"And people do what with them - just walk through from one to the other? Do they have fixed pairedness, so you can only use one to go to the second portal, or can you go from any to any other?"

"They come in fixed pairs, though I suppose theoretically creating a portal that could travel to a set is possible. No one has been able to figure out a way to specify which of the portals it would send you to, though. It always defaults to the closest that matches its signature," explains Adarin.

"There'd be a tremendous market for that, if it interests you," says Keo. "The existing teleportation circles are always under heavy load."

Adarin grins, then replies, "It does indeed interest me. It'd be nice to have a source of income, though I'd have to mind my scheduling to make sure I don't hurt myself."

The lift stops; its door opens on another hall. Keo steps out and opens the first dorm on the left. It's furnished like the girls' room, only without any of the lived-in accoutrements. "Will this suit?" she inquires.

"I can get in touch with the Esmaarlan parliament and I'm sure you'll be flooded with municipal bids inside of a week," she assures him.

"That would be fantastic, thank you," he says, smiling a little. "It gives me something to do, though I might have to find someone to question about your magic's workings to see if there are any other things I could do with it that you can't do yourself. I wouldn't have thought that you would have issue creating portals. I might be mistaken about other things, as well."

"Well, this is a school, and Korulen's translation spell on you will keep indefinitely; you can visit the library if you like."

"Will the translation spell I'm under apply to the books?"

"It depends on which version she used, but probably; most versions in modern circulation do. If not I can oblige her to look up one that will and replace it."

"The lift will take you to the library or Ataan Hall or the cafeteria if you just tell it those locations," Keo says. "If you need anything else, just think my name clearly and firmly and I'll answer. Korulen's going to escort you into town for a cursory shopping trip at her and Saasnil's expense, since this room obviously doesn't have sheets or a change of clothes or whatever. At your convenience; just let me know and I'll send her to you."

"That would be fantastic. I'd like to write my letters, first but- how long are shops here open? If I'm on a deadline then they can be postponed," he replies.

"Your selection will decrease after roughly sunset, but if you'd prefer to shop at twenty-third-and-naught she will still be able to find you something."

Adarin pauses. He realizes the obvious. He has absolutely no idea how any measurements of time work here. "Do you have a clock that could tell me the time? And how long the measurements are."

"Clock, no, time-telling abilities yes." Keo casts a quick spell, and there, floating in the air at convenient eye-level, is the time. "If you can read those numbers, Korulen used a spell that does literacy as well as spoken language," she adds. (The numbers are perfectly legible.)

"I can read them just fine," he says, pleasantly surprised. "I'll make a trip to the library in my future, then. But judging by the time... A shopping trip sooner rather than later would be best, I think."

"All right. The library has paper, for your letters," Keo adds. "And the time comes in angles, degrees, ticks, and splits - dawn is naught, noon is about sixth-and-naught, sunset about twelfth-and-same, midnight ninteenth-and-naught."

Keo dismisses her illusion of the time when she sees it's been made redundant. "All right. Do you need anything else from me right now?"

"No, thank you. But if you could send either Korulen or Saasnil, I'd like to go shopping," he says.

"Before you write your letters?" Keo confirms.

"Yes. They could take a while; I have a bit of explaining to do, and since I'm on a timetable to have more shops open..." says Adarin, then he shrugs. "I can have time to think and organize what I'll say while looking at sheets."