No, of course I was not intending to imply you regretted your decision -- not in the least; you are clearly thriving here. Only that one's thoughts, on holidays, inevitably turn to the absent friends and missing family with whom one would once have celebrated the holiday. Or mine do, at least.

I do not doubt you have been collecting a number of questions that are worth further exploration as you go, and yes, you strike me as the sort of scholar who prefers his research to have immediate tangible benefit. (An attitude I have learnt, despite it not being my natural inclination; in another world I would alternate teaching with burying myself in research so arcane less than a dozen people could even follow the formulation of the question. But this is not that world, and what I have been called to suits me well enough.) Still, if you are interested in following the question a little, you may find it is less academic and more practical than you might think.

I will bring a collection of things you might enjoy reading. Our evening sessions will indeed continue -- for your own protection as much as disclipline, I trust you understand -- and I see no reason why you ought not make free of the library while you are there.

In service,
A.