Thomas kept walking, wondering how he was going to find Baron Gallen. With no other real place to go, he traced his route back to the bookstore he had visited twice before.
“Ah, good day, sir!” said Barry from behind the counter. He was sharpening quills into pens. “Come looking for more books?”
“I have,” said Thomas. “Anything come in?”
“Nothing of magic,” said the bookseller, “or even worthy of note. But a few volumes have come my way, if you want to look at them. Four books stacked together. Back shelf on the left.”
Thomas went to the back of the shop and found the books. None had titles or marks on the bindings, and all were cheaply bound in garish colours. He leafed through them all without stopping to look at the contents. He saw no spark of magic in any of them. Sighing, he look
