Bookshop

I was on my way home from some event taking place in another town, dragging a heavy suitcase behind me. I had more than an hour to go before my train home.

The front of the railway station was a huge, imposing building in a classical style, at the end of a large and busy courtyard. I noticed some stores near the entrance, including a second-hand bookshop, so I wandered in and took a look around.

It turned out to be a treasure trove. Under the counter was a single Loompanics issue of the Principia Discordia. Across the room, languishing in a clearance bin at 20p each, multiple copies of Zohra Greenhalgh's books Contrarywise and Trickster's Touch; copies of Peter J Carroll's Liber Null & Psychonaut; and a single copy of Joanne Harris' book The Gospel of Loki.

On the shelf awaiting clearance, under heavy discount, a complete Encyclopedia Harnica and every Harnlore, lovingly maintained and kept in magazine binders. Several copies of Harnworld articles were also present, including a few not in my collection.

I woke up before the dream ended, but I had the impression that I would have boarded the train home with my suitcase stuffed with books, and the bookseller would have wondered what to do with a small pile of clothes that somebody had dumped on the pavement outside his store.