Shadows of the Void

London was the greatest city in the world, they had said. For many years, everybody had believed it. Everywhere the people went, they saw the gas-lit streets flickering to life. Carriages rolled across the street as ladies and gentlemen attended the latest ballet. Merchants sang songs about their wares and children played with one another. Beneath thick clouds, the Thames flowed through the city, pumping its energy into the city like a beating heart. Factories sent spires of smoke climbing ...