“Of course, Grandfather.”
Ilvy went up to the kitchen, from where the clatter of pots and pans could soon be heard. Jeriel sat down in the deep armchair and closed his eyes, like a wanderer arriving home after a long and arduous journey.
Ben and Maya seized the opportunity to look around the strange room. Most of the books on the shelves had the titles printed on the spines in gold, ornate lettering; some books were so worn out from being read over and over again that they were completely illegible, while others were in a language that neither of them recognised. Some of shelves’ contents weren’t books at all, just sheets of paper bound together. Ben took down one of the books to examine it more closely, and a few pages fell out. Like a thief caught red-handed, he quickly returned it to
