'You found it! Marvellous!' says His Amused Lordship. 'And you passed the test. You entered the Museum. Let's get on with it!' He eagerly leads you inside.

You follow him through an elegant hallway, all polished mahogany and mirrors glinting in the candlelight. Several flights of narrow, twisting stairs open onto a round solar, crowded and brightly lit. Books line the shelves. A glass case stands in the centre of the room, a huge cube. The inside of the glass is painted black, but clear squares have been left, as if there is something inside to be peered at: something that needs to live in the dark.

His Lordship announces you. 'This fine [genderdescription] will be our newest recruit. I believe some of you may already have been introduced, in fact...' You are subjected to a flurry of handshakes, and receive a shiny new pin for your lapel. 'We will be in touch soon,' says His Lordship. 'How very fine to have you with us at last.' It has all happened so quickly that you have scarcely had time to contemplate the haste with which they accepted you...