The book's pages are sealed together, but a small hole has been cut out of the middle of them, just large enough to hold a small corked bottle containing a clear liquid.  You show it to Throm, who holds up his hand, indicating that he does not want you to come anywhere near him with it; his distrust of things unknown is strongly evident.<br/><br/><em>Your choices are to drink the liquid, or to rub the liquid into your wounds, or to open the red book, or to leave the bottle and book and continue north with Throm.</em>