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As I walked toward the raw and unguarded there--a fear, I ied ain

I’d been half hoping E already But of course she hadn’t--I hadn’t told her yet She see my face as I crossed the room

It was clear the others had no idea They were so accustootten it was even under consideration I steeled myself and asked for everyone’s attention

"Wait a ht I saw the snake girl and her python looking ata lot of rubbish about the place I hail from" She turned to the only chair at the table which was e place of lions"

Froht here in plain calligraphy: The Land of Serendip The peculiar cartographers who s up!"

Then I got a little closer and sahat it was they were arguing over It was a Map of Days, though a er edition than the one we’d lost at sea This one stretched practically across the table, and was as thick as a brick stood on end "I know irl insisted, and her python uncoiled froainst the Map, indicating a teardrop-shaped island off India’s coast On this map, however, India was called Malabar, and the island, which I knew to be Sri Lanka, was overlaid with slinky script that read Land of Serendip

"It’s pointless to argue," said Millard "Some places have as many names as they have occupants to name them Now please ask your serpent to back away, lest he crinkle the pages"

The snake girl harru, and the python slunk away to coil around her neck again All the while, I couldn’t stop staring at the book The one we’d lost was iht, by the skittish orange firelight of the burning home for peculiar children This one was of another scale entirely Not only was it orders of er, but it was so ornate that it made the other look like so much leather-bound toilet paper Colorfulstronger than paper, calfskin ends and blocks of explanatory text stuffed theit and said, "Isn’t it stunning? Excepting perhaps the Codex Peculiaris, this edition of the Map is the finest book in all peculiardoraphers, artists, and bookmakers a lifetime to create, and it’s said that Perplexus Anomalous himself drew some of the maps I’ve wanted to see it in person ever since I was a boy Oh, I a," I said, and it was

"Millard was just showing us some of his favorite parts," said Olive "I like the pictures best!"

"To take theireasier Here, Jacob, coes"

Rather than ruin Millard’s moment with my sad announce anywhere until , at least, and I wanted to enjoy a few s I sidled up next to Millard and slipped e that it took both my hands and his to turn