Lyell is the sort of Beagle who is the sort of pup who can find a mystery in a clean room. On rainy days Lyell drags a humming traffic light fragment out and explains it to a different pup each time. On busy market days Lyell carries a rusted tag with half a name like a small flag, and stallkeepers nod as it passes. Lyell chases the kind of small purpose that fits in a coat pocket and refuses to leave.