So they were venturing through, then? Well, all right. Cassandra propped the plank of wood on her shoulder and moved to stand behind Jones' shoulder. Perhaps, she mused, Jones would prefer to go it alone. Certainly, Cassandra had nothing useful to contribute to this little venture. But she wouldn't even entertain the notion of being left behind.

"I suppose the most obvious answer is that the shop was part of some act," she said. "One that wasn't important enough to keep up, perhaps."

She frowned. Oh, it was obvious, all right. But Cassandra didn't like obvious answers. They were too easy. The Pythia of Delphi never gave straightforward answers. She made pilgrims work for it. And Cassandra was working to find something now.