We had better breathe in and out for a moment and return to the library a second time, lest the air underground saturate our lungs.


    This time, I think, it would be wise to leave the insides of the earth and travel many leagues. We will pass through the meadows, the deserts and the seas of the humans, and even the minor cities where the three wise races gather. We will go straight to the capital, the highest peak.


    To summarize its greatness, the best thing to do is to read a witness to it. The troubadour and elven geographer Vilvias, who traveled through every corner of the Peak and captured his memories in an unparalleled work. Here I leave you the summary he wrote as a preview of the more extensive description of the metropolis:


    “I have climbed the highest Peak and shared news with my own. I have descended and lived with men, of great number, vigor and courage. I have descended still further, to where my eyes perceive not the light of the Father Star, where the dwarves forged for me a flute with such skill that I casted mine away at once.”


    “Because the three great peoples live together on the same mountain, they know the site as Tripoli, for each founded a city there adding up to three, although they often intermingle. It is known as the capital of the world, but it is not the capital of any kingdom.”


    “There are stories about how it was founded after a long war between all the venerable peoples. Others tell that the three peoples knew that that place was the center of the world, and where they should live together more than anywhere else. They christened the Highest Peak - ómphalos - and erected their houses.”


    “On the top of this Omphalos is the home of the Omphalos Elves, whose particular name requires no further explanation. These are some of the most urbane of the elves, but they would never disdain their most fundamental traditions.”


    “Still their riders ply the skies, mounted both on cranes and winged serpents, beings that descended from higher strata long, long ago.”


    “They still promenade the agora and philosophers establish their schools. In fact, the school of Fingoras, found here, has proved most popular. It has even already grown considerably among human burghers, very much interested in mathematics for the practical and in numerology for the religious.”


    “Even here, despite the closeness to the human and dwarven monarchies, the traditional republican system of my people is maintained. And, it should be mentioned, the institutions of the Elven Omphalos command the utmost respect and trust of their people.


    “With regard to this, it again happens that a large portion of the lower humans, those who have had the privilege of ascending to the elven city, return to their city in the hope of changing their political situation and establishing a system more like ours.”


    “For now without much success.”


    “As far as these Omphalos humans are concerned there is much to comment on. They occupy much of the Omphalos piedmont, representing the middle or center of Tripoli. It is remarkable also that their settlement was, originally, established in two sites, perhaps by ancient tribes today nameless.”


    “That is to say, they were originally two cities, which eventually merged, although today they still maintain particular differences that will arouse your interest.”


    “On the east side the buildings are taller and whiter, more inspired by the architecture of my relatives and certainly brighter. For the East city is illuminated by the sun for several hours more than its neighbor, the West city, which is more immersed in the mountain.”


    “The west side on the other hand was much more influenced by dealings with the dwarves, there being many connections between the houses of the men and the depths of the mountain interior, inhabited by the smaller kin.”


    “As is predictable due to the influences stretching from each side of the human zone of Tripoli, each half is devoted to different industries. The west side is the most industrious and is filled with artisans, manufacturers, industrial buildings, and dwarven masters instructing their friends or employees.”


    “The other side accumulates mostly guilds of other crafts such as trade or scripture, in addition to vine farming. It is also home to most academies of higher learning and human schools of thought.”


    “The king of men is currently a maiden, Queen Simeria, who rules since the early passing of her father three years ago. The reigning lady still awaits the arrival of a consort king to ensure continuity, but the matter has been delayed by the fragility of alliances of late.”


    “I was only able to share a short time of her day. The queen was gracious enough to grant me a guest seat in the council chamber, where I witnessed her skill in managing those who run the various aspects of her realm.”


    “I will only say in this council there are now almost as many dwarves as humans, though my close kin are still in the majority and their words held with more weight, because of their long experience.”


    “At present living in the city of men is more than tolerable for my people and I invite others to visit its streets and dens, especially those in the East, who will remind you of home easily.”


    “However, I must say that there is some political tension in the air, even with the deft handling of the monarch, stemming from the influence of the races living above and below the city, both seemingly fighting for cultural dominance over the humans.”


    Stolen novel; please report.


    “The dwarves are said to have economics on their side and the elves have art and philosophy, but I couldn''t say who holds sway over the human side of Tripoli, if either does.”


    “Most noteworthy at present, about this, is the already widely spread rumor that the queen would rather marry an elven man than a prince from another human city, though only time will reveal the truth of this.”


    “I would not now wish to ramble on about rumors that are detrimental to the coexistence that has been maintained thus far. I will therefore go on to discuss what I witnessed when I descended into the underground, where the dwarves carry out great inventions.”


    “These Omphalos dwarves are master stonemasons and cabinetmakers, but they excel even more in the field of invention.”


    “And their inventions have reached far and wide, so that perhaps it is they among all the Omphalos peoples who are best known outside the mountain. Their technological discoveries have reached homes and courts all over the world.”


    “There the first metal airship was created. They have not yet gone too far outside their borders, having entrusted them only to some of their -brother- kingdoms, as they call them. But here, in Tripoli, they are seen day and night ascending to the elven terrain and competing in height with the jockeys of my people.”


    “I admit that I was invited, but I did not have the courage to go up in one of those celestial ships, I only saw its insides once it landed. I decided to leave the description of the apparatus to the engineers of other generations, for I did not understand anything of what I saw.”


    “When I was already clearly in the depths my eyes could not adapt and I had to be carried by a guide, for they know well there that elves can hardly move in the underworld.”


    “Said guide, a human who lived with the dwarves in the highest chambers, took me from dwarf master to dwarf master so that they could tell me the details of their particular art.”


    “As I was saying, I had the joy of meeting a maker of musical instruments, who skillfully forged a flute that has always accompanied me since. He could not reveal to me how his production was made, for it is a well-kept secret, as is the case with all the other crafts down here.”


    “I decided to proceed and told my guide that I wished to descend to the lower levels, those farthest from the surface.”


    “Unfortunately I could hardly continue, for the stagnant air full of fumes I breathed proved more powerful than my curiosity: when I was looking into the middle halls I fainted and was brought to the floor.”


    “I soon awoke on the surface, where I had been taken to a healing center.”


    “Despite the anguish and the pains in my head, I was very sorry to have returned to the surface and not being able to see the lower chambers, where it has been revealed to me that the dwarves maintain their religious centers, replete with the most unique and inspiring jewels.”


    “I did not, however, scold my guide, for he did the reasonable thing by taking me back upstairs.”


    “Shortly thereafter, as I was already preparing my return trip, visiting the last points of interest and making final interviews, I received a visit that was unexpected and could best be described as disturbing.”


    “I was then residing in the Elvish quarter of the eastern city, in an apartment graciously lent to me by Altis, one of the archons of the Omphalos elves.”


    “That visit, as I explained, I received in the evening, shortly before going to bed and calling it a day. The visitor was a human, not too young and neat looking. He said that he was a regular in both the Elvish quarter and the Elven Republic of the Onphalic Elves.”


    “He also explained to me that he had a great interest in astronomy, astrology and the upper strata, especially in anything regarding Firmament, one of the legendary layers that divide existence, much higher than the Sky of my people.”


    “He said that he had studied in depth what was known of this barrier, which as far as I know is rather little, and that he observed it almost every night with a telescope lent to him by a very wealthy elven friend.”


    “He said that he ascribed to the theories which explain the Sun as the largest opening of this celestial wall, which revolves around the whole world, causing day and night. Hence, in that case, the stars would be smaller openings.”


    “But this is not what is of most interest, since it is a hypothesis already put forward in many places, although, of course, it does not have much scientific foundation.”


    “He told me that the aperture known as the Sun had been seen to reduce in brightness without clouds in the Sky. He commented that this had increased slightly in frequency over the years and that one of his teachers, an elf, was the one who had begun to notice it in Tripoli and to investigate it.”


    “However, this elf had ended up abandoning his research, giving the matter up as a quirk of nature from which he could not extract much more. But this human man had continued his work, perhaps taking it to the degree of obsession.”


    “He was clearly frightened by the phenomenon, but he made only one request of me, the real reason for his visit. He asked of me, being a constant traveler and gifted in the letters and arts, to make use of my influence and make the importance of this celestial occurrence known throughout the world and well known professionals.”


    “I, interested and the request not being out of place, gladly agreed. I told him that I might even come back someday and tell him what others thought.”


    “He seemed pleased by my answer. A while later he left the way he came, perhaps he went to observe Firmament that night.”


    “I left the city only a few hours later and have yet to see him again, although I do keep my promise by talking about what he explained to me in this book and with other scholars of the upper strata.”


    “As a conclusion I will advance that in future chapters I develop an extensive description of the hinterlands of Tripoli and its cultural, economic and demographic development over the centuries.”


    So much for the excerpt I promised you, not lacking in mysteries. Surely the upper strata and the barriers that divide them will be of great interest in the near future.


    Now, back to our little adventurers and their stony host.