Nell's book at the Record HouseZed's aunt Nell wanted a small ferry boat to carry visitors across the bay, but to buy it she needed a loan. At the Lantern Bank, Mr. Fenn said, "I would like to see your credit report." The report was kept in the Record House, a quiet place full of books, where every borrower had a book. It was not a diary. It told one story only: how Nell had handled borrowed coins. Each row was a lender: Bea, the Lantern Bank, and Mae's cloth shop. Beside each name was how many coins were lent and how the payments went. A gold tick means on time, and a small clock means late. Nell had paid 11 of 12 payments on time, so the page looked tidy. Her pay, her savings jar and her shopping were not in the book. The report holds only who lent, how much, and how it went. But a fourth row said Nell owed 5 coins to a stranger. "I never borrowed that!" said Nell. Orla the clerk said mix-ups happen when two pages with similar names get shuffled. Nell asked her to look into it, since a mistake can be taken off. Grown-ups may read their own book whenever they wish, to catch mix-ups early. Mr. Fenn read the tidy page. The report is only the facts, and the bank makes its own decision.