Ninane relished the wind beneath her tiny wings as she continued to chase the vehicle of her ancient relative. "It's a good thing it isn't turbo charged," she whistled to herself. "Then I'd have to take a less inconspicuous form." A sudden rush of wind lifted the transformed Fey upward suddenly, but she was quick to regain control. She let out a chirp of relief, glad to have spent time practicing her flying in bluebird form. "Hope the young one stops soon," she remarked. She smiled as soon as she sighted the right turn signal flick on.
The cab shuddered to a halt in front of a dilapidated brownstone in the controlled-rent district of the Lower East Side. Shimmer shut off her vehicle, put The Club into place and trudged up the steps of her apartment complex. "Not the prettiest castle in the land," she sighed with contentment, "but it is my castle never the less." Strolling though the slightly skewed front doors, she began her climb up to the third floor. After seven months of grumbling about the elevator, the woman had finally given up on the landlord's empty promises to fix the machine, but at least she could get some exercise every day.
"Actually, after sitting in the cab for eight hours, it does feel quite nice to stretch my legs," she thought aloud. Upon reaching the third floor, Shimmer breathed out a sigh of exhaustion and wiped a droplet of sweat from her brow. Although she had made the climb dozens of times before, the past eight hours had been particularly exhausting. Not only did she have to tote the wealthy socialites to and from their gala affairs, she had to make over a dozen runs to the airports around the greater metropolitan New York area. "Must be bringing back lead, or cinder blocks," she mused. "Surprised my cab could handle the load." Taking the bronze key from her neck, the woman unlocked the door to her apartment and trudged wearily into her humble home.
It was a cluttered place, but everything was uniquely organized, each having its own little area. A large area rug covered the bulk of the hardwood floor, and several sizable futons beckoned to be sat upon. A small color television was set up on a metal cart along with a VCR, which looked like it belonged in the seventies rather than the nineties. In the corner was Shimmer's pride and joy, an ancient-looking potter's wheel, and several shelves of her work, from ornate ash trays to simplistic, yet beautitul, vases, all waiting for the final firing.
"As Dorothy Gale would say, there's no place like home," she said, once again affirming her contentment with the situation. Shimmer tossed her jean jacket on the nearest futon and opened the paint-encrusted window. She sighed and breathed in deeply as a gentle breeze brushed across her face; it was almost a spiritual experience for her. It seemed that no matter how weary the cab driver was, she could be revitalized by the very air and sun. "No such luck this day," the woman laughed weakly, having spent much more energy than she could really afford. She stretched out her arms and yawned, ready to head to her bed to get some rest for the next overnight shift.
The twittering of a bird close by snapped Shimmer out of her reverie. Perched on the fire escape railing was a bluebird, the same one that she had spotted on the ride home.
"Why hello there," she chimed upon seeing it. "Looks like you followed me home."
Ninane looked at the human with beady eyes and chirped, holding back the desire to transform back to her normal self right then and there.
Shimmer continued to speak to what she thought was just a normal, everyday bluebird. "I guess you look hungry," she observed. "Let me get you something to eat."
The avian chirped as if to say "yes". Actually, the Fey had not eaten anything for some time and could use a good meal. "I doubt that I'll get an omelet and bacon in this form," she thought silently to herself as Shimmer walked to her kitchen to find some food for her visitor. After a small commotion from inside the apartment, Ninane could see the cabby strolling back to the window sill. She clutched a small bag of wild bird food and was still smiling. She shook out some of the bag's contents and presented it to the bluebird before her. Ninane decided it was time to drop the facade.
"Here you go," she said sweetly to the bluebird while holding out some seed. "Eat it up now." To her amazement, the avian fluttered right to her hand and sat there looking up with its tiny eyes. "Quite the friendly one, aren't you?" she chimed. "But why don't you eat?" Shimmer shook her hand a bit and tried to coax the bird to try a little seed.
However, it simply looked at the human, cocked its head, and chirped out a small melody.
The cabby hummed in unison to the tune, which she knew from her childhood years, then stopped and gasped when she realized the fact. "I sang that song in third grade!" Shimmer squawked. "What the heck? How does a little creature like you know how to sing that?"
The bluebird yawned and then said in a high, lilting voice, "I remember the song well; you do have good taste in music after all."
"This bird just talked to me!" Shimmer thought to herself as a concerned look crossed her face. The young woman shook her head in disbelief, thinking that she must be having a drug flashback.
