"It's even more thorough, Lord. The thought occurred to me too. I'm operating on the assumption that the land was smitten by the Power, though we've yet to find certain proof."

"Historical research?"

"Nothing on record anywhere, Lord."

"It's very old, then. What about oral traditions among the tribes? I've heard there are ruins in the forests. Have you tried to determine their age?"

"The tribes say there was a war among the gods. The ruins are at least a thousand years old. Probably a lot older. I have my leading necromancer working in the best preserved city. He hasn't been able to determine more."

"Have you consulted Outside?"

"Demons either don't know or won't tell."

"I see. How many men have you lost?"

Shih-ka'i listened to an exact recitation of every detail known about a dozen group disappearances. Tasi-feng indicated their last known positions on the map. Each party had reached the mountains. No other pattern was apparent.

"Have you tried high altitude search?"

"Birds refuse to fly over the desert, Lord. I wanted to send a dragon, but my request was refused. Too many perished in the western campaign, they say. They say they need to breed their numbers up. Personally, I think they're as frightened as the birds."

"Oh? Have they been interrogated? Some would be older than those ruins."

"If they know anything, they're not saying. They're less talkative than the demons."

"Curious. Most curious. Lord Lun-yu, I commend you. You've been thorough."

"There's little else to do out here, Lord. The centurions complain that it's just makework."

Shih-ka'i smiled behind his mask. "They would. I'm curious. Lord Kuo seemed to think this a critical puzzle. He was quite concerned. Could you guess why?"

"I'm not certain, Lord. Perhaps because there have been flickers of the Power beyond the mountains." He raked a pointer along the top of the wall, over a distance of twenty feet. "They emanated from somewhere here."