The girl’s fallen opponent removed his mask and climbed slowly to his feet as the audience broke into polite applause. But the armored girl did not move a muscle.

Sword-fighting! Lenora thought this looked like the most exciting thing she had ever seen, and that was saying something. She wanted to go closer and learn more—but then she shook herself. The lost kitten! How could she have forgotten, even for an instant?

Resolving to return to the kendo demonstration once Mister Sparkles had been found, Lenora tore her gaze away from the older girl and resumed her race to the diorama.

She knew when she was getting close because of the crowds, reminding her of the hordes that had come to see the new globe. People young and old were streaming past. There were school groups with their teachers and old ladies dressed like pharaohs. The crowd got rather thick, and Lenora found herself having to push.

Lenora thought there simply had to be a better way to get to the diorama. And there was. She spied a door in the wall marked LIBRARY STAFF ONLY. Beneath it was a lock that popped open easily when Lenora inserted her Tube key.

She found herself in a dim, rather dusty hallway. Running the diorama seemed to be an elaborate operation, for there were workers dashing everywhere, arms full of robes and headdresses and costumes, and there were people applying makeup to costumed actors who, Lenora supposed, performed in the diorama. She spotted an archway through which poured a velvety, dark blue light. Next to it was a chalkboard that read DIORAMA—PERFORMERS ONLY. Lenora was not a performer, but this was a lost-kitten emergency, and she knew it was time to break the rules. So she marched straight up to the archway—

“Wait!” a man called. Lenora turned. The man rushed over. His arms were full of makeup and costume supplies. “You can’t go in there! Performers only!”

“This is a lost-kitten emergency,” Lenora explained.

“Oh!” said the man gravely. “In that case, let me make you up in costume first. You can search for the kitten, and none of the spectators will be the wiser!”

“Thank you,” said Lenora as the man ushered her to a nearby chair and looked her over appraisingly.

“I think you would make an excellent cat,” he said after a few seconds. “It would be appropriate for the diorama, and who better to look for a lost kitten, eh?”