Investigate the cage

Duncan approaches the strange covered object and cautiously lifts a corner of the blanket to peer inside.

"Hey! Give a guy a bit of warning, why don't you?" comes an annoyed voice from inside.

After recovering from his surprise, Duncan takes another look and sees that the blanket does, in fact, cover a birdcage. The cage itself is about 3 feet high. What is of most interest is the occupant inside. It is an owlish-looking creature, standing about 18 inches high, looking at Duncan through sleepy eyes.

"So you're just going to stand there and let the light in after all," says the creature. "Of course... who cares whether a guy is trying to get some sleep?"

"I'm sorry," says Duncan. "I didn't realize there was anything -- anyone -- in here."

"Of course not. Why should you? People cover up empty cages all the time... Perfectly understandable mistake," replies the creature with more than a hint of sarcasm. "Well, since I am awake, I assume you have a reason for just standing there, gaping at me."

"I don't mean to stare. It's just that I've never seen anything quite like you before. What ARE you?"

The creature looks at Duncan for several seconds, sizing him up, before answering. "Well, given the fact that you are in a library and you are asking that question, I could just as well ask you what YOU are. One thing I know you are not is a scholar, or you wouldn't be robbing me of my sleep to find out something you could be looking up on your own. It will probably save us both a lot of trouble to just tell you that I am a Sophiaron. Can I go back to sleep now, or do you have another annoying question?"

Duncan has lots of questions, but he can tell he has already tested this creature's patience. "No, that's ok... Thank you. Um... do you need anything to eat or something before I get back to my work?"

"I'm a Sophiaron. I'm in a library. Duh....!" With that enigmatic response, the creature closes its eyes, signaling that the conversation -- at least in its mind -- is over.

Duncan carefully covers the cage, leaving the Sophiaron in peace.

As his eyes fall over the many books on the shelves, Duncan is seized with an idea. Searching from one shelf to another, he tries to make sense of the organizational structure of the volumes and finally finds what he is looking for: a volume entitled, "An Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures -- 3rd Edition." He pulls the volume from the shelf and flips through its pages, coming to the sought-after entry in the "S" section: Sophiaron:

"The Sophiaron, once common in Mirantia, has been driven to near-extinction. Some estimates place the number of surviving members of the species at fewer than a dozen, worldwide. The Sophiaron lives off of knowledge, particularly that which is preserved in writing. The creatures have a very low metabolism and can live for hundreds of years, barely moving during that time. They take nourishment by absorbing facts and information from nearby books and scrolls, which they are able to convert into sustainable energy. The Sophiaron was hunted to near-extinction when it was discovered that the creature can be used as a conduit to quickly transfer information from printed material to the human brain. This method was used by humans to speed up the learning process, negating the need to read books in order to obtain the knowledge contained therein. When this process is used on a Sophiaron, without allowing it adequate time to recuperate, it drains the creature of its energy, causing it to starve to ****."

Duncan continued to read the rest of the entry, which detailed the process by which the Sophiaron could be used in such a way. When he completed the entry, Duncan set the book down and returned to the cage.

"Excuse me... Sorry to bother you again, but I do have another question," he said, before lifting the blanket.

"Of course you do," said the offended creature. "Let me see if I can predict your question... Can I help you fast-forward through your studies and magically impart all the knowledge of these books into your brain, thus freeing up your precious time for such noble endeavors as chasing after the females of your species, eating junk food, and scratching your private parts in public? Is that what you had in mind?"

Duncan is unaccustomed to being spoken to in this way, but he is more surprised than angry. "How did you know? Are you telepathic, too?"

The Sophiaron rolls its massive eyes and says, "You don't have to be telepathic when you are dealing with human males. Besides, that's essentially what your brother asked for."

"My brother?"

"You ARE the spare, aren't you? The 'two-heartbeats-away-from-the-crown' royal son? I assume they aren't letting just anyone into this library these days, although, given the state of things, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that you're only here because you got lost on your way to the toilet."

"I AM the prince," Duncan says, ignoring the implied insults. "Are you telling me my brother didn't have to read all this stuff when he got his training? You gave him all his knowledge instantly?"

"I am, but let me save you the trouble of asking the next question. No, I won't do it for you. After all, the Crown Prince has a heavy responsibility and can't be spending all his time in a library. He has to be free to master diplomacy, military strategy, and so forth. You, on the other hand, are merely the spare; your time is less valuable, so you can read -- assuming you know how to, that is."

Duncan fumes. "That is SO wrong. Stewart made it sound like it was so demanding of his time, but he had a free pass. You know, it's not fair at all -- my time is just as important, and I could be called upon to take up the crown at any moment. If anything, it's more important that I learn these things quickly."

"Well, then, you'd better get started with your reading," says the sleepy creature. "You'll want to start on page 1; most people find that the most efficient means." With that, it closed its eyes and resumed its nap.

"Wait a minute..." says Duncan. "I'm just as much of royal blood as my brother. I command you to help me."

The Sophiaron opens one eye and looks at the prince coldly. "What part of 'No" did you not understand. I don't have to listen to your commands; that's part of the beauty of being me. There's only one way you can compel me to do what you want me to do, and guess what -- you haven't read these books, so you don't know how to do that. Sorry, Your Highness, but this is one subject of yours you don't get to order around. Now please leave me alone. If I don't get at least six months of nap time in, I really get cranky."

Despite Duncan's repeated efforts to re-engage the Sophiaron in conversation, the creature ignores his pleas. Finally, resigned to not getting anything further from the sleeping creature, Duncan returns his gaze to the rows of books.

""I wonder if there is something here that would help," he thinks.