“No other Kriani here?” Bria asked.
The Thrumpit said, “Alone we suffer, struggle-siblings, the Librarian and Ruinreader.”
Bria turned as she walked, studying the dimensions of the hallway. “Ulltrian?” she asked Eydis. She closed her nostrils in disgust.
The archeologist understood Bria to be asking if the Ulltrians made this space. “Yes,” she said softly. “They preferred underground structures for all their most important buildings. Nothing else is very permanent here. Hurricanes and tornadoes are common on the surface of this world.” She stopped. Ki’Ki’Tilish and Gowgoroup passed her by. But Bria halted and turned, lowering her head to peer at the human.
“Listen to me,” Eydis said. “I still don’t believe it. I still use the past tense. Could it be true? Could there reall
