Yeah. I didn’t know what this guy was, but he definitely wasn’t human.
Time to carefully extricate myself from this conversation and make my way towards the exit.
“The cost is not high.”
I stuffed my hands in my pockets, fingering the silver knife hidden there. “You know what they say, ‘beware things that sound too good to be true.’”
His expression registered only slight surprise, as if he was no longer making the effort to appear human.
He could definitely still read my mind, or else he was really good at reading the situation.
“I have never heard that saying before.”
I bet he hadn’t heard a lot of sayings.
“Not true,” he said. “I’ve heard this one – ‘There are more things in heaven and earth.’”
Shakespeare. Lovely. I hated reading that play in high school.
I opened my mouth to respond and stopped, studying his inquisitive expression. He seemed awfully invested in me taking whatever it was he was trying to sell. It put me even more on guard.
I wanted knowledge but not at the expense of my life.
“You’re right. You do know human expressions, but I’m afraid I’m just not interested in this amazing book of yours.” I pointed behind me as I backed up. “I think I’ll just be going now.”
I started for the door.
“But you haven’t found what you were looking for yet.”
This guy just wasn’t giving up.
I gave him a strained smile, not pausing as I headed for room’s exit. “Thanks, but that’s life.”
His lips frowned. I say his lips because the rest of his face didn’t move. This was really starting to creep me out. I was beginning to realize why only certain people were allowed into this place. Only the powerful and dangerous could make it in and out without death stalking every move.
I tried not to think of the weapons I was carrying on me, not certain that I could fight him off if he attacked.
He started forward as I neared the door and I bolted, darting over the threshold and down one twisting hallway after another. I shot a glance behind me, cursing when I saw him keeping pace with me, not getting closer but also not falling further behind.
I had no idea where I was or how to get back to the entrance. This was bad.
I rounded the corner and stumbled over a book lying in the middle of the floor. I barely caught myself from falling.
“What are you doing here?” a querulous voice asked. The tone said the owner wouldn’t accept any half ass excuses either.
I looked up to find a pair of bright blue eyes looking out at me from a face so lined with wrinkles that it was hard to believe the owner had ever been anything but ancient. He looked like a sharpei. Even his wrinkles had wrinkles.
“I’m not talking to hear myself speak,” he snapped.
“Uh.” I glanced over my shoulder to find the other man had disappeared.
“Oh, good lord, it’s like talking to a brick wall. No, I take that back. A brick wall would have a more intelligent conversation.”
My stomach sank. I recognized him. He was the shop keeper I usually dealt with when making my deliveries. Talk about out of the pan and into the fire.
“I was just trying to find the exit,” I said. Maybe he wouldn’t recognize me. It’s not like we’d had a lot of conversations in the past. He’d barely deigned to acknowledge me on the rare occasions I stopped by. “Your other shop keeper was showing me the way.”
“Other shopkeeper? What shopkeeper? I’m the only one who carries that title.” The man’s eyes narrowed. “Wait a minute. I recognize you. You work for that upstart Jerry.”
