Palamedes nods eagerly, excitedly. Whatever discomfort had briefly made him hesitate has fully evaporated. What the man describes isn't precisely the same, but it's remarkably close to his own experience. "No, no, I know what you mean--only, Emperor's bones, it took me weeks to figure it out. For me, it's like the pond has lots of muck in it, and I can only see one bit of the fish at a time. So I have to piece what I'm seeing together from its disparate parts."

He offers his hand. "Palamedes Sextus. Would you mind if I tried something?"