thaumaturgical-business

The chapter introduces a tense confrontation between the narrator, a businessman dealing in magical building materials, and a threatening agent representing an organization that controls and extorts local magicians by offering protection from 'bad luck.' The narrator resists this coercion using his own magical heritage and cold iron, while also exploring the practical use and limits of magic in his trade. Later, he visits a knowledgeable friend, Jedson, who is experimenting with a young white witch capable of creating whole magical garments, revealing the complexities and limitations of magical craftsmanship.