Chase knocked on the door and waited a few seconds. There was no answer, so he knocked again. “Hello, is anyone in there?” he called out. “I’ve had a bit of an accident and I need some more paper please… and maybe a plaster, if you have one?” There was a faint rustling sound from behind the door and then, with a soft click, it popped open to reveal the room beyond.
The study was cramped and dark, its low ceiling and curved wooden walls making Chase feel as if he had somehow stepped into the bowels of an old sailing ship. A single candle flickered in a sconce and an ornate wooden desk occupied almost all the space.
Atop the desk squatted a tatty old owl whose keen yellow eyes followed Chase around the tiny room. “Hello? Is anyone here?” he asked, nervously keeping one eye on the strange b
