“These are not the originals,” she continued, speaking of the statues. “They are reproductions. Some of the originals still exist, but most, like this one of Morikai the Great, have been lost.”

“What happened to it?” asked Derek.

“The original was left in front of a capitol building on the other side of the world, completely abandoned, and eventually torn apart by religious fanatics who believed sculptures were forbidden by the gods. Thousands of years ago.” She paused in front of a statue depicting a native, probably a female, holding an infant in her arms. “This is Queen Elza.” She stopped and tried to think of an easy way to explain. “She opposed the Orgalians, who were a race of barbarians. She succeeded in beating them back. It’s a replica of a statue placed at the Crescent Pool in her honor. Centuries after her death, the Orgalians returned, seized everything, and destroyed the statue.”

Another female replica stood nearby. Hutch caught only a passing glimpse, but she recognized it immediately. As did Derek. “Wait,” he said. “That’s the Iapetus sculpture.”

When he turned so she could get a better look, she saw it wasn’t strictly true. It was similar but not identical. But it was clearly the same species. It also was female, and at first glance, it portrayed a creature you would not have wanted to confront in a dark place. It had claws and wings and eyes that were somehow focused elsewhere. But the suggestion of discontent, of loss, of anger, was gone. It was, somehow, more warrior and less female. There was more a sense of conquest and less of longing.

Derek had to stop and catch his breath: “Zyra, where did that come from?”

“The original was from the Kamersik Era. At least six thousand years ago. We think. It disappeared. Nobody knows what happened to it. Of course, there’s not much that’s survived from that period.”

“What does it represent? Who’s it supposed to be?”

“Sola.”

“And Sola is?”

“She was one of the gods who, in the sacred texts, brought us off Adjuban.”

“Can you,” Derek said, speaking slowly, “tell us a bit more? About the religious interpretation?”

“There were several conflicting versions. Basically, we were living in a place of gathering darkness. The gods themselves were divided over whether we should be allowed to survive. They were weary of the way we lived, and Okondo decided to do away with us. Okondo was a second-level deity who simply thought we were more trouble than we were worth. In some versions, he was the one who imposed mortality on us. It was supposed to be a warning, but we didn’t listen. And finally, he brought the darkness.

“Sola was more tolerant. More loving. She intervened with other gods, and they carried us to a safe place. That is what Tarka means: a safe place.”

Derek’s voice came through to Hutch: “Are you getting all this?”

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