An excerpt from The Magick Bookshop by Kala Trobe

I looked through the dusty, darkened windows at the silver streaks outside, and felt that pleasure which can only come when the rain is pummeling on the roof and flags, a cold wind weaving in and out of the liquid columns or blowing them sideways into wet explosions on passersby, and one is warm and snug inside. A shiver of contentment passed through me.

"Yes, we are like a capsule, floating on the river," remarked Mr. Malynowsky, a phrase which was soon to become familiar to my ears. "A bubble which many might like to burst. But we shan't let them, shall we, my dear?"

I looked at him, surprised. "What do you mean?" I ventured.

"Ah, my dear, so young, so much to learn. The first thing you must know is that every action has its equal and opposite reaction. For every good thing we believe and do, there will spring up an adverse reaction. You and I belong to the Pillar of Mercy, but there are just as many adherents to the Pillar of Severity. Not a bad thing; we need the balance. But then we have the flip-side ..."

"Flip-?"

"Yes, I'm afraid we do. The Klippoth. The husks or harlots, as we call them. These are the spirits of evil, and there are just as many in Oxford as anywhere else, Kala, or possibly more. But I do not wish to alarm you, my dear, though forewarned is forearmed, as they say. You will learn a lot working here; it is a focalpoint for many energies, as you will see."

Had Mr. Malynowsky not been so gentlemanly, well-educated, and respected, I might have been deterred at this point. Actually, that's a lie. I might have felt I ought to be deterred, but the lure of the shop, with its wondrous rows of tomes and spectral nooks and the fact that my boss was merely vocalising what I already thought-but was unaccustomed to hearing said out loud-far outweighed my desire to be sensible. I smiled at him with genuine confidence.

"I can't wait," I said.

I did not have to.

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