of the boy's observations.
Kiri stood, bare toes writhing against the stone--her habit, when truly riled.
"Just tell us straight, how do we get to the world from here?"
"Sorry, kid," the man shrugged. "But it beats me. All I know is what I should think. I don't actually think anything at all."
"Huh." Kiri examined him, searching for some sign of a lie.
"Oh, well, that's too bad! I guess we'll just have to go home."
Moana turned around, then shuddered to a halt. The door was no where to be found, and where they'd apparently come from was nothing more than a crumbling stone wall. Just to be sure, he spread his hands over it--solid as anything.
"Huh." said Kiri.
"Mayhap you two'd like to come with me? We can have tea, and I do believe I've got a tin of snappers set by."
"Hey, that'd be great!" Kiri enthused, while Moana continued groping palely along the wall. "C'mon Moana, snappers!"
"Snappers?"
"I don't know, but he says he's got a tin full of 'em!"
"Oh boy. Um, thank you, sir . . . ?"
"Bartle. Jean Bartle. Star-setter by profession, astrologer extraordinaire by preference."
"Star-setter?"
"Astrologer?"
"That's someone who looks for meanings in the stars," Moana explained.
"That's hows I knew where to find you two." Jean said, cutting off Kiri's explosion.
"Huh."
"You were looking for us?"
"Oh yeah. I think most everyone is."
"Huh."
"What?!"