Ninane perched on her relative's shoulder and reassured her that she was quite all right. "Trust me, it is not an aftereffect from your LSD experimentation in college. I know about that."
Shimmer smiled and replied, "I had the door locked," before slapping herself in an effort to think straight. "What the Hell am I doing? I'm talking to a freakin' bluebird." She went to the kitchen for a glass of water as the avian fluttered off her shoulder and landed on the carpet.
Ninane stretched her wings and began to grow. Within seconds, she was her normal self again.
Shimmer turned around and saw the lithe figure smiling at her and the glass clattered to the ground as she screamed in complete shock.
"Really Shimmer is that any way to welcome a long-lost relative?" asked the Fey coyly. "I thought New Yorkers were strange, but really not quite like this." Ninane adjusted her green robe and looked at her relative, who was now showing no signs of exhaustion. "I could have expected this kind of reception if I choose to take the form of a yeti or a sasquatch, but that would be rude. Instead, I come as I am, and you start screaming so loud that the people of Avalon are probably scratching their heads in confusion right now. Sound travels quickly, you know." She strolled to the kitchen and scanned the counter for any signs of a real breakfast. A bright yellow box caught her eye. "Cheerios," she beamed, "a fitting name for a cereal that makes someone feel so good." Ninane pointed to a blue symbol on the package. "Hmm, all of this and oat bran too, truly a breakfast of legends. Shall we partake of this wonderful bounty?"
Shimmer watched in awe and puzzlement as the slender woman with the pointed ears began going through her refrigerator as if she had owned the place. A low male voice boomed forth from the bent-over Fey.
"Got Milk?" Ninane laughed normally as she added, "I like the one where they call Hell a place without that stuff. But really, I do agree that fruit juice and chocolate cake simply do not mix." She peeked over the door of the fridge and eyed her distant granddaughter curiously. "I'd expect the shock if you've never seen a Fair Folk before, and I have seen it in your face, but you could at least say SOMETHING! If I keep on talking to no one I will begin to feel self-conscious."
The cab driver finally gathered up enough wits to simply stammer out, "W-w-what are you?"
Ninane stood up straight, put her hands on her hips, and cast an annoyed glance at Shimmer. "Now really, child," she scolded, "that would be a question you ask a gargoyle when you see one for the first time." Her face softened a little. "But really, I'm sorry to have put you in such a fright. I am the Fair Folk Ninane, and I am your great grandmother about 242 times over. It's nice to see another human family member again after so long." The Fey noted the confused eyes of Shimmer and waited for the next question, which she correctly predicted.
"How do you know that I am a relative of yours?" the human asked apprehensively, not sure if she wanted to hear the answer.
"The family ties between those with Fey blood are particularly strong," began Ninane. "Even when a human's essence is introduced into the mix, the similarities are still very evident. Besides, I marked you when you were sixteen. Remember how excited you were when you discovered that tooth?"
Shimmer smiled, letting the white gold catch the sunlight. "How could I forget?" she chortled. "I was both happy and weirded out by it."
Ninane nodded her head in confirmation and continued. "Yes, that was the sure sign that I found you, but the hunches and gut feelings are what lead me to get this far. Call it a combination of blood lines, luck, and simple female intuition." She then motioned to her immediate surroundings. "That leads us to this point in history; you screaming your head off and then gawking at me when I offer you a bowl of cereal." The Fey pulled two handmade ceramic bowls from the cupboard and poured the cereal into them. Smiling broadly, she produced a gallon of milk from the refrigerator, which the cab driver knew hadn't been in there before. "Do you like milk on your fare, dear?" asked Ninane in the most parental voice she could muster.
Shimmer nodded her head silently, still amazed she was having breakfast with a being that was supposed to be pure myth.
"Come now," Ninane said crossly, seeming to have read her distant relative's mind, "if I were mere myth then you would still be alone and probably sleeping by now. Sit down and eat, you'll feel a lot better after getting some food in that body of yours." She set the bowls on the kitchen table and took her seat, beckoning to the human to join her. "Relax, relax, I don't bite you know."
Trembling out of fear and excitement, Shimmer sat down beside the Fey and began to pour milk on her Cheerios. Ninane snapped her fingers and spoons appeared before them. "Almost forgot," she smirked. "Unless you would rather eat this stuff with your fingers?"
The cab driver took her spoon and laughed uneasily. "That's all right; I'll use the spoon." Without another word, the two began to enjoy their meal. Shimmer forgot about the strangeness of the situation and concentrated on satisfying her hunger.
The fair folk chuckled before remarking, "You've really got to stop skipping meals, child."
