At the head of the stairs a figure appears out of the darkness of
the hall. He has returned to his favorite cassock and the light
seems to sink into it as if it was a window into nothing. The image
produced by this is that of a floating head and hands coming out of
the hallway. Alone, this would have been mildly unnerving, but in
this instance the whole effect was somewhat ruined by the large
leather bound book in his hands and the gentle chuckles emanating
from behind it. As the figure reaches the base of the stairs a few
words become audible through the chuckling.
"…..deep ones………(Chuckle)…….from the depths……(stifled laugh)"
Closing in on the bar; a pair of eyes appear above the edge of the
book. The dark, nearly black, irises focus on Winter and a pause in
the laughter ensues.
"Winter my friend. Could you have someone bring me a "Starry
Night," and an "Edelweiss" at my table please?"
With that the figure retreats to a dark booth. The only
illumination is a single small reading lamp above his head.
Occasionally a snort or laugh will escape the confines of his
surrounding shadow, and those who look very closely will see, during
the most intense humor, a twinkle in his eyes that almost looks like
a parent indulging a child or a professor with a favorite student.
Talking to himself; a final comment can be heard before he is
completely settled in: "Zophiel… you should read this. It's
hilarious."