"Well, that partly explains it. The smaller their brood, the more protective the parents become, as there are no siblings to do any of the protecting. And if there is only one child, well, that child is precious and can't be risked. I had only one child myself, and so I know. Your father may have thought in those terms."

He nods, thinking of how tempting it is to a child, to sneak out, to be somewhere the parents don't want you to be. But an intelligent child modifies his or her impulses according to the realities. "What was Castle Town like?"