Nillian walks up to the house, and seeing that the shed is open, walks to the entrance. He politely knocks on the door-frame, hoping that someone will respond. After waiting for a minute he knocks again, harder this time. This gets the expected result: he hears someone coming from the recesses of the shed.
Dr. Aeros is a tall man, just beginning to look like an old man. He has long grey hair and thick brimmed glasses. His white lab coat is burned in multiple places and it looks like it could do with a wash. Dr. Aeros blinks in the bright light outside, and turns to Nillian.
"Yes? Can I help you with something, young man?"
"I certainly hope so sir. I am looking for a Dr. Aeros. I am from the University, from Kataras, and I would like to ask him some questions."
"Hmm, Dr. Aeros? Ah, then you have come to the right address! Come in, come in, and we'll see about answering those questions for you."
Nillian follows Dr. Aeros inside, at first having difficulties adapting to the dark and bumping in to things. But slowly his eyes get used to the dark, and he can make out the inside of the shed. It is filled with strange contraptions equipped with a wide variety of sails, propellers and other wind-powered machinery. But all the contraptions are broken or in pieces, there is not a working engine in the whole workshop.
Dr. Aeros leads Nillian through the shed into the house, which looks very different from the shed. Everything is clean and tidy. Large windows allow plenty of light to enter, and the walls and furniture are all painted in a light colour scheme. The reason for this difference becomes clear when Dr. Aeros introduces his wife, Isobella. She is a homely woman, with a warm smile and a beautiful dress. Together they enter the sitting room and take seat, Isobella moving off to the kitchen to get some tea and refreshments.
As soon as Isobella is gone Dr. Aeros begins talking. He discusses the weather, the latest rumours in the city and in the University, and the latest news from the other cities. He seems to have forgotten that Nillian is from Kataras as he tells some wild rumours from Kataras, not giving Nillian a chance to change the topic. When Isobella returns a few minutes later, she seems to understand what is happening, and interrupts the constant stream of conversation.
"Aeros, dear, your guest probably came here for a reason. Why not ask him about it?"
"Oh, right. Yes, you said something about that. You are from the University and ... had some questions! Of course, sorry about that. Ask away!"
"Ehm, yes. I am at the moment working on a book about Dr. Biene, his strange disappearance, and some notebooks he might have left behind. Recently I came across a letter saying that his assistant, Gerardina Nott, visited your workshop just after his disappearance. I hoped that you might have some more information about that visit? It would have been about twenty years ago, just after the Great Bang..."
Dr. Aeros is silent for a minute, thinking hard. Then a smile forms, and he replies that he indeed remembers that.
"She came into my workshop together with some kind of servant. She asked all kinds of questions, about sails and propellers, and her servant made a lot of notes. But she was very secretive about it. She wouldn't take off her cloak and neither allow her servant to do the same. And each time I asked to consult with some of my fellow researchers she stopped me, saying I should keep it a secret. Really strange. In the end I advised her to go to a friend of mine who runs a workshop for the things she was looking for."
"Excellent! Do you perhaps know where I can find this friend of yours?"
"Hmm? Oh, that was Rich, he lives a couple of blocks away. Haven't spoken to him in some time, but I am sure he will remember me."
Isobella gently interrupts her husband's story.
"Dear, Rich died last year, do you remember? You went to the funeral in your good suit, and you had that nasty fall at the reception?"
"Oh, yes, yes..."
Dr. Aeros's face clouds over and he looks confused, shocked by the fact he forgot that. Nillian, understanding what is going on, continues the conversation as if nothing happened.
"That's alright. Do you perhaps know the name of his workplace? Then I maybe can get the records from the city hall or the University."
"Yes, of course. It was called Wind Riches, you know with the reference to his name. He was very proud of his workshop, having build it himself, from the ground up. I can remember the day he first opened ..."
Nillian feels that another long story is coming up, and quietly interrupts Dr. Aeros.
"I'm sorry, but do you perhaps remember anything else about that day? Did they perhaps mention why they were looking for those things, or where they were going after?"
"Ehm, let me think. No, not really. As I said she was very secretive about that. But wait, she did say something... Ah, when I mentioned that they would need a fuel for some of their designs, as they used steam engines, she said that wasn't a problem and that that was already taken care off. So I think she must have gone to Stokes before coming to me. Otherwise where would she have gotten the coal she needed?"
"Yes indeed. That is interesting, that means I'll also have to go to Stokes, to take a look around. Well, first I am going to take a look at those records."
"If you are in the Library, you should also look up my husband's old notebooks. They have a whole section with old notebooks of all researchers at the University, and it might contain more information. I know that he often made notes about other things than his research in the margins of his official notebooks, he still does."
Dr. Aeros looks at his wife with a gentle smile on his face, not at all bothered by her comments. Together they talk for some time over trivialities, sipping tea. Then Nillian takes his leave, thanking them profusely for the information and the cosy afternoon.
Outside he looks on his watch, and sees that it is already four o'clock. He decides to go back to the city, hoping to find a nice restaurant on the way. Not sure which way leads back to the city centre he sets off in a direction he hopes that leads to the marketplace.
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