Tidbit

The shade of the aqueduct cleared a path through the wide swatches of sunlight, broken here and there where the workmanship had ruptured over the centuries.  The harsh insect sounds of the desert scratched around the deep shadow, pausing only when the traveler passed through.

A week of walking had taken him along miles of the structure.  Always in its shadow, he walked through the nights and days.  The infrequent and troubled rests lent his steps an occasional stagger.  As the sun reached the curved edge of the world on the last day of the journey, he gave up trying to keep to the shade and stumbled alongside the time-eaten curve of the aqueduct.  A scattering of other stones peered out from the dust and sand alongside.  Following the path of the stones, he finally found the lake.   

The land dipped deep where the water had once been, leaving rings around the small valley. At the edge of the first ring were the ruins of the city.  The remnants of the aqueduct tapered into them and ended amongst the rubble.

He followed his guide to its end and found a place to sit on one of the larger stones.  Leaning up against the cooling rock face, he waited for the others to arrive.