They're not going to start out by investigating for secret basement lairs. There are people living here; they can land in populated areas and ask for directions. Nelen et al appear in their assigned Linver city.

There's a convenient open space for them to do so on a lawn in a park, across a curving cobblestone path from another lawn where a dozen children are playing a game with a ball and an adult occasionally glances at them to confirm that they have all their limbs in between working on something with three books and a notebook. There's a middle-aged couple coming slowly along down the path in no particular hurry. There's a musician out of sight behind some trees.

Those that see them appear draw the others' attention and except for the musician shortly all of those people are staring.

They wave and smile nonthreateningly!

The adults watch them warily as they are mobbed by children with questions about how they appeared out of nowhere and why they look weird.

They are happy to do first contact by explaining how they appeared out of nowhere and why they look weird. Cassiel will let kids pull on her feathers.

One of the kids informs them very seriously that they are supposed to bet on that if they really believe it, and also that real aliens can't breathe normal air and would be too hot here anyway and probably catch fire and die, everyone knows alien planets are different.

" - No, there could be more alien planets, maybe one of them is the same - "

"Yeah but then the aliens could still be talking birds like on - "

"That's just on TV."

"I know it's just TV but it could happen - anyway, Mel's right, though, if you really just came into the country you have to go to the Aurora."

"Or go to Southshore and get stabbed and bleed to death instead!"

The one who thinks they should go to the Aurora makes an "I guess" face.

"What do we need to do at the Aurora?" asks Tarwë.

"We have some talking birds but not very many," says Natsuko.

"You need to tell them you won't cause any trouble and always wear your lucky shoes."

"And remember the Kelly criterion!"

"That is implausible because every planet can only have one species in each ecological niche, so only one species can be intelligent," one of the kids informs Natsuko. "Otherwise, they would compete for resources and one would go extinct."

"We're from different planets, though a few of them actually do have more than one on the same planet," says Natsuko. "Sometimes this is because they evolved on different continents and neither had gone extinct by the time we met, once it was because there was a parasitic intelligent species and their hosts who were sapient but not very bright so they were ecologically interdependent, sometimes it's because of a magical being deciding to create several species... one intelligent species to a planet is pretty common, though."

"What does the Kelly criterion have to do with anything?" asks Nelen.

"You're supposed to always remember it at a casino."

The others would like to know how many planets they know of and if they've already been to Davar and met the aliens there and how many different kinds of atmospheres they've seen and if they normally wear space suits.

"Is there a reason we should go to a casino?" Cassiel asks.

Tarwë will list off planets. Nelen says that they have co-workers who are already visiting lots of places including Davar. Most places, surprisingly enough, have compatible atmospheres, but even if they didn't they'd probably use magic instead of space suits.

"Because that's where the bookies live, duh."

This, apparently, is what it takes to get one of the bemused adult onlookers to step in. "Many travelers find that their stay is more enjoyable once they've placed a few wagers. I of course wouldn't encourage you to break the law but it's a very common sentiment and there are certainly those businesses so deeply dependent on the goodwill of their local gaming establishment that they wouldn't even do business with anyone who hadn't at least put some money on the question of whether they're likely to cause any problems while in Linver. Also, if you are in fact aliens and you want to establish diplomatic relations, you need to go to someone and it's them or the government, and frankly, no one else who wants to establish diplomatic relations is ever glad they talked to the government."

"Are the bets sort of like - insurance?" asks Zanro.

"What would make someone regret talking to the government?" Nelen wants to know.

"I'm not familiar with the distinction you're making..."

"I am!" says one of the kids. "In Sfil it's only legal to bet that bad things will happen to you, like earthquakes and hurricanes, so nobody can get addicted to gambling because nobody can have any fun because you lose either way. Also, people regret talking to the government because then the government sentences them to death and they have to move someplace else and maybe change their name."

"- would the government sentence us to death?" Nelen asks. "What for?"

"Maybe - "

"Shush, we're not going to publicly speculate about specific people the government may or may not want to sentence to death."

"That's not what I was going to say! I was going to say maybe they wouldn't!"

"We're not going to discuss it in public. - Would any of you like me to show you to the Aurora?"

"- sure, I'd love to see the Aurora," says Natsuko.

"It's just three blocks that way, through the mall, I'll walk you - just you?"

And she'll set off that way toward the mall.

"I can let them know if they should join me," Natsuko assures them.

There is a mall in the way, and on the ground floor of it between a candy shop and a radio parts shop there's an employees only sign at which Natsuko's native guide knocks and says, "Doorknobs and dreadnoughts. - This is apparently a visiting dignitary, I don't really understand where from exactly but she might want to talk to the xeno people."

The door opens. "Straight down the stairs," says the bouncer, "then hang a right before you pass any slot machines and go through the first door on the right and let them know where you're from and what you're here for."

"Thank you!" says Natsuko, following the directions. Is her guide accompanying her?

Only as far as the first door on the right.

Downstairs one possible explanation for why this place is called the Aurora presents itself; everything is done in dark colors, except the icily glittering chandeliers, the delicate green swirls along the walls and ceiling, and the almost crystalline slot machines jutting out from the floor like icebergs.

Natsuko's guide makes sure she at least gets to the well-lit side room where a secretary in a green and black uniform is just now telling someone else which door to go through.

Natsuko will wait till the secretary can spare the attention. "Hello, I'm envoy Tanaka Natsuko from Vanda Nossëo, interdimensional coalition for free movement and exchange. I was told that envoys should pay a visit to the Aurora."

"Interdimensional," the secretary echoes with raised eyebrows. "Well, none of our plans for first contact involve aliens showing up on our planet knowing exactly whom to talk to, but I suppose that simplifies things. Do you have, um, evidence of your claim?"

"I have magical powers, does that do the trick?"