"Yes, " Claire said quickly. "It's fine. Everybody does it. " God, he wasn't going to try to kiss her hand or anything, was he? No, he was letting go and crossing his arms. Studying her.
"Quickly, " he said. "What's the elemental designation for rubidium?"
"Um ... Rb. "
"Atomic number?"
Claire frantically called to mind the periodic table. She'd used it the same way other kids used puzzles, back when she was young; she'd known everything. "Thirty-seven. "
"Group number?"
She could see the square on the table now, as real as if it was a card in her hand. "Group one, " she said confidently. "Alkali metal. The period number is five. "
"And what are the dangers of working with rubidium, young Claire?"
"It spontaneously burns when exposed to air. It also reacts violently to water. "
"Solid, liquid, gas, plasma?"
"Solid to forty degrees centigrade. That's the melting point. " She waited for the next question, but Myrnin only cocked his head and watched her. "How did I do?"
"Adequately, " he said. "You've memorized well. But memorization is not science, and science is not knowledge. " Myrnin stalked over to a leaning stack of books, tossed some carelessly to the floor, and found a threadbare volume that he flipped open without much regard for the fragile pages. "Ah! Here. What is this,then?"
He held the book out to her. Claire squinted at the dim illustration. It looked a little like a small square sail, full of wind. She frowned and shook her head. Myrnin snapped the book closed with a sharp clap, making her jump.
"Too much to teach her, " he said to Amelie. He began to pace, then got distracted and fiddled with a glass retort full of some noxious green liquid. "I don't have time to coddle infants, Amelie. Bring me someone who at least understands the basics of what I am trying to -- "
"I've told you before, there is no one available who would recognize that symbol, and in any case, the field has never attracted the most trustworthy of characters. Give Claire a chance. She's a quick study. " Her voice cooled to a measured, icy tone. "Do not force me to make it an order, Myrnin. "