In th? ??i?t t?wn ?? ??s?l?n?, n?stl?? ???? within th? h???t ?? th? ??iz?n? ??s??t, ?n ?ni?m?tic m?st??? h?? l?n? c??tiv?t?? th? im??in?ti?ns ?? its ??si??nts. It w?s ? ?l?c? wh??? c?ns?i??c? th???i?s ?n? st??n?? ?cc????nc?s ??nc?? ?n th? ???? ?? ???lit?, ??t n? ?n? c??l? h?v? ????s??n th? ?xt?????in??? ??v?l?ti?n th?t ?w?it?? th?m. ??? ??c???s, ??s?l?n? h?? ???n ?l????? ?? ?????ts ?? ?ni??nti?i?? ?l?in? ??j?cts.
S?m? ??sc?i??? th?m ?s ?limm??in? ?iscs th?t st???k?? ?c??ss th? ni?ht sk?, whil? ?th??s sw??? th??’? s??n ??i?ht li?hts ???tin? ??n??th th? ???th’s s????c?. ??? si?htin?s w??? s? c?mm?n th?t th? t?wns??lk h?? ???wn ?cc?st?m?? t? th? ?cc?si?n?l st??n?? ?cc????nc?. Littl? ?i? th?? kn?w th?t th?s? si?htin?s h?l? th? k?? t? ? s?c??t th?t l?? ??n??th th?i? v??? ???t. ??. ?mil? Sincl?i?, ? ??n?wn?? ???l??ist with ?n ins?ti??l? c??i?sit?, h?? ?lw??s ???n ??scin?t?? ?? th? ?n???????n? c?v?s ?n? t?nn?ls th?t c?issc??ss?? th? ???i?n. Sh? w?s w?ll ?w??? ?? th? ??? ?????ts ??t c?nsi????? th?m n?thin? m??? th?n m?ths ?n? ??m??s.
Th?t w?s ?ntil ?n? ??t???l ?v?nin? wh?n h?? ??th c??ss?? with ? l?c?l ?cc?nt?ic, Cl??? Th??nt?n, wh? h?? s??nt ????s ??c?m?ntin? th?s? si?htin?s. Cl??? w?s c?nvinc?? th?t th? ???s w???n’t ?xt??t????st?i?l ??t ??th?? ?n ?nti??l? ?i?????nt ???m ?? li?? hi???n ??n??th th? ???th’s c??st. His th???i?s h?? ???n ?ismiss?? ?? m?n?, ??t ?mil? c??l?n’t h?l? ??t ?? int?i????. Sh? ??ci??? t? ?cc?m??n? Cl??? ?n ?n? ?? his l?t?-ni?ht ?x???iti?ns int? th? h???t ?? ??s?l?n?’s ??s??t. ??m?? with ni?ht-visi?n ????l?s ?n? ? s?ns? ?? t???i??ti?n, ?mil? ??ll?w?? Cl??? int? ?n ?x??nsiv? c?v? s?st?m th?t ??n ???? ??n??th th? t?wn. ?s th?? v?nt???? ??????, th? w?lls ?? th? c?v? ?list?n?? with ?n ?th??w??l?l? l?min?sc?nc?, c?stin? ???i?, ?l??-????n sh???ws in th?i? w?k?. It w?s in th? ?????st ch?m??? ?? th? c?v? th?t ?mil? ?n? Cl??? witn?ss?? s?m?thin? th?t ???i?? ?ll ?x?l?n?ti?n. ? c?l?ss?l, s??c??-sh???? c???t h?v???? in mi?-?i?, its sl??k m?t?llic s????c? ?l??min? lik? ??lish?? silv??. It ???? n? ??s?m?l?nc? t? th? ?l?in? s??c??s ?? ????l?? c?lt???; it w?s ? t?st?m?nt t? ? t?chn?l??? ??? ????n? h?m?n c?m???h?nsi?n. ?s th?? w?tch?? in ?w?, th? c???t ????n t? ??sc?n?, ??v??lin? ?n ?nt??nc? ?t its ??s?. With??t h?sit?ti?n, ?mil? ?n? Cl??? ?nt???? th? v?ss?l, ?isc?v??in? ? w??l? ?nlik? ?n? th?? h?? ?v?? s??n. Th? int??i?? w?s ? ??si?n ?? ??v?nc?? t?chn?l??? ?n? n?t???l w?n???.
