16
It was a relatively short walk down the path. Soon I was looking at a thatched hut in the middle of a vast clearing. The roof was made from large palm leaves, and smoke was rising from a small chimney. The walls were composed of twigs intertwined with vines and packed with mud to keep them in place. There was no natural light in the clearing. The canopy was completely solid overhead. Flaming torches were placed at wide intervals around the perimeter of the clearing, giving the place an eerie, flickering glow. The hut had a man-sized opening at the front that was covered with a dark blanket, and there was windows either side covered in the same.
“Darkness required.”
I put away the lamp and approached the door. I was just about to knock on the wall when a voice called out.
“Do
