of reasonable value. However, the water comes first. In the desert, water is life.
After a time, Jiraz gets up and moves up the ridge. He passes over the top of the first ridge and then descends and begins to move along a little valley. The early morning wind has begun to blow and the sand begins to sting Jiraz' face. Jiraz readjusts the scarf of his garment to provide as much protection as practical. The little valley winds back and forth up the second ridge. This winding is unusual, as normally narrow wadis are cut by water flow. Water moving down the side of a ridge doesn't need to wind back and forth, so to create a broad, flat valley. As Jiraz moves up the valley, he watches closely for any sign of Krellen and, of course, for sign of gemstone bearing rock. He sees no evidence of either Krellen or gemstone bearing rock, but something nibbles at the fringes of his consciousness. Jiraz has learned, from hard experience, to pay close attention when he begins to get uneasy feelings about a situation. As he makes yet another switchback, Jiraz notices that there's a notch in the outer wall of the little valley. It's not the first notch Jiraz has seen and they are all in the same relative location. It's as if the notches have been placed along the way, as water drains.
The idea slowly dawns, “Jiraz, you're on a road. A road now covered with sand, soil and rocks, but definitely a road.”
The road is wide enough for several load beasts. No one would build such a road in the desert. Not the People, certainly not the Krellen. It must be an ancient structure. But built for what purpose?
Addressing himself, he says, “Jiraz, people build roads to get somewhere. The finer the road, the finer the somewhere. Thus it is. Thus it has always been. This was a fine road, thus it must go to somewhere fine. Perhaps a clever man can obtain something fine, by following along such a road.”
Completing his statement, Jiraz immediately puts his back to the ridge at the inside of the road. All well to reason, but it's also necessary to always watch for Krellen and other dangers of the desert.
His searching gaze finds nothing. His ears hear only the moaning of the early morning wind. Then, after satisfying himself that it's safe to do so, Jiraz begins to again move warily along the path of the road.
The road slopes gently and steadily upward. There are, from time to time, rocks or dirt fallen across the roadway, but road it definitely is. The steady upward slope levels near the top of the ridge. The road ends in a sort of large circular ring. The purpose of the circular ring puzzles Jiraz. Perhaps the circular ring is some sort of religious thing.
Since Jiraz has determined that what he's on is a road, it must go somewhere. The only evidence of somewhere are a large flat circle in the ground and two rocks, set into the surface of the ridge. The rocks are not of the same material as the ridge, but they the rocks are each of the same color and texture. There's a very large rock and a smaller rock. Both of the rocks are reasonably flat. Jiraz tries to visualize the rocks as doors. The smaller rock is about the right size for a door. The larger rock is, perhaps, three times the height of a man and nearly that wide. Why would anyone make such door? It makes no practical sense. Still, there are many things in the desert which seem strange, only to reveal themselves as quite reasonable, if only after time and careful thought.
The smaller rock shows some promise. There's faint evidence of a not-too-jagged crack where a door could possibly open. There are five numbers graven into the surface of the smaller rock. The numbers are hidden in a fold of the rock, out of obvious view. Jiraz pushes all five numbers, but nothing happens.
