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Amon suppressed the strange feelings in his heart and answered gravely:
"I don't understand what you mean."
Why did he know I was a Marauder skilled at deception, an unaffiliated Beyonder hiding under an assumed name in the library, and that the Beyonder Incidents in the city were closely connected to me, yet still choose to trust me-to trust a swindler?
Was this believer of Storms only seemingly clever, too?
Was he actually just arrogant in a different way, a pedantic bookworm like those believers of Knowledge?
Lurmi, gentle and refined as an old professor, was not angered by the refusal. He explained with great patience:
"Mr. Green, perhaps you aren't aware of what you've done over these past nearly three months."
Amon pointed out bluntly:
"You mean how I've been hiding in Stoen under a false identity all this time?"
"Not at all." Lurmi smiled. "During your employment, the Municipal Library, long plagued by persistent theft, illicit reselling, and piracy, hasn't experienced a single theft. Incidents of theft and robbery in the northern part of the city have also decreased sharply."
"...?" Amon had not expected that casually stealing from other criminals could count as a contribution to public safety, but on closer consideration, it did seem to make some sense.
What a strange old fellow (Amon had not realized that he himself was the old fellow). Was he trying to make me look good this way? Trying to persuade me to help the Church of Storms relocate civilians?
That was rather fanciful.
Amon pinched his right eye socket, imagining a Monocle hanging there, and waited for him to continue without committing himself.
He glanced casually to either side and unexpectedly discovered that the Golden Retriever was listening quite attentively. She sat on the ground, watching him and