The human's face turned red with embarrassment as she continued to eat, and made a mental note to at least stop by a fast food joint and grab some french fries.
Ninane watched her great-granddaughter finish up her bowl and smiled. "Defmitely has my appetite," she silently reflected as she drank the remaining milk from the bowl as gracefully as she could.
The cabby wiped a droplet of milk away with the back of her hand and stifled a burp. "Sorry about the manners, lady," she apologized. "I haven't eaten in hours, but I take it you knew that already."
Ninane shook her head and grabbed the two empty bowls as she replied, "Think nothing of it; there have been times where I have literally eaten whole cows."
Shimmer shivered at the prospect of eating that much meat, but shrugged her shoulders and decided not to pry. Instead, her curiosity got the best of her. "Uh, Ninane," she said apprehensively, "don't get me wrong.. it's been a pleasure dining with you, but what are you doing here anyway? I'm sure a child of Oberon, even a relative, wouldn't visit an insignificant person like me just to have breakfast."
Shifting uncomfortably in her seat, Ninane looked down at the floral pattern on the table and sighed. "To be quite honest with you, I do need your help," she said softly. "I made a mistake while dealing with my son."
Shimmer looked at her relative funny and asked, "And this concerns me how?"
Once again the Fey sighed as she stared right into the cab driver's eyes. "Remember the last passenger you picked up?" she asked.
"Sure do," Shimmer laughed. "A weirdo in a dirty white robe who spoke in a Medieval Scottish accent and carried a cheesy self-help book. A most unusual man to say the least."
Ninane rolled her eyes and moaned. "That weirdo is my son, Luthyran." She then grinned slyly and pointed to the human remarking, "Which means he is also YOUR relative."
Shimmer moaned in disbelief. "No, you have to be joking!" Although she bore no animosity toward her last passenger, the thought of being related to him made her very nervous.
The Fey smiled mischievously as she confirmed her fear. "If it were a joke, I would have said something like 'April Fools!', but I'm afraid that's months away" she started. "The truth is that Luthyran is a part of our family tree, and he is in dire need of your aid."
Once again, the cab driver let out an exasperated moan and threw up her arms in disgust. "I suppose you are going to explain to me what on Earth happened, and what I can do to help out my long lost relative?"
Ninane fixed her gaze on her long-lost family member. "That is precisely what I am going to do," she said calmly. "Let me start from the beginning..."
Luthyran arose from the comfort of his first rest in a soft CozyAir mattress and stretched his legs. "What a wondrous place," he sighed happily as he gazed at his reflection in the mirror. The Magus inspected his long face in the glass and frowned. Although his features were still well-defined and perfectly distinguished, he looked like he had been through the pits of Hell. White hair hung limply down to his shoulders, with black spots from the dirt, oil, and other unsavory features of the city embedded within it. His eyes were still watery from not being used to the pollution, and his beard was uneven and shaggy. "If only they had a place to make one look more civilized," the Magus murmured at his reflection before spotting another open door which led to a tiled room. Filled with curiosity, he approached the room and found the light switch.
The fluorescent bulbs flickered to life as the bathroom lit up. "A privy," he smiled upon sighting the porcelain sink and toilet. "At least the general idea hasn't changed in the past few centuries."
A much larger basin embedded in the side of the room then caught Luthyran's eyes and he inspected the bathtub with awe. He brushed the plastic curtain aside to catch a full view of it. Three knobs jutted from one of the narrower sides, with a lever right below the middle knob. Right above the middle knob was a spout, much like the sink. Higher above the three protrusions jutted a large, bent piece of metal with an even stranger opening. Also like the sink, there was a drain at the bottom of this basin also.
"A washbowl for giants!" he breathed in amazement. "Incredible!" The Magus decided to try twisting the middle knob, but nothing happened. "Broken?" he wondered, before turning the one to the left. Immediately, the shower head spat to life, drenching Luthyran in ice cold water, causing him to yelp out, startled. He slipped and stumbled into the bathtub and panicked before regaining his composure a little. "It's like a very ugly fountain," he decided before turning on the warm water and lounging in the tub, relishing in the artificial rain. His wet robe clung to him, but he didn't care one bit. "This is paradise compared to last night," he proclaimed in relief as the water washed away the grime and dirt from last night right down the drain. Luthyran closed his eyes and enjoyed his first shower.
A knock on the bathroom door brought the Magus back to his senses. He opened his eyes to see a large Spanish woman staring at him. "Do you need help, sir?" the housekeeper asked in a slight accent. "Are you all right?"
