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Robin raises his eyebrows, as if he's a little surprised at your question. After a moment, however, he glances away in thought.

"Well, I don't know. The stuff I've read is pretty much just guesses based on guesses, and it's not like it's unusual to just lose track of people that lived a long time ago. I think it's most likely that she was the kind of person that just didn't like to be in the public eye, so when she started to get kind of famous, she realized she couldn't handle it. As for why she came back…maybe she had family here she wanted to be closer to? Maybe she changed her mind about the whole fame thing? Maybe she just wanted to travel the world and always planned to come back. All I really know is that she died in Silvertree. I think trying to work anything else out for sure is pretty much just going to end up as historical fiction."

Next

Somewhere behind you, the band on the stage has just finished another slow, lilting song. For some reason, it feels like you've been talking to Robin for far longer than just a few minutes.

"I liked that song," Robin says as if just to himself. "It's kind of sad for a day at the fair, though. Maybe I'm just in that kind of mood."

Robin doesn't say anything, but immediately his face turns almost as red as his hair. Even so, there's no mistaking the smile on his lips.

You spend a little while longer talking about the fair, the neighborhood, and your pets (particularly Robin's cats, Cynthia and George), before Robin tells you that he had better go and catch up with Vada.

He gives you one last wave before heading off, shielding his eyes from the sun while he scans the crowds for any sign of his sister. After another minute just watching the band, you walk back in that direction as well.

When you find a gap in the crowds to look through, you can see that Tobias is still busy with Maxie, though it looks as if they won't have much more to do. You think you have a little more time to look around. Since you've explored most of the busier parts of the park, you start heading out towards the much quieter outskirts, the sound of the band's music gradually fading as you weave your way out through the market stands. Soon, instead of excited voices and the sweet smell of popcorn, you find yourself surrounded by soft grass and tall trees that grow in clumps among the faint scent of flowers.

You occasionally pass another person as you make your way around the perimeter of the park, but compared to what you just left behind, there's almost nobody else in sight. In fact, if it weren't for the tree-lined fence circling the place, you would never know you were in the middle of a town, let alone a busy fair.

After a few minutes' walk, you find yourself at a secluded bench right in the middle of a cluster of trees. You decide this is as good a place as any to take a little rest, and when you sit down, the cool breeze playing over your warm face and the gentle sound of rustling leaves seem like almost enough to lull you to sleep. If you weren't careful, you think it would be easy to accidentally drift off here and wake up having been locked in. You're not too worried, though, as you lean back on the bench; if you did fall asleep, somebody would come looking for you before too long.

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