It wasn't much arguing. Anyway, no one's complaining about the number of copies of any given book; Cecil's spell works on paper at least as well as fast-scrolling tablets and he, as a student, is comparatively easy to coax into doing things.

Scientific conversations! Book copying! Helping the Engineering Department build a prototype 3D printer!

At around the two thousand book mark Nick thinks that's enough for now and he kind of wants a break. One can only tolerate so much nerding out in a given time.

"So what do you want to do for now? It's pretty late," Daphne says, pointing out the window. A bright full moon and a sprinkling of shining stars can be seen hanging in an otherwise near-pitch sky.

"I think that depends on how tired you are, because I can keep going twenty four-seven."

"Not terribly tired."

"Well, then a break from thinking sounds pretty good to me."

"I've been told I'm pretty good at making people stop thinking."

"That definitely sounds fun. I hope I won't disappoint."

She starts to move, but then stops herself and looks at him thoughtfully. "Some things are more fun if your brain isn't being fogged by anything else, even if you're not planning on doing much actual thinking, and it is fairly late. Would you like to get coffee?"

"Sure, coffee. Stimulants feel nice, and two things that feel nice are better than one."

"I know a nifty coffee shop that's about six miles that way," she points.

"I'll fly us. Want a fast hop, or to go a little more slowly and enjoy the view and the breeze?"

"Little more slowly sounds fun."

"Sure thing." He takes her hand, and they drift into the sky at approximately twice jogging speed. He lets some of the breeze through, but not enough to be uncomfortably chilly.

"Wow," she breathes despite herself.

"Flight is pretty great, isn't it? The other kinds of daeva make their own wings and do it the old fashioned way. It's almost sad that mine won't actually carry me. They're just decoration."

"Well, they make pretty great decoration."

"Why, thank you. Too bad you don't have wings of your own or I could say you don't need them for decoration."

"Thanks. Given my druthers I think I really would like one of the kinds that would let me fly, though."

"As far as I know the only way to get that is by asking a daeva-angel or daeva-demon, but it is possible." He speeds up just a bit now that they're high off the ground. The breeze doesn't change.

"Well, maybe I will and maybe I won't. At the very least I shouldn't try to get something that much more life-altering than a tattoo without seriously thinking about it. I'm pretty sure our kind of demon can't do that, or at least not any of the ones I'm comfortable interacting with."

"I wouldn't know about local demons."

Pause. Cue contented sigh. "Earth's stars are beautiful. And there isn't even all that much light pollution, pre-2000."

"You don't have stars where you're from? Well, I suppose you wouldn't, if you live on an infinite plane and not a planet. That seems a shame."

"We have pretty rocks and wildlife to make up for it, you know. And we do get to visit other planets, if we take summons. The view from Europa in my spacefuture is really something else."

"The science side of my brain would like to point out that Europa is not a planet. The rest of my brain is sighing in envy."