"Thanks for that comment," Ales said in a less animated tone than before. "A musician might not be the ideal candidate for this task."

He then turned to Sparks, resting an arm on the chair back. "The thing is," he spoke each syllable carefully to get his full attention, "I'm more willing to go on the expedition than talk to that Gerad fellow. I'm interested in finding out more about the seed, but the library sounds like a safer place for a Teensie than the middle of the wilderness."