920
"You're taking your time," Edward said. "How much is left? Another guest has arrived early. Shall I give you a hand?"
High Priest Haiter rolled his eyes and glanced back at the bustling construction site behind him. "Sorry to disappoint you, but we never intended to finish all this before the New Year. Even with everyone united now, a quarter of the work remains."
"How much longer will the digging take?"
"Not too long," Haiter said. "Tonight, or after dawn tomorrow."
Edward glanced at his watch, then at the fiery clouds in the distance, casually taking a commemorative photo. "Isn't that pretty fast, then? From what you said just now, I thought we'd have to wait until next week."
"It won't be long now."
The High Priest seemed to be answering Edward, yet also seemed to be talking to himself. "None of us want to wait any longer. Every blade of grass and every tree in this country, every life, with or without divinity, longs for the arrival of eternal tranquility."
"This was the promise He gave us thousands of years ago, when Balam was first founded... Now it is finally about to be fulfilled."
"Hey, friend, are you going to dig the river again today?"
In a restaurant in Balam that served quite a range of alcoholic drinks, a blond, blue-eyed bartender brought over a large mug of the local fruit wine and some Lielangqi just delivered from the port on a wooden tray, greeting his regular. "Working during the day and volunteering at night. You really are busy..."
He whistled. "This mug of fruit wine is on me. What would you like for your meal? Want some mint leaves with that?"
The regular, who had just sat down, smoothed his black hair. He had a very