Martin nods and smiles,

"Why not both? Let's hit the tailors first to see what we can gather. If our guy, whatever they look like, is there we have a word. Or hit them? I'm not sure what the plan is...so focused on the finding."

Martin taps his chin,

"My vote is talk. Anyways, it will at least be good to get a name before we ask this Noon person for them. Shall we ask a guard for the tailors?"

Avaria brightens, glad she is able to help in finding the perp.  She nods and walks back into the big top, heading down to the guards.

"Excuse me, you have been very helpful, would you be able to direct my son and I to the tailors?  I hear they can make the most beautiful garments."

The Brigade guards look down at Martin-Marrin and over at Dave-A.

"Aye, that they do," one of the guards says. "But they don't do work for the guests. You could find some nice things down that lane over there."

While the one guard points out the laneway he's talking about to Dave-A, the other guard looks at Martin-Marrin and points back towards the bookshop and whispers, "they're in behind the bookseller. It's not marked."

Martin-Marrin and Dave-A thread their way through the crowd, watching another stiltwalker go by, trailing soap bubbles from a large hoop as they do. Down a very narrow pathway between two tents, the pair find a tent hidden from view from any of the guests. It's about the size of the bookshop nextdoor.

Looking inside, Dave-A can see two elderly human women going through a stack of uniforms in all shapes, colours and sizes.

Martin turns to look down the direction the first guard is pointing before turning to smile broadly at the second guard.

When the first guard returns to their post Martin takes Dave-a's arm and waves to both the guards,

"Thank you both! Really!"

He will then head down the lane the first guard pointed at until they can get out of sight of the pair and head to the tailors, explaining what happen to Dave-a as they walk. He will also ask,

"Any ideas on getting the name of the tunic's owner? Maybe just say they left it at the inn and we're trying to return it to them? We don't want to hand it over if they offer to do it for us..."

Ethel-Great Aunt Gillian nods to the bookseller's words but is already wandering off into the rows of shelves and stacks.  As she walks, she is painfully aware of her current lack of coinage.  She calls back over her shoulder, "How long will you remain at this location?"

She walks through the tent, scanning shelf after shelf, looking for... well she isn't even sure what she is looking for.  She was not expecting nor prepared for this, and she is momentarily overwhelmed at the assembled knowledge stored all around her.

Jan debates leaving the second book with the missing part in the back, but figures she may as well inquire as to price, bringing that and the guidebook up to the tabaxi.

"I suppose these may be of some interest, what would you charge for them?"

At the Lintoll Tailors:

The two elderly women haven’t looked up at Martin-Marrin and Dave-A yet. If they’ve noticed them they haven’t let on. They don’t speak to each other either but do seem to know exactly what the other is about to do.

When one moves to reach for set of black, torn Brigade guard trousers, the other pivots out of the way and selects a yellow tunic in need of mending.

In the bookseller's tent - Pocket 1:

The tabaxi watches Great Aunt Gillian-Ethel make her way into the stacks.

“It usually depends on the crowds and reception we get,” the tabaxi says. “In a place like Spandeliyon, the Lintoll will probably be here the rest of the week.”

The tabaxi watches quietly for another moment then says “It is easier if you have an idea of what you want to look for.”

As the tabaxi says that, Ethel notices that while the dim light still makes the spines of the books visible, she sees no titles. All of the book spines are blank.

In the bookseller's tent - Pocket 2:

As Karen-Jan makes her way back down to the front desk, the glowing orbs that marked the locations of the three texts blink out.

The tabaxi adjusts their reading glasses and looks at what Karen-Jan has selected.

“Hmm. ‘A Brief History of Gheldaneth’ and ‘Welcome to Gheldaneth; A Visitor's Guide’. Are you planning a trip?” the tabaxi asks as they turn the books over. “This one’s not in very good shape. How about 15 silver for the pair?”

Avaria is impressed with the women and how efficiently they work.  She is almost mesmerized and takes a second to answer Martin's question.  "I was kind of thinking to see if anyone of the acrobats had come in to get their tunic fixed, but I am blank if they ask why we want to know or why they should tell us...  Maybe we saw it happen in the bigtop, the rip, and wanted to personally tell them what an incredible artist they were and thought this was the best way to find out who they were?  Well.. that's if they seem friendly and care about that kind of stuff.  But if they are annoyed with the situation and the lack of care the acrobats do for their outfits, I'm a little bit more at a loss?  At least those are my thoughts, but you should do the talking, you're way better at it than I am.  Though I'll stand with you, especially since you're pulling off being a kid."  The shifter shrugs, unsure what else to say.

Martin bobs from side to sid noncommittally and chews on his lip before nodding,

"I think you're right, we're going to need to play this by ear a bit."

Martin will step forward to get the women's attention,

"Uh, excuse me? We're wondering if an acrobat came in here for a new shirt? We, um, saw the other acrobats and I talked with a clown that, well he wasn't a clown he was a fiddler, but uh, the fiddler that was a clown said the real clown was being an acrobat because the other acrobat had shown up late..."

