MARKUS WAS BLINDED by the light as the Hall took him away at great speed. Only a moment did it last, but he sensed that in that time, he had been far in space and in time. As the light faded around him, he saw the mud formed ziggurats that he had always associated with the early Sumerian empire. It might not sound so appealing, but these were polished so that their surfaces gleamed like bronze in the sunlight.
All around him, people moved in a bizarre variety of attire, from nude to simple loincloths to various forms of togas and even different forms of trousers. No zippers were apparent, though. They sometimes looked at him with mild curiosity as they passed him, but none seemed to have a problem with his presence. He overheard the chatter of some of the people as they pass by, and it wa
