It was a small street, winding and cobblestoned. A sign reading “Charmer’s Way” stood leaning and creaking in the chilly wind. The street was lined with tiny, shabby shops. It was deserted, except for one lone figure.

A tall, thin man with a black tailed jacket and sharply creased pants shuffled along Charmer’s Way. He hunched his shoulders and kept his eyes on the ground. Altogether he was a shady looking customer. Through the shop windows, various others stood, looking like cardboard cutouts as they stood still, watching the man and hoping that he didn’t come into their shop..

But they had nothing to fear. The mysterious man hunched into a shop halfway down the Way. It was dark in the shop, except for a circle of light over a large desk. The light came from a clear, bright globe of light that hung unsupported over the head of a young woman sitting at the desk. She leaned over a shining pile of tangled necklaces, bracelets, and other chains. As the bell over the door tinkled, she looked up.

“James!”