In which Capricorn takes advantage of a 17 year-old's hospitality.

The girl had every right not to trust him and Basta. He had watched her peek her head into his room, a curious brat. The women in this strange world were unafraid, she had hardly batted a lash at Basta's knife and didn't care one bit that the two men who she had offered a ride to could have easily killed her. Any woman would have avoided even looking them in the face back home, but a lady at a stall selling bread earlier that day had smiled at them and even winked as she handed him back his change. Irritating. She had been startled by how much paper currency he had handed her, but was kind enough to sort out the correct amount. Capricorn despised the look in peoples' eyes here. He'd have to teach them fear.

Of course it hurt Capricorn's pride to feel so helpless and accept this child's offerings, but he had once been young and remembered how easy it was to take advantage of somebody's charity, especially in those days. It would be easy to get this girl and her horrid mother to give him the tools he needed. If he could not get back, like that silver-tongued wizard had claimed, then he would make this world work for him.

Were there others who could accomplish what he had done? Pluck others out of their worlds and put them into this one? Capricorn certainly hoped so, or else he'd have to acquire that man again and at this moment, he didn't want to see him for quite some time. He hated how powerless he had felt at that moment, how that man turned his own sword against him. Had his shadow followed him, this would have been a very different story.

So far, this world had been easy to decipher, he wasn't a stupid man. Apart from being unable to read, it was easy to get by. He saw people pass each other wads of paper and small coins, and those cards, too. He was too wary of them to use them. Basta had managed to acquire a few purses to help them get by. Capricorn was grateful that he was here, though he'd never admit it to his face. Dogs like him didn't need praise to get the job done. A swift kick in the ribs and a stern voice was all he needed.

Capricorn lay there in the strange house and in the strange bed, unable to fall asleep. It was the first bed he had slept in since arriving several days ago. In the room next to his, he could hear Basta snoring away, or was it that awful woman who smelled like smoke and couldn't even be bothered to look up from her book? He was almost surprised that girl hadn't gotten into more trouble with such an inattentive mother. Something told him that her mother has always been a terrible person.

It was something he could use to his advantage. Unhappy children always were the best pawns.

If he could not get home, he would learn everything there was to be learned about this world. Capricorn was a curious man, that hadn't changed. He would do whatever he needed to do to come out on top, then, he'd find that silver-tongued man and make him pay.

He couldn't say what finally lulled him to sleep, Capricorn never slept easy, but he woke to the sound of Basta arguing with the girl downstairs. They were huddled over a map at the well-worn table in the kitchen, trying to find "home" if he had to guess.

Basta was dressed in the clothing the girl had provided the previous night, it was amazing how easily he could blend in now. Of course, it puckered and didn't fit properly in some places, but that was barely noticeable. Capricorn himself wasn't used to whatever fabric these clothes were made out of and had examined himself in the mirror in his room for quite some time before he went downstairs. He didn't hate how he looked, but the color wasn't to his taste. He'd seen men in striking outfits back in the city, all grey and black with pops of color. IImagine them in bright red/i, he told himself. He, too, wanted to look striking.

The girl said nothing as he came down the rickety steps, she only lifted her head and pointed at a plate of burnt toast and muttered, "mom's out, don't know where, but there's breakfast." Rude child. No doubt she was happy her mother was gone for the morning. There was something in the other room making a racket, probably another radio if he had to guess. The technology in this world amazed and unsettled him at the same time.

Without saying a word, Capricorn bent over the two and examined the map, the outline of the countries unfamiliar to him. His finger traced over the borders of these strange countries, pretending to study their hills and the names of their towns.

"I couldn't find anything that resembled any Argenta, I'm sorry," she took a sip out of a steaming mug, "I racked my brain all night on where I had heard that before and—" the girl passed a book to Capricorn, "this was all I could find."

He studied this book, though he couldn't make heads nor tails of its contents other than the few pictures that were scattered amongst its pages. Several passages had been marked, by this girl, but he couldn't make heads nor tails out of the words. Capricorn had never been able to read, he had no need for it, but he already had seen how out of place he was in this world, watching people buy food off of boards with words on them. It would be a benefit to learn.

"You can't read, can you?" The girl asked after he had stared absently at the pages before him.

"Absurd, of course I can."

She saw straight through his lie, though, "it's a book called Inkheart, one of my favorites from when I was in school. There's a place called Argenta ruled by this prince called the Adder…" the way she spoke made it sound as if she were absolutely taken with the book. It was his book, everything that she described; it was his. "...anyway, you actually look like how I imagined the main character to be, you're so awfully pale, but I think there are some differences between you and Capricorn, I always imagined him to be much more imposing," she looked him up and down with her narrow eyes, as if second-guessing herself.

"I am Capricorn." It didn't surprise him at all that he was from a completely different story. He wanted to be taken aback, like Basta was now, but he'd seen the book in that man's hands and heard his name escape his lips. Capricorn was not a stupid man. Yes, of course it took him time to accept that he was built from paper and ink, but it was not a difficult thing to do. After all, he had been flesh and blood in his book and he was still flesh and blood now.

The girl, however, was taken aback, but not in the way he expected. She should fear him if she knew anything about him and maybe he did see a hint of fear, but there was more amazement than anything else. "I never thought something alive could come out!" She exclaimed as she darted off upstairs, her bare feet pounding heavily against the old wooden floors. He could hear her talking to herself, amazed how there were others, that she was standing in front of him, that she should have left him behind at the 'petrol station'. Above him, there was the clatter of things falling off shelves, the sound of a dish breaking followed by the girl's curses, but after a moment, she returned from upstairs with a dingy sword in her hands. "I think this is yours, or somebody's," she panted, handing Capricorn the heavy sword.

It did feel familiar as he shifted it from hand to hand and there it was, at the hilt, a cast goat's head. It was his. He hadn't even missed it, for he had many swords made for him and Capricorn wasn't one for sentimentality. The man wasn't even thinking about the sword, truly. His thoughts were occupied with what he could do with this girl and this gift of hers. While Basta stared at her, hand clutching his pouch of charms and wards as if that would keep the witch at bay, Capricorn saw an opportunity.

"I—it appeared several years ago when I was reading the book to myself. Nothing else ever came out for me but this…" her voice trailed off, obviously lost in thought, "you can't tell my mother! I'll do any favor you ask but don't tell her."

And there it was. He didn't even have to ask her. The girl gave him exactly what he needed. He could ask anything of her and she'd comply. Her fear of her mother discovering this gift of hers was greater than her dislike of the woman, and Capricorn relished this.

The girl took the sword back and clutched it with sweaty palms, "I doubt it will work, but I can try to send you back… or something else!" Her face lit up with a glimmer of hope, as if an offer like that would make him happy, he could even tell that her offer made Basta happy.

But Capricorn smiled, "no. I want you to teach me everything about this world of yours."