Tao:
This is definitely the sort of place where there are no price tags, and everything must be bargained for. "Sure, stories are on sale. But the price is a bit different. Get me a drink from my fridge in the back, then we can talk. You can get yourself one too, if you like." The old man points his thumb to a doorway in the back of the shop, barely visible over the tops of the labyrinthine shelves.

Jack:
The key tingles in the newcomer's hand, almost electrically. For some reason, a thought worms her way into her mind. The key isn't missing its lock. They've just been separated. Somewhere in this place is a brass globe. On that globe is a keyhole. This key goes into that lock. She should find it. Why? Her mind will fill in the blanks with whatever it is she would expect to find in such a manner. That's what must be there.