"Unlikely," Byerly says, an ironic smile curling his lips. "I'm very good at avoiding work."

But he does lift his eyebrows a moment later, releasing the irony so that he can respond with a bit more honesty. "I'm quite good," he says. No modesty here, by God. "Pity we haven't any chance of finding a piano...I actually know a very charming duet for the piano and violin. Used to play it all the time - I could probably put down the notes to paper from memory alone."