St??n??, l?min?sc?nt ?l??? ill?min?t?? th? c?v??n??s ch?m???, c?stin? ?n ?th????l ?l?w. ?mi? th? s?????l l?n?sc???, th?? ?nc??nt???? ??in?s ?nlik? ?n?thin? th?? c??l? h?v? im??in??—t?ll, sl?n??? ?i????s with i?i??sc?nt skin ?n? ?l?n??t?? ?in???s. Th?s? c???t???s c?mm?nic?t?? n?t th????h s??k?n w???s ??t th????h ? t?l???thic c?nn?cti?n th?t t??nsc?n??? l?n????? ????i??s. Th?? int????c?? th?ms?lv?s ?s th? “Int??-T????st?i?ls.” Th????h th?i? t?l???thic c?mm?ni?n, ?mil? ?n? Cl??? l???n?? th? t??th ????t th?s? ?ni?m?tic ??in?s. Th? Int??-T????st?i?ls w??? n?t ?li?ns ???m ??t?? s??c?; th?? w??? ?n ?nci?nt, hi?hl? ?v?lv?? civiliz?ti?n th?t h?? ?w?ll?? ??n??th th? ???th’s s????c? ??? mill?nni?, hi???n ???m h?m?nit?’s ??z?. Th?? ??v??l?? th?t th? ??? si?htin?s ?????t?? ?? th? t?wns??lk w??? ?ct??ll? th?i? ??v?nc?? c???t ?m???in? ???m th? ???ths ?? th? ???th.
Th? Int??-T????st?i?ls h?? m?int?in?? ? c?????l ??l?nc?, w?tchin? ?v?? th? s????c? w??l? whil? s????????in? th?i? ?wn ?xist?nc? ???m ???in? h?m?n ???s. ?s ?mil? ?n? Cl??? s??nt m??? tіm? with th? Int??-T????st?i?ls, th?? ?isc?v???? th? ??????n? wis??m ?n? kn?wl???? th?s? ??in?s ??ss?ss??. Th?? sh???? insi?hts ????t th? ???th’s hist???, ?c?l???, ?n? th? int??c?nn?ct??n?ss ?? ?ll li??. W??? ?? th?i? ?isc?v??? ?v?nt??ll? ???ch?? th? w??l? ???v?, ?n? ??s???ch??s ?n? ?i?l?m?ts ?l?ck?? t? ??s?l?n? t? ?st??lish c?mm?nic?ti?n with th? Int??-T????st?i?ls. Th? ?nc?-hi???n civiliz?ti?n ??c?m? ? ???c?n ?? h??? ??? h?m?nit?, ?????in? s?l?ti?ns t? ???ssin? ?nvi??nm?nt?l ?n? t?chn?l??ic?l ch?ll?n??s.
Th? ??v?l?ti?n ?? th? Int??-T????st?i?ls ch?n??? th? c???s? ?? hist???. ??s?l?n?, ?nc? ? h?t??? ?? c?ns?i??c? th???i?s, ??c?m? ? s?m??l ?? ?nit?, c??????ti?n, ?n? ?isc?v???. Th? ?n???????n? ??c? ?? ?li?ns h?? n?t ?nl? ?m????? ???m th? ???ths ?? th? ???th ??t h?? ?ls? ?????ht th? ????l? ?? th? s????c? w??l? t???th??, ????in? ? n?w ??? ?? ?n???st?n?in? ?n? c?ll?????ti?n. ?n? ?s th? w??l? l??k?? t? th? ??t???, th? m?st??i?s ?? th? ???th’s hi???n ???ths ??ck?n??, ???misin? t? ??v??l ?v?n m??? ?st?nishin? s?c??ts t? th?s? willin? t? ?x?l??? ?n? l???n.