DC By the Book

Excerpt: He stopped for a breath as they entered the most beautiful corridor Caroline had ever seen. The hallway itself was a work of art. "These are the Brumidi Corridors," Chester said in an excited whisper. "Originally painted in the eighteen hundreds. Most tourists don't get to see them." Every inch of wall and arched ceiling was covered in elaborate paintings of American history. Chester pointed to the figures of men sculpted into the railings of a bronze staircase. "The Founding Fathers." He waved at a lunette painting above a wooden door. "The Goddess of War." Despite herself, Caroline was impressed.