Beyond the Seventh Turn

Vael can feel the distance change between one footfall and the next. The arch behind them seems to sink. The stair that led downhill now appears to climb. There is still stone underfoot, and the rest of the crew is close enough to hear.

On the other side are roofs, water channels and people carrying things home. The passage will close, and the six travelers have brought a costly instrument and a short list of questions they can answer before they have to leave. Miren wants to learn how people work in a place where a familiar climb can lengthen underfoot. First she has to find someone willing to show her. And when the window starts to narrow, every new thing the crew takes on will have to fit alongside the journey back.