Trundle guessed that in more civilized places, people would be sitting down for a midmorning snack as they finally emerged from the trees and felt a fresh, open breeze on their faces.Ahead of them, the steep-sloping landscape stepped gradually upward in a series of ridges and ledges, upon which flourished long ranges of small, neatly trimmed bushes. Narrow brown pathways snaked their way up through these lush green terraces. Dozens of busy workers could be seen moving slowly and methodically among the bushes, clipping the leaves and putting them into trailing white linen sacks.They had evidently arrived at the foot of the Lowspace tea plantations. Some distance above them, they could see the wooden platform that they had previously observed from the deck of the Thief in the Night. It looked even more extraordinary now, looming out like a jutting roof or a great parasol made of wood, blocking out the view of whatever lay above, and supported all along its curved length by great heavy timbers and massive iron brackets.“More climbing,”
