Once there, I set the material on a table and went in search of a relevant book. This took a while because the covers, as I mentioned, were misleading and when I returned I saw a man sitting at the table. He was staring at the piece of cork or whatever it was and because of his bulky physique and fixed expression, I was immediately cautious. Then I noticed his childlike manner as he reached out for the cork, holding it this way and that. “This is a very interesting thing you have here,” he said in a surprisingly squeaky voice. “Now that you have my attention how do you suggest we proceed?” He smiled and the muscles on his jaw, tightening, popped up his ears a bit.
“What are you doing here so late in the night?” I reached for the material but he closed his fingers around it. “I didn’t expe
