Explanations

"I still don't understand," I muttered as Eleanor lead me away from her workshop, "why do you have to blindfold me?"

"I go to what some might call great lengths to keep the location of my workshop a secret. As sporting as most people are here, there are always those who love taking credit for another's ideas." Bitterness seeped into Eleanor's words. "Some people will go so far as to break into a private workshop, make copies of your plans, develop them on their own, with a shameful lack of concern for elegance of design, and reveal them the moment they are functional so that all the credit goes to someone who did not even consider solving the condensation problem first!"

"You wouldn't happen to have any first hand experience with this, would you?" I prompted, gently. This was the second time I had seen (metaphorically speaking) Eleanor close to losing control, and it followed rather closely on the heals of the first time. My incredibly keen and perceptive intellect was beginning to suspect that on matters related to her work, Eleanor's emotions ran high.

"Let me put it this way. If only I know where my lab is, then only I will receive credit for what comes out of it. I realize how childish that sounds, but I don't care. It is not that I want recognition so much as I do not want a cheat to get it instead. Wait here for a second; I need to unlock a door."

 "I can get why you want to keep the shop a secret," I said in the direction I hoped Eleanor had gone, "what I don't get is why you don't trust me to keep it secret." A sigh issued from the opposite direction, followed by the jangle of keys.

"It is not as if I think you would intentionally tell anyone," Eleanor apologized, "but you must confess that you are horrific liar." My pride started to swell up like an angry puffer fish. "It is simply not in your nature, and that is one of the things I love about you. However, it is also slightly inconvenient."

"I'll have you know that I can lie with the best of them when something important is on the line," I objected.

"Is that so? Is that why you were able to describe my workshop in such glowing terms earlier?"

"That's not the same. Nothing was seriously at risk." I could feel her giving me a dubious look through the blindfold, deflating my puffer fish ego. "All right, fine. I can't lie for the life of me, but you know what else I can't do? Find my house on a map. I guarantee you, I have no idea where I am right now or where I have been, so I see no reason not to take this stupid blindfold off. It itches." As I spoke, the sound of keys ceased, and she guided me through the newly opened door.

"Of course, you see no reason. You cannot see anything." Bah-dum-tsch. Eleanor was many things. Unfortunately, 'punny' was one of them. "However, if you insist, I suppose it is safe for you to remove the blindfold."

I yanked the strip of fabric off of my head without bothering to untie it first. To my surprise, I was standing in my own room. For a brief moment, I considered asking how it was that Eleanor had a key to my own room. Then, I decided that I probably did not want to know the answer and, for once, managed to keep my mouth shut.