Martin takes a breath to focus before continuing more calmly,

"Well, um, I want to talk to the acrobat! I saw them do some amazing things and, um, ya... Do you think you could, uh, help me find them?"

At the Lintoll Tailors:

The two women look up in unison from their work and look carefully at Martin-Marrin and then over at Dave-A.

Both elderly brows furrow and there is a long pause.

"Well I suppose at least some of that is true," the tailor on the left says.

"But everyone has their reason for secrets, don't they?" the tailor on the right says.

At that point, both Martin-Marrin and Dave-A notice that, while their clothes are different, and the hairstyles are slightly different versions of grandma buns, the two women are identical twins.

"Go to the end of the games midway and past the carousel," the tailor on the left begins and then the tailor on the right adds "Behind the hedges you'll find the cast quarters. The acrobats live in a purple and black striped wagon."

They then go back to their work.

"Be careful. You might want to let the Brigade know what's going on." the tailor on the left says without looking up.

Martin stands blinking, looking between the two women.

"Uh...what wasn't true?"

He will look intently at the pair for a long while, watching them move together.

 "Okay then."

Martin drops his uncertain act,

"It would be helpful to have a name to tell the Brigade. Any chance we could get it?"

Martin looks over to Dave-a, then looks back over to the duo,

"Should we bring this up with Noon as well?"

The two tailors look up again.

"There are too many who work in the Lintoll for us to know all of their names," the tailor on the left says.

"But Headmaster Noon has met them all," the tailor on the right says.

They pause.

"Noon takes all kinds here," the tailor on the left says. The tailor on the right continues "As long as nothing ruins the reputation of the Lintoll he lets a lot go unnoticed. This might be something he wants to notice."

They go back to their work.

"His office is across the plaza from the carousel."

Martin gives a bow to the two,

"You've both been very helpful. We appreciate it."

He'll pull Dave-a away and out of earshot to ask,

"Okay. That was weird right?"

He looks over his shoulder and says,

"Good call on the tailors' though. What do you think? Try Noon, involve the guards or or try to solve it ourselves?"

Dave-A watches the two women, amused.  When Martin drops his act and talks to the women frankly, she actually smiles.  The first smile since the attack last night.  She also bows to the women as well as they leave them.

"Yes... weird but helpful."  She follows Martin's glance over his shoulder, but isn't sure what he is looking at and responds, "Might make sense to head to Noon.  I don't want to be given the run around and it seems to be what these lovely ladies suggest."

Martin still looks uncomfortable about the exchange with tailors but does nod along,

"Straight to the top. Let them know this will reflect poorly on the Lintoll, but doesn't need to if we put a stop to it now and Ula's family get reimbursed for the damages."

As he starts walking in the direction they were directed,

"And we obviously get the information we need from this acrobat."

His smile returns as he sees the wonders of the Lintoll,

"And maybe one of those VIP passes for all of us!"

Ethel examines the unlabeled book, her mind turning.  She looks around at the vast expanse of stacks and shelves around her.

Perhaps not an extra-dimensional space.  Illusion?  The appearance of a massive library but really just a smaller assortment of real books masked to appear nearly limitless?

As she ponders the nature of the space, her present lack of funds, and what titles she should ask for, her thoughts return to the matter at hand.

She walks back toward the tabaxi and the exit.  "I'll think on a wish list and return to see you before either of us leaves town."  Then she walks back out into the Lintoll to find her allies.

As Dave-A and Martin-Marrin step back out on to the main lane, they almost bump into Great Aunt Gillian – Ethel as she exits the booksellers tent.

 In the bookseller's tent - Pocket 2:

The tabaxi places the two books into a canvas carryall in case Karen-Jan decides to purchase them.

“Your companion has just left,” the tabaxi says to Karen-Jan as they wrap up the books.

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

Are the trio heading to the headmaster's offices or waiting for Karen-Jan first?

"Hello auntie! We've gotten a lead."

He looks around before lowering his voice,

"Turns out they are an acrobat, and we know where they live. We also received a tip that we should let the guards know what we are planning. Alternatively, but likely also ultimately involving guards, we were going to let the person running this place know they have a troublemaker besmirching the good name of the Lintoll."

He glances around,

"All the options have their risks. Going it alone could possibly end up with a fight and the guards being turned on us. Bringing the guards in could result in us getting kicked out or detained or,"

He makes a throat cutting motion,

"Allowing the assassin to escape, but could also get us some backup and eliminates them getting called on us. The third option has the same risks as the second, but let's us leverage the name of the Lintoll with the person who's job it is to keep the place going."

Martin gestures over to Dave-a,

"We were just on our way to the boss, a Headmaster Noon. So good we found you! Thoughts?"

He looks towards the booksellers door,

"You seen mom anywhere?"

"Apologies, friends,"  Ethel-Great Aunt Gillian says, sheepishly.  "I succumbed to distraction at a bookseller's tent.  Back to the matter at hand... has anyone spotted anything suspicious yet?  Or need we explore more portions of this menagerie?"