The miners continued upward. One day, when someone leaned out to look down, they discovered that the tower had tapered so much that nothing was visible, far from reaching solid ground. Looking up, they still couldn't see the top of the tower. This meant they were no longer a part of the earth but in a place that was neither connected to heaven nor grounded on earth. Herarum felt a sense of isolation and fear as if the earth had rejected him for his disloyal actions, while heaven might still refuse him.
The residents here, however, did not feel any unease. They always warmly welcomed the miners and wished them success in their work at the arch. These residents lived in damp fog, where storms could be seen from above or below. They harvested grain in mid-air.
Weeks passed, and every day's journey made them feel that the sun and moon were getting closer. The moon cast its silver glow on the south side of the tower, flickering as if God was watching them. Soon they were at the same height as the moon, curiously observing its cratered face, amazed by its dignified and free movement.
Then, they approached the sun. It was summer, and as the sun rose over Babylon, it almost hung directly above them. At this height on the tower, there were no permanent residents or balconies for crops. The heat from the sun was enough to bake barley directly. The material used to bond the tower bricks was no longer asphalt, as it would melt under the sunlight. To block the excessive heat, the pillars on the edges of the ramps were widened until they lost their pillar-like shape, almost connecting to form a continuous wall. Through the remaining gaps, some howling wind and golden bright light seeped in.
To adapt to temperature changes, the time of departure each day became earlier, allowing more coolness during the climb. When they reached the height level with the sun, they traveled entirely at night. During the day, they lay down to sleep, sweating profusely in the hot breeze. The miners even worried that if they really fell asleep, they might be baked to death before waking up. However, the cart workers who traveled back and forth at this height countless times had never lost anyone due to the heat, which somewhat reassured the miners before sleeping.
Finally, they surpassed this scorching height. Now, the daylight began to shine unnaturally upwards, and the plants on the balcony tilted downward to grow, bending their bodies to obtain the sunlight needed for photosynthesis. Then, they approached the stars. Small fiery spheres spread around them. Here, the stars were not as densely packed as seen from the ground, nor were they all distributed at the same height, extending upwards. It was difficult to discern how far away they were, as there were no proper reference points. But occasionally, a star would suddenly rush close to them, proving its astonishing speed to these people.
During the day, the sky was a paler blue than what was seen from the ground, indicating their approach to the celestial dome. If observed carefully, a few stars could also be seen in the daytime sky. They were invisible from the ground due to the dazzling light of the sun.
Herarum was looking at the stars when Nani suddenly rushed over: "A star collided with the tower!"
"What?" Herarum looked around in panic, as if he feared being hit by a star himself.
"No, it wasn't now, but long ago, over a century ago. It was a story told by a local resident whose grandfather was present at the scene."
They returned to the crowd and saw several miners gathered around a withered old man. "...the star shot itself into the tower bricks, just half a mile up. You can still see the mark it left..."
"What happened to the star?"
"It burned, hissing continuously, so bright that no one could look directly at it. People tried to pry it out to continue their journey, but the heat it emitted wouldn't allow anyone to get close. After several weeks, it cooled into a lump of black, bumpy celestial metal about as large as a person's arms wrapped together."
"Wow! That big!" Nani's voice was filled with awe. "In the past, when stars fell to the ground, small pieces of celestial metal could be found, harder than the best bronze, usually used to make amulets."
"With such a large piece of celestial metal, didn't anyone here try to make it into some kind of tool?" Herarum's mind always thought of more questions than others.
"Oh, no, people didn't dare touch it. Everyone was waiting for God's punishment, fearing that everything was because we disturbed Him. People waited for months at the base of the tower, but God remained calm as ever, and nothing happened. Only then did they return, pry the star out of the tower bricks, and now, it is in the temple of the city below."
Silence.
Everyone seemed to be savoring something. After a long time, a miner spoke: "We've never heard this story in any of the tales about the tower."
"Because it is a taboo, something not to be mentioned."
Silence again.
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There was also silence in the room, only the sound of someone writing.