Amulet: The Chamber of Stolen Hearts

Chapter 2

1

Midburg was a city of tough romance.

Throughout its history, it experienced many upheavals, but whatever happened – was it an enemy army's attack, a fire, or an earthquake? – every time the city was rebuilt. However, this was always done somewhat hurriedly and with no particular plan.

Well, there was a plan originally, but after all the woes, the new buildings appearing at the site of the old ones did not fit into the surrounding ensemble in any way. It was as if a new tooth grew in place of a removed one, but having a different type, size, and shape, so it looked like it belonged to someone else.

There were dozens of such "teeth" in literally every quarter of Midburg. For that reason, the districts of the city with their chaotic buildings of different ages seemed disproportionate, sloppy, somewhat kinked. As if some crazy architect set free his wild imagination there.

On the same street one could easily see a building with a narrow base expanding toward the roof, and beside it, an iron-like stumpy house, for some reason tapering above the third or fourth floor and crowned with some kind of skimpy dome. Even the windows in most houses were not quite even: large, medium, small, round, square, oval...

Elsewhere, one could discover black looming monoliths of buildings that seemed to have no windows at all. And right between them, a glass tower glowing like a Christmas tree could stick out.

Gray cases? As many as you want!

Fretwork on facades? Here you are.

Wall-carving and statues? Oh plenty!

Old narrow streets and then wide avenues.

Openwork bridges with cast-iron lanterns and at the same time, gloomy concrete ceilings hanging overhead.

But in that entire architectural turmoil, there was still some kind of elusive harmony. And definitely some charm.

The walls of many houses in the city were colored. Apparently, the citizens tried to give the gloomy streets a more joyful look. But for some reason these colors were faint, as if covered with some gray coating.

Was the city gloomy?

Yes and no. Rather harsh.

It would not give the impression of a cheerful place. On the contrary, the sight of its blocks promised an inevitable dangerous adventure. So one definitely wouldn't be able to relax while strolling the alleys of Midburg. Those few tourists who visited the city preferred to travel by buses only, and should they get out of them, they walked only for a short time and always in big groups.

Here and there on the streets, gray steam columns periodically burst out from under the asphalt and cobblestone pavements remained in some spots. It seemed as if a fire-breathing dragon lived under the city, which was then sleeping, and the steam puffs wallowing of the ground showed its gigantic size.

The inhabitants of the metropolis were a match for their city. Their clothing style was definitely unique, in a strange way in harmony with the city's unusual architecture, and not at all the one advertised by fashion magazines. Silvery high hats, bright multi-colored vests, long carrot coats or green boots, fur scarves with pompons, small bonnets with long thin feathers, or yellow gloves – there you could find combinations that were completely unimaginable.

It was impossible to understand whether one were at a masquerade or on the set of some crazy movie.

And the faces; the faces of passers-by were completely unusual. Every person you could see on the street would necessarily stand out in some way. Someone's ear was bent strangely. Someone had too prominent eyebrows. Someone was distinguished by a bizarre gait, another one wrapped himself in a coat as if he was worried of being recognized. The people of Midburg weren't ugly nor funny. But there was something special in their appearances. Without a doubt, one could say that the city left its mark on them.