The library of the International Archeological Society was a large and imposing marble edifice attached to several other buildings very like it that housed artifacts and curiosities.  It opened onto a street featuring theaters, art museums and galleries, and the entrance to the botanical gardens.  Only nicely dressed people came here, Ellea noted, holding Mother’s hand as they all walked down together toward the library.  Uncle Eabrey was explaining to Djaren and Jon about the research they were conducting, and how they might split it up.  Anna pointed out to Tam all the museums she wanted to visit, and Tam was quietly shocked at the advertisements for a new play in town that featured an exotic foreign princess who didn’t like to wear much.  They were all brought up short by the attendant at the wide library doors.

            He noted Hellin’s card of admittance, but frowned at the crowd of children.  “No small children are allowed within the library, Madam,” the man said, with a pointed glance at Jon and Ellea.

            “But--” Jon looked surprised and more than a little heartbroken.  “I’ll be very good.  I’m in libraries all the time.  I never bend pages.  I promise.”

            “It is our strict policy.”  The man sniffed.

            Mother looked to Anna.

            “We’ll go to the museums,” Anna said brightly.  “You and Ellea can see all the paintings with me, Jon.  We’ll have a fine time.”

            “We will,” Tam agreed, cheerfully adding himself to the group not heading for a long spell in a library.  “I’ll look after them, Lady Blackfeather.”

            “We’ll share all our notes later, Jon,” Djaren said, with a look of sympathy.  “You won’t be left out.  We’re depending on you.”

            Jon nodded, still miserable, and followed Anna as she all but bolted for the museum.

            “Finally!”  Anna grinned.  “We’re going to go see the works of Veriscinthe DeAngelli!”

            “Who?” Tam asked.

            “I’ll look after them, Mother,” Ellea said solemnly.  “Excuse me.”

            Mother’s smile was bemused.  “We’ll meet you for dinner at the hotel.”

            “Yes, Mother.”

            “And Anna, take these gelenmarks to buy yourselves some tea,”

            “Thank you, Lady Hellin.”

            Ellea spent the next hour trailing after Anna and Tam through halls of paintings and statuary, side by side with a still disconsolate Jon.  “I’m very good with books,” he murmured plaintively.  “I’ve always been careful.”

            Tam couldn’t seem to find a decent way to appreciate art, as every room had at least one prevalent nude, and one was entirely full of white marble men wearing nothing at all.  Anna giggled at the boys’ faces, and steered them on to the next gallery.

            “I don’t think this place is suitable for children either,” Tam said.

            Jon peered up at a big battle scene.  “That horse is going to land on that man.  And that lady is only wearing a sheet.  Won’t she be cold?”

            “That’s not very practical for fighting, either,” Ellea agreed.

            “I can’t take you lot anywhere.”  Anna sighed.  “Tam, can you take them to the tea hall for cakes or something?  I really do want to see the next room, with the DeAngelli’s, and I know you won’t like it.  There are Bocchelli marbles in there.”

            Tam craned his neck.  “Why do you want to go in there?”

            “Verescinthe DeAngelli, the greatest female Shandorian painter ever, left only so many paintings in the world, and four of them are through that door.  No one is going to spoil that for me.  Please?” Anna gave Tam a look. 

            He relented immediately.  “I’ll get them cakes.”

            Anna pressed the money Mother had given her into his hand.  “Thank you!” she said, and was off to the last gallery.

            Tam looked at Jon and Ellea and sighed.

            “I want lemon,” Ellea informed him.

            Jon was frowning at his hand.

            Tam took the hand, and led them to the tea hall, where a lady at a marble counter was selling tea and pastries for an amount of money that seemed to surprise Tam mightily.  He settled them down at a little table and looked round.  “I’d like to see Anna’s DeAngelli’s after all.  Will you two stay here and keep out of trouble?”

            “You know I don’t cause trouble,” Jon told his brother.

            Ellea blinked at Tam demurely.

            “Right, then, I’ll be back soon.  Stay here.”  Tam gave them five backward glances on his way to the gallery.

            Jon pushed at a cake on his plate.

            Ellea divided her lemon cake into neat little pieces and ate them one by one.

            Jon pushed his cake about some more, then ate the icing.

            “Dear children, what a lovely surprise!”  A shrill voice interrupted the brief silence.  The sparkling lady and a few other bright people were standing nearby, with a thin man in a tweed coat who wore a rather silly moustache.  The lady had a turban today, with a big purple crystal like something off the hotel chandelier.

            Ellea and Jon blinked up at the sparkling people.  Ellea gripped her fork.  Jon wiped icing from his mouth, looking alarmed, and gripped the napkin tight.  A silver glow leaked around the napkin’s edges.  Jon hurriedly stuffed his glowing hand into his lap.

            “These dear children are Ellea Blackfeather and her little friend,” the sparkling lady told the man with the moustache.  “Children, this is Mister Pumphrey.”

            Mister Pumphrey coughed and looked awkward. “Mmm,” he said.

            He didn’t look like much to Ellea.  He was thin, and had no chin really, just a large ball in his throat that bounced up and down. 

            “I was hoping to see your mother, dear,” the sparkling lady told Ellea.

            “She’s in the Society Library,” Ellea said, with a sudden smile for the lady and Mister Pumphrey both, as she reflected that they couldn’t get in there any more than she and Jon could.

            “Oh,” the lady said, “Well, I’ve brought her a copy of Mister Pumphrey’s latest book.  I do know she wants it, to give to your father.  Be a dear and hand it on to her, will you?”

            The lady set a book upon the table, wrapped with a bow.

            Ellea looked at it.  It was titled, “The Divine Mysteries of the Ancient World.” 

            “I’m a small child.  We aren’t trusted near books,” Ellea said blandly.

            “You seem a bright boy,” Pumphrey said to Jon.  “You can see that Doctor Blackfeather gets my book, can’t you?”

            “Er.” Jon glanced at Ellea.  A pale silver glow was emanating from his lap.  He grabbed another napkin with his other hand.  “Um.”

            The sparkling lady sighed, picked up the book and set it down in Ellea’s lap.  “I know you’ll give this safely to your mother.”  The woman smiled tightly. 

            “Has Doctor Blackfeather spoken to you about whether he will be attending my lecture?” Mister Pumphrey asked them.

            The light from Jon’s hand was getting brighter.  Ellea stood quickly, snatching up the book.  Jon got up too, leaving his uneaten cake, and clamping his two hands, filled with napkins, together and low.

            “Is there something wrong?” the lady asked.

            “He has to go to the bathroom,” Ellea said.  “We should leave.”

            Jon gave her a brief aggrieved glare, but he hurried after her as she turned and dashed off back toward the galleries.