The pride just radiates off Darlington, and Pal can't help but grin as well. Darlington looks like a boastful parent--a relative, at least, and maybe that's accurate. For all he loves the Library, Palamedes has never considered that a place could be a sort of family, but that's clearly what this house is to Darlington.

"Is there anything magical about it?" he asks. "Not that a house needs magic to be precious."