"Why don't you?" Zavros asked, raising an eyebrow. He sneered, even as he felt the grip around his throat tighten. Zavros wasn't an old man but Killian was strong, with the lean body of a dancer or an acrobat. Zavros was no fighter.

"There's something I want from you first," Killian said.

Zavros tried to laugh, but with the squeeze on his neck it came out more like a choke. "Why should I tell you anything? I have no fear of death."

Killian snatched the oculars from Zavros's face and threw them to the ground. Zavros blinked and tried to focus on the man in front of him.

Killian pulled something out of a pocket; a small white stone, vaguely cube-shaped and drawn over with black squiggles.

"What's that?" Zavros asked.

"It's one of the devices that caused the destruction you see here."

"Do your worst."

"Your library isn't far from here; just two floors up, isn't it?"

Zavros felt a chill. Knowledge was forever, and could last beyond the lifespan of any man, but books could be destroyed, and the knowledge could be destroyed with them.

"You wouldn't." Zavros knew the fear was written across his face.

"Why wouldn't I?" Killian said. "Tell me what I need to know."

"No."

Killian's shoulders moved with what Zavros's blurred vision said was a shrug. "You've seen what this can do. I'll go activate this now in your library, and then we can see what effect pain has on one such as you."

"What do you want to know?" Zavros stalled.

"The Pinnacle... What happened there? Did you find anything? Anything… or anyone?"

"What are you looking for?" Zavros was surprised. Killian had admitted to destroying the machines but evidently someone else was responsible for the Pinnacle. The Primate would be interested to know about this.

"Just tell me what you know."

"The light guarded a building, but it was destroyed, in an explosion like the one here. We found some runes on the blocks of stone and a mad pilgrim in the rubble. That's all."

Zavros felt he hadn't given away anything compromising. His mind worked furiously. What was Killian looking for? Killian must know about the book. This young man had information the Primate needed.

"You know, don't you?" Zavros said. "About the book. You're looking for it. Tell me, Killian. Tell me how to unlock its secret."

Killian's hand closed tighter around Zavros's neck. He hesitated, and then shook Zavros harder. "Of course I know about the book. Where is it?"

"Where do you think it is? The Primate has it," Zavros said, "but you'll never find him, he's left Stonewater and won't be back for a long time."

The sound of footsteps clattering against the stone made Killian's voice grow urgent. "And the pilgrim? Where's he?"