So, I walked into the shop and looked around. It was a little weird, I'll admit—chicken cages, dried herbs, star charts and crystal balls—but it wasn't anything weirder than you see on the streets of Bangkok. There was a sign over the counter saying 'Comforting Truths' in engraved Thai script. I handed the old man a hundred baht. "You're going to lose your hand in a week," he said, bluntly. "The one you came here with is planning to cheat you of all your money. And you'll never return to my shop again."
I took a step back, and then said, "Those truths aren't very comforting," and nodded to the sign.
"I'm sorry, that's actually a comforting lie. Apologies for the confusion."
I managed to stop Joey from getting my share of the take, but he managed to cut out, leaving some very pissed off loan sharks behind. Long story short, I had to trade my hand to a guy in Chiang Mai to get out of Thailand. He sent me into the Library. Then I tried to steal a couple books on my way out…"
—Page Tice Matthews, on how he obtained his position at the Library.