Prologue
“AUNTIE LEEN! AUNTIE LEEN! Look what I found!”
Auntie Leen, also known as the Keeper of the Imperial Archives,
raised her eyes above the lenses of her reading glasses as the three-yearold
figure of her nephew skidded to an uncertain halt next to her desk.
In the midst of a frenetic bustle of waving arms she could see that both
hands were empty, and the pockets exhibited no more than their typical
bulge. “Very well,” said Leen. “I’m looking. What are you hiding, and
where are you hiding it?