1. he counts among his lovers ...
1.1. they say he and Sinning Jenny are loves forced apart by circumstance
1.1.1. They say that most sad love stories are modeled after theirs
1.2. ... the Italian Epicene
1.2.1. once they danced all over Veilgarden, him in a green lizard hat and her in a gold one!
1.3. they say the Battle-Scarred Tigress was once his love
1.3.1. but she was transformed when she gave up their love to protect him
1.3.2. but she was changed by a terrifying enchanter
1.4. ... the Bespectacled Folklorist
1.4.1. there was some mention of ladders
1.4.1.1. in the Hookman House of Mr Pages's library
1.4.2. He's only using the folklorist to get an enchantment to change his tiger-love back
1.5. the Amaranthine Painter
1.5.1. they shared a room in the House of Chimes!
1.6. the Mute Naturalist
1.6.1. they're so terribly giggly around one another ...
1.6.2. the Mute Naturalist is silent with all except for the Ginger Inventor
2. What is he building in there?
2.1. a contraption to toast bread using the Correspondence
2.2. the next labyrinth
2.2.1. Models of the previous cities
2.3. a sewing machine which uses the Correspondence
2.4. a perpetual motion machine
2.5. the difference engine to end all difference engines
2.5.1. this one CAN divide by zero
2.6. a sort of diving-bell the already-dead can use to go Above
2.7. a convertible dirigible which doubles as a zee-craft
2.8. he and the Anxious Detective have a partnership
2.9. contraptions to help the Bespectacled Folklorist with his corpsey experiments
2.9.1. pulsating amber
2.10. a knit giant lizard
3. he's a bard at heart
3.1. he's been overheard composing lyrics with the Mute Naturalist
3.2. he can play the whistle
3.2.1. sometimes you hear his music lilting from the rooftops
3.2.1.1. it's a song for Sinning Jenny
4. He's the cheesemonger
4.1. and cats love cheese!
4.2. looped wire ... wire ... tinkering ... it makes sense!
5. he's a genius
5.1. an evil genius
5.1.1. and a criminal mastermind
5.1.1.1. his many feline companions comprise a spy network
5.2. there's no technological advance in the Neath that can't be attributed to him
5.2.1. but he doesn't want to take the credit, hence his front as a humble toymaker
5.3. and he's mad
5.3.1. they couldn't deal with his genius up Above
5.4. who came from a servant family
5.4.1. and he loves his mother
5.4.2. and he came to the 'Neath to find his fortune
6. his relationships with non-humans ...
6.1. he is well-known in underground feline circles for being a pliable and willing ally
6.2. they say he's a Vake hunter!
6.2.1. they say he doesn't want to kill it, but to recruit it to his cause
6.3. they say he can tame even the wildest of giant lizards
6.3.1. ... and the wildest of hearts
6.4. they say he came to the 'Neath because he was drawn by his love of animals
6.4.1. he likes cats /that much/
7. he's good-hearted
7.1. when we say 'evil genius' we mean ...
7.1.1. he has the world's best intentions at heart but is willing to stop at nothing
7.2. he is secretly made of giggles
7.2.1. have you /seen/ him and the Mute Naturalist together?
7.2.1.1. and /kittens/
7.2.2. and /kittens/
7.2.3. secretly?