Capering Rogues and Feathered Foes

Previously

…I mumbled something about traffic, feeling my cheeks flush. “It’s… it’s incredible, Bartholomew.” “Nonsense,” he waved a dismissive hand, his rings flashing. “Just a little gathering. But I’m so glad you’re here. Come, let me introduce you to some truly fascinating individuals.” And he did. He paraded me around, introducing me to people whose names I promptly forgot, but whose dazzling smiles and confident pronouncements I absorbed like a sponge. There was the Countess Anya, who spoke with a slight lisp and a remarkable ability to pet her invisible dog; a renowned artist whose beard seemed to have a life of its own; and a retired explorer who kept tapping his ear as if expecting a jungle