Nevermore Bookstore

The shop is pristine, customers are reading and browsing, and Vincent is in the process of ringing someone up.

Keir is even in the process of stocking shelves, and you gasp with delight when you notice that some of them are books from Maquette.

“Oh, you noticed?”

“We didn’t manage to get the full shipment, unfortunately. Some sort of issue with shipping, a new sphere spawned near Anchorage and the ship with the other half of the order got a bit lost…”

You express sympathies for that and wonder if the books can make it to the shop before the ‘raccoons’ get back…

“I sure hope so… I really don’t know what else to do, since the warding spells wouldn’t work…”

“Do I chase them with a broom?”

He laughs a little at the absurdity of the suggestion.

“They’d probably destroy me if I did that, if they’re powerful enough to eat a warding spell… Why would they have so much power and use it for just eating books?”

“I don’t understand it…”

He sighs and shakes his head, raps his knuckles on the wooden floor.

“Hopefully they won’t get back till after I have the copy of ‘Creation of Maquette’ in… It’s a nice big copy, I want it out for visitors to see so they can learn some of Maquette’s cultural history.”

“Even if you don’t subscribe to any of the Artistic faiths and their creation myth, it’s still a really lovely book, and it explains a lot about Maquette’s history that might not make sense without it.”

“Considering some of the questions I have already been getting about the simple Saura & Shells guide, I really wish we had it.”

They shake their head slightly.

“Oh well, time to stock another shelf. Let us know what you think of the new books and if you have any questions.”

With that, Keir heads off to stock another shelf, leaving you behind to wonder.

You can’t help but feeling - almost against your will - that it would probably be funny if the ‘raccoons’ got their hands on Creation of Maquette…

Somehow, that thought also brings with it a pit of dread in your stomach…