Chapter 2: The Magus
On the third floor, second story, I reminded myself, I went to the door at the front and knocked. There came the footsteps again, and the door opened. An elderly man stood there, short, stocky, grizzled in appearance, maybe in his sixties. Despite the grizzled look, he had about him a definite air of refinement. I introduced myself, and brought out the letter of introduction, handing him the envelope. The man took this with slightly shaking fingers. Then he gestured for me to come into his room.
The room was quite large and, overlooking the street, fairly bright. The windows were covered with muslin curtains, so the light that filtered in was diffuse, and the feel of it pearly and peaceful. Two walls of the room were covered with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, a third
