No kidding. Not considering provincial society seems to be a running theme here. But Michael’s seminar has made it even more clear that what the Makers think about provincial society is wrong. The people of the twenty-first century are nothing like the intolerant religious zealots who exiled and hunted them hundreds of years ago. Well, at least most of them aren’t. But there’s certainly no longer a reason for the Makers not to share their knowledge.

After Michael says goodbye and heads out, my eyes are drawn to the section of the library with everything I need: the Guild Testaments.

The Guild Testament scrolls, where each guild compiles their greatest discoveries, are kept on their own floor suspended in the center of the library, accessible only by two winding staircases: one leading up from the floor below and one leading down from the floor above. Both staircases are patrolled by members of the Avant Guard. On the floating landing, there is a temperature-controlled glace room—the Ark—where the scrolls are kept, staffed by only a few trusted stewards.

The most secure area on the island? It’s gotta be where the good stuff is. And I need the good stuff. None of my efforts so far have turned up anything useful about whether it’s possible to share Sire abilities, and my hope that there’s an easy cure for Grandfather is waning.

My time in the infirmary after my accident had given me the chance to chat with Kaylie about Maker medicine. She was very enthusiastic about my interest in Bioscience, and she gave me some suggestions of ways to get the guild’s attention at Quorum. But my conversation with her pretty much confirmed that if a cure for Grandfather’s cancer does exist, it’s unlikely to be something that an individual Sire could achieve on their own. If I want to find the details of how my abilities could be used in conjunction with Maker surgical and pharmaceutical practices that might be able to be re-created by the Families’ doctors, then I need to see the Bioscience Guild Testament.

I won’t have access to the Ark until I’m in a guild, but I’ve started preparing for then by befriending one of the Ark stewards, a pregnant Sophist master named Xander. Georgie and Hypatia had thought my choice to sit at her lunch table the other day had been completely coincidental. They were wrong.

But even if I can’t get into the Ark yet, Kor also wants me to prioritize getting more information about the Makers’ other territories, and that’s something I can do right now, right here in the library.

The Genesis library is enchanting. Despite its size, it manages to be cozy with endless nooks and sitting areas. And the books! Gorgeous hand-bound books as far as the eye can see.