And so begins de Lint's interest in the elemental dragon guardians that we've seen recently in the Painted Boy. Set in Bordertown, De Lint is playing within Terri Windling's city that is half faerie, half human, and a whole lot of in between, and he does it perfectly. His original characters (Berlin) interact perfectly as members of the various factions within Bordertown, and don't attempt to change the setting and social structure that has been already provided by previous writers. Instead, Berlin explains the role of Stick more clearly for readers and sets up the background of the Diggers, who become a much more prominent organization within the Bordertown social scene in later stories. ( )