Double chocolate glazed. Victory. Lenya plucked the sugary treat from the tray and began the long mental process of promising that she would work out extra hard to justify it. Experience told her that promises made in this phase were frequently overblown so she applied a liberal dose of mental inflation to her imagined future exercise regime. She was just about to take a bite when Max arrived and excitedly opened his briefcase.

“Guten Morgen Herr..Max,” she responded cheerfully her eyes widening at the proffered book. She momentarily regretted leaving her copy of Die Shriken und Wunder at her desk. Lenya liked Max, raised among a tight knit family of women she was always a little uncomfortable around men. Her time in college and in the field had erased most of that old awkwardness but a kernel of it remained. It was the scholars caution that set her at ease. Generations of witches had stressed and internalized the need for caution and secrecy. Some of Wells and Raick's more... flamboyant employees made her nervous.

“In the original french?” she asked. After a moment of indecision she sat her donut down and wiped her hands carefully on a napkin. She could hear the doors opening as others arrived in the office but kept her focus on the book.

“Max this is wonderful,” she declared in english as she paged through the book. The English translation was woefully and, some said, intentionally mangled. It was amazing how much esoteric work came out of France and how rarely, and poorly it was translated.

She opened the book to a random page, the title read, Rue d’Auesil; with precise, if strange, directions. The familiar thrill of discovery ran up her spine.

“We must sit and talk I have questions, and my french is not so good as yours,” she declared excitedly. Hopefully it would prove a slow day and they would have ample time to discuss the book. It didn't seem like there was much of a rush on as yet.

“I have something to show you too but ...” her eyes fell on the donut once more, “perhaps we will eat first ya?”