It's so strange--so incredible." She led us through the broken portal and into the fortress.

It was more gigantic even than I had thought.

The floor of the vast chamber we had entered was strewn with fragments fallen from the crackling, stone-vaulted ceiling.

Through the breaks light streamed from the level above us.
We picked our way among the debris to a wide crumbling stairway, crept up it, Ruth flitting ahead.

We came out opposite one of the eye-like apertures.