The Lost Puzzler
A SAVAGE FUTURE. A VANISHED PAST. A MISSING KEY.Among the ruins of a civilization beyond their understanding, humanity clings to survival. Guilds vie for control of ancient cities, bandits ride glowing highways, and cyborg adventurers hunt for lost technology.In the City of Towers, once the heart of the fallen Tarakan empire, a historian searches for clues to explain the disappearance of Rafik, a young boy with extraordinary abilities – a Puzzler.Marked with strange tattoos and gifted with a miraculous connection to Tarakan technology, Rafik could open doors inside the ruins, uncovering treasures and secrets.As Rafik’s story is retold, it becomes clear that one lost boy may be the key to reviving a broken world or unleashing a new wave of devastation.
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First published in Great Britain by HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2019
Copyright © Eyal Kless 2019
Cover illustrations by Tithi Luadthong © Shutterstock.com
Cover design by Dominic Forbes © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2019
Map by Eric Gunther / Springer Cartographic LLC
Eyal Kless asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the authorâs imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
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Source ISBN: 9780008272302
Ebook Edition © November 2018 ISBN: 9780008272319
Version: 2018-11-28
Contents
Copyright
Dedication
Map
Officially, the City of Towers was not divided. Modernity and progress, law and order reigned supreme. That is, if you believed the Councilâs manifesto. Yet my cart driver didnât seem to believe the official line and stopped his horses at the gate leading to the lower spires that most of the city dwellers called the Pit.
The cartâs driver bent down until his face was showing at the doorâs open window.
âThatâs as far as I go,â he grumbled.
âBut this is notââ I began to protest.
âItâs as far as I go,â he repeated, as if this was the only explanation needed before his face disappeared. He did not even bother to jump down and open the cartâs door. Thatâs city cart drivers for you â¦
I should have argued with himâIâd paid hard metal in advance for the ride down all the way to the Pitâbut I decided not to bother. I told myself that I was too tired to waste time and energy on a few coins, but in my heart, I knew that after months of traveling, it was a blessed change to have found anyone willing to take me, even for the shortest of distances. Only a few daysâ travel from the city, most cart drivers took one look at my face and sped away. Some spat on the ground as they passed, while others, more often than I care to recall, aimed their spittle at me.
I climbed out of the filthy cart, holding the hem of my black coat in my free hand. The driver drove off without uttering a word, rightly assuming that no tip would be coming his way.
I carefully adjusted my cowl as I surveyed the enormous square of the cityâs Central Plateau, happy to be breathing fresh air. Almost everywhere else in the world, the darkness of night meant the halt of all outdoor activities. If you were a villager, you barricaded yourself and your family inside your walls, made sure your weapon of choice was within reach, and prayed to whatever god you believed in for the safety of daylight. Not in the City of Towers. Even at this late hour it was bustling with activity, from the shouts of sellers in food stalls to the miserable lowing and stench of livestock.
The Plateau was lit from above by several dozen, evenly spaced, gigantic Tarakan lamps, their collective effect closely matching daylight. Like all of the cityâs artifacts, the Tarakan lamps were secured by the ever-vigilant ShieldGuards. Though their faces were hidden behind black helmets, the movements of their heads indicated that they were scrutinizing the crowd. One of them spotted me, and I could almost feel his stare as he turned in my direction.
The area was too well lit, there were no shadowy corners to retreat to, so I chose a direction at random and began moving with the crowd. When I risked a glance back, the ShieldGuard was looking elsewhere. I eased my steps and circled around the area.
