Here, the earth is like the sky - black. The pitch-coloured soil of the island of Vetch is the cradle of the Empire of Neverfar, overflowing with richness. Here the grain sways in the black windy night, and the rain flows into the rivers, and the rivers flow into the sea. What is the principle that keeps the world growing despite the death of the Sun? We cannot name it, but when it goes, we can feel its absence. Under the Broadland System, introduced by King Alexander the Strong a long old while ago, huge areas of southern Vetch are...