“Now, are you looking for anything in particular?” asked the bookseller, adding tea leaves to the kettle. “Or just a general interest?”
“Just a general interest,” lied Thomas.
“Well, my shelves are generally interesting,” said the bookseller. “Peruse at length. Would you like some tea?”
“That would be appreciated,” said Thomas. “It is cold out there.”
“Not so bad, for this time of year,” said the man. “The tea will be ready shortly.”
He stepped out of the room. Eileen waited until he was gone. “A hundred-fifty books, tops,” she said, picking up the first book. She pointed to an empty section of shelf. “Discards start there?”
“Aye.”
Eileen’s gave him a smile and tossed a book at him. “Get to work, Scholar.”
Thomas got to work, paging quickly through each book, looking for the flashe
