The lizards stopped in the square. The hunters took Sam out of the transport pod and led him to the building. The wind blew through the streets of the city, the air was dry, and it smelled of rusty iron. Sam squinted at the bright light and looked around. It was unusually light here for the grotto, he had already lost the habit of such a bright light. Sam looked up, trying to figure out where the light was coming from. In the ceiling of the grotto there was a tunnel to the surface. The walls of the tunnel were covered with glossy tiles, in places the coating was destroyed, but the remaining tiles were enough for the sunlight to reflect and penetrate into the grotto. Sam's observations were interrupted by Dr. Heng, he caught up with the walking. Coming up with him, he asked about his impressions of the city. Sam said that if he had not been a prisoner, most likely the city looked different in his eyes. Everyone entered the building.

  “Heng, I wonder why I survived the bite, and Cap, my commander, didn’t survive?”

  “Oh, I knew Cap. Apparently he was very ill if he personally arrived here. Well, I'll try to explain. Imagine you have a strong safe with money, an inheritance from distant ancestors. But you can't open it, the key is lost. You and your descendants are forced to live in poverty and will eventually die out. But you're in luck, you found the key! Now you have access to countless riches. This is enough for you and your descendants! Strong safe is your DNA, poverty is DNA anomaly, the key is nemurges. Do you understand?”

Sam thought about it, then asked how Heng knew Cap. The doctor hesitated a little, he didn't expect Sam to ask about this man. Sam was not as simple as Heng thought of him. He had to refer to his medical practice and acquaintance with Cap, long before arriving at Grotar, then he abruptly changed the subject, asked Sam whether he agreed or not with his proposal. Sam said nothing. He didn't like the fact that Heng was choosing his words so as not to say too much. Sam decided it was best not to count on Dr. Heng. Without waiting for an answer, the doctor left Sam and disappeared around the bend.

A monotonous iron corridor with sparse dim lights ended in a high-ceilinged hall, lined with bars along the walls. At first glance, this room looked like a prison. The walls were decorated with paintings, in places the paint faded and it was difficult to make out what was painted there. Sam was locked up in one of the cages. From time to time a hunter would pass by, glancing at Sam. He was not the only prisoner, on the opposite side at the end of the corridor someone else was sitting and constantly demanded from the hunter passing by, he waved him off, turned around and went in the opposite direction. Time passed slowly. An hour later, the guard left. Sam was left alone. The last few hours he felt some changes in his body, he was getting hot and then cold, he heard tinnitus, covered with cold sweat. Sam lay down on the cool floor and fell asleep. He was awakened by the noise and footsteps approaching the cage, Sam got up, he felt better. Dr. Heng approached the cage.

“So why did Cap die? Why is the medicine in beetles?”  Sam asked immediately.

“Cap was a descendant of colonists and pilgrims. A complex case, you need a different approach and two keys.Pilgrims used grave beetles. They are not susceptible to mutation and are well distributed throughout the galaxy. Pilgrims based on them have developed a new species of nemurg beetle. Only once a year does the larva turn into a bug and live for a month.”  Hank explained.

“Therefore, they try to get here once a year! So, the customer somehow gets beetles?”

“Right! Only a person can approach the nest of beetles. The fifth dark star is functioning. She destroys robots as soon as they approach her. This is problem. Nobody can come to the surface of the planet alive. Only a robot.” Added Heng.

“We had a drone. He has a powerful weapon, he would have shot us, he took the cargo and flew away. What a surprise!”

Hearing about the drone, Heng was surprised, his gaze changed, he turned pale, he was about to say something, but he was interrupted by the approaching hunter. “Enough talking! Ruler Dugo is waiting!”

Heng stepped away from the cage and headed for the exit. He was thinking hard about something and muttering to himself. Sam followed, guarded by a hunter. They entered a huge hall. The walls of the hall were decorated with large red stone blocks. The vaults of the hall were supported by twelve columns. The walls between the columns were decorated with bas-reliefs of athletic figures of men and women. Around the figures, the walls were inlaid with gold letters of the ancient language of the Pilgrims. Sam was surprised by the beauty of the hall, the likes of which he had never seen. Everything here spoke of the great past of the people living here. His attention was attracted by an unusual bas-relief located in front of the entrance to the throne room. The figure of a pilgrim carved out of a red monolith with his right hand raised and holding a gold star, part of the star's rays fell off.

  “Heng, what is it?”

  “This is local folklore! The light of hope leads pilgrims through space. The sound symbol next to a person means a song. This bas-relief is falling apart with the city.”

  “It was worth spending time creating all this?”

  “It's all built before the dark age. Pilgrim Legends! People had unrealizable hopes. In the big world, these legends have long been forgotten, because all this is human fantasy, in a word, folklore.”

  “Who would talk about folklore! You are a Nodian, and you believe in the curse of the emperor’s mother!”

The hunter walking behind, hearing the conversation, involuntarily giggled. Heng got angry when he heard the hunter chuckle.

  “No need to be rude!” Heng said sharply. “The murder of the emperor is a shame of the nation, this is the tragedy of my people, history is not a subject for ridicule.”

The conversation ended there. Sam realized that he had offended the doctor with his words, but he had no intention of apologizing. Heng frowned, his face darkened with anger, he didn't like what Sam said.