Yep. Are there any clocks in the library?

Yes there are!

And what time is it now?

It is now four in the afternoon!

Okay that's longer than she was planning. Next time she's finding a cozy chair nearer a clock. She should probably eat now. She will go do that.

The dining table is once again completely unperturbed by her lifestyle choices.

Predictable.

And once she has eaten and stood up from the table she says, experimentally, "Tanaikon."

Nothing happens for half a minute or so -

And then he materializes in front of her, smiling. "Yes?"

"I haven't seen you since yesterday breakfast and I didn't want to test the name thing under higher-stakes circumstances."

"Sensible. Have you been enjoying your stay so far?"

"I'm used to being around people more, that part's less than optimal, but everything else has been great. I've started learning Ansati."

"Yeah, if there's one thing my castle definitely lacks it's abundant company."

"Yeah that would sort of be the other reason I said your name. I noticed I wasn't running into you much--over the course of like a day, but still--and I...wanted to see if I could get your help in--managing my expectations? About that?"

"It's a big castle. I sometimes go months without running into Iri. But feel free to call my name if you get lonely anytime after noon; that's when I wake up, most days."

"Okay. I'm probably not going to take advantage of that every day, but it's not going to be months between unless something I'm not anticipating happens."

"All right," he says agreeably.

"Your daughter was kind enough to conjure pen and paper for me when I wanted them for my language studies; if I run out and she's not around and you're not awake should I just wait for you to wake up or is there somewhere I can get things like that?"

"Oh, yes. The corridor coming south off the seventh floor of the library. It's all offices and studies and so on."

"Thanks."

He smiles. "You're welcome."

"I assume you're not going to mind if I ask you a rude question that just occurred to me but manners being manners it can't hurt to check."

"Go right ahead."

"You've been at this for thousands of years and only have one child; does the swan spell sterilize?"

He laughs and shakes his head. "No, that part's separate."

"That's much less horrifying than the answer I was worried about. Which is 'no, they just miscarry every time they transform'."