Martin startles again when Ava grabs him and looks in the direction indicated.

"Oh. Right."

He tells the carnie with teenage bravado,

"That goblin better count its teeth while it still has them! I gotta do a thing first."

He'll head after Ava.

Jan mentally throws up her hands as her companions, the morning after dealing with someone stealing Hammerdasher's face, immediately splits up in every direction. She moves to follow 'Martin' to keep up appearances, but sees 'Dave-a' catch up to him, and instead moves to follow after Ethel. "Meet back here Martin!" she calls.

"Ya mom. I'm going over here..."

Martin calls back.

"You behave! And don't get dirty!"

That Martin does not respond to, though if eye-rolls could be heard the sound might deafen those nearest him.

Dan-A – Avaria and Martin – Marrin make their way down the main lane of the Lintoll until they get to the entrance of the Big Top. A sign by the large entrance flap indicates that the Main Extravaganza will take place at sunset but that other smaller acts will still be performed all day. Except for the Main Extravaganza, entrance doesn’t use up a ticket token.

Slipping inside, the pair notice colorful orbs of light dance in the lofts of the tent while other orbs sit lower in the air, highlighting the performer in the center of a large ringed space. A handful of spectators watch from rows of tiered wooden seats encircling the ring.

In the middle of the ring, an elf ballerin dances with animated costumes that spring from a  wardrobe just at the edge of the ring.

As they look around the Big Top, both spot a curtained doorway in the side of the large ten. The doorway is guarded by two black plate mail clad humans similar to the ones you’ve seen elsewhere in the Lintoll. From what the halfling at the front gate said about the wristbands you have, you presume those with black plate mail are members of the Lintoll Brigade.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Karen – Jan enters the same tent she saw Granny Ethel, and earlier Geffroi Desbiens enter; she notes the small wooden sign staked into the ground out front reads Chapters and Verses. When Karen – Jan parts the flap and enters the tent, she sees a full library of books. Oonce inside she finds herself inside a large atrium, three stories of bookshelves rising up around her, with aisles extending into darkness.

A thin, tawny coloured tabaxi looks over a pair of reading glasses at Karen-Jan and smiles.

"Welcome, welcome," the tabaxi says. "There aren't many who will enter this tent when there is so much excitement on hand out there. And now there have been three in almost as many minutes."

Looking around, Karen-Jan realizes she can't hear the outside world, and she appears to be alone with the tabaxi. There's no sign of Granny – Ethel, or Geffroi.

"What can I help you with?"

Karen-Jan sniffs a phantom smell in the air, and tightens her shawl about her shoulders.

"I'm sure. There does seem to be quite a lot going on outside. My great-aunt just came in, could you point me to where she is?"

Martin watches the elf's act with interest for a few moments before saying quietly to Dan-A,

"You see them anywhere? Or should be head past those guys?"

Dave-A takes a quick look around, making sure that those two she saw didn't slip in amongst the crowd.  Perception 16.

Assuming she doesn't see them, "I think they are past those guards.  What do you think?  Did you want to try and distract them and see if I can get by?  I'm not the sneakiest though.  Or maybe we can get someone else around here that is in this tent to set up a diversion?  You're pretty persuasive, what do you think?"

Martin can feel the impatience of the situation wafting off of Avaria.  It is taking a lot of restraint not to just rush those two guards.

In the booksellers tent:

The tabaxi smiles at Karen-Jan.

"Everyone's chapter or verse is there own here," the tabaxi says. "Your great-aunt is nearby but you will have to meet her outside. Now, while you're here, is there anything I can interest you in?"

In the big top:

Dave-A doesn't see the pair anywhere. 

The guards look alert but not particularly threatening. They look strong but for the most part they also look friendly.

"Errr... or should we try just talking to them?  They look kinda friendly, who knows?"  Avaria scratches her head and looks at Marrin, unsure what strategy would be best.

Martin looks at the friendly metal guards a moment then shrugs,

"Sure, we can talk to them. Maybe say that one of the performers came to the inn last night and lost their shirt?"

Martin scratches at his sparse cheek stubble.

"Sounds kinda weird when I say it though. Kinda drawing a blank on exactly what we could ask. If you get in there could you sniff out the right person?"

Great Aunt Gillian stands up a little straighter, taking in the unnatural - perhaps extradimensional - space inside this tent, forgetting for the moment her disguise.

"What is this place?  What are these books?  Is this a bookseller, or a library?  What are your terms and prices?"  Even as she asks the questions, she is looking at nearby shelves trying to determine how the books are arranged and categorized.

In the bookseller's tent - Pocket 1:

The tabaxi removes their reading glasses and puts them into a case on the desk they're standing behind. They look at Great Aunt Gillian - Ethel and smile.

"This is Chapters and Verses. These books contain words and images, some handwritten, most printed. The pages are mostly paper, but there are a few other types. Again, most are bound but some are sewn." The tabaxi says, answering Great Aunt Gillian - Ethel's questions in order. "We are a seller. The Lintoll travels far and wide and it may be years before we're back in Spandeliyon. Being a library would be - hmm - unworkable."

The tabaxi looks up at the books and down one of the aisles and then back to Gillian-Ethel.

"Terms are coins in exchange for one or more books. Prices vary depending on what it is you're looking for. A few silver for an old Guide to the Dock Ward Inns and Taverns of Water Deep, to many thousands for perhaps a rare prophecy or spell scroll, if we have it of course," the tabaxi says. "We do also have rare inks and pens if that's more to your interest."

"I could try.  I got a sniff of them last night, but who knows if they tried to cover their scent?  But as for what to ask to get back there.. I'm drawing a blank.  I'll back you up though."  Avaria continues to look around and is getting more antsy by the minute.

"So you sell books? I have an uncle who traveled to Gheldaneth as a boy, and has all sorts of stories of what he saw there. Do you have any books on the land? I might like to get him one to recall him to his youth.", Jan-Karen asks.

In the bookseller's tent - Pocket 2:

The tabaxi removes their reading glasses and puts them into a case on the desk they're standing behind. They look at Karen-Jan and smile.

"Of course," the tabaxi says, then closes their eyes and thinks for a moment. "Gheldaneth, Gheldaneth. It's been a popular topic lately. You'll find a guidebook down this aisle, a history upstairs, and a government census from down that aisle."

As the tabaxi mentions each of the books, a glowing orb above the aisle in question lights up. Further down another orb lights up, presumably where the book is located.

In the Big Top:

The elven dancer's performance comes to an end and the animated costumes dart back into the wardrobe. The elf bows to the crowd and is greeted by applause. She then pushes the wardrobe towards the curtained entrance and past the two Brigade guards.

Moments later a smiling halfling, carrying a hat box, emerges from the curtained area, ducks through the legs of one of the guards and heads to the center of the ring.

Martin watches as the halfling comes out then looks back to the guards before making his decision and heading to them.

"Hi! Can I, uh, go in and talk to the performers? I promise I will not get in their way and stuff. I'm really super interested in what they do. I don't think I can really talk to them out here 'cus they're doing their thing."

He gives his best puppy dog eyes.

Persuasion (min 19): 27

"Oh, you've had other inquiries?", Karen-Jan asks innocently. She will meander back toward the closest glowing orb (guidebook?).

In the Big Top:

The two Brigade guards look down at Martin-Marrin and smile. One chuckles.

"I'm sorry little guy," the guard on the right says. "But we can't let guests through here."

The other guard nods but then he bends down and whispers to Martin-Marrin "But if you go around back, there's another entrance that the rest of the guests won't see you go through. Just make sure not to get in anyone's way."