I followed Beren up the winding stair gaining a scholar's appreciation of his backside as I did so. It seemed we climbed for an improbable time, the city growing smaller beneath us than seemed likely from our glimpses of the exterior of the tower. I was just about to suggest we turn back when we abruptly reached the top and entered a large circular room. In the center of it stood a vast brass basin covered in some waxy substance that I presumed to be oil.

"It's like a lighthouse," I surmised as I glanced around and saw that the tower was open on all four sides though protected by the largest sheets of glass I had ever seen. Having worked with a few glaziers in order to pass fake gems, I knew that it would have taken magic to create such large sheets even today.

"Not just a lighthouse," Beren countered, scuffing the dusty floor with his boot to reveal a portion of what looked to be a map. I followed his gesture and saw that it was indeed a map, a huge circular one centered on the basin at the center of the room. I was no cartographer, but was reasonably certain that given the scale of some of the recognizable landmarks, these people had voyaged to lands far beyond any anyone in Andred had ever imagined. I stared in wonder as I realized that there were tiny gem stones set into the floor, marking the position of cities that had existed in eons past. On an instinct I looked up towards the ceiling and found a map there as well. This one was made of black nacreous shell, laid together and polished to a shiny backdrop. Artificial stars of amber and pearl winked down. I picked up a long stick of what might have been ancient bamboo, or perhaps the milk tusk of some enormous beast and reached up to touch one of the stars.

"What are you..." Beren objected but as I touched the star the floor seemed to flow. Suddenly it was a wholly alien map with unknown continents and strange geography. I touched another and the process repeated.

"Some kind of magical map?" Beren asked in stunned amazement.

"I think... I think these are maps of other worlds," I admitted, scarcely believing it. My eyes went back to the basin.

"And if I'm not wrong, this might be meant to signal them." We both stood silent as we contemplated the enormity of what, I freely admit were basically hunches and educated guesswork, but I thought I wasn't far off. Were there remnants of this civilization in the stars? Or trading partners waiting for this fire to be lit? I took an involuntary step towards the basin. Beren hastily blocked my progress.

"Lets not jump to any..." we heard a distant scream. Beren swore and ran to the edge of the tower, looking out. Far below we could see tiny figures moving. Even from this great height it was obvious it was the conquistadors and the other travelers. The armed men were herding the others at sword point.

"Fuck! What the hell are they doing?!" Beren cursed, but I could see from the line of travel they were heading towards a large circular pit ringed by smaller temples. The panorama of the city made me momentarily dizzy even though some portions of it were overgrown with jungle. This place must be huge. I saw towers rising up in the distance, temples that would have shamed Black Cally's palace. Great amphitheaters that sat empty and crumbling.

"They are taking them to the Temple Pit," I told him. I had a queasy feeling I knew why but I didn't volunteer it.

"Let's go!" Beren shouted and he rushed down the stairs, retracing out steps. When we reached the door to the lower chamber we found it was closed. Beren heaved against it but it wouldn't budge. He pounded he door and then pulled out his axe and splintered the timber. Behind it the tables were piled up to block our transit. Beren heaved at the door, but even his mighty strength couldn't shift it. 

"Back up," I told him, turning and running up the stairs. He might not have followed me but he did, apparently trusting me further than he should, which is to say trusting me at all.

"What is your plan?" he asked. I picked up the stick and touched one of the stars at random.

"Hold your breath," I told him and then whispered a word. The world exploded into shards. Suddenly I weighed twice as much as I should. My skin tingled and my eyes burned. We stood in a chamber almost identical to the one we had just left, except this one looked out over a city of burnished silver. Strange things I couldn't make out whizzed through the air beyond, perhaps birds, or flying lizards. I lurched into action, all but falling as I dragged Beren down the identical stairs for the second time. We reached the bottom and Gods be praised the door was open. My pulse was pounding in my temples from lack of air, the incredible weight of my body, and the strain of holding the spell. We ran through the door into a room packed with strange artefacts whose purpose I couldn't even begin to fathom. I shove Beren into a space in the room I remembered being empty and with a gasp let go of the spell. I feel the fabric of the universe shove us back into our world with an audible crack of displaced air. We stood beyond the tables in the room we had left the others in. Both of us steamed with a gas that wasn't air and smelled like salt and ammonia. My eyes stung but I blinked them clear.

"What now?" Beren asked, his eyes wide and shocked at what had transpired. I sucked in great lungfuls of air, trying to get the vision of silvery birds of living metal out of my mind.

"How...about... you take over the planning for a bit," I gasped.