The Elder smiled when he saw one of his regulars entering, looking a bit like a wiccan Santa Claus after a three day bender as he got up from behind the counter.  Without a word, he gently took the book and began leafing through it, gingerly taking a massive drag off the hookah he kept just behind the counter.  Inside a massive cloud of smoke, he shook the book, causing several bookmarks to fall out.  After handing the odd scraps of silk back to his customer, his look became fairly serious.  "Have you used any of the formulas in this book?"  He asked gravely, his hands running over the old mechanical cash register on the counter.<br/><br/>In the still mists of the shop, a strangely timeless silence tore through the air.  There were nearly a half dozen eyes rather intently glued to books, glossy magazines, and the curious glow of laptop screens.  For a moment, the only sound was the gentle cadence of the Elder's cat, her pure black paws gently pressing against the floor, copper eyes looking up curiously at her owner.