Kinza looked around in wonder as she followed Zaid and Khalil through Rhapta. They had left Khalil’s workshop and sneaked back through the outskirts to the collapsed portion of the city wall she had seen earlier. Zaid cautioned them to stay in the shadows as much as possible, but so far she hadn’t seen a single soul. Despite the evident destruction, the inner portion of the city was, so far, quieter than the outskirts.
Even through the soot and ash, Kinza could see that Rhapta was magnificent. It wasn’t anything like the glass and metal skyscrapers that she was used to seeing in downtown Chicago, with its grit and chaotic streets. The long, limestone buildings of Rhapta were regal. Wide boulevards of white stone lined with miniature baobab trees crisscrossed through strategically placed p
