Baruch, the choir director, is just finishing up a practice - it's bedtime for the children, who range from seven to eleven years old. The choir is almost evenly divided between mortal and angel, and several of them look curiously at Nathaniel as they depart their practice room in clumps and pairs. "Hello, Baruch," says Isabella.

"Hello, Isabella. I didn't know you were back. Who's this?"

"I remembered hearing you say the last time I was visiting that you wanted to find more children for the choir from farther away than Velora but could never find the time to get away," Isabella says. "This is Nathaniel. He's got a very pretty voice and he's even been trained most of the way up for you. I found him in Semorrah and his mother thought putting him in the choir would be a lovely idea."

"Hello Nathaniel," says Baruch, squatting with some awkward re-angling of his great tan wings to make level eye contact. "I'm Baruch."