Poetry, he said. There are even a few pages where someone wrote translations directly on the parchment, but I wish they hadn't. This book is a piece of art, why mar it like that? Even so, I do wish I knew what they said. The merchant didn't have time to translate them all, of course, and I imagine some subtleties can't carry over from one language to the other.

[ Dorothea watches Claude's face as he flips through the pages. It's a fascinating exercise, trying to gauge what he must be feeling even as he works to cultivate his expression. She's noticed that he does this through their interactions, not only with her but with everyone he talks to.

When he mentions the copy in Derdriu, she perks up a little and leans in with interest. ]

Do you really? Has anyone bothered to translate that copy or is it like mine?