Around 3 p.m., there was a knock at the door.

  When Thomas opened it, he found Veronica standing beside a man he recognized, though he couldn’t quite place the name.

  Daniel Bomberg (grinning):

  “Hey, Thomas! I hear you’ve been getting me in trouble with my wife. I walk in the door and she’s already telling me that my usual excuse—‘I don’t know where he is’—doesn’t cut it anymore. Apparently, since my daughter was coming over, I was expected to show my face too. So, here I am. Thought I’d say hello… and let you know: if you ever need anything—especially books—just ask. If it exists, I’ll try to find it for you.”

  Veronica (with a smirk):

  “Hi, Tom. This is my dad. Apparently, you helped him out with a few customers one day over the summer. Got them to the cashier—he was grateful, handed you a coin, looked away, and you were gone. Can I ask you something? Do you have the power of social invisibility? Because if I’m not keeping an eye on you, and there are more than three people around, you seem to just… vanish.”

  Thomas (softly):

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Daniel (chuckling):

  “Well, vanishing act aside—would you be interested in helping out at the shop sometime? I’d check with the Mendelsons to make sure it doesn’t interfere with anything. It’s rare to meet someone who actually appreciates books and can speak on the topics the way you do.”

  Thomas:

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  “I’m not sure about all that. I just happened to have read something like what they were asking for—and I saw it in the shop. The hard part was finding it.”

  Daniel:

  “Well, they’ve been repeat customers. Keep asking when you’ll be back. If you’re free some afternoon, come by. I’d even be willing to trade books for a few hours a week.”

  Thomas:

  “Actually… I had a request. Do you know if I could get a book of Jewish prayers? And also… a guide to Summa Theologica?”

  Daniel (raising an eyebrow):

  “Let me guess—you sat through Friday night dinner and didn’t understand the Hebrew?”

  Thomas:

  “Yes, sir.”

  Daniel:

  “I thought so. I might know someone who put together an interlinear primer—Hebrew and English side-by-side. Give me a few days, and I’ll see if I can find you a copy. You can come over and I’ll show you how to use it. As for Summa Theologica—two four-hour Saturdays or Sundays in the shop seems like a fair trade.”

  Veronica (mock-groaning):

  “Dad… I thought you came to say hello, not bribe him with books.”

  Daniel (grinning at Thomas):

  “I’ve seen his room at the Talesky. I know a bibliophile when I see one. I’d even bet he’s been grounded from the library before.”

  Thomas froze like a deer in headlights.

  Daniel (laughing):

  “Hit a nerve? Yep. You’re a bibliophile. Easy to spot—books on the couch, no TV on the weekend.”

  Veronica:

  “You know the Mendelsons don’t watch TV on Saturdays.”

  Daniel:

  “Sure. But look at the books he’s reading. That’s a King James next to a triple combination, and a copy of Summa Theologica I printed and bound myself. If you want a mini-Quad, Thomas, I can probably order one for you.”

  Veronica:

  “Dad, I love you. But I came over to study with Thomas—we’ve got a science quiz this week. Not to fight for his time. I promise I’ll get him to your shop some weekend. Just let me hang out with him a bit too.”

  Daniel (teasing):

  “Am I detecting… interest in this young man?”

  Veronica:

  “Yes—interest in keeping him out of the sights of other girls. As long as Shoshana’s still sniffing around, I need to secure the perimeter. Besides, it helps that he’s a little like you.”

  Daniel (smirking):

  “Ah… now I see what’s going on.”

  Veronica (waving him off):

  “Nope. Stop right there. Go home, Dad—I’ve got studying to do, and you’re getting in the way.”