Luthyran smiled and replied, "Everything couldn't be better. Thank you for asking, milady!"
The woman sighed and shook her head, silently lamenting her bad luck. "Anyway, if you really need to wash your clothes, we offer a laundry service daily," she said plainly. "Would you like me to clean the room now or wait until a later time?"
Luthyran shook his head. "No, that won't be necessary right now," he replied. "I'll summon you if I feel the need, though."
The housekeeper nodded her head and left the room. As soon as the door closed, she shouted down the hallway. "Hey Suzy, the guy in room 208 is a real wacko!"
After about fifteen minutes of being rained on, the Magus shut off the water and sighed happily. He had discovered the soap and shampoo, and figured out how to use them to some effect, although his robes were now a sudsy mess. Struggling under the weighted down clothes, he removed them and hung them to dry. Muttering a few meaningless syllables, Luthyran caused a light wind to begin blowing, and the garments began to dry.
"That was most refreshing," he said to himself as he grabbed a towel too small to cover much with. The ancient human finally found a fault in his lodging. "Why couldn't they make these things any bigger?" he wondered as he grabbed the other three in an effort to cover himself adequately. "I'll have to ask Shimmer about this when and if she does return."
Just then, the voice of the Spanish housekeeper boomed out behind him. "Last call, sir," she shouted, scaring the Magus into dropping his towels.
"Are you always this rude?" he demanded as he spun around, forgetting that he was completely naked.
The woman took one look at Luthyran and let out a horrified scream before bolting out of the room. "HE'S A PERVERT TOO, SUZY!" she yelled at the top of her lungs before running into the nearest elevator.
"That has to be something to see if it can terrorize you!" the other maid called back before turning on the vacuum.
The Magus sighed angrily at the intrusion before closing the door and locking it with the deadbolt and the chain this time. "I can't believe that they would come barging in here like that," he grumbled before hearing another voice from behind the door.
"I guess that means that you don't want your room cleaned," bellowed Suzy. "We'll catch up with you tomorrow then."
Luthyran shook his head in exasperation as his eyes fell on the television. "What is this strange device?" he wondered as he pressed a button and the Playboy Channel logo appeared on the screen. The human gasped at the display of bare breasts before the words PAY-PER-VIEW flashed across the blacked-out picture tube. "This is most odd," he mused as he found the remote control.
"That is why I need you to watch over my son for the next three months," finished the Fey. "If I try to return him sooner, he will die again from the stresses on his body."
Shimmer glared at her irresponsible relative and let out a grunt. "Let me get this straight," she squawked. "You are a creature of magic and have mastered not one but TWO types of arcane forms. You've been practicing BOTH magic disciplines for a greater part of a millennia, and this little detail slipped your mind?!?" The human pointed at Ninane accusingly. "I'd say that you brought this whole heap of extra trouble on all by yourself. You SCREWED UP!" She got to her feet and grabbed a glass of water before continuing. "Now you want me to essentially go and babysit while you get on with your life? I don't think so!"
Ninane's lips tightened into a thin line as she defended herself. "I said I've been around and practicing magic for more than ten centuries, but I NEVER said that I was devoid of fault and error," she countered. "Look at history, child. There have been many truly great people out there, but they all made mistakes at one time or another."
Shimmer groaned at her great grandmother's irresponsibility. "You call nearly killing your only son a mistake?" she coldly questioned. "If the Department of Child Welfare ever got a hold of you, they'd rip you to pieces!"
The Fey rolled her eyes and laughed sarcastically. "I can handle petty government agencies with ease, but they are purely a human system, and have no say in this matter. Besides, Luthyran is a grown man anyway."
The cabby crossed her arms and turned her back to Ninane, not wanting to hear any more of the matter, but the Fey pressed the issue further.
"He doesn't like me at all," she admitted. "I was not with him for most of his days, and when I tried to make things proper, he cast me away in disdain. I wanted to teach him a lesson, so I jettisoned him to this time and place. Never did I mean to leave him stuck in Manhattan for three months."
Shimmer snorted, having heard the whole song and dance before. "Yeah, yeah, you never MEANT it, but it happened anyway. Don't go making excuses or rationalizations for what you did. It was wrong and you're coming out looking like a complete and total ass."
Fighting back a knot in her stomach, the Fey clenched her fists. "You have quite the nerve talking to me like that," she seethed. "Don't make me angry..."
Once more Shimmer cut her off. "Blah blah blah blah blah," she mimicked sarcastically. "Don't make me angry?!? Is this the way you dealt with Luthyran? Do you have any idea that you are repeating your mistake, and do you want to make it again?" The cab driver cast an angry glance back to her relative and waited for some sort of response, expecting to be either turned into a frog or transported into the far reaches of interstellar space.
Instead, she heard Ninane's voice crack slightly, and the barely audible answer. "No."
The last thing Ninane wanted to do in front of Shimmer was to break down and cry. One thing she took very seriously was her pride. After a long silence, the Fey decided to try speaking again, in hopes that her words would be better chosen. "Shimmer Felicity, I am really at the end of my rope," sighed Ninane. "I need to make sure my son is kept safe and is in good hands, and you are the only one I know of that would possibly be willing to do so. At the very least, he already thinks highly of you."
The human turned around, looked at her long-lost family member, and cracked a slight grin. "That much is true, but I think giving him all of my tips contributed to the good will."
"Does this mean you will watch over him for me?" asked the Fey hopefully.
Shimmer sighed and gave in. "I'll show Luthyran around, and be available for him should he need me, but don't think for a second that I am going to blatantly mother him. After all, he's a grown man, and not my child."
Ninane laughed in relief upon hearing her several times great-granddaughter's words, grateful that she now had another family member she could rely on. "You will be greatly rewarded for this, trust me," she beamed before hugging the reluctant cab driver. "Anything you should wish will be yours."
Shimmer rolled her eyes at the ludicrous display of affection. "Don't overreact now," she chortled. "It's not like I'm defending him or anything. I'm just gonna give him some pointers about getting along in the city."
Ninane nodded her head, understanding where her relative stood. "I read you loud and clear," she said. "Just make sure he lives through the next three months and I'll repay your kindness appropriately." With a twinkle in her eye, the Fey slipped her hand into the pocket of her robe and pulled out a neatly-wrapped stack of twenty dollar bills. "This should be double the tips you made last night," she remarked while tossing the money to Shimmer. "It's the very least I can do to start repaying the debt I owe you."
The human caught the money and shook her head, smiling. "Thanks, but this really wasn't necessary," she replied. "I'll put it toward a worthwhile endeavor, like buying your son some normal-looking clothes."
"No, I wouldn't have it that way," Ninane snapped, and she pulled out a single one thousand dollar bill. "Have him buy his finery with this money. You keep that stack of twenties for yourself."
The cabby took the currency note and smiled. "Buy the clothes with the big note, gotcha." Shimmer opened her mouth and let loose with a monstrous yawn, and the Fey knew it was time for her to leave.
"I should best be going to attend to other matters," she said with a hint of sadness in her voice. "We must meet for breakfast again sometime."
"Yeah, next time we do more than just Cheerios," chuckled Shimmer. "How about pancakes next time?"
Ninane turned toward her now-favorite really great granddaughter and smiled one last time. "Just as long as there is strawberry syrup." As she turned toward the window to leave, she spotted a rack of finished pottery and picked up a small sculpture, a deep ebony wizard clutching a staff in a defensive pose. "I see you have a Kanthara piece," she observed. "This will as valuable as your own works in due time."
Shimmer was about to ask what that meant, but was cut off by a wave of the Fey's hand.
"You will learn later on, child," she said mysteriously as she transformed back into a bluebird. "Now get some rest before you collapse." With a quick chirp, the bird flew out of the open window and headed skyward.
The cab driver flopped down on the futon and closed her eyes, falling asleep with a smile on her face. The automatic timer on her television set woke her up to the sound of "Maria Nielsen, come on down!" Shimmer's eyes fell upon the elderly woman strutting down to Contestant's Row and she couldn't help but moan.
"I hate Price is Right," she grumbled as she turned off the TV and glanced at her watch. "11:30, just enough time to wash up and pick up Luthyran." The cabby removed her shirt and headed to the bathroom. In minutes, she was ready to start her vehicle up again for an afternoon of sightseeing and tour-guiding. "Time to make Ninane's little boy city literate," she thought aloud as she locked her apartment door.
Luthyran changed the channel again and laughed upon the sight of the bouncing cartoon bears dressed in Medieval clothing. "World of choices on this device," he mused. "Just nothing very intelligent." He made the remote work its magic again and found 'The Oprah Winfrey Show'. "Women who believe in Avalon, and the men who love them," he sighed. "They do not know the half of it!"
A knock on the door snapped his attention from the boob tube back into reality. "Are you in there, sir?" called the cabby. "It's me, Shimmer."
The Magus extracted himself from the blanket and struggled into his still-damp robe before opening the door. "Hello, milady," he said warmly. "This is a most wonderful inn you have chosen to put me up in."
Inviting her in, the mage recounted his experiences of the morning, from the refreshing rest in the bed, to taking his first shower, and the shows he saw on the television. "I saw so many worlds in that box, from Gullah Gullah Island, to the Price is Right, to the Breakfast Breast Fest," he said in a single breath. "That last show was very interesting. Do the males of this time really have that sort of power over the women? Is this a form of sorcery that has just sprung up?"
Shimmer held her hand up and stopped the conversation right then and there. "One, no it isn't magic, and two, I REALLY didn't need to hear about that last part. It's evil stuff, you know."
Luthyran's face turned white upon hearing the morbid news. "I shall never watch it again, then," he whispered. "Why do they allow that on the box, then?"
Shimmer shrugged her shoulders and replied, "I dunno; I guess the world is full of a lot of evil people." She sat down in a small chair and adjusted her shirt. "Are you ready to see the wonders of this fair city?" she asked. "I even got some money from your mother so you could buy some new clothes."
Luthyran's face turned more pale than normal. "How do you know of Ninane?" he demanded. "What spell did she put you under?"
The cab driver smiled and shook her head. "Believe me Luthyran, I'm completely free-willed," she responded. "I'm doing this because I want to. After all, how often does a niece get reunited with a long-lost relative?" She leaned over and kissed the Magus on the cheek. "It's really good that you could come and visit, grandfather."
"What do you mean?" Luthyran asked, obviously curious. Taking a deep breath, Shimmer Felicity started from the beginning. She recounted from her first sighting of the bluebird following her vehicle, to the breakfast, to the final arrangements that were made to help him out. "Anyway, you are spending another three months here in the Big Apple before you get to return to Avalon."
The Magns frowned upon learning that he would be forced to stay in New York for a few more moons. "That wench," Luthyran grumbled. "First she nearly kills me and then banishes me to this crowded and dirty concrete isle. Why didn't she leave me lay on the burial slab of Arthur Pendragon?" He threw up his arms in frustration and slumped onto the bed.
Shimmer sat down on the bed next to him and looked at him with caring eyes, a look that she had rarely used since moving downstate. "Well, I think that she thought you deserved a second chance," she explained. "You gave your life to defend your family, and she must have wanted to commend you personally." She then thought of Ninane's nature and sighed. "Well, maybe not, but she certainly didn't resurrect you for the sheer Hell of it. You may as well make the most of the situation and enjoy your stay."
Luthyran smiled weakly, knowing that all the moaning in the world was not going to change his situation. "Well, I suppose I could be trapped here with nobody but strangers," he said semi-sadly. "If you say I am related to you, then you'll have no argument from me." He readjusted his robe and got to his feet. "When do we start my tour of this Big Apple of yours?"
Shimmer followed suit and stood up, fishing the keys to the cab out of her windbreaker. "I have the afternoon off," she remarked. "No time like the present to get you out of those robes and into some normal-looking clothes." She opened the door and beckoned to The Magus. "Are you coming, uh, great uncle?"
Luthryan smiled at his new title. "A fitting name to call a family member who is centuries older than you, Shimmer." No more words were needed as the two left the hotel room. "This might just be somewhat entertaining," the mage thought silently.
The shop owner rotated his stock like he always had for the past 24 years since he opened the Lexington Avenue Book Emporium. He silently and methodically dusted each tome with meticulous care. It was a good thing that Theodore Fantille was the sole proprietor of the shop, for any partner he may have taken would have been scared off by his anal retentiveness. Not that he had anything better to do; for few customers had been through the door in recent weeks. The owner of the establishment had just applied some glass cleaner to the original documents case when he suddenly stopped and appeared lost in thought.
"I should really clean up the Specials Section," he said to thin air as he slowly shuffled through the overstuffed aisles. Theodore muscled his way between two steel racks full of how-to books and pulled a purple velvet curtain aside to exhibit the Specials Section. Somehow, this portion of the tiny shop seemed much neater than the rest of the areas within. Although the place was just as cluttered as everywhere else, there was a definite method to the insane mixture of tomes found inside the room. Wordlessly, he picked up a large text bound in blue leather. Stamped in gold was the title: "Arcane Procedures and the Progression of Evolution".
"Someone should be in to pick this up later today," he thought aloud as he placed the book on a small mahogany reading table away from the other books.