Five acolytes sat in the anteroom, each one at a desk piled high with 
dusty old books and long reels of paper tape. Nell had brought thirteen books 
from the Cipherers' Market, and at their direction, she distributed these books 
among the acolytes for decipherment. The acolytes were neither young nor old 
but in the middle of their lives, all dressed in white coats decorated, in 
golden thread, with the crest of King Coyote. Each also had a key around his 
neck. As Princess Nell waited, they deciphered the contents of
the books she had brought and punched the results onto strips of paper tape 
using little machines built into their tables.