Page 36 of The Hearth Witch’s Guide to Spite & Spellwork

“Are you finding everything okay?”

Avery thought back to the multitude of things Saga had mentioned that had gone over Avery’s head. She had still yet to encounter whatever a film was, but Saga had mentioned a novelist. “Sa… Someone thought I might enjoy the works of Agatha Christie.”

“Someone?” Esteri asked with a knowing smile. She knew too much. She always knew too much. “Do you have a particular one in mind, or would you like a recommendation?”

Avery focused intently on the titles in front of her without actually reading any of them. She embraced the irony of her own answer. “Surprise me.”

The cart was overflowing with stacks of books before Avery decided that perhaps that was enough for the day.

Esteri had brought her a copy of something called Murder on the Orient Express and set it on top of everything with a comment that she thought it might have been one that “Someone” would recommend.

Avery ignored the weight of the comment and tapped the handle of the cart. “How do I get these downstairs?”

“There is a lift, follow.”

Avery estimated that the woman sitting behind the checkout desk was in her mid-sixties, adorned in a floral dress and a thick cardigan. Her eyes were enlarged by the horn-rimmed glasses perched on her nose, but they grew wider as Avery began to set books on the counter as instructed to be checked out.

She quickly began scanning. “You found a lot that caught your eye.”

Avery shifted awkwardly. “I have…a lot of catching up to do.”

The librarian’s confusion was apparent, but she nodded along politely, continuing to scan until she got to the encyclopedias. “Oh…” She placed her hand on them. “I’m so sorry, you can’t have these.”

Avery frowned. “Why?”

“These are encyclopedias, you can’t check out encyclopedias.”

“Esteri said I could check out any book here,” said Avery defensively.

“Not the encyclopedias,” the librarian repeated.

“Not the encyclopedias, Esteri,” Avery shot back to the tulikettu standing behind her.

“Don’t bring me into this.”

With a frustrated sigh, Avery turned to face the librarian.

Her hair was pulled so tightly back it strained the skin at her temples, and on her cardigan some sort of wooden tag had been affixed, engraved with the name SUSAN.

Avery pursed her lips. “That seems a rather arbitrary rule, don’t you think?”

“No,” said Susan stiffly. “The encyclopedias are for reference within the library, as they are not read from cover to cover like the other books.”

“According to whom?”

Susan blinked. “I beg your pardon?”

“I assure you, I would absolutely read these cover to cover. That’s why I am starting with ‘A.’” Avery pointed to the spine to illustrate further.

“Then I suggest you purchase yourself a set, as we do not loan out encyclopedias.”

Avery stared Susan down a moment before conceding. “Fine.” She surrendered the contraband and resigned to piling the rest of the permissible books on the counter.

Susan scanned a couple more before she held up her hand. “I’m afraid the rest of these books will also need to stay here.”

“These are not encyclopedias.”

“No,” Susan agreed tightly. “But you’ve already checked out fifty books.”