Chapter 18

“One god is greater than all great gods,

a fairer fame, the word of command,

the word from heaven.”

-Babylonian Poem of Creation

The ground within and around the cluster of huts was dry and dusty, in stark contrast to the dark green of the plantation. The occasional tree stood nearby, sparsely dressed in dry leaves and barely offering any shade from the sun. The huts were as plain as could be, with straw-thatched roofs, walls clad with sticks, and no doors to separate inside from out.

At one of these structures, Elizabeth stopped and gestured inside.

“This’ll be yours,” she said before continuing on through the bespoke village with Leilani trailing behind he...

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