“The house is about two hundred years old. Have I got that right?” Palamedes sounds distracted, and his gaze remains focused on his hands where they rest on the mantlepiece. “And it has been in your family since the beginning, if I’m reading the genetic patterns correctly. But…” he shakes his head a little, falls silent, and concentrates.

But additional details about the house remain out of reach. With a huff he turns away from the fireplace, taking off his spectacles and pressing his fingers against his closed eyes. “I should be able to get significantly more than that, but it’s like trying to read a street sign without my glasses. Damn.”