Arthur recognized the uniformed monkeys from the day of his arrival, but accustomed to long years of benefits given to the famous he paid little heed to the twist of fortune allowing them to leave a scene of violence in which he'd taken part. He did expect Harbend to explain or explode, but as the merchant declined to do either during their ride to the restaurant Arthur decided to leave the episode in silence as well, and it wasn't long until they reached their destination.
Whatever he'd expected this wasn't it. Deeply hidden among great villas in the far northwest of Verd, where the very rich lived, a building crouched in a tree covered garden.
Walking nearer he saw that the trees closest to the walls were no trees at all but the work of artisans of almost unimaginable skills. Fastened to the branches, high above them and hugging the trunk of each tree a small brown, wooden cottage with thatched roof seemed to grow as part of the tree itself. Slender bridges of what looked like crystal connected the cottages to an open platform on the roof of the main building, almost like a terrace, but Arthur couldn't see much of it from where he stood on the pathway.
He smiled in wonder and was still smiling as they entered the building.