Eve Travers
Haversham smiled. "Occasionally," he replied. "It's a rather niche interest. But so are most of our wares. We're accustomed to it." Then he quoted Rosemary a surprisingly reasonable price. H, H, & H Limited ran on the repeat business of satisfied customers. He could have gouged Rosemary on the price - and she might have paid it - but she would never have come back. If he met her needs without straining her bank account, he might tempt her back again someday. "If you are interested, we also carry some of the work of his collaborators. For example, we have the collection of essays that Grimsby-Thorpe edited with Arbuckle Weatherwax..."
Haversham now appeared fully engrossed, talking animatedly to Rosemary with his back to Eve. This was their chance. She reached out a cautious finger toward the spine of one of the volumes in the Concerning Goblins section...
The second her hand made contact with the leather, Haversham turned around. Eve was startled. But then she realized it had to be magic. There was some kind of enchantment on the books to alert the proprietor when they were being handled. Eve couldn't even begin to think of a cover story; she just stared at him, blinking stupidly.
Haversham stared back. "Ah," he said. "Not so reformed, are we, Professor? Once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater, hm?"
It was then that Eve had the horrible realization of why Haversham imagined she was interested in these books. She felt herself sinking back into darkness, and a knot of panic tightened in her chest. Was he right? Once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater? Maybe it was true, and maybe it wasn't, but right now, his assumption was convenient. With a silent apology to Liam, Shishguk, and Granrod... Eve nodded.
"I see," Haversham said. "Well, feel free to browse. These volumes are, as the sign indicates, for historical interest only." Did he subtly tap his nose at Eve? Or just scratch an itch? Then his attention turned back to Rosemary. "So, regarding the essays, some of the hypotheses have proven outdated, but the core text is interesting..."
Eve selected a copy of the same book Arminda Madison had purchased - Goblin Rebellions: Why Are They Doomed to Failure? - and after a brief perusal, indicated she would purchase it. She wanted to see what would happen. Haversham repeated his warning that it was only for historical context and was potentially offensive, and for just a moment, she believed him... at least until they left the store, and she had realized that as he was packaging up her purchase, he had discreetly tucked a copy of the same anti-goblin propaganda pamphlet into the book's flyleaf.
A Visit to London
Re: A Visit to London
Rosemary Bain
She allowed herself to peek inside the cover and was already steeling herself against whatever the shopkeeper was going to offer her, no matter how delightful it sounded, when he suddenly stopped speaking. Rosemary looked up and briefly took in the scene. Her heart broke for her friend over the sacrifice she'd just made. If it was any consolation, she doubted Haversham would ever release information about a client.
It made her hate him a little bit more.
She paid for her purchase, against her better judgment. At least they had maintained their cover.
"What is that? Oh. Subtle." Rosemary simultaneously noticed and reacted to the pamphlet. "Okay, so we know Haversham is housing anti-goblin books and spreading propaganda, but that doesn't mean much more than that. What are they even trying to do? A bunch of so-called 'informed' people aren't going to necessarily become any sort of movement. There has to be another step to this."
"Maybe we should follow him."
She allowed herself to peek inside the cover and was already steeling herself against whatever the shopkeeper was going to offer her, no matter how delightful it sounded, when he suddenly stopped speaking. Rosemary looked up and briefly took in the scene. Her heart broke for her friend over the sacrifice she'd just made. If it was any consolation, she doubted Haversham would ever release information about a client.
It made her hate him a little bit more.
She paid for her purchase, against her better judgment. At least they had maintained their cover.
"What is that? Oh. Subtle." Rosemary simultaneously noticed and reacted to the pamphlet. "Okay, so we know Haversham is housing anti-goblin books and spreading propaganda, but that doesn't mean much more than that. What are they even trying to do? A bunch of so-called 'informed' people aren't going to necessarily become any sort of movement. There has to be another step to this."
"Maybe we should follow him."
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Monkey Kitty
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Re: A Visit to London
Eve Travers and Cambria Morehouse
What Rosemary said crystalized the thing that had been nagging at Eve's mind about the pamphlets.
They were hateful; she understood hate. They were violent; she understood violence. But what they lacked was a concrete action step. They alluded to no plan. No call to join a meeting or offer of a contact. No follow-up steps at all. These pamphlets were designed to whip up emotions - but to what end? There was no direction given for the hate they generated. What was the use of inciting animosity about goblins without channeling it toward any specific objective?
He had believed Eve was still a Death Eater. If true, that would have made her the safest possible recipient. Yet even so, he had simply slipped a pamphlet into her book and sent her on her way. What... had been the point?
"Yes, we should follow," Eve agreed.
She still felt shaky and discomfited, uncomfortable with the blurred line between the past and the present. But Cambria took Eve's hand, and that helped. That grounded her firmly in the now, not the then. She gratefully squeezed Cambria's hand back.
Wherever Haversham was going, it seemed to be within walking distance. The old man was surprisingly agile, and they had to be careful - he was sharp, too. They followed him for a few blocks, staying just far enough away to be unworthy of notice, glancing into the windows of the now-closed shops as if window shopping were truly their only objective for the evening.
Haversham turned down a side street and stopped at the next corner, just inside a pool of lamplight. It was easy enough to hide in the darkness as another man stepped into the illuminated circle.
Cambria didn't recognize the newcomer. Eve did.
"That man is an Auror!" she whispered.
Before they had time to consider what that meant, the Auror addressed Haversham. "Making progress?"
"Yes," Haversham said. "I've given out almost all the pamphlets. Can you have another run printed, and drop them by the shop? After hours, of course."
What Rosemary said crystalized the thing that had been nagging at Eve's mind about the pamphlets.
They were hateful; she understood hate. They were violent; she understood violence. But what they lacked was a concrete action step. They alluded to no plan. No call to join a meeting or offer of a contact. No follow-up steps at all. These pamphlets were designed to whip up emotions - but to what end? There was no direction given for the hate they generated. What was the use of inciting animosity about goblins without channeling it toward any specific objective?
He had believed Eve was still a Death Eater. If true, that would have made her the safest possible recipient. Yet even so, he had simply slipped a pamphlet into her book and sent her on her way. What... had been the point?
"Yes, we should follow," Eve agreed.
She still felt shaky and discomfited, uncomfortable with the blurred line between the past and the present. But Cambria took Eve's hand, and that helped. That grounded her firmly in the now, not the then. She gratefully squeezed Cambria's hand back.
Wherever Haversham was going, it seemed to be within walking distance. The old man was surprisingly agile, and they had to be careful - he was sharp, too. They followed him for a few blocks, staying just far enough away to be unworthy of notice, glancing into the windows of the now-closed shops as if window shopping were truly their only objective for the evening.
Haversham turned down a side street and stopped at the next corner, just inside a pool of lamplight. It was easy enough to hide in the darkness as another man stepped into the illuminated circle.
Cambria didn't recognize the newcomer. Eve did.
"That man is an Auror!" she whispered.
Before they had time to consider what that meant, the Auror addressed Haversham. "Making progress?"
"Yes," Haversham said. "I've given out almost all the pamphlets. Can you have another run printed, and drop them by the shop? After hours, of course."