The old wizard looked unremarkable, but he was impeccably dressed, with a pair of delicate gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose.
He seemed particularly fond of gold. A gold ring was pinned to his suit lapel, and a fine gold chain hung down into his breast pocket.
There was probably a pocket watch inside.
The outfit gave him the air of an old gentleman, making him look exceptionally dignified.
"Sorry, sir, we're closed." Pippin looked the unfamiliar old wizard over, then rose to show him out.
The old wizard merely gave him a cursory glance, idly surveyed the shop's furnishings, and waved a hand in front of his nose with a hint of distaste.
This irritated Pippin. He had the nagging feeling that he had seen this sort of affected behavior somewhere before.
"Sir..." Pippin began again, trying to usher him out.
"You're the owner of this shop?" the old wizard suddenly interrupted, without the slightest courtesy.
"I am." No businessman wanted to offend a customer without good reason. Pippin nodded and swallowed his anger.
"Honestly, I think you ought to redecorate the shop, make it look a little less..." The old wizard paused, apparently weighing his choice of words.
At last, he settled on a word he evidently considered mild. "A little less... shabby."
Pippin's eyelid twitched uncontrollably. "This shop has stood for centuries. I think I ought to preserve its original appearance."
"Oh..."
The old wizard was about to say more, but Pippin cut him off, opened the door, and gestured for him to leave.
"Goodbye, sir. The shop is closed."
"Is this how you treat your customers?" The old wizard clearly had no intention of leaving. He continued looking around, casting Pippin an offhand glance.
Pippin felt an inexplicable pressure bearing down on him.
He began to