The City of Numbered Days

A weary but keen‑eyed engineer named Brouillard finds himself at a remote mountain camp, the glow of a camp‑fire lighting the spruce‑lined clearing where his crew of reclamation pioneers relax after a long trek. Amid the chatter of card games and pipe smoke, he drifts from practical talk of dams and concrete to a quiet contemplation of birthdays as personal equinoxes, hinting at a deeper, almost mystical view of time. His companion Grislow, ever the analytical observer, encourages the conversation, turning the night into a blend of technical banter and philosophical wonder.

The story follows Brouillard and his small band of engineers as they venture into the rugged western Timanyonis, tasked with taming an untamed valley for a grand water‑works project. While the landscape is harsh and the work demanding, the narrative explores how each man’s hidden “polygon” of motives and memories surfaces around the firelight. As they push forward, the tension between modern science and lingering old‑world superstitions begins to shape the shape of their undertaking, promising both challenges and unexpected revelations.