Barb

First Appearance and Context

Barb is first seen arriving with his father as visitors gather outside the Day Gate at the Concent of Saunt Edhar. During the opening at Apert, he studies the stone‑arch bridge, the water‑driven wheel, and the driveshaft that couples to the hinges, and he is the first visitor to cross into the math over the bridge.

Roles/Actions and Affiliations

• An extramuros youth visiting with Quin, Barb focuses on the engineering of the bridge and gate mechanism.
• He recognizes the bridge’s catenary curve and infers that the long driveshaft is assembled from straight segments joined by concealed universal joints within the bases (plinths) of the statues along the span.
• He reasons that the shaft is made of old matter rather than newmatter, given the concent’s age and history as he understands it.
• During the early days of the opening, he attends many guided tours in the Unarian math, memorizes guides’ scripts, asks copious questions, and at times corrects or amplifies the explanations; suurs occasionally devise tasks to keep him occupied.
• His parents let him range freely inside the concent; the narrator interprets this as tacitly welcoming Collection if it were to occur.

Relationships

• Father: Quin. Quin prompts him to exchange greetings with avout but Barb often remains fixated on mechanisms; together with his ex‑wife, Quin appears to give Barb broad freedom during the opening.
• Interaction: A brief exchange with Fraa Erasmas, who confirms Barb’s deductions about the shaft and joints.

Descriptions/Characteristics

• Described as a shorter likeness of Quin, without the beard.
• Highly observant and mechanically minded; speaks with crisp, factual precision, naming features such as “catenary,” “universal joint,” and “plinth.”
• Noted by the narrator as so orderly‑minded that he does not register facial expressions, which can lead him to miss social cues (for example, not looking up in the Rotunda to see what a figure was reacting to).

Current Status/Location

Present within the concent during the opening as a frequent tour attendee; absent from one later Hylaean Way tour noted by the narrator. No further information is given.