Nat hesitated. This woman looked nice enough, but his parents had always warned him about Stranger Danger. He was pretty sure if Iona de Gourney turned out to be a “wrong ‘un,” their only hope would be if Woody could turn into a Wolven very quickly.

He took a deep breath as the two of them crossed the threshold and followed Iona through the flagged passage into a room that must once have been a great banquet hall. It was furnished in rich reds, earthy ochers, and autumn browns, while the soft velvet throws on the sofas were various shades of green: sage, emerald, and a deep jade similar in hue to Iona de Gourney’s eyes. And the smell! Although the room was cool for such a hot summer’s evening, the spicy scents of ginger, chili, and paprika, combined with the boys’ own excited anticipation, made the air around them feel charged.

A large Siamese cat artistically draped over an armchair cracked open a sapphire blue eye as they walked in. “Meet Clawdia,” said Iona, gesturing to the cat. The cat chose not to acknowledge Nat and Woody. Another Siamese cat lay asleep in the hearth. Nat knelt down to stroke it. Ugh! He pulled his hand away quickly; it was as hard as a rock!

“Stuffed,” said Iona by way of an explanation. “That’s Trinny, Clawdia’s predecessor.”

The quietness was almost unbearably loud, despite a low hum — the kind of noise you sometimes hear when you are close to telephone poles. It took Nat a few seconds before he realized the buzz was coming from a number of very expensive-looking computers at the far end of the extraordinary room. “Hasn’t anyone else turned up for the lecture?” gabbled Nat, knowing the answer.

Iona grinned. But it was a nice grin, not crafty or threatening. Nat relaxed.

“The card was just for you,” she confirmed. “A nice touch, don’t you think?”

“But how did you know …?”

“Call it a woman’s intuition. I just planted it when the librarian wasn’t looking.”

Nat thought about it for a moment. He was certain Iona de Gourney had not been anywhere in the library: She was pretty noticeable. But he forgot this for now as he breathed in the room’s wonderful smell; he had never been anywhere like this before. The sections of the walls that were not taken up by hundreds of leather-bound books were covered with beautiful tapestries of unicorns, jousting knights, castles, and what looked to Nat like coats of arms. They all seemed very old, like the Bayeux Tapestry, which his mum and dad had taken him to see last year.

“Help yourself,” invited Iona, gesturing to the shelves. “Come on, Woody. You can help me in the kitchen while Nat browses.”