Its not all right, Greave said. I came here to save my sister, and now all I have to show for it is this. He swept a hand at it all, wishing that he could break it all apart. He walked away, his head in his hands, feeling tricked, feeling broken.

None of this made sense.

Unless that was the point. Greave stopped there, standing. He couldnt give up, when Nerras life was on the line. He had to think.

He knew that there was a library. The books had been clear on that, and the House of Scholars alluded to it, even if they would not allow the unworthy entrance. If there were only this joke, it would be common knowledge by now. So this… this had to be more. It had to be some kind of test.

Theres a trick to this, Greave said. There has to be.

He tried to recall what hed learned of old languages. The runes on the tower had to be the first step. He stared at them, trying to translate them.

Greave, dont torment yourself, Aurelle said, clearly trying to protect him.

Greave knew there was something to it, though. All is made known in the fullest light of knowledge. It sounded like a motto of the House of Scholars, but Greave had not heard it. More than that, why would it be the fullest light? The poet in him insisted that didnt quite fit. He stared at the model again, at the dividers that spaced out the symbols for knowledge.

The answer eluded him, and he walked around the model, sure that there had to be an answer in there, but unable to see it. Light glinted from the model, making Greave blink, but also making him think about light, and its properties. Was it something to do with reflection, refraction, the different colors of light?

When was the fullest light?

Greave froze again as the possibility of an answer came to him. Could it be that? Truly?

Greave stood there, no longer pacing, just waiting now.

What are you doing, Greave? Aurelle asked. She wrapped her arms around him. Come on, we should go.

Trust me, Greave said. Please, just trust me.

He continued to stand there as the sun rose, trying to judge the moment when it reached its zenith. There would be only seconds now.

What are we waiting for? Aurelle asked, standing by his side.

For noon, Greave said.

Even as he said it, the sun reached the right angle, shining in through the windows that had been so cleverly cut into the model. There had to be some arrangement of mirrors to amplify things just so, and even then the effect was subtle enough that no one would have spotted it, or understood it, if they didnt know what they were looking for.