Final words...

[Moggthegob]

Zook nods " I would enjoy that but fear I do not have the time today. You see I am helping solve something of a murder mystery. That book iso ne of my only solid leads to go on. Perhaps you could help me in figuring out what happened and then the two of us could exchange deeper more scholarly knowledges. I suspect, based on your tatoo, that you posess some exotic and rare knowledges that I would love to discuss.
Zook looks up hopefully and extends his tiny feeble-looking hand to her.

 

[ajanders]

The woman looks at it oddly, then tentatively shakes it.
She appears not to be much used to handshakes.

"I wish you good fortune in your pursuit of knowledge. Please pardon my interruption, O scholar, but I must be about my duties."

She picks up two or three books from the table and goes off to shelve them.

Zook, make a Spot check.

 

[ajanders]

Meanwhile, outside...

The noodle-sellers depart and are replaced by a gnome selling papers.

"Extry, Extry, read all about it! Silver Flame purifies corrupt businesses with fire!"

 

[Moggthegob]

1d20+1=8

Zook asks quickly " Are you sure you haven't seen it. Or at very least fi you are familiar with it could you tell me what its about"

 

[ajanders]

The woman takes an armload of books off a stack on the table and vanishes into the stacks.
"I cannot say if I have seen the book or not. I certainly cannot tell you what it is about."

Looking down, Zook sees the top book of the remaining stack is a dark-green octavo. The spine is marked VI 459 L4 in white ink.

 

[JRYoung]

Outside: "The Silver Flame clensed what? Good Gnome, I will purchase a paper..." Rethlin says with genuine interest.

 

[ajanders]

A copper later, Rethlin is looking over the paper.
There's an attractively lurid picture of a strong-jawed priest with blond hair that shines like the Flame itself. He bears the Flame on his white shield and on the surcoat of his banded mail.

The story describes the priest smiting a crowd of drunken reprobates on their way to carouse at a den of iniquity knows as the Cobalt Club, calling down holy flaming vengeance on a skycab that had violated some parking laws, and smiting a bakery notorious for giving short weight when they sold cookies by the pound.
His present whereabouts are unknown, but he's credited with having delivered just fiery punishment to an extortionate Cyran who cozened the poor people of Breland in exchange for filthy slum rooms this morning.

The story is developing. The police are searching.

 

[Kaodi]

Feeling rather impatient, Veyk takes a look through the books on the table, to see if there is anything interesting to look through.

" I'm something of an amateur historian, " he says to Zook. " Maybe there's something in here worth a gander. "

 

[ajanders]

In a mysterious coincidence, Veyk sees the book as well.

 

[Kaodi]

" Huh... Small wonders, eh, Zook? " says Veyk in his Karrnathi accent. Setting down any other books he may have been looking at, he glances over his shoulder to see if the librarian is returning, and then puts one hand on Zook's shoulder, motioning for them to make a hasty retreat to somewhere they can read in private.

( Is it too late to say I have used sense motive to get a read on that woman, at 16? )