"Joly!" Autor shouts, and treats his new friend in much the same way he treated Gavroche: the boy leaps out of his chair and wraps Joly up in a hug. "Oh, my gosh, this is the best day I've ever seen, ever. This experiment brings everyone out of the walls, I swear--and I have already confirmed my hypothesis that wine is tasty."

He leans back, still looping his arms around Joly's shoulders. "Joly, this is my best friend, Rae 'Sunshine' Seddon. Rae, this is Joly, my new friend. He's French and a medical student and we're building a theater together and he might change the world somehow."