The spirit chamber! For aeons a place of total darkness, but spectacular under torchlight or caving lights, it has a presence that brings its visitors peace and wisdom—and vivid dreams, sometimes disturbing. It was sacred to the cave's original residents, the center of their religion and culture.

     The spirit chamber lies deep within a large cave that opens onto the Benchland, a long shelf of fertile land set high on the wall of a river canyon, accessible only through the cave. The colony spent winters in the warmth of the cave, and was protected year-around from attack by roving raiders, the scourge of copper-age Europe.

     The two stories of Spirit Chamber involve the second and third generations of Benchland residents. A violent incident opens the book, and the perpetrator, a visitor, becomes a dangerous enemy. Part One covers the exciting and violent aftermath.
     In Part Two, modern cavers and scientists visit the cave to document and photograph it. The spirit chamber—unvisited for five thousand years—affects even them, binding them to the original residents and leading them to question their sanity.