I guess it was around noon when we spotted the singular spire on the horizon. It had to be one of the pillars of Iram. There was a collective gasp from the entire crew when we saw it. He had done it; Nick had found the lost city! We drove on and hit the edge of the city a half hour later. To be honest there wasn't much to see it that necropolis that city of the dead. But I was wrong; something lived in this ancient place. There was a whisper of consciousness tickling the edges of my senses.

'Who are you,' I sent out in all directions